Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .416 Ruger

I have the itch for something with more umph than my .340 Wby. Has anyone tried the .416 Ruger yet?

Fine cartridge but if you want a 416 there is only one...the headstamp says "Rigby".

It will be around long after the Ruger has joined the 5mm Remington, 222 RemMag, 7x61 S&H, 8mm RemMag and all those other good but don't do anything better cartridges.

Besides "Rigby" is just so cool (and you can buy ammo in nowhere Africa).

It's also a lot nicer to shoot that the godalmighty kicking 340 WM.

Pretty tough to put the Rigby through a standard-length action... .

If you want an ornate old rifle and cartridge, that's a good one, though I personally prefer my .404 Jeffery.

If you want a practical, functional, easy to use rifle and cartridge, a new Ruger and .375 or .416 is a lot easier to use, reload for, and generally have around.

Though I still wish Ruger would come out with an official version of the .404 Ruger... .

Dennis

Maybe its just me but I don't think the .340 kicks all that bad. Its not nearly as viciously snappy as a .300 RUM.

So who cares about a "standard length action"...please don't quote me the "short stroking" myth! BTW the last time I was in H&H in NYC they had a very nice 1930s 416 Rigby (Rigby built) built on an opened up 98 Mauser action. I think that's "standard length". When you're not trying to run at 50K PSI with special powders, you can do a lot more than some modern "experts" believe.

Agree the RUMs are all nasty kickers and since the WB stock is so much better designed for recoil than the 700, I'd agree BUT it still kicks and maybe 2% of hunters have any "need" for it.

My .340 is on a 700 action all I did was add an SVT recoil pad to get the length about right ( I have long ape arms).


I wonder how much work and cost it would take to open a Mauser action up to .416 length?

I prefer standard length actions to pieces like my .404 Jeffery -- I put up with it because it's a .404 Jeffery, not because it's a better way to build an action. And if you "want" a .416 Rigby, by all means you should have one, just because you can, and you want to. That's certainly all the reason anyone needs. The fact that the .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger function better is really fairly irrelevant, if it's not what you want. I've seen people short-stroke short actions, so I'm not too wound up about that.

There is still a big difference between desire and function, and generally in our world desire wins out... . That's a good thing, generally...

Dennis

That's a nice description. I desire a .416. It sounds so much better than want

If the 416 Ruger was on a 2.850" case with a 3.60" OAL, then they would have something. Why design a 416 with less case capacity than the 416 Rem which already has a reputation for high pressure? A 3.6" 416 would have fit in their 77RSM and factory ammo could surpass the Rigby (and Rem) ballistics as it would not have to be loaded below modern pressure due to older rifles.

But - have you YEARNED for one?

How about you NEED a 416?
Or even, I MUST HAVE a 416??


grin

I'm fairly sure the .416 Ruger will produce all the velocity it needs, with no excessive pressures or other issues. I can't imagine a reason for going past 2400 fps, given what rounds like the .416's are built for.

Having such rounds as the Ruger .375 and .416 built specifically to favor standard-length actions is a very good move, in my opinion. I guess over the years we'll find out if enough others agree to make them financially worthwhile. But there is no question they will work very very well physically.

Dennis

HB Bear!...........As far as any 416 goes, find the rifle first that looks the best to you and that feels and handles the best for you and then whichever 416 follows, so be it!

Anytime a new cartridge enters the scene, there are always predictions of failure from the skeptics and nay-sayers. As to whether it will fail and fall by the way side, or whether it will gain more in popularity and last a long period of time, only time will tell.

These same predictions of failure were made about the 375 Ruger too. Well! Regardless of those earlier predictions of doom and gloom by the 375 Ruger nay-sayers and skeptics, I`d say those predictions have all been completely blown out of the water! They have greatly under-estimated the Hornady and Ruger co-op machine and their various marketing programs going on behind the scenes, which in most cases is overlooked by the knee-jerkers!!!

However, I don`t think the 416 Ruger will take to the 416 market by storm as did the 375 Ruger to the 375 market. But eventually imo, the 416 Ruger will be here to stay and gain more popularity in the 416 arena.

The primary reason is that the 416 Ruger rifles are moderately priced compared to other 416s, which will have a very good market appeal for those wanting a 416.

Contrary to Oldman1942`s knee jerk (without doing some research) predictions of doom and gloom for the 416 Ruger, I believe that with time, the exact opposite will come to pass. In fact, it is possible that Oldman1942 may have to change is user name to Oldman2042 before we see the failure of the 416 Ruger....LOL!

FWIW! You can call Hornady directly and ask them about their on-going marketing programs for worldwide ammo availability. I will tell you that Hornady has acquired some African distribution permits for the 375 Ruger factory ammo with more to come, and they are currently working on doing the same thing for the 416 Ruger factory ammo as well.

And per my dealer who attends every gun and SHOT show, a few African PHs that he`s talked with personally have ordered the Hawkeye rifles.

Also, a good barometer in determining a cartridge`s growing popularity is to watch the availability of reloading components from distributors..

Plus, hard to beat a stainless crf .416 for under $800 new. Actually, this makes me wonder why I don't have one.

I did some checking and Midway has .416 Ruger brass in stock and there were two or three rifles on gunsamerica.

I am really liking the idea of a short barreled quick handling rifle in a big bore cartridge. Getting one for a reasonable price is even better.

You are a BAD influence

Get it!...........GET IT!!!!!!

The only real issue is that it has a complete POS stock, which no one who I've ever taalked to in Alaska has kept, on the short-barrelled version. It's a target-model Hogue, and Ruger has never put anything on any of their rifles that was worse-designed and implemented than that one. There is one guy in North America who propelles it constantly, so I guess he's having a major influence on Ruger... .

Putting a good stock on a Ruger isn't that hard nor is it that expensive, so it's not that big a deal. Just a thing to know.

Dennis

Who makes a good stock for the Ruger besides McMillan?

Ruger. The replacement stock they sell for the standard Hawkeye's will work and is quite inexpensive; I'd want to glass bed it for extra strength however.

Phil Shoemaker reported on dropping one of the first Ruger 375's into a standard Hawkeye synthetic stock and he said it worked fine.

Even better, if you can find one, is one of the older Ruger boat paddle stocks.