Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 416 Rigby vs. 416 Ruger: Competition or Coexistence

I've got a 450/400 and have become enamored with what Craig Boddington calls "the lower 40s." I also have a pair of McMillan CZ 550 Magnum stocks sitting next to my safe awaiting barreled actions. I am also a big fan of Ruger Model 77's and, having a 9.3x62 I feel no need for a 375 Ruger, but the 416 Ruger looks very interesting. How to reconcile these things?

My question is this: Do the 416 Rigby (in the CZ550) and 416 Ruger (in the Ruger Alaskan) perform their tasks differently enough to justify, with the minimum level of practicality required by rifle loonies, owning both? If so why? If not, why not?

The Rigby is classic, so I think there will always be a market for it. I could see a justification for both--the Rigby in a nice wood stock and the Ruger in a McMillan beater.

Well...I think you should own rifles chambered in both cartridges, because both are cool in their own right.

But a .416 diameter bullet weighing 400 grains leaving one muzzle at 2400 fps would be pretty indistinguishable from the same bullet leaving the other muzzle at the same speed .

Which is absolutely not a reason to build only one...

Dennis

What is the magazine capacity of the CZ 550 in 416 Rigby? Does it hold four or five down?

My .404 Jeffery holds four in the magazine, so I would guess the same is true of the Rigby. My CZ 550 Safari Magnum .404 Jeffery also weighs almost three pounds more than my .375 Ruger African, so that is a consideration too.

Dennis

Thanks Dennis, those kinds of specs make them different enough to justify owning both. The 416 Ruger for packing day in day out, and the 416 Rigby specifically for hunting; for example, if I ever line up the Bison hunt I want, having five shots on tap rather than four would be nice.

All the Ruger brings to the table is the ability to be housed in a smaller, trimmer action. Conversely, the shorter case makes it tough on long for caliber bullets like the 400gr TSX. There's an article in this months American Hunter about it. The 400gr TSX is unusable in the Ruger. SO I'm sure it will coexist but as far as competing, I'm not seeing it. jorge

I'll have to check that article out; so the 416 Ruger might be the niche cartridge (all the power in a small rifle) while the Rigby will continue to be the standard choice, particularly for handloading? I've seen some data for the Rigby that approaches the 416 Weatherby in velocity.

The Wby is just a Rigby case with a belt added.

What information do you base that statement on? I can't imagine that 2400 fps isn't easily achievable in the Ruger case, and that's standard for the Rigby round.

Dennis

Since there is no realistic difference between the two as big game stoppers and if I were considering either 416, then I would go after the better handling, easier to carry and the lighter rifle for better field use. As a current 375 Ruger Alaskan owner, like the Hogue stock or not, the .416 Ruger Alaskan would get my vote. Its stock can always be changed.

But since you already have CZ stocks in your safe, that is another consideration favoring the 416 Rigby.

Jorge, I haven't found any basis so far for the statement quoted, in my initial reloading for the Ruger African in 404/375 Ruger. I haven't fired the rifle yet, -although my GS has with the .423" 400 gn TSX- but loads with .423" Barnes 400 TSXs, 400 Banded solids and Woodleigh 450 grain solids all cycle through the unaltered magazine without problems. The OALL of the 416 Ruger and the 404/375 wildcat equal the 375 Ruger OALL. BTW, starting loads of 80 grains H4350 under the 400 TSX at std OALL leave room for several more grains of powder.

So, I'm not sure what experience the writer of the cited article has to base his assertion. If a loony needs a reason to justify owning both a 416 Rigby and a 416 Ruger - though I can't imagine needing any reasonable justification to own another rifle - more power to him. But, OALL problems with specific bullets isn't one IME.

Mine held three in the magazine stock. I'm currently getting it refitted to hold four.

Can't say for sure but if they had been making the 416 Ruger when I was looking I may have gone that way. Although I think the Rigby has more range WRT to reloading up.

Definitely true, as Wby showed with their belted version of the Rigby - 2700 fps with the 400 grain bullet, IIRC. But when is a dead buff dead enough? Is it after he's killed with a 400 grain bullet leaving the muzzle at 2400 fps, 2700 fps or ... how fast?

If recoil weren't a factor, maybe common sense and results from the field might define the upper limit of MV for DG cartridges. Just my .02.

The Cape buffalo I shot with a 400 gr solid at 2300 fps went nowhere. The second shot, purely for insurance, passed through the shoulders and spine from side to side and buried itself in the Moz swamp.

I don't think an extra 400 fps would have added any lethality... .

Dennis

I agree with muledeer. You could hotrod the Rigby but as is it is deadly. I have not shot a 416 Ruger but would think the choice between the two would be a personal one based on the rifle and its handiness and fit and your interest in nostalgia. Game is not going to be able to tell the difference when well hit by a 416 whether Ruger,Rigby,Rem,Taylor,Weatherby.I chose the 416 Rigby.

With the 416 Rigby, 416 Rem Mag, and 404 Jeffery already well established, it seems that the niche the 416 Ruger fits into is a cartridge/rifle combination that is both sound and affordable. Also it seems like it would work in a 98 Mauser Action without too much work. Both niche's seem to make it reasonable cartridge.

Regards,
Chuck

Has anyone seen the 416 Ruger in a store for sell yet? The 375 Ruger's are a little over a year out into stores. It'll be interesting when the new cartridge aura wears off to see how it fairs in the market place.

..........As a matter of fact? Yes! In my conversation with the owner, my dealer here in So Cal between both stores has 3 416 Ruger Alaskans in the racks! He `s already ordered several for his customers and thought it would be a pretty good idea to have some on hand in inventory.

Based on his sales #`s so far, the 375 Ruger has outsold all other 375`s combined since its intro and since the more recent advent of the 416 Ruger, it has outsold all other 416`s combined.

Can`t say about the future "aura" wearing off, but at present, the sales #`s are what they are.

It's funny that all the folks who think a 416 Rigby built on a standard M-98 are the epitome of light/powerful rifles - while virtually every gunbuilder ( including Rigby) will tell them why it shouldn't be done - think that the new 416 Ruger - that is designed to fit in a standard M-98 and gives identical performance - will never be as good.