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An Everyman's baby 416 Rigby. There are a few of us, wildcatting the Ruger case. You can buy either the basics or the 375 Ruger in virgin brass. I can do both the Basics and the 375 Ruger cases. I started with a re-chambered military stepped 8mm barrel. #2 is the baby 416 Rigby. I wanted to do a knockoff of P.H. Harry Selby's infamous military 98 action job. I kept the half inch long neck of the old Rigby, and streamlined my shoulders. A smaller diameter 416 Taylor won't go in, without ironing back it's shoulders a bit. This round feeds very nicely through my Colombian Mauser action. This magazine has been lengthened a bit, but not out to 375 H&H length. Still, I can slip a 3.5 inch O.A.L. round down through the top, and into the mag.. I just got back from the Karoo, where I blooded it last week on an old Gnu. I used one Speer 350 gr. Mag Tip, at 2400fps, and it dropped like a sack of spuds. This bullet retained 305 grs, and ended under the skin, just ahead of the off hind quarter. This rifle is within an ounce or two of Mr. Selby's, and balances right where it's supposed to. The difference is that it has both scope and express (NECG) sights. I use a 24 inch barrel, that's profiled to match the Layne Simpson article on the old P.H.'s rifle, now in Louisiana. I felt it was better to leave more steel in the Mauser receiver, and load to a higher pressure, if needed. Interestingly, I got some measurements for my custom Hornady New Dimension dies from a Lyman 416 Rigby die set. The F.L. sizer had to be trimmed 0.300" and the seater worked fine, as is. So, I can neck size, expand, seat, and crimp, with the Lyman die set. My custom Hornady F.L. die supports the case better, but both seater dies can bulge the shoulders a mite, when I crimp hard. I then run my loaded and crimped rounds through one of my case forming dies, to iron the shoulders back out. |