I ordered up a #1 416 Rigby shortly after they came out and traded it off in '03. I shot it for the first 10 years with the factory butt plate and a PAST recoil shield strapped on. Frequently I had it reduced with only 90 gr of IMR 4831 behind a 400 gr Hornady. Power was on par with a 404 Jefferey and the recoil felt similar to my M70 338 Win. The last couple of years that I had the gun it had Limbsaver on it. I got it for $10 in Cabela's Bargain Cave. Best $10 I ever spent!! The gun still moved, but it took the nastiest part of the sting out of it. I'd definitely put it on your #1. I liked it well enough to put one on my 444 too. So, is the gun going to pound you? Yep. It is a 416. The reduced loads are very manageable though. I only shot my reduced loads with the 400 gr bullets because I got a ton of them cheap when the local Gander Mtn. was clearing them out. Those 350gr loads may be quite agreeable. But if you start itching to see what that big, sexy case can really do if it's full of powder...hold on!
