Best Distance to Zero a 416 Rigby

[spike.t]

60 yards for irons and inch or so high with the scope at 100yards

 

[MBIZI SAFARIS]

According to Pirre vander walts book African dangerous cartrages the green band on that rifle is up to 75m using a 400gr point. http://www.chuckhawks.com/african_dangerous_game_cartridges_review.htm

As my as my client rifle and second back up I have a 416 rem mag running Peregrine monolithics at 2350fps and it has worked time and again zeroed at 75m works like a dream.
This would be used on a DG hunt and plains game inside 200m as the scope is a 1.5-4X25.

Once you know how the rifle shoot i am sure you could shoot it comfortable all the way out to 300m ( good glass will help)

Shot Shot

Jono keep it simple and realistic. If you zero the 416 Rigby with a 400 gr bullet on 75 meter it will shoot 2,5 mm (o,1") high on 50 meter.... it's a bit hard to say when the bullet diameter is 10,6 mm... so if it's zero on 50 meter or 75 for big game is irrelevant for this calibre...
Only my two cents,
Michael

 

[HWL]

50 yards. This is a dangerous game gun, so you should be that close or closer. And if you're dead on at 50, you will be near enough at 100 that you won't have to adjust at all.

If you're taking long shots with your .416, I'd think it was time to get another rifle!

The time of the "African Battery" with a bunch of rifles seems to be gone long since.

Many people have only one gun when they go to Africa.

A .416 Rigby with good iron sights and a scope one detachable mount, give you the opportunity to handle the long shot on planes game with your scope.

And with the iron sights, you can to deal with the angry one in hand to hand combat.


HWL

 

[Jono Joseph]

Jono keep it simple and realistic. If you zero the 416 Rigby with a 400 gr bullet on 75 meter it will shoot 2,5 mm (o,1") high on 50 meter.... it's a bit hard to say when the bullet diameter is 10,6 mm... so if it's zero on 50 meter or 75 for big game is irrelevant for this calibre...
Only my two cents,
Michael

After reading the book it made sense after meeting the man it worked time and again.
It really is irrelevant when you look at it like that 75 or 50 its personal preference.

Read the book and give me your idea it would be very interesting to hear you opinion.

So simple - Zero at the distance you feel comfortable at 25 -50 -75
You will shoot your Buffalo at anything from 15 to 120 meters so just be prepared.
I think is the crux

 

[CAustin]

Folks Art is a good shot at whatever distance with a pistol. With a 6.5 which is his favorite I suspect he is good at most any distance as well. One day at the range with his 416 was just a taste of what it will be like on his buff hunt.
@Shootist43 what scope are you going to mount on the big fella?

 

[Shootist43]

Charlie the rifle came with a Nikon African 1-4 power scope, it has a German #4 reticle. Just to bring some closure to this thread, I did zero the scope at 75 yards. I chose that distance at a matter of practicality. I figured that I wouldn't be shooting DG at 100 yards. We discussed zeroing the rifle at 50 yards but thought that might be to close. The compromise we arrived at was 75 yards. Judging from the ballistics that others have provided, it seems like I made a good choice.

Thanks everyone for offering your thoughts and insight.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Charlie the rifle came with a Nikon African 1-4 power scope, it has a German #4 reticle. Just to bring some closure to this thread, I did zero the scope at 75 yards. I chose that distance at a matter of practicality. I figured that I wouldn't be shooting DG at 100 yards. We discussed zeroing the rifle at 50 yards but thought that might be to close. The compromise we arrived at was 75 yards. Judging from the ballistics that others have provided, it seems like I made a good choice.

Thanks everyone for offering your thoughts and insight.

75 yards seems reasonable. Were I you however I'd take two shots each at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards so you know exactly.............but I'm a bit on the OCD side with these things. I'd be surprised if you're more than 1" above/below the zero at 75. Just not much arc and/or time for gravity to have any significant impact.

 

[Longrifle]

I zero my RMR topped .416 Rigby at 25-yds/m with the 400gr A-Frame. That is also zero at 100-yds/m (computed on ballistic calculator, confirmed at actual range). That trajectory gives this particular round with my rifle a point-blank-range of 200-yds/m and places the round within a six (6) inch area. The 400gr Break-Away solid flies different and drops quicker but, for DG, there is less than a 1-inch deviation from 0 to 100-yds/m which allows you to brain the quarry with a POA/POI hold.
Full disclosure, I have yet to hunt Africa (first safari is booked for next July) but, I have been using this method and ballistic calculation and work-up for more than 20-years "on the job" so to speak.

 

[chashardy]

I'm a new owner of a Rigby Big Game chambered in 416 Rigby that I will take to Africa next year for my second cape buffalo hunt. I really appreciate all of the responses and advice on this thread. At the public range where I practice they limit scoped rifles to the 100 yard range and iron sights to a separate 50 yard range. I put a Leupold VX-6HD 1-6X24 CDS scope on the Rigby and zeroed it at 100 yards. Shoots great groups at that distance. I will have a chance to try it at closer distances on a friend's ranch property and dial the scope down to 1 with the red dot turned on. It should function much like the RMR I have on my 375 H&H double rifle.
I don't reload, so I agree with other posters that ammo isn't cheap, and I usually limit my range practice to only 2 or 3 groups of 3 rounds. At the range, you tend to flinch a bit after 6 or 8 rounds of 416 Rigby anyway!

 

[colorado]

I sight everything from 270 Win, 375 Weatherby Mag and 500 Jeffery 2 1/2" high at 100 yards. That way they're all dead on at 25 yards (if you're using a scope) and dead on again at 275 yards, 225 yards, and 175 yards respectively. Point and shoot even the 500 Jeffery out to 200 yards without concerning yourself about distance. It's hell on jackrabbits!

 

[AES]

I like to zero mine ~1.6” high at 100 yds. Result is only ~1” of variation between 25 and 175 yds. This would be scoped for a mix bag hunt.

 

[dogcat1]

I went to the SAAM long range shooting school a few years ago. I asked about the 416’s and long range shooting. In summary, they said caliber is not that important but knowing your ballistics is key. They had a gu6 shooting a 416 Rem out to 700 yds and he shot as well as those of us with 6.5 creeds.

Know your gun! Know your ballistics. Shoot what you like.

 

[Nhoro]

I use the Hornady ballistic app to see roughly what the trajectory is for each zero. Attached is the calculation for 100 m zero. It shows the trajectory is within 0.7 inches of your point of aim from 20 yds to 120 yds. Also consider that the bore is 1.5 inches low so the bullet will climb up to your crosshair, the closer the zero, the lower the climb angle. So if you zero at 20 m, your bullet will hit even lower up to 20 and then drop off like a brick, waste of time if you ask me. I would even look at extending the zero if you are doing plaingame as well. If you are comfortable with a 2 inch above/below, you can extend your zero usefulness.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

For buffalo I would say seventy yards is about right. Lucky if a PH would let you shoot at one further than that. Should still be very good at fifty. Maybe off a bit at twenty-five, but at that distance the vitals will be huge. A little bit won't matter much.

 

[PCC600]

I'm the least experienced here, but I plan to start at 100 yds, and see where it shoots at closer ranges. I should note that I'm only using iron sites, but I would guess if buffalo were the intended target, that would be a good distance. The caliber is obviously effective far beyond 100, but from what I've read, a PH will try to get you that close or closer. If it's elephant your after, then I would guess 50 yards. I'm positive those with actual experience will chime in and correct me soon though.

The Rigby rifles have a fixed rear sight at 65 yards . I think that is perfect for open sights on a big rifle . My 505 Gibbs , 500 and 600NE all only have fixed rear sights for 50 yards. I think the old timers had it all worked out .

 

[Art Lambart II]

I just returned for a Buffalo hunt in the Eastern Cape, I used a scoped Ruger #1 in 416 Rigby zeroed at 100 yards.

 

[Cleveland48]

My 416 rem is zeroed at 200 yards with woodleigh 340 gr pp at right at about 2680 fps. Which all I hunt is deer though.

 

[The Engineer]

Both of my 416 Rigbys demonstrate superior accuracy. Like the 375 H&H, the 416 Rugby can be a single rifle for everything choice. I would have no problem taking a 250 yard plains game shot. On my Heym I do have two pre-sighted in scopes in Alaska Arms quick removable rings. Allows change of loads and a backup scope. I sighted both in 1.5" high at 100 yards.

The above having been said, the dead-on yardage is highly dependent on what you ae hunting. For crock, hippo, or leopard you probably want to be dead on at the range you expect to be shooting due to the precision required for the shot placement.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Also consider that the bore is 1.5 inches low so the bullet will climb up to your crosshair, the closer the zero, the lower the climb angle.

The closer the zero, the lower the climb angle?????? Guess it depends on whether it is the near or far zero.

I never thought about it, but I am thinking the opposite. Compare zeroing at 25 yards vs 50 yards: It is a steeper angle going from -1.5" to 0 in 25 yards and a lower angle zeroing at longer distance.

 

[Nhoro]

The closer the zero, the lower the climb angle?????? Guess it depends on whether it is the near or far zero.

I never thought about it, but I am thinking the opposite. Compare zeroing at 25 yards vs 50 yards: It is a steeper angle going from -1.5" to 0 in 25 yards and a lower angle zeroing at longer distance.

Sorry what I said doesn't make sense. What I meant to say is the bullet will climb up to zero quickly and then drop off after zero quickly as well. So it starts 1.5 " low and will very quickly drop off after zero. Bullet will probably only be within 0.7 " of zero from about 15 yards to 40 yards. A 100 m zero stays within 0.7 " of zero from 10 yards to about 120 yards.