416 Rigby & 400gr North Forks

[Rule 303]

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.

You may well have miss interpreted what I said. If you read the whole post you will get the idea that by in the middle, it is somewhere between the performance of a soft nose and a decent sized metplat solid. The Metplat Solids have been shown to penetrate further then the cup nose solids, though the CNS do more damage.

 

[BC Tal]

So, I’ve had a philosophical revelation. I’ve decided I don’t need 2375fps out of the 416 Rigby and that 91.0gr of N560 creating 2322fps will do just fine. I think the reduced recoil is advantageous and the 400gr semi spitzer at 2322fps will still get the job done on a Cape buff.
3 x 2 shot groups at 100m off the bench. The first pair low and left, the second pair slightly low and right, and the last pair 1.5” high and .5” left. I’m using a Zeiss 1-4 power scope with 1/2 MOA clicks. I’ll come down 2 clicks next range visit and call it a day.
Whoever said a Ruger No 1 can’t be accurate didn’t own one… or at least not this one. Very pleased with the accuracy of this load out of this rifle.
And now on to the CPS loads.

 

[Green Chile]

There ya go. We don't have to eke out every ounce of energy and speed on these guns. The animal never knows the difference but we can feel it. It's not "downloading" either...it's just not redlining our gun and the life of the gun is extended. It also helps when we get into a different environment with different temps and pressures. I think it's foolish to squeeze these big guns for every bit. That could really come back and bite you someday in the field when your gun won't extract, etc.

 

[Rule 303]

There ya go. We don't have to eke out every ounce of energy and speed on these guns. The animal never knows the difference but we can feel it. It's not "downloading" either...it's just not redlining our gun and the life of the gun is extended. It also helps when we get into a different environment with different temps and pressures. I think it's foolish to squeeze these big guns for every bit. That could really come back and bite you someday in the field when your gun won't extract, etc.

The 416 Rigby with normal loads that develop around 2400 fps is downloaded or just not uploaded to potential. The round is capable of 416Weatherby area velocities, just over 200fps faster.

With other big bore cartridges I agree with you and yes there is no need to achieve 2400fps with the Rigby 2250 should do the job..

 

[BC Tal]

The 416 Rigby with normal loads that develop around 2400 fps is downloaded or just not uploaded to potential. The round is capable of 416Weatherby area velocities, just over 200fps faster.

With other big bore cartridges I agree with you and yes there is no need to achieve 2400fps with the Rigby 2250 should do the job..

Not sure if 2250 is referring to my load or not, i am tucked in at averaging 2322fps.

 

[Rule 303]

Not sure if 2250 is referring to my load or not, i am tucked in at averaging 2322fps.

Nope. Just a figure that is quoted by a lot of people as all you require to get the job done. Some even say 2150 will do the job.

 

[Luvthunt]

Well, if you are a reader you know that in 1898 a 480 gr bullet at a published 2150 was the end of the black powder era, or almost anyway.History and modern chrony tell us the vel of 2150 for that cartridge was never achieved.

 

[Rule 303]

Well, if you are a reader you know that in 1898 a 480 gr bullet at a published 2150 was the end of the black powder era, or almost anyway.History and modern chrony tell us the vel of 2150 for that cartridge was never achieved.

As is the case for most of the claimed velocities of the early smokeless powder cartridges.

 

[BC Tal]

So I worked up a ladder for the cup point solids, 2 rds each at .5gr increments, and hit the range this morning. Remember my goal is to put them in the same hole as the semi spitzers, reference the photo above. I’m looking for 1.25” high and .75” left at 100m.
Just as expected, as the velocity increased, the rounds started to walk up. The last pair, rds 7 and 8 are 1” high and 2” left so just a shade over 1” left of where my semi spitzers are. Think I’m going to leave it there and call that my CPS load to match the semi spitzer load.
Again, while I acknowledge they are just two shot groups, and I was a little off for the first two pairs, but once I settled down the last two pairs tell me those North Fork cup point solids like the N560 in that Ruger No 1.
Oh, and the splatter marks are from some clown (@Just a dude in BC) shooting a gong just out of picture to the right with his Ruger No 1 in 500 NE.

 

[BC Tal]

416 Rigby, Norma brass, Fed match magnum large rifle primer, 400gr North Fork cup point solid.

 

[BC Tal]

Next range visit is final check of the iron sights and final adjustment of the Zeiss and I’m good to go.