Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .416 Rem loads 350 Speer

I'm looking for .416 Rem loads using the 350 gr. Speer for hogs and such. I'm thinking around 2,200 fps or so.

I see RL-15 being used a lot. I have a number of powders in that burn range, would appreciate load info.

DF

I have never loaded mine that "slow" as buffalo was on the menu (350 gr TSX). Maybe take a look at Hodgdon's site and back off a bit.

Per Hodgdon website, 48gr H4895 is the reduced load starting point and working up from there to a max of 80gr at 2600fps. Have had great success using H4895 in a couple of cartridges with reduced loads.

I think 65gr may put you in the 2200fps ballpark.

Thanks. I have some and will try it.

I want my bud to enjoy getting used to the gun before getting into full house loads. And hogs aren’t that hard to kill.

Come time to hunt cape buff he’ll be shooting a full house 350 gr TSX load, probably with RL-15 or 4064.

DF

Ed, what’s your favorite 350 gr. TSX load?

DF

Please share.

I have a 416 coming from the gunsmith shortly. Plan on using the speer for a lot of practice and TSX if I make it back to Africa for Buffalo. So far I am seeing H4895, Varget, Tac and IMR 4451 as a starting point. Since those are the powders I have sitting on the shelf.

I will probably start with the IMR as I believe the decoppering feature has some merit, and do not like cleaning big bores.

Speer data has Pw Pro 2000-MR as the highest performing powder with their 350 gr. at 2,811 fps (compressed load)

IIRC, PP 2000 is close to CFE-223, some say same powder with slightly different specs. Those two are pretty close to Big Game, 4007, H-380 and Vv n-140 burn rate.

Hodgdon slows Varget as fastest at 2,622 fps, same bullet, 24" bbl.

2,800 is a lot faster than 2,600. Data seems all over the page with this round. It must be pretty versatile.

Learning as I go. New round to me. Appreciate help with this one.

DF

FWIW, I used 350 TSXs over 82 grains Re-15 this year in Namibia on a buff and giraffe. Federal mag primer and Remington brass. Never chronoed the load but it was sub inch accurate.

That Alliant Power Pro 2000 MR powder seems to be the huckleberry for velocity. I can not imagine what a 350gr T/TSX at 2800fps would not work on.

My goal is to find a good solid load at around 2525fps with a 350gr T/TSX and call it good.

McCray, congrats on the buf and giraffe. Recover any bullets? Performance report pretty please...…...

I suspect it is a bit over 2400 FPS

I've read claims that CFE-223 is the same powder as PP 2000-MR, others say not. Reportedly they're both made at St. Marks in FL. Also it's said that St. Marks claims different formulations. Are they the same basic powder, one with decoppering agent? Not sure.

Speer doesn't list .416 Rem loads with CFE-223, just PP-2000-MR. Neither Barnes nor Hornady show either powder with their 350 gr. loads.

Would appreciate info on those two powders.

DF

Well, I can't help you with reduced loads but I'll share my 350gn loads.
Rifle: New production win m70 safari (completely stock), Leupold FX-6/42 fixed power scope.

I've tried RL-15 but I've had better luck with accuracy with Varget.

350 Speer, 83.2gn of Varget, COL 3.59"
Accuracy .95" at 100 yards
I tried 80-84.5gn and 83.1-83.2 gave me the best accuracy. The speer bullet is one of the less accurate bullets I've tried in 2 different 416 remington rifles, but it's so affordable and the accuracy is acceptable. I haven't chrono'd this load yet, but it should be roughly 2600-2650 fps.

Now for my go to load that I can always trust and is super accurate.
350 TSX, 83.5gn Varget, COL 3.590, remington or barnes brass
Accuracy 0.66" at 100 yards and a chrono'd velocity of 2650fps, no pressure signs
crimped in groove with just enough pressure to make the edge of the brass mouth touch the the inner diameter of the crimp groove. I used a drop tube and the powder fills the case perfectly so that the bullet just starts to touch the top of the powder when seated all the way. This means no worry of bullet setback under recoil, of the other rounds in the magazine. This load was developed in 20 F temperature and I pressure tested it in 100 degree heat. Accuracy remained almost the same in the warmer weather. I also caught one of these shots in water jugs, at 200 yards. The bullet expanded decent. I suspect, at 300+ yards, the expansion may be iffy. At 50 yards, the bullet expanded to it's maximum, almost shearing off the petals, but very impressive expansion. If you aren't getting the accuracy your looking for out of other bullets, I highly reccomend the TSX or banded solids as these have always been very accurate bullets in all my calibers.

And just because:
400 Hornady RN bonded factory seconds, 79gn RL-15, COL: crimped in groove, Fed nickle brass
Accuracy: 0.851" at 100 yards. Expands like an octopus.

On another thread, a poster mentioned how hard he found it, loading the .416 Rem with flat based bullets like the 350 gr. Speer. Someone suggested using a 10mm bell die to open the case neck so the bullet wouldn't crunch the case neck.

Well, all you really need is an old 50 cal bullet and a high tech, home made brass hammer. A tap will bell the neck enough that a flat base bullet will fit and even stick. Sorta like loading straight walled pistol cases.

The .416 isn't hard to reload; may take this additional step with flat based bullets..

DF

Forgot to add, bell is taken care of with Lee Factory crimp die. I got a Lee die set for this round.

DF

Lee Universal Case Expanding Die to slightly bell case mouth

Big bullet and hammer probably faster. Set up time is pretty quick...

DF

I'm wanting to try Vihtavuori n-133 with moderate loads in the .416 Rem with the 350 Speer. I have a good supply that I'm not using.

Barnes shows N-135 with their 350 TSX, not n-133. Vv n-133 burn rate is pretty close to TAC, BLc(2), H-335, H-4895 and 748, all of which can be used in that application.

I took comparative Vihtavuori load data where both n-135 and n-133 are used. Seems n-135 data x .96 gives an approximate n-133 load.

Starting with moderate loads at around 2,250 fps, I think this will work. Don't see a down side.

Makes sense to me. What ya think?

DF

I haven’t read then entire thread.
I have thought a modern version of one of the 450/400’s would be just right. So a 300 @ 2550 or a 350 @ 2300 or a 400 @ 2150.
Such a load is much more manageable than a 400 @ 2400 which usual for all the 416’s.

Good point and thanks.

I'm gonna start the 350 Speer at around 2,250, 2,300 and see how it goes.

Speer's latest data shows their 350 at 2,800 with compressed, maxed out Power Pro 2000 load. I bet that one would talk to ya... Sounds more like a .416 Wby. Bet it would slap ya like one.

DF

Just don't use an incendiary .50BMG bullet!

Ouch!

DF

In loading what is surely thousands of rounds for 5 different 416 Remingtons I have never had any problems starting the bullets into the case. Makes me think there is something else going on. Undersized expander maybe?

After 50 yrs of reloading, I’m just now getting into .416’s. Read about some issues, so took measures to bypass any problems.

May or may not be anything that needs addressing. Just making sure. Won’t hurt. Lee Factory crimp die will take care of the bell.

DF

I hear ya! For me, the therapeutic aspect of reloading is largely lost so fewer steps are better! Lol!

Yep, for sure.

DF

Hogs? Sounds like fun. Would probably try the 350 hard cast gas-checked lead bullets we loaded over AA5744. Light recoil and accurate.