34 Mauritz Coetzee

Mauritz Coetzee
Within the development of self-contained
cartridges, the .416 Rigby truly
deserves the designation of being called a
classic. Firing a 410 grain bullet at a velocity
of 2 350 feet per second, the .416 Rigby
has set up an unprecedented performance
level for African hunting since 1911.
The first Rigby rifles were built on
Magnum-length Mauser action rifles, simply
because the large dimensioned case
necessitated a longer action. The rifles built
by Rigby usually had 24" barrels and were
equipped with 4 shot magazines.
Above all the 410 grain bullets at
velocities ranging from 2 300 – 2 350 feet
per second soon proved to be deadly killers
on all African game. Well-known hunters
such as Eric Rundgen, John A Hunter,
Marcus Daly and Harry Selby have all used
this cartridge with great success and confidence
on all the dangerous game Africa
has to offer.
The steel-jacketed solids supplied by
the Rigby company in the proprietary
loaded cartridges were extremely tough in
comparison to the then available solids
from other manufacturers. This, together
with the excellent craftsmanship that
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accompanied each .416 Rigby-built rifle,
was instrumental in strengthening the reputation
of the .416 Rigby cartridge.
Irrespective of the introduction of cartridges
such as the .416 Remington (1988)
and the .416 Weatherby Magnum (1989)
and the existence of Wildcat cartridges
such as the .416 Hoffman, the .416 Rigby
cartridge has most probably moved to the
number one position for cartridges in .416
calibre.
Companies like Heym, Ruger and CZ
(BRNO) all produce rifles for the .416 Rigby
cartridge whilst NORMA specifically manufactures
.416 Rigby cases by the tens of
thousands. Bullet manufacturers like Speer,
Hornady, Bear Claw, Swift A-Frame, Nosler,
Rhino and Woodleigh, including Barnes,
are producing .416 bullets ranging from
300 up to 440 grain.
Paul Zorn, a professional hunter cum
outfitter from Zimbabwe, is in the extremely
fortunate position to own an original
.416 Rigby rifle. This weapon originally
belonged to a Captain Alec Hampshire.
After purchasing the rifle the well-known
Harare gunsmith, Walter Roth, serviced the
rifle although it was in fact still in a pristine
condition. It came with the original oil
bottles, spare foresight in the pistolgrip
cap and other accessories.
Paul has used this rifle since 1990
African Outfi tter Dec/Jan 2007
although he had also owned a .470 Nitro
Express double manufactured by Joseph
Hambrusch of Ferlach and a Ruger M77
Express rifle in .416 Rigby.
The Ruger rifle occasionally suffered
from feeding problems. Paul also decided
to sell the double in order to buy the .416
original Rigby rifle. The first animal Paul
shot with his original Rigby rifle was a 55
pound elephant bull in the Charara citizen
hunting area near the Nyaodza River. For
this elephant bull Paul used the 410 grain
.416 Woodleigh solid at a velocity of 2 325
feet per second. Paul is a firm believer in
the Woodleigh solids and not a single one
of these bullets he has managed to recover
has ever shown flattening of the nose or
base or bending.
The prohibitively high price of factory
ammunition and non-availability of .416
Rigby ammunition in Zimbabwe has forced
Paul, like many other Rigby users, to reload
for this versatile cartridge.
His standard load is 90 grain of
Somchem’s S365 (± IMR 4350) with the
.416/410 grain Woodleigh solid as well as
the 410 grain Woodleigh soft for buffalo.
Because of the good results achieved with
S365, Paul never actually tried S385 as an
Client Steve Kent (left)
with Paul Zorn.
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alternative propellant (S385=±IMR4831).
This load produces 2 325 feet per second
and an “energy” factor of 5 030 foot
pounds. As with any other cartridge the
dimensions of the chamber and barrel may
have a profound influence on chamber
pressure. Paul’s load with S365 is at the
top end of Somchem’s recommended loads
although completely safe in his rifle.
Until now the load of 90 grain of S365
with the Woodleigh 410 grain bullet has
not shown any pressure sensitivity to the
extreme heat conditions of the Zambezi
Valley.
Paul has made two alterations to his
.416 Rigby rifle. A Pachmayr decelerator
recoil pad was fitted as well as EAW quick
detachable scope mounts. He sometimes
uses a Swarovski 1.25 to 4 scope on buffalo.
However, a Diopter sight made by EAW
fits neatly into the back-mount when the
scope is removed. This Diopter is used as a
ghostring (peep-sight) for quick shooting
during close range excursions with dangerous
game.
Paul is also convinced that the biggest
attribute of the .416 Rigby lies in the relatively
low chamber pressure that goes
hand in hand with the big Rigby case at
velocities of around 2 300 – 2 350 feet per
second in African hunting conditions. Even
now he is still impressed by the superb balance
and silky smooth Rigby Mauser
action, a sentiment shared by many of the
old-time hunters who used Rigby rifles.
All in all the .416 Rigby cartridge delivers
a potent terminal package with a very
important accompanying factor, namely
quick recovery time between shots fired.
As with many reloaders of the .416
Rigby cartridge, Paul finds this cartridge
African Outfitter Dec/Jan2007
Diopter sight fitted to
EAW back-mount.
rather easy to reload. According to Paul
two aspects should be mentioned. Firstly,
before resizing the case all powder residue
should be removed from the inside of the
case neck with a brush. If this is not done
it can add to expander ball drag and an
increase in the length of the case.
Secondly, cases should be all trimmed to
the same exact length. Uniform case
lengths are mandatory for an evenly
applied crimp. Cases with varying lengths
can result in the subtle 45 degree shoulder
buckling when a crimp is applied to a
too long case with a predetermined crimp
setting in the seating die.
Paul Zorn’s loads
Case Bullet Propellant Primer Velocity
Load 1 Federal 410 soft S365 CCI 250 2 275 feet per second
Woodleigh 88 grain
Load 2 Federal 410 solid S365 CCI 250 2 325 feet per second
Woodleigh 90 grain
Load 3 Federal 400 grain S365 CCI 250 2 310 feet per second
solid 89 grain
Trophy Bonded
Sledgehammer
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