The .416 Rigby was intended for use in Africa and India. When you take into consideration the cost of a dangerous game safari, its a minimal investment, but the Remington represents a better value for identical ballistics. Have you shot big bores before? Specifically, thedesigners of the .338 Lapua were trying to build a very accurate and flat shooting round that was more powerful and had a longer effective range than the 7.62x51mm NATO, but did not require as large or heavy of a rifle as the .50 BMG. Don't forget that the amount of energy that a bullet still possesses by the time it reaches the target matters as well . The .338 Lapua was first introduced in the 1980s, and it quickly gained popularity among militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world. All other things being equal, a bigger bullet will make a bigger hole, cause more tissue damage, and result in more blood loss. It has a bit more range than the .416 Barrett, but it is not quite as accurate. This is one of the rare instances where youll see me give the nod to a new design over the old, especially among the African cartridges; I do, in fact, prefer the .416 Rem. I prefer the 416 to the 375. Go with the .338 Lapua. 5.45x39mm. Secure Online Ordering (No Reviews) Free Shipping! It is also a good choice for target practice and plinking. of energy. In African nations which have enforced a ban on the use of sub 10.2mm (0.400in) rifle cartridge for dangerous game, the .416 Rigby can be considered for the hunting of lion or leopard. The answer to that question depends on a few factors. However, if you need a bit more range, then the .338 Lapua may be a better option. The 300 Norma has a base diameter of 0.585 in, and the 338 Lapua is 0.587 in. While relatively rare, hunters like John Pondoro Taylor loved it, and even W.D.M. Again, depending on the exact load in question, the .338 Win Mag either has the most arching trajectory, or the second most arching trajectory (either ahead or behind the .338 Lapua). Second, it's more accurate. Again, in this class of chamberings, you will see 15 to 18 fps per inch of barrel length for velocity increase. Muzzle velocity is usually measured in feet per second. The .338 Lapua Magnum bullet has a balistic coefficient of 0.7 while .416 Remington Magnum bullets have a ballistic coefficient of 0.367. Or would you rather use a lighter, 8-10 pound .338 Lapua rifle thats easier to carry, but with much more recoil? We will provide information on both cartridges in order to help you make an informed decision! I firmly believe those situations arose more from a rifle design problem than from the cartridge. The .338 Win Mag became a favorite caliber for medium to large game animal hunters. The Rigby case has an overall length of roughly 2.900" and has little body taper. By the same token, the .338 bullets used by the .338 Lapua and .338 Win Mag are also used by the .338 Federal, the .338 Ruger Compact Magnum (338 RCM), the .338 Remington Ultra Mag, the .340 Weatherby Magnum, and the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum. [citation needed], With renewed interest in dangerous-game hunting in Africa, the demand for big-game cartridges increased. This difference in case length directly affects case capacity. Of course, the .338 Lapua is also just a great option if youre looking to do some target practice or plinking. Both cartridges shoot the same diameter bullets, but the 338 Lapua normally uses heavier and more aerodynamic bullets with a higher sectional density than the 338 Win Mag. The one question I had, where would you place the 300WSM, I know thats probably another article, just wondering. What if you hunt in Canada or Alaska and need a heavy hitting cartridge just in case you find yourself on the wrong end of a grizzly/brown bear attack? As such, I'd be inclined to recommend the .375. Extreme long range rifle tests and comparison on target at 818 yards with thermal camera. The larger case of the .416 Rigby allows the cartridge to generate the same velocity and energy as that of the .416 Remington Magnum but does so at far lower pressure levels. They are all relatively flat shooting and accurate cartridges that carry a lot of energy out to longer ranges. Since they use larger diameter bullets, the .338 Win Mag and .338 Lapua have about 20% more frontal surface area (also known as cross sectional area) than the .300 Win Mag (.0897 vs .0745 square inches). In the new case design, particular attention was directed toward thickening and metallurgically strengthening the case's web and sidewall immediately forward of the web. Maximum average pressure given by C.I.P. Handguns need to be compact and portable for people to carry and conceal. Rating: % There have only been a . Magazine capacity is my first reason. Since the late 1980s, several .416 cartridges have come to the market. Whether setting sights on a distant trophy or ringing steel out to 4000 yards, the Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB ballistic laser rangefinder delivers all the range, ballistic, and environmental data needed for confident accuracy. Finally, its less expensive than the .338 Lapua. Also, as a plus side when you go back to shooting your .308, it will feel like a .243 and sound like a .45 ACP! The .300 Winchester Magnum uses the smallest and lightest bullets of the three: .308 caliber bulletsin the150-230 grain range. The .338 Lapua is a high-powered rifle cartridge that was originally designed for military use. For dangerous game, I'd use the .416 Rem Mag. .408 is about 8 dollars a round you can find factory .338 loads for 3 dollars a round. The result was 53.58 ft. lbs. Clearly, that rifle in .338 Lapua would have a very stout recoil. Ditto for the 338 Lapua AI. The .338 Lapua has also gradually crossed over into the hunting community in recent years. The .416 Barrett has a few key advantages over the .338 Lapua. However, at the end of WWII, Kynochthe major British ammunition manufacturerwas in financial ruin and ammunition became increasingly rare. Small world - yes it is indeed sn 1200 - purchased it cheaply so no dramas on that - but will pass it to a gunsmith before it leaves England - big question does it shoot accurately. So, which one is better? The Rigby case measures 0.5949 at its widest, while the Remington (and all the H&H family) measures .0.532 at the belt; that difference allows for greater magazine capacity for the slimmer cartridge. Loosely based on the ailing 8mm Remington Magnum (the 8mm and .416 share the 25 degree shoulder), the .416 Remington adopted the ballistic formula of the later .416 Rigby loads: a 400-grain bullet, at a muzzle velocity of 2400 fps, for 5,000 ft.-lbs. It is one of the most powerful rifle cartridges on the market, and it is known for its accuracy and flat trajectory. If you need a long range precision rifle that is easy to shoot accurately and has very manageable recoil, then the 416 CheyTac is a great choice. There are some differences in dimensions between .338 Lapua Magnum and .416 Remington Magnum cartridges. Add to Cart The .416 will be a somewhat bigger step than the .375. Specifically, the table compares 200gr ELD-X (.597 BC) and 180gr AccuBond (.509 BC) bullets in .300 Win Mag, to 230gr ELD-X (.616 BC) and 225gr AccuBond (.548 BC) bullets in .338 Win Mag, to 270gr ELD-X (.757 BC) and 300gr AccuBond (.720 BC) bullets in .338 Lapua. Offering a dramatic improvement in performance over the venerable .30-06 Springfield that also compared favorably to the 7mm Rem Mag in many areas, the .300 Win Mag was an almost instant commercial success for Winchester and remains one of the most popular big game hunting cartridges in North America to this day. So, theres a plethora of good quality bullets available to go around. [6] Both the Enfield P-17 and the BRNO actions are in turn based on the Magnum Mauser 98 rifle. It can reach targets out to 2000 yards with ease. First, lets take a look at the ballistics of each cartridge. The overall length of a cartridge determines how deep a bullet will sit in a case. The .338 Lapua has good accuracy and terminal performance, making it a good choice for hunting large game animals. John Hunter provided a testimonial to John Rigby & Company stating "You will be pleased to know that the rifle which accounted for all the rogue lions on my last hunting expedition was the .416 Bore Magazine Rifle you supplied me with. http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/Long%20Range%20Sniping.htm, Troubleshooting Seekins Havak Element FTF issue. You must log in or register to reply here. While considered overpowered for the big cats, the .416 is regularly used for the hunting of these felines. Propellant charge is measured in grains. where about are you in Oz? So, why is 416 CheyTac ammo so expensive? In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." The current standard using smokeless powder is a 26g (400gr) bullet at 730m/s (2,400ft/s), generating 6,935J (5,115ftlbf). Ive also found the recoil of the Rigby cartridge to exceed that of the Remington cartridge. That may seem like a lot of money, but when you compare it to other high-end sniper rifles, its actually quite reasonable. All you need to do is read a little John "Pondoro" Taylor he loved it and claimed that he pole axed buffalo all the time with his, even on body shots. Not surprisingly, it has significantly more case capacity than both the .300 and .338 Win Mag. The recoil is not intolerable by any means and it does not take long to get used to it. A single round of 416 CheyTac ammo can cost anywhere from $30 to $60. The design was to be used a new long range sniper cartridge for the U.S. Military. The 338 Lapua uses Lapua brass and is much tougher than the soft Norma brass. The .338 Winchester falls more or less in the middle: it has less recoil and retains less kinetic energy than the .338 Lapua, but more recoil and more kinetic energy at all ranges than the .300 Win Mag. It holds 137 grains of water after being fireformed - about an 11% increase in capacity. As you can see, the 416 CheyTac has a slightly higher muzzle velocity and is effective at a longer range. From its release in 1911 until the beginning of WWII, there were less than two hundred .416 Rigbys made, yet it had developed a great reputation among the serious hunters in East Africa. Winchester offered the cartridges in their legendary Model 70 rifle and marketed each one to a particular segment of the American hunting community: the .264 Win Mag to western hunters wanting a flatter shooting cartridge for thin-skinned game like mule deer or pronghorn, the .338 Win Mag to hunters pursuing really large and/or tough North American game like moose and grizzly bear, and the .458 Win Mag to hunters going afield after dangerous game like cape buffalo in Africa. have a higher muzzle velocity than the .416 Remington Magnum cartridge? I would have trouble building a 338 lapua on a remington action because that is way more than the remington action was ever intended to handle. The 416 Rigby is supposed to be a low pressure round, unlike the hot-rodded Weatherby rounds. However, thedesigners of each cartridge were trying to accomplish very different goals and built each one prioritizing specific attributes. play a roll in the "felt recoil" the numbers referenced is the amount of energy that needs to be dealt with. Rigby ammunition is expensive, roughly 30 percent more than .416 Remington ammo. However, those rifles also have their own downsides, which Ill get discuss in more detail in the next section. Find premium models available at Omaha Outdoors. In recent years, there has been a surge in the popularity for long-range shooting and many people are willing to pay a premium for the best ammo. However, while theres nothing necessarily wrong with using any of those cartridges in those sort of situations, if thats the only sort of hunting you do, then none of them are strictly necessary and you could easily get away with something lighter. Finally, the .300 Win Mag utilizes .308 bullets while the .338 Win Mag and .338 Lapua both shoot larger .338 bullets. Model : AccuBond CT. UPC : 020892220058. The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is shorter than the .416 Remington Magnum cartridge by 0.078 millimeters. One way to think about this is as such: a foot-pound is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy required to raise a weight of one pound a distance of one foot. Next, lets compare the recoil of each cartridge. The reality of dealing with a such a powerful cartridge that was originally designed for extreme long range performance presents the user with a dilemma: do you want to lug a really big and heavy rifle weighing upwards of 15 pounds with a 26-28 barrel through the woods or up a mountain? The .338 Lapua Magnum was part of a U.S. Military project in 1983 conducted by the Research Armament Company using a narrowed down neck of the .416 Rigby case. mandates a 6-groove barrel with a bore diameter of 10.36mm (0.408in) and a groove diameter of 10.57mm (0.416in) with each groove being 3.60mm (0.142in) wide and a twist rate of 420mm (16.54in). We are the largest provider of all brands of reloading brass because we offer great service and wholesale prices. That performance comes at a price though: recoil. That's plenty w/ the excellent 338 ballistic, and still much better than the Lapua. When it comes to prices and availability of quality hunting rifles, .338 Lapua Magnum cannot touch the .300 and the .338 Winchester Magnum. Its got the power to take down any game animal on the planet, and its accurate enough to hit targets at extreme range. The years following World War II were a true renaissance of civilian firearm and cartridge development in the United States. In comparison, the typical .458 Winchester Magnum firing a 32g (500gr) bullet at 620m/s (2,050ft/s) manages to stay above the 5,400J (4,000ftlbf) just past the 46m (50yd) mark. Due to the slow burn characteristics of black powder, it did not produce high pressures and therefore did not produce high velocities required to take large, thick-skinned game such as Cape buffalo, rhino, and elephant. The .416 Barrett is also a very flat shooting round, which makes it ideal for long range engagements. It will also really do a number on really big game like elk and moose with good shot placement. So, with the ballistics being equal and the pressure differences posing no problem, who has the advantage? Second, its more accurate. Our Sitemap. The length of a .416 Remington Magnum cartridge is 72.4mm millimeters. That depends on your needs and preferences. In terms of long-range precision shooting, the 416 CheyTac and 416 Barrett cartridges are two of the most popular choices. Most 416 Rem. Once again, all three cartridges perform very well, but the .338 Lapua has the edge here. Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .223 Remington round averages out to 1250 ft-lb, while a .338 Lapua Magnum round averages out to about 4830 ft-lb. That works out to about a 15% difference, which certainly isnt anything to turn up your nose at. Both of these cartridges are designed for long-range precision shooting. There are only a handful of manufacturers that produce this type of ammo and it isnt often found in stores. You are using an out of date browser. Today this is still the most popular rifle design and is used by Heym, Holland & Holland, Mauser, Rigby, Westley Richards, Winchester, and several other gunmakers. The CZ 600 Trail proved to be a handy rifle that can down game in hard-to-find places, all without alerting everything with fur that you have moved into the woods. However, if youre looking for a more versatile cartridge that can be used for both long-range precision shooting and close-quarters combat, then the 416 CheyTac is a better option. Yes with the info I have just got, I agree! Check also: .408 CheyTac vs .338 Lapua Cartridges. The 416 CheyTac is chambered in .416 Barrett while the 338 Lapua is chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. While the latter three rifles make up a well-rounded safari battery, it was Bobs professional hunterMr. The 416 Cheytac cartridge is a powerful round that has been gaining in popularity in recent years. Do you spend a lot of time in the mountains or the backcountry mountain goat, sheep, ortahr huntingwhere its really nice to have a lightweight rifle? Interestingly enough, theres not a tremendous difference in the trajectory of the three cartridges out to 500 yards: just 5.6 between the flattest and the most arching trajectory. Length is also an issue. Apr 28, 2020 124 37. . Check out this story from contributor Mike Roux, for an excellent and educational anecdote highlighting the importance of a full quiver of calls. What rifle are you considering? Why did Winchester skip over the 375 Win Mag and 416 Win Mag. 338 LM vs. 408 Chey Tac I am building a 416 . Thirdly, there is the cost of ammunition. Both of these cartridges are designed for long-range precision shooting. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Ruger produced approximately 1,000 rifles between 1991 and 2001, dramatically boosting the number of .416 Rigby rifles in circulation. The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is made for Rifles. When it comes to dangerous game, more is better. Professional hunters such as John Taylor, David Enderly Blunt and Harry Selby used the cartridge extensively for the hunting and culling of elephants and Cape buffalo. Energy. Check also: .338 Lapua vs .300 PRC Long-range Cartridges, .416 Barrett vs .338 Lapua Cartridges: The Ultimate Showdown, This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar, 2022 Yestactical.com We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As cordite was susceptible to high chamber-pressure variations dependent on ambient temperature, the relatively moderate pressure loading of the .416 Rigby provided a safety margin against dangerously high pressure levels when used in tropical regions. Both cartridges are also belted magnums with the same .532 rim diameter and the same SAAMI maximum average pressure of 64,000psi. [4] The performance of these cartridges on game matched the performance of the big-bore Nitro Express cartridges. Being highly temperature sensitive, cordite would generate dangerous pressures in the tropical heat, resulting in cases being stuck in their receivers. The ballistics of a .416 Barrett are quite impressive. Theyre all very powerful and flat shooting cartridges, but the .338 Lapua is clearly the most powerful of the bunch and has the most resistance to wind drift. Maximum pressure obtained from SAAMI (p30-32). I have a stock(ish) Winchester model 70 in 7mag and a custom 338 Lapua Mag. While it does have the least kinetic energy at all ranges, its still relatively powerful and is suitable for most species of big game. It also has a higher maximum SAAMI pressure of 65,000psi. This reason, combined with the aforementioned shortcomings of the .338 Lapua with regards to rifle weight, recoil, and ammunition cost, are why many hunters instead gravitate toward cartridges like the .300 and .338 Win Mag (or even the .375 H&H) instead that are still plenty powerful, but have more manageable recoil in a lighter and easy to carry rifle. 7mm Rem Mag vs 300 Win Mag: What You Know May Be Wrong. You are using an out of date browser. 416 CheyTac vs 338 Lapua. Leaning into the rifle and gripping it tight make a world of difference. If you prefer the Rigby based on cool-factor alone, I totally get it. loads burn about 77 grains of powder to drive a 400-grain slug 2,400 fps. 50fps is WAY too aggressive gains per inch. Because of the unique specifications of .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges, a twist rate of at least 1:9" is needed to ensure a flat and stable bullet trajectory. SO for you I chg my recommendation to 375HH. Energy. The shared heritage of the .300 Win Mag and .338 Win Mag, as well as the unique roots of the .338 Lapua, is obvious in the photo below. It is virtually identical to the .450 Rigby which it predates by a few years. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Last year I would have opted for the 338-378 AI, but that was before I began shooting the 30-378 AI. Although both are made for Rifles, there are a lot of differences between the two cartridges. However, the .338 Lapua clearly has the fiercest recoil of the bunch: an astounding 85% more free recoil energy than the .300 Win Mag, even when used in a slightly heavier rifle! The 338 Lapua is well-known for having a cavernous cartridge case. The .338 Win Mag has a slightly lower velocity than the Lapua .338 Magnum when firing a 200-grain bullet. if you haven't shot Big bores previously, the 375 would be my pick, use a good projie like a woodleigh and go hunt. 300 RUM vs 338 Lapua: Which is More Powerful? Both cartridges are excellent for long range shooting. Two of the best current 200-grain loadings are Winchester's Power Max Bonded and Federal's economically priced Power-Shok. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? 6.5 Creedmoor. The .450 Dakota fires a 32g (500gr) bullet at 780m/s (2,550ft/s). The case capacity of the .416 Remington Magnum is about 82% to that of the .416 Rigby. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? So, all told, youre looking at an investment of around $12,100 for the rifle and ammunition. So if youre in the market for a top-of-the-line sniper rifle, the CheyTac Intervention should definitely be on your list. Mag. Ammo is slightly less expensive, too, at $2 to $5 per shot compared to Rigby's at $4 to $8 a pop. The .416 Rigby is a rifle cartridge designed in 1911 by London based gunmaker John Rigby & Company, for hunting dangerous game. Major ammunition manufacturers like Norma, Federal, and Hornady began producing .416 Rigby ammunition to meet the new demand. Are you itching to take a rifle chambered in one of these cartridges on a hunt? This being said, handguns are generally limited in their ammunition size. It isn't that bad and a .375 H&H with 300 grain loaded to 2450fps will kill anything on the planet! The large case allowed the .416 Rigby to operate at moderate pressures, yet turn in a good performance with regard to velocity and energy. Jack O'Connor used a .416 Rigby on his African safari and successfully took elephant and lion with it. Thats really saying something when you consider that the .300 Win Mag is hardly known as a mild recoiling cartridge itself. Now, this particular Weatherby rifle (which is indeed currently manufactured and sold by Weatherby) is a pretty light hunting rifle for a cartridge like the .338 Lapua and I only used it to provide an apples to apples comparison of the three cartridges. As of 2017, the price for a new CheyTac Intervention rifle is around $12,000. I had looked at purchasing a 338WM serveral years ago and still thought of buying one now. .375 H&H is quite a step up from .308 but it won't take long to get used to it. Thanks for your support. 416 Remington Magnum; 416 Rigby; 45 Auto (ACP) 450 Rigby; 458 Lott; 458 Winchester Magnum; 470 Nitro Express; 500 Jeffery; 500 Nitro Express; 500/416 Nitro Express; 505 Gibbs; . It was made by Rigby of London on a Mauser 98 action, chambered for a proprietary cartridge: the .416 Rigby. World's most popular community & resource for hunting in Africa since 2007. The Difference Between .338 Lapua vs .308 Winchester: 50 BMG Lite vs .30-06 Slayer. Read the article below if youd like to learn more details about some of the various hunting ammunition choices for the .300 Win Mag. So, which one is better? Make sure you subscribe toThe Big Game Hunting Podcastand follow The Big Game Hunting Blog onFacebook,Instagram,Twitter, andYouTube. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The .450 Rigby was designed by Paul Roberts of John Rigby & Company. . All three cartridges will work just fine under these circumstances from a purely ballistics perspective. Drag coefficient takes into account the shape and aerodynamics of a bullet. Helsley, Steve. I greatly prefer the 416 over the 375 but I typically do not shoot animals outside of 200 yards.