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While I understand the hobby of it all I cannot, in all accounts, see not going with the 416 Remington in a M70 action. Mine is pretty tidy.

Exactly, could not agree more.

I tend to agree as well. In fact don't see any major reason to choose the .416 Taylor when there are so many .416 factory rounds (often with ammo relatively available even in Africa) these days.

Back when the .416 Tayloer was developed, the .416 Remington hadn't appeared (and the .416 Ruger was far off in the 21st century), and rifles for the .416 Rigby were either extremely expensive, or custom jobs that required handloading, which was often a PITA due to brass availability. The shorter bolt-throw of the Taylor makes no difference in the real world, unless you're so short the withdrawn bolt will hit you in the face. The big factor in rapid repeat shooting with a bolt-action isn't action length, but practice. It might take 10 more milliseconds to work a long bolt between shots.

Plus, of course, the Taylor isn't capable of .416 Remington muzzle velocities without considerably higher pressure, just as the .338 Winchester can't match .340 Weatherby velocities.

But hey, all of it's mostly about what we like and shoot well, and a .416 Taylor loaded to .450/.400 muzzle velocities will kill stuff just as well as either of the .450/400's. Which apparently have always killed buffalo and elephants very well, despite lagging behind the .416 Rigby/Remington/Taylor, et al, by around 200 fps.

The truth is that very few of today's sport hunters will ever kill enough really big game with any cartridge to come to really firm conclusions about any difference in "killing power" with a wide variety of cartridges from .375 (or even 9.3mm) on up--partly because today's bullets are so good, both soft and solid.

I did a fair amount of work developing loads for my Ruger in 416 Taylor a few years ago and had a lot of fun in the process. I did tear the recoil lug area out of a Ruger laminated stock and knock some glass loose in a very well known scope. The only data that I had to reference was Mr Wooters article. I was using a Piezo Pressures program and had my barrel set up for that. I couldn't get velocities any where near his reported velocities with safe pressure levels while using IMR-4320. That is when I found out that loose primer pockets and sticky bolts indicate way too much pressure. If you are thinking about that powder, work up to the velocity you want with caution. There are many more acceptable powders now. My rifle loved 350 grain bullets and was very comfortable with 400 grain bullets at 2150. I think 2350 was about as fast as I was able to get a 400 grain bullet to go from my rifle. Another thing that hit hard with me while doing this development was the great disparity in pressures when just changing bullets. I know it is common knowledge now but back then, not so much. That a gun with that level of power was capable of shooting 1 to 1.5 inch groups at 100 was very satisfying. All shooting was from a bench rest and recoil was brisk but very easy to live with. It was very much like my 375 H&H. One gun writer called it a great lady's elephant rifle. Probably right. Biggest thing I ever shot was a tree.

super cool info thanks guys!!!

I've had a Taylor for over 20 years. Mine is built on a tang safety Ruger M77 action. When I first got it I shot it a lot and regrettably it hasn't been in the field for quite a while. Part of the reason is that through two moves I've lost all my data. I did take it to Africa and I used it for everything from Warthogs to Buffalo with Swift 400gr A Frames. At one time I had loaded Hawk 325gr soft points for deer and killed an Elk with it and a couple of whitetails.
I just need to start over with the reloading process and work up a couple of loads suitable for deer.

The allure of wildcats and less common rounds has worked it's way through my system. The 416 Taylor made perfect sense when it was developed, today not so much. I can't see building one when perfectly capable factory 416's are availble, same with the brass and standard dies.

Now if I came across a reasonable priced well built 416 Taylor I wouldn't pass it up.

Phil,

Can you ream out the Taylor to a 416 Ruger?

Agreed, I bought a BRNO 98 mauser 416 Taylor from a guy in your state for 175 bucks shipped, it came with 50 sticks of necked down WW 458wm brass and a set of dies, I threw the stock away, had a B/C syn for a mauser lying on a safe top, took it and all the metal to my 'smith, he owed me about 200 bucks labor on a gun deal.

Had him black matte cerakote all steel, even the bases and ring screws, full length bed the rifle to the stock, tune the trigger to a crisp 3lbs, sent the stock up to Darren75K here at the fire for a nice paint job, mounted a spare 1.5-5 leupold in the talley QD rings and went to the load shop, it was easy to get 2400 fps with 400gr partitions in the rifles 24" barrel with CFE-223 powder, iirc extreme spreads are less than 10 fps, the rifle is way more accurate than a heavy medium bore rifle that will be shot at large game at relative short ranges.

Donsm70 here at the fire graciously sent me some free A-Square cases with the proper 416 Taylor head stamp, I got a hell of a deal and love the rifle, I simply cannot imagine what a 400gr partition leaving at 2400 fps would not handily dispatch,

There's one for 450 on A H dot com. Well, its a 338/416, close to the taylor but the shoulder is a few thousandths forward. Comes with dies. If I wasn't trying to shrink my safe, and didn't have the 400 Whelen and 10.75x68 I'd have snatched it up already

Sir,
That is the most badass review of the 416 Taylor I've ever read. You have me sold. Where a lotta guys "talk" about their hand load exploits, and talk about how they're going to "someday" hunt. YOU, and your WIFE ran those 416s like straight up bosses, for decades.

My dear 416 Taylor was built as an northwest Wyoming elk rifle. I guess elk don’t need such a cartridge but don’t tell them. 350 grain Speers at 2550 just dump them, no trailing involved.
Did a lot a bison hunts, 400 grain Hornadys exited always, 350 Speer got six feet of penetration front towards the back. Just a wonderful cartridge. Picking up 7 mag brass and reforming to 416 just warmed my heart and turned a useless object into a real cartridge of great power. After years of the great 458 I wanted a little better trajectory so built the Taylor. Had a wounded bison cow a ways out, held the front sight on hair. 400 grain Hornady soft smacked and she fell on her nose. My old 458 would have to have held above hair.
I sold it recently as I have two more cervical fusions to endure in November. The sale of that rifle has saddened me greatly.

Frank, don't worry bud, the mighty 358 winchester would be a humble replacement with a lot less recoil.

Yah, for north American game, I much prefer the 41 cal 350 grainers over the 400's.

My two biggest moose one shot with the 358 and this past season a 41 wildcat off the 9.3x62: They both dropped instantly. Both needed a finishing shot.

Kinda hard to differentiate the kill power of a medium from a large medium. BUT......the recoil sure is less in the little 358 win.

I had a 416 Wby complete with 26" barrel and a KDF brake. Recoil was barely manageable as 15 shots were the max I could do in a session. Removing the brake once was punishing. In another session I removed the brake again. BAD IDEA. Recoil brought the gun back hard enough for the bolt knob to bruise the outside of my hand!! I have since sold the rifle and had a Taylor made on an 03A3 action. Currently it has a 24" barrel, but I think I'm gonna go down to 21". I haven't killed anything with it and might not ever, but it is a dream to shoot compared to the Wby. I use 338WM, 7 RM and 458WM for brass. Sometimes the 7 RM necks are cocked and need to be trimmed and squared up.

On a subsequent 375 AI build, I had the dogleg bolt handle cut and flipped forward on a '17 Enfiled. I did this to prevent the bruised hand syndrome - it worked. No need to do it on the Taylor as it is much gentler to the shooter.

I have a 416 Rigby and I could load that up to nearly 416 Weatherby power, way beyond the Ruger, the Remington or the Taylor. But I noticed that with 400 grain bullets the Rigby is just fine at Rigby pressures, no need for me to go further - for me. Of course I'm in my 70's and have bursitis and arthritis.

I'm pretty sure a Taylor would be a good rifle for an old fart like me. I'm not positive what rifle I'd build it a Taylor on. I have a 375 Whelen AI on a Mauser action and a Mauser would work pretty good, I think. If I don't sell my tanger Ruger 77 in 7mm Mag, that could be re-barreled by ER Shaw I suppose and that would require very little extra work, I'd think.

Bugger my Taylor is on a tang safety M77. I like my Taylor, I have used it on deer just because I have it but I've taken an Elk with it and it's been to Africa where I used it almost exclusively.

GSPfan, what barrel - length, weight or contour did you use for your Taylor?

I was thinking nothing longer than 22” and heavy enough to make the rifle ~ 9 lb.

But I’d sell my Rigby first.

I have had my Taylor for 20+ years and it has served me well in North America and Alaska.

It is a Ruger M77 Tang safety with 25" Douglas barrel with 1-4 x 20 Nikon. Shoots everything sub MOA and really like the 400 gr and 350 gr pills. My powder of choice is RL15.

Good Day

Bugger the barrel is 24 inches a Douglas premium. I don't recall the contour, I've had it for over 25 years probably closer to 30. The gun with Tally QD rings and a Burris 1.5 X5 scope weighs just a shade over 9 lbs.

I had one someone put together on a Mauser action. It was beautiful and put together right. But the rifle was very light. With 350 or 400 grain heavy loads the recoil was sharp and not pleasant and I’m not recoil sensitive. I sold it. In hind sight I wish I had just rebarreled it. I loved the cartridge and I loved loading for it. I’d definitely own another Taylor but I’d want it in a rifle 9lbs or heavier.