416 Rigby & 400gr North Forks

[BC Tal]

Working up my loads for Cape Buffalo in South Africa in August.
My desired load is the North Fork 400 gr semi spitzer followed by the cup point solid, both in once fired Norma brass with Vihtavuori N560 for 2375 fps out of my Ruger No 1.
I have both the SS and CPS heads but not enough for load dev and the amount of practice I want to do. The SS bullets are impossibly hard to find in Canada right now. I want to practice with a load that is as close as I can get to the load I’ll be using on the hunt without burning through those SS bullets.
So here are some of my current practice rounds:
new Norma brass, 400gr North Fork percussion points and 96.0 gr of N560 for 2371 fps. The PP bullets should be almost identical to the SS so this load should be very close to the SS load I’ll be using in Africa.
I’m very pleased with 2371 fps, I don’t see a need to go hotter, my shoulder doesn’t need the extra workout and I don’t think another 30 fps will make a buff any more dead.
Also, my first practice load was Hornady 400gr DGX and N560, to get a feel for the No 1 and work in that virgin Norma brass.
Shooting off the sticks is heaven compared to the bench.

 

[Luvthunt]

Good luck with your 416 and 2350 always worked well for me with Aframes.

 

[wildcatter82]

Hello BC Tal, I'm one of the partners with North Fork. We hope to have a restocking shipment for Canada out the door by end of next week. Please contact Prophet River for more details. According to their website they already have .416 400gr CPS in stock. Looks like they also have a box of .416 430gr SS available, which would also be a fantastic choice for your Rigby. The 430gr really hammers buff. I have personally used the strategy of 430gr SS & 400gr CPS/FPS out of my .416 with great success. Sticking with the 400gr SS, your plan of load dev and practice with the PP is a sound one. My 416 Taylor puts 400gr SS & PP in the same small group with same powder charge. Best of luck on your safari!

 

[North Fork Technologies]

Working up my loads for Cape Buffalo in South Africa in August.
My desired load is the North Fork 400 gr semi spitzer followed by the cup point solid, both in once fired Norma brass with Vihtavuori N560 for 2375 fps out of my Ruger No 1.
I have both the SS and CPS heads but not enough for load dev and the amount of practice I want to do. The SS bullets are impossibly hard to find in Canada right now. I want to practice with a load that is as close as I can get to the load I’ll be using on the hunt without burning through those SS bullets.
So here are some of my current practice rounds:
new Norma brass, 400gr North Fork percussion points and 96.0 gr of N560 for 2371 fps. The PP bullets should be almost identical to the SS so this load should be very close to the SS load I’ll be using in Africa.
I’m very pleased with 2371 fps, I don’t see a need to go hotter, my shoulder doesn’t need the extra workout and I don’t think another 30 fps will make a buff any more dead.
Also, my first practice load was Hornady 400gr DGX and N560, to get a feel for the No 1 and work in that virgin Norma brass.
Shooting off the sticks is heaven compared to the bench.
View attachment 612067

Hi BC Tal: For the SS and PP you use the same chart. Its same bullet so you will have same amount of powder. When you then take the CPS bullet. Start load 1,5 grain lower then SS and PP. Measure the velocity and see were you are. Also see how it shot compared to the SS and PP. If its to slow just increase a little bit so you have them in same hole. Then you have 3 different bullet and same point of impact.
If you have any question feel free to reach out to us. Wish you a nice day.
Best regards
North Fork Technologies team.

 

[Mike Van Horn]

It’s great to se Northfork back. Great bullets

 

[BC Tal]

Hello BC Tal, I'm one of the partners with North Fork. We hope to have a restocking shipment for Canada out the door by end of next week. Please contact Prophet River for more details. According to their website they already have .416 400gr CPS in stock. Looks like they also have a box of .416 430gr SS available, which would also be a fantastic choice for your Rigby. The 430gr really hammers buff. I have personally used the strategy of 430gr SS & 400gr CPS/FPS out of my .416 with great success. Sticking with the 400gr SS, your plan of load dev and practice with the PP is a sound one. My 416 Taylor puts 400gr SS & PP in the same small group with same powder charge. Best of luck on your safari!

Hello wildcatter82,
Thanks for the advice, I’m committed to the 400gr SS / CPS combo. I have enough CPS heads to work with, its the 400gr SS that must be a little more in demand. I think I’m good with the above plan, but I do watch Prophet’s website almost daily for more 400gr SS.

 

[BC Tal]

Hi BC Tal: For the SS and PP you use the same chart. Its same bullet so you will have same amount of powder. When you then take the CPS bullet. Start load 1,5 grain lower then SS and PP. Measure the velocity and see were you are. Also see how it shot compared to the SS and PP. If its to slow just increase a little bit so you have them in same hole. Then you have 3 different bullet and same point of impact.
If you have any question feel free to reach out to us. Wish you a nice day.
Best regards
North Fork Technologies team.

Very timely advice. I will work up my SS loads in the next two weeks and the CPS loads as above right after.
Appreciate the support and looking forward to using your product in Africa!

 

[medvedhunting]

Hi BC Tal: For the SS and PP you use the same chart. Its same bullet so you will have same amount of powder. When you then take the CPS bullet. Start load 1,5 grain lower then SS and PP. Measure the velocity and see were you are. Also see how it shot compared to the SS and PP. If its to slow just increase a little bit so you have them in same hole. Then you have 3 different bullet and same point of impact.
If you have any question feel free to reach out to us. Wish you a nice day.
Best regards
North Fork Technologies team.

thank you jorgen. are you thinking of doing any percussion bullet for the .366? greetings from the yukon.
phil

 

[North Fork Technologies]

thank you jorgen. are you thinking of doing any percussion bullet for the .366? greetings from the yukon.
phil

The reason why we have PP is becuase .375 300gr is normally the smallest for buff hunt. Therefor we make the mouth thickness little thicker. That makes the bullet penetrate deeper before its fully expanded. So for a cat, SS bullet penetrate almost the half animal before its fully expanded. So for US game and antelope our PP is perfect. Fast expansion, straight deep wound channel. Then for the largest antelope and buffalo SS works perfect.
Our 366 bullet has thinner mouth thickness and expand therefor quicker. I know we could use that as a sales argument but i prefer to be honest. Our .366 bullet expand very quick and easy. Our 214 and 250gr bullet have even thinner mouth then our .286gr bullet.

Best Regards
North Fork Technologies Team.

 

[North Fork Technologies]

Very timely advice. I will work up my SS loads in the next two weeks and the CPS loads as above right after.
Appreciate the support and looking forward to using your product in Africa!

Prophet River order 5 boxes 416 400gr SS in this shipment. Depend on how many boxes you need I would maybe talk with Ed at Prophet River so they book the boxes you want, or increase the order. Hopefully we have all license within a week and then the pallet is out of here.

 

[Rule 303]

It will be good if the bullets you plan to use shoot to the same point of impact. Don't be scared to use the CP on Buff. I have not used them but use the Woodleigh Hydros, as I understand it they both work the same. I took my buff with a Hydro and my PH uses is them out of a 458lott for large DG. If I couldn't get the Hydros I would be using the North Fork CP.

 

[Nhoro]

Surely you can load any bullets with the same powder load. Point of impact will shift but you will soon figure it out. For example you may have a zero shift of 1 inch up and 2 inches left along with group size to judge your shooting ??

 

[medvedhunting]

Prophet River order 5 boxes 416 400gr SS in this shipment. Depend on how many boxes you need I would maybe talk with Ed at Prophet River so they book the boxes you want, or increase the order. Hopefully we have all license within a week and then the pallet is out of here.

do you know if they ordered any 250 gr bullets in .366 bullets?

phil

 

[Green Chile]

I used the 400 gr CPS on big elephant last year in my 416 Rigby. One heart shot and he went down in less than 50 yards. Also had full length penetration on a huge eland from tail to front shoulder...also crushed both shoulders on a big zebra stallion. I think that last bullet is still going. Love the CPS.

 

[TOBY458]

I used the 400 gr CPS on big elephant last year in my 416 Rigby. One heart shot and he went down in less than 50 yards. Also had full length penetration on a huge eland from tail to front shoulder...also crushed both shoulders on a big zebra stallion. I think that last bullet is still going. Love the CPS.

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Seems like you could use those CPS as a one bullet solution if all shots were reasonably close.

 

[Rule 303]

Surely you can load any bullets with the same powder load. Point of impact will shift but you will soon figure it out. For example you may have a zero shift of 1 inch up and 2 inches left along with group size to judge your shooting ??

Unfortunately not the case in some instances. Some bullets are harder than others and if your powder load is at the upper reaches of a safe load the harder bullet may lift the pressure into the no go area. But for most bullets you can.

 

[Rule 303]

Seems like you could use those CPS as a one bullet solution if all shots were reasonably close.

Cup nose bullets give far more penetration than soft but not as much as a good sized metplate solid. However they cup nose bullets cause more damage in the wound channel than the FN solids but not as much as a soft nose. Sort of an in the middle. The only cup nose bullets I am aware of are the Woodleigh Hydros and the North Fork CPS. There maybe others but I am just not aware of them.

 

[Green Chile]

Seems like you could use those CPS as a one bullet solution if all shots were reasonably close.

I have considered it as they expand slightly. Performance was phenomenal.

I disagree that their penetration is “in the middle”. My experience and several PHs comments after witnessing it are very different.

 

[BC Tal]

do you know if they ordered any 250 gr bullets in .366 bullets?

phil

I’m sure NF will chime in on the 250s, i know prophet has 286gr SS coming, 3 boxes are now spoken for
I would recommend just calling Prophet directly. Super easy to deal with.

 

[medvedhunting]

I’m sure NF will chime in on the 250s, i know prophet has 286gr SS coming, 3 boxes are now spoken for
I would recommend just calling Prophet directly. Super easy to deal with.

you re right contacting Joel. thank you.