News Flash ... .... .. - Lightweight 416 Rigby kicks hard!!

[Dave King]

Fired three shots from my unbraked, too light, skimpy recoil pad rifle today in an attempt to sight in the scope. I was thinking about using this rifle for a bear hunt this spring.

I used a discarded cardboard box at 50 yards (bore sighted) as a target. First round killed the box and mortally wounded the tree behind the box (first round struck ~ 3.5 inches low but I'm sure the box didn't notice). Two more rounds to verify impact and further prove my stubbornness and stupidity before scope adjustment (tree obviously badly damaged and innards hanging out of the cardboard box).

I loaded 20 round of virgin Norma brass with 98 grains of H4350 (check this before using), Hornady 400 grain round nose Interbonds and Winchester LRM primers for this test. I figure the remaining 17 round should last me about 40 years!!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

That's exactly how I felt after I bought my 460Wby mag. I pretended to enjoy shooting it while it kicked the holy crap out of me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I got a sweetheart deal on a new 460Wby that was ordered by a guy who never picked it up. It was a left-hand model and the dealer could't sell it. Eventually, he sold it to me for cost less the healthy deposit that the other guy lost.

I often wonder who was smarter, the guy who didn't pick-up the rifle or the guy that did . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

VH

 

[Buffalobob]

Bubblewrap is good. Put on the brick wall before banging your head against it. It protects the brick wall.

Alternate use is to fold over about three layers and duck tape the edges closed so you have a pad about 5 inches wide and 8-10 inches long. Get a large safety pin and insert through the top of the pad and pin to your tee shirt over your shooting shoulder. Put on your plaid shirt and go get your worst friend and take him with you to shoot the gun next time. Don't tell him about the pad you have hidden under your shirt and make fun of him when he wimps out after the first three shots.

P.S. Take 2 tylenol per shot and see your physical therapist twice a week.

A 416 R to kill trees for firewood seems to be an adequate cartridge.

 

[Bob S.]

Hey dave, I have a tree that needs cut down. Can you and your rigby come play? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
What are you gonna do about it? Muzzle brake, limbsaver pad, heavy varmiter stock? Ive got a friend that uses his for long range elk killing, but he has no brain so no pain. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Dave King]

I'm gonna close my eyes and scrunch up before I shoot... What else is there???

 

[Bob S.]

I guess you can hope for only needing 1 shot. If it comes down to it you can either get eaten or get thumped. Choose your 1 shot on that big bruin wisely. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Guest]

now Dave I remember someone tellin' me about snot flyin' outta your nose shooting an unbreaked 338 LM.... what came outta your nose this time!

I shot a 500 Nitro once...... once....

 

[Ian M]

Dave,
First, switch to 350 grain boolits. Second, get a Limbsaver pad. Third, think of happier times as you pull the trigger, get your mind off the impending pain and bruising - heck, it only lasts for three or four weeks. Last, stay with it, everyone on this site needs to know how you are making out with this new toy - shoot it lots, shoot it a bunch, pull that old trigger, Dave! We are pulling for you, give it your best try.
Hell, the first shot that went through my Encore .416 Rigby was a more or less unintentional discharge, one handed hold, when I was attempting to uncock that dirty, evil, thumb-destroying, shoulder-crunching, scope-destroying, ear-drum wrecking little gem /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif First thing I did was check to see if my thumb was still connected to my hand. It was so then I tried to get some feeling back into the palm, wrist and extremities. My Rigby rang my bells so totally that for three days my voice sounded hollow, but the shots were worth the little tweety-birds continually singing in my head...
So, stay with it, keep us informed as to how you are doing with your Rigby, it is truly a long-range plinker, the more you shoot it the closer you will come to understanding why it feels so good when you quit hitting yourself on the head with a hammer. Hell, three measly shots doesn't even blow the oil out of the barrel, let's see a decent round-count!
ps Make sure your mounts are Marine Tex'd to the receiver and crank the bolts and screws really tight, or the scope will slip as it is self-destructing. My rifle totalled a new scope with seven shots, let's see if you can beat that...
You going to Alberta? Need to discuss that sometime - will call you early next week. Have .325 WSM, will travel.

 

[ricka0]

Get a Caldwell Lead Sled Shooting Rest and a muzzle brake.

All the reviews of the lead brake are raving.

My Caldwell Lead Sled Shooting Rest will be coming next week.

I need a good deal on a 460 Wby.

 

[Dave King]

Ric

Yeah, that 338 Lapua and 338 RUM were real kickers too but a different order of magnitude than the 416. I traded a 338 RUM away and got it back after the fella shot it a few times...he ran low on snot I guess. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Nothing came outta my nose with the 416 Rigby, it's what came outta my head, thoughts like... "Whoa big fella... think about what you're doing here." and then "Are you sure you need to sight this thing in??? and lastly.."Does anyone know where we are right now in case you need medical assistance?".


Ian
I can barely imagine shooting a lighter rifle in 416 one handed by design or accident... eeek!!!
Ohhh, I'll keep shooting as long as there's an adequate backstop and I'm not arrested by the tree cops.
After the first shot I did a recheck on the scope, rings and base looking for signs of life and any attempt on their part to depart the immediate vicinity. (I checked them after every other shot too!) I do wonder if the Leupold M1 LR 3.5 x 10 will hold up, it's a pretty wicked jarring with each shot. I was thinking about taking it out again today, just for a walk mind you...no bullets.
Yup, still figuring on Alberta with a stop at your place for a buffalo bashing. Fuel prices are starting to worry me a bit and my wife says it'd be cheaper (less expensive) to fly. I'm beginning to think that if the prices go up any more it might be cheaper to buy the airplane and hire the crew! My truck gets somewhere in the 14 to 15 mpg range and a trip of 5,500 to 6,000 miles (near 400 gallons, ~ $1,000 dollars if fuel is higher in Canada).


b1g_b0re
I can't take one of those to the places I shoot, what if someone saw me with it??? They'd think I went soft or got smart, can't ruin my image!


Varmint Hunter
460 Weatherby... not for me. WAY too much energy and recoil. I would be a good "This will keep them from messing with my guns gun though. You gotta shoot this one first, then you can shoot the others!"

Buffalobob, Cowboy
I really was very surprised at the damage to the tree, I suppose the tree was pretty damned surprised also!!

 

[Len Backus]

I have a scoped and braked .416 Weatherby which is one small step up from a Rigby. I think my load was about 120 grains of powder for a 350 grain Barnes bullet. Around 6,000 ft-lbs of energy. I remember crouching down on my haunches to shoot at my chrono as I was working on a load. I pulled the trigger and fell over backwards, having been off balance. For the next shot I took things a little more seriously.

 

[Dave King]

"For the next shot I took things a little more seriously."

I can understand that, my second shot was a little different than my first too.

 

[Ian M]

Len,
My first shot was also memorable, but what the hell me and the rifle survived. I actually fired over 150 rounds before I went up to Alaska. Practice load was 100 or 105 grains of 4831 with 350 Speer bullets. ***** load compared to a hot 400 grainer. Strap on the trust PAST recoil shield and let fly!
Dave,
You need to kill something with that boomer, just to experience how it overwhelms about every biological system that makes an animal function. Problem is the shooter tends to be looking upwards when the bullet does its thing, **** rifles jump a bit. I would think it would be a sweet black bear terminator, pure hell on Maryland dep-deer might be a consideration also /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[D.P.]

Hey Dave
Now might be a good time to work on those paper towel tube scopes you were building. No glass to fall out under recoil, and you wont need a friend with a crow bar to dig it out of your face if you screw up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Does it group better firm hold, or free recoil /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif