Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Federal 416 Rigby solids and softs

I sighted in with solids @ 100 yards and even though the soft nose are the same 400 grain weight, the soft nose hits about a foot off the bullseye. The inletting of the stock is picture perfect so ????

I've had some rifles shoot different ammo almost the same impact and some not. But a foot off!!!!! Wow It'd be hard to mix up solids and softs in the magazine so go figure. I have a double 500-450 that shoots solids and softs the same so..... Whatythink?? I'm selling the 416 but nevertheless......

Try Barnes Monolithic Solids and X bullets. I have never heard of them not shooting very close to the same POI. It is not uncommon for bullets of the same wieght but different construction and shape to differ significantly in POI. Rarely a full foot at 100, but oft times far enough away to be a problem.

Next, shoot whatever bullets you want to use at 50 yards. Excepting a fleeing wounded animal, you are not going to be pointing 416 Solids at anything more than 50 yards away.
Lastly, sight in the soft points first, THOSE you might want to try a shot with on an Eland or Big Kudu at 100 or even 200 or more yards away if that is what is in your hands when said large ungulate is spotted. Then see how far off your solids are at 50 yards. If using Barnes, I will predict that they will be about on top of one another at 50.

Think it doesn't matter. My 550 shoots reload soft 400 or 410's with 100 grains H4831Sc and solid 400's with 95 grains IMR 4831 pretty much the same (out to 100 yards). Every load can be different -- RHINO's "throw" wider than equivalent Woodleigh/Barnes/etc.

IIRC all the ammo I have (300+/- rounds for the 500-450) is a mixture of solids and soft nose with 88gr. of 4831 with 480 gr. bullets. 2" group at 100 yards is pretty amazing. I should remember as I've shot perhaps 100 rounds at targets over the years and I get 2-3 inch groups @ 100 yards and I've saved the targets. But I'm getting too old to do much anymore. However I've not mixed solids with soft nose but I think I will just for my own satisfaction.
I posted the picture of the 416 Rigby here a long time ago before I had it blued and it's a really sweet piece. It has a Weatherby Mag. Action (Brno) with a piece of stained birds eye maple stock.
Thanks for the heads up WRT the Barnes but I'm not going to be reloading this rifle.

Do you reload? I had to to afford shooting a 416 Rigby. I found loads that print acceptably close for my CZ. In fact I have had 4 different loads, three factory and 1 reload hit within 2 inches at 100. But, not all loads will do that.

Shoot it some more, and try reloading a bit.

I have a Dakota 76 African in .416 Rigby. it won't shoot a decent group with anything Federal loads, but is always under an inch with Swift A-Frame and Barnes solid 400's as loaded by Norma. The soft chronos at 2262 fps and the solid at 2258 from my rifle and both shoot to the exact same point of aim.