Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Cape buffalo! Which 416 would you build?

Having a Taylor and 3 416 RMags...I will go 411KDF and enjoy practice with 41 caliber handgun bullets a 400 H&H if you wanted to use a longer action. With 405 Win bullets for Black Bear and 411 X bullets for Brown Bear. But then again some places require your cartridges be marked exactly as you rifle is marked...Might be an issue. That is why I went 416 RM.

Are you going to mount a scope on the .416 Rigby?

I would probably take a Kimber Talkeetna and rebarrel to 416RM or a stainless Winchester Model 70 rebarreled to 404Jeffery.

My tweaked M70 416 Rem worked just fine in Zimbabwe with the 350 gr TSX. Servil to buffalo and my PH was more than happy with my combo.

Not surprised that your "PH was more than happy" that is a great combo

I built a .404J on a M-70 RUM action. Less modification that way, just open the bolt face.

This one in a Echols Legend stock that I steel bedded and freefloated. Williams bottom metal fit perfectly, D'Arcy's inletting is perfect.

DF

Nice .404 Jeffery DF, have you seen my .404 Jeffery?

Think I remember when you got it.

Lot prettier than the Legend stocked SS Win-70.

DF

There's a lot of good information being shared here, and everyone (as usual) has at least a slightly different opinion. I'll chime in just because I believe mine is a simple one and it's fun to read and to share here.

I shot a lot of game, both large and small, with a 416 Rigby while on multiple hunts in Africa during the 4 years that I worked there. I would choose Rigby simply for the history and tradition, but there's not a 416 in existence that I know of that is not completely and likely over adequate for cape buffalo. If I were getting equipped from scratch I would read up and go with whatever appealed to me the most, because as stated here already any 416 is plenty for buffalo.

I took mine with a 375 H&H, along with many other smaller animals, and it is what I would take again. My reason was already stated before as well. It is plenty of gun for buffalo. It is extremely versatile and shootable. It is definitely my favorite big bore cartridge and the ammo availability is the best.

Good luck on your trip. A cape buffalo hunt is like no other.

I traded the .404J after shoulder surgery, couldn't see me shooting that thing.

That was 5-6 yrs ago. Then, here I am, shooting my bud's .416 Rem in a M-70 with Shilen barrel. Note the movement of that post op shoulder.

My bud suggested I send that picture to my surgeon, who is a hunter. Just wanted to let him know how well he fixed my complete rotator cuff tear.

Hit the mute button to hear the gun speak. That's at bud's camp. He built it up due to flooding. Believe it or not, that gun will shoot MOA with the 400 NPT over 75 gr. 4064, Bill Hober's Swift factory load, running almost but not quite 2,400 fps. Standing bench, of course. Elmer's contribution to sighting in.big guns.

DF

[img]https://i.imgur.com/H0EkQ2c.mp4[/img]

Yes. I took the scope off got my 400 grain A Frames absolutely perfect at 50 yards. Had to take .075” off the sight. Next is getting the first flip up on at 125 yard and the second at 200.

The scope is a Leupold 2.5 compact it has about 5” of eye relief. Amen. It’s 1” high at 50 yards.

I have settled on the 400 Aframe and the 400 hornady solids land about 1/2 higher that the Aframes and perfectly in line.

I have 2 1/2 boxes of 350 Aframes and a box of Barnes 350 tsx
And a bunch of old Barnes X bullets I’m going to have to trade off for 400 grain Aframes.

dirt farmer.
I put a SB vari-m on the pre 64 375 H&H it has about 3.5” of eye relief and if I’m not holding on tight it will kiss my brow.
It shoots 300 Aframes under Moa for three with 75 grains of RL17 fed215’s at 2620.

Great video I will get some pictures taken and post them when I have a chance.

Good choice on the scope DD!

Just a suggestion, why don't you get the second flip up sight on at 200 yards and not worry about the other two.

The .416 Rem in the video wears a Trijicon 1-4. I'm not sure the actual ER, but it seems adequate. BTW, it's a fine scope with great glass. It's tough and holds it's settings. I like the triangle reticle on a gun like this, it's fast to pick up and has a clean field of view. To me, at 1X, it's faster than irons. My bud didn't want irons, says his eyes have "matured" beyond that. Mine, too...

I was using a target I made; I covered a 4x4 piece of thin plywood with black plastic sheeting, painted it white, stenciled red targets. Works like a Dirty Bird target, shows bullet holes really well. In this case, the triangle fit perfectly in the red bull, forming a pie shape in the bottom quadrant of the target, very repeatable. That just worked out by accident, but was pretty neat.

Shooting the 400 NPT, the gun had been sighted for 350 Speers, the first shot was a bit low, I adjusted the scope once, shot two, adjusted again shot two more, left it there. The target was at 67 yds. Nothing magic about that distance, just a convenient set up due to a limb sticking up from recent storm debris, a handy spot to lean the plywood target. Just two rounds a group doesn't make, but gives a good idea. Now if someone wants to come shoot the 10 shot, Fire specified groups, I'll supply the ammo and watch....

DF

DF, hope your Bud uses the 400gr Partition on Buffalo, cant wait to hear how it works if he does.

400 A-Frames, same load, shot almost as well. Again two shot groups...

Bottom photo, the Breakaway solids over 77 gr 4064, (added charge to bring them into same POI as softs). Although each bullet cost $7, they didn't shoot as well, still minute of a buff. By the time you get to solids, MOA no longer an issue.

For me, the idea of the 350 TSX seems optimal, would be my choice, but when in Rome.... The PH wanted solids, so solids are in the mix.

The wife of my friend's hunting pard passed suddenly, so hunt has been postponed.

DF

He's long been a NPT fan, but seems the PH is an SAF guy. At least he'll have both.. Bud has used the SAF in his 338 Win in AK and S TX (nilgai), so he likes them, just prefers Partitions. He may be able to convince the PH to use NPT's. We'll see. Either bullet should do the job. Doubt anyone could tell the difference, doubt the buff could, either...

10 solids, 20 each of NPT and SAF, plus 50 7RM 160 NAB's (over 67 gr. RL-26), two plastic 50 rd, boxes in a locked TSA type ammo box, weighed 10#'s 8 oz, under the 11# max limit.

DF

I'm also interested in hearing how they work on Cape Buffalo

I enjoy the hell out of shooting the rifle, so getting the two flip dialed ups is a good time. Kinda figure the more rounds I fire from it the better I will be come game time.

I bet the work flawlessly.