WTK .416 weatherby vs. .460 weatherby

[repins05]

So here is my situation.....I have a choice between a .416 weatherby and a .460 weatherby (both in like new condition with similar round counts). A relative is handing one down to me.

Do any members have any experience with both calibers?

Accuracy of each?

Long range shooting?

My use will be for elk and bear. I am not afraid of recoil and have several big bore rifles and pistols....so recoil it is not "much" an issue. Any opinions appreciated. Thanks

[Gary L. Griffiths]

I'd go with the .416. Although you're not recoil-sensitive, the .460 Weatherby is a true beast, with something like 8 TONS of muzzle energy. It's going to be a real handful to shoot.

The .416 should also have better ballistics for long range shooting, especially on elk, and is still plenty of gun for close-in encounters with larger bruins.

[darkgael]

I would go with the .416 also. I have the Rigby version which, when compared to the Weatherby, is a pussycat. There are lots of good .416 bullets available. It meets the minimum caliber requirements where they are in place. And it delivers over three foot tons of ME for you to use.
In a sense, both of the Weatherbys , .416 and .460, are overkill for anything on this planet. I can understand wanting one.
Pete

[briandg]

I concur. that .460 is a monster, and will probably be even harder to shoot than a .50 bmg, as it won't have the brake, will weigh far less, etc.

There is nothing on the upper hemisphere that won't die a dog's death after being properly hit with the .416; in other words, that .460 is a totally unnecessary rifle.

so, unless you just want to be clubbed half to death when shooting, give the .460 to someone else.

But, my personal choice would be to choose the highest grade. I'd probably never hunt with either, and I'd take the one that appealed to me the most. In other words, the best wood.

[338shooter]

I have a .416 Rigby and .458 WM, so have no first-hand experience with either of the Weatherby cartridges.

I have seen reports of the .416 Weatherby being very accurate. Of the two cartridges, the .416 should be better for long range because it's higher velocity will equal a flatter trajectory.

My .416 Rigby with maximum handloads (400 gr at 2710 fps) produce huge amounts of recoil. Firing it is invigorating.

[Rampant_Colt]

My friend's father successfully uses a .340 Weatherby and .416 Weatherby to hunt elk in bear country..

They both weigh the same [.416 and .460 rifles]
*Ammo for the .416 is slightly cheaper*
.416 shoots slightly flatter


.416 WBM can take down any creature that's walked the face of the earth present day or prehistoric with roughly 6,000 ft lbs of muzzle energy. The .460 WBM has around 7,500-8,000 ft lbs of muzzle energy

My vote goes to the .416 WBM due to having slightly cheaper ammo and greater versatility for N. American big-game hunting. I can't think of better bear 'medicine' than the .416 WBM

[darkgael]

.416 Rigby with maximum handloads (400 gr at 2710 fps)

Short hijack here. Perhaps in another thread or a PM, you might refer me to that data. I'm interested.
Pete

[sc928porsche]

Go with the 416. The 460 has a trajectory of a mortar round (exaggeration here). I hunt the big bruins with a 378 and it does a great job. The 460 I fired had a muzzle brake and was a little kinder to the sholder than the 416 that didnt. Neither rifle is what you would call tame. Even the 378 will make you sit up and take notice.

[338shooter]

Darkgael:

PM sent.

[Scorch]

Do any members have any experience with both calibers?
Accuracy of each?
Long range shooting?
I have fired a 460 Weatherby, but not a 416 Weatherby. The 416 is a necked-down 460 Weatherby, so recoil will be on par with the larger bore. To say that recoil from the 460 is stunning or stupifying would be a relatively accurate statement (a 14 lbs rifle with approximately 100 ft-lbs of free recoil without a muzzle brake, about 60 with the AccuBrake). Due to generous amounts of both recoil and muzzle blast, 3 shots in rapid succession will make you feel like you just went 5 rounds with a heavyweight boxer. Not that you can't get accustomed to it I suppose, but there is no way to train for it except firing hundreds of rounds (short of stepping onto a freeway at rush hour). Neither are true "long range hunting" rifles.

The 460 Weatherby Magnum rifle weighs about 14 lbs loaded, so it is not a lightweight rifle. Having never handled the 416, I would have to guess at its weight, but I would guess it weighs close to the same.
My use will be for elk and bear. I am not afraid of recoil and have several big bore rifles and pistols....
These cartridges are in a whole different category from the average "big bore" rifle. Bore size alone does not indicate anything. Recoil of the 460 is twice that of a 458 Win Mag, which is approximately 3 times that of a 45-70 lever rifle. Muzzle blast will make you feel like you were punched in the gut and head by a pro boxer.

IMO, either cartridge would be overkill for anything short of large dangerous game in Africa. If you get either one of the two, my advice would be to sell it or trade it for a more usable rifle. Neither would be suitable for elk, in my opinion, due to the type of terrain encountered when hunting elk. If by bear you mean the little black bears we have here in the western USA, you will kill, gut, and partially skin one if you shoot it with either of the Weatherby cartridges. If by bear you mean grizzly in Alaska, consider again the type of terrain and cover they hunt in and choose something more maneuverable and less punishing to shoot.

[dgludwig]

I just hope your retinas are firmly attached! :eek:

[csmsss]

I keep hearing these stories of the dreaded recoil of the .460 Weatherby - retinas detaching, shoulders dislocating, etc. etc., and am always amused. I've shot the .460 Wby, and yes it's a handful to shoot - but it is not an artillery round strapped to your shoulder, and unless you plan to shoot it from a bench for hours on end, recoil is definitely manageable - particularly if the Wby you're shooting has the AccuBrake. The rifle I shot didn't, but it was not the beastly experience some would have you believe.

Remember that the .460 Wby magnum is simply a blown-out .378 Wby with a wider, heavier bullet - it is not a mortar round, not a cannon shell, and will not render you into fat, blood and bones from the mere act of touching it off.

As far as the choice is concerned, well...I'd rather have a .458 Lott or a .416 Rigby, just because of the terrible price and poor availability of Weatherby brass and loaded ammo.

[handlerer2]

IIRC, you would have to order either of these chamberings without an Accubrake, as they come standard. I own two Weatherby rifles and have nothing but praise for the MKV design. Evaluated as the strongest action in the industry. I have heard rumors that there may eventually be available, cup and core VLD bullets for 416, which makes this an altogether more versatile round, unless they start doing the same thing in.458. As for recoil, its like the old Russian proverb,"you can get used to anything, if you do it long enough, you can even get used to hanging". I regularly shoot, 300WBY&340WBY, w/o brakes and recoil is healthy and stout even with these weaklings. A brake would almost be neccesary unless this was a safari only rifle. I've heard of hunters shooting Cape Buffalo in spooky situations and reporting no remembered recoil.