mickey
.416 member
Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
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If you are a handloader and didn't have a 40 caliber would you buy a 416 Rem Mag or a 400 H&H?
Think about the ballistics and pressure of the two, the velocity and bullet weight.
I like the 400 because it is cooler. 
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Lovu Zdar
Mick
A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.
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CraigP
.224 member
Reged: 13/11/03
Posts: 4
Loc: Central, PA
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I'd do the 400 for no other reason than not everyone has one. Infact I'm planning on building one in the near future.
Craig
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DPhillips
.375 member
Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
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Though I love the tradition and mystique with the cartridges and rifles carrying the H&H label, I'd go with the 416 Rigby.
The reason being the variety of bullets available for the 416 group compared to what is offered in the 411 group. If your rifle shoots the 400 grain Woodleighs really well, the 411 diameter is fine, but if not, its a bit of trouble to find other bullets.
I'm going through this process with my 411 Hawk. The rifle does shoot the 400 grain Woodleighs, but I also want something in the 350 grain weight also. I've horded all the Swift A Frames and Barnes X's I can find, but pickings are mighty slim. North Fork is developing a 360 grain offering in that diameter, but not on the market yet.
There's just too many good bullets in the .416 diameter for it not to be favored.
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4seventy
Sponsor
Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
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Maybe another option is to swage .416" down to .411".
I've made a couple of successful reducing dies including 8mm, from .323" down to .318".
Just a thought if you had some particular .416" bullets you wanted to try.
Cheers
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DPhillips
.375 member
Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
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I have considered that option. I haven't run out of my little stash of 350's yet, but when I do, I guess I'll try the swaging. The Swift's and X's are reserved for hunting, the 350 grain Hawks are for targets and practicing. Not really a Hawk Bullet fan, but they are fine.
I've always wondered how the bullet's performance is effected by swaging. Have you had any problems with jacket/core seperation, jacket hardening or anything like that? Sure would hate to shoot a big ol' bear and have the bullet to fail.
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4seventy
Sponsor
Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
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Yeah, there are always those things to consider.
I believe that so long as the projectile has a strong jacket to start with, and the reduction is no more than about 5 thou max you should not have any problems.
Bear in mind that the standard bullet cops a quite savage and very fast swaging in the rifling when the gun is fired and usually they don't have any problem.
I have though had problems keeping the ogive concentric to the bullet shank, if the reduction is more than 5 thou. (on the smaller calibers anyway)
At one stage I made a die to reduce 9.3mm (.366") down to .358 all in one operation and found this to be a bit too savage and had trouble with concentricity.
Maybe a 2 stage reduction might have helped but I didn't try it.
That said, I would be confident that good quality .416's could be reduced to .411 without any bullet jacket damage.
You could always test them on non dangerous game before taking on anything too serious.
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