[Ringo]

Hey guys,

Ok, lets ignore for a moment my total tacticool, fanboy-ness love for this cartridge. But seriously...I live in northwest Florida and with a rifle that has 8400 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle, I could probably kill a cape buffalo in Tanzania...you know, from here.

In case anyone needs to read about the round, wiki info here.

For anyone who has had exposure to this round, or to rifle building in general - I have read some posts about people who make a project gun around this rifle, but it obviously takes some time due to cost factors. But since the .408 is a necked-down .505 gibbs, what action would you use to build off of?

See, I've never "built" a rifle (so obviously I'm speaking in theory, here) in a bolt action, so I don't know much about what you need from an action for a certain caliber. Anyone done this, or built up a large-bore bolt gun?

-R.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.408_Chey_Tac

 

[marinesg1012]

Oe of my team mates owns one.... the thing is crazy but unless you can shoot out to where it is effective (1500 yards plus) i dont see a need for it... and ammo is about 8-10 bucks per round.....

 

[nemohunter]

Well i have built and owned several "boomers". here is what i have seen in the past.

First you must truley love this round or big bores in general or you are wasting your $$$$.
the shiney newness will wear off the first few rounds and then you will be stuck with a money pit of a rifle.

Second boomers are not cheap to feed. they require a special diet. even cheap cast bullet .458 loads are over a dollar a pop probly closer to $2. lost river is the only company making bullets for this odd bore size. that make the supply both limited and expensive.

Third if you get past the first two you must have a purpose for the rifle. are you planiing on hunting Africa someday? do you need a 2K range sniper rifle?

Forth the components to bulid a really big rifle like this are gonna be spendy. the .505 Gibbs case is HUGE. quite a bit bigger than the Rigby which is huge. the action needed to house that thing is gonna be huge too.Lawton has them. barrels will be another problem. the .408" size is a custom. Lawton makes them but i dont know who else you might get them from. the rifle is gonna be heavy.

now that all said its most likley gonna be cheaper to but a rifle all built up already IF you can feed it.

OK what color you gonna paint it? what kind of drag bag for a piece that size? optics choice???? i'm thinking MK4 Luepold myself but a Supersniper could be good too. of course the Nightforce is yet another option.

 

[Ringo]

Yea I've noticed that these rifles aren't just expensive to acquire, but the shooting cost is enormous as well. As it is now, I don't have a reason, other than novelty, to shoot a weapon like this. Besides, if I wanted a long range boomer I'd probably pick up a .338.

Another thing I've noticed is that even the reloading cost is purely insane. I don't know enough about reloading (yet) to know all the equipment I'd need to set up a station for the .408, but I understand that the brass and bullets are pushing/over 2$ per round. That being said, if I were to get/build a weapon like this, it'd be an "over the years" build with the ultimate goal of hunting some kind of big game (Kudu in africa is HIGH on the list, but so is musk ox, dall sheep, etc) and actually setting up for the long range.

As for the paint color - I'm a bit of a whore for OD Green, or certain camo patterns. Nothing too fancy. The drag bag would depend on the stock config. And optics...hard to say because it'd depend on the terrain where I was shooting.

I think what I'll try to do is get a parts list together (I have a good gunsmith) and an associated cost list, and figure out how long I can stretch it out. If its feasible, maybe it'll be fun. I have to do more reading on bolt actions and what the tolerances are that can withstand the kind of pressure that rifles like this are loaded for, though. N

Nemo - you said you've built a few? Maybe I can PM you for some info? And anyone else is welcome to comment as well.

-R..

 

[nemohunter]

Ringo i never built anything that big. if i wanted that big and mean i'd just save a whole bunch of $$$$ and go .50bmg. cheaper to own cheaper to shoot. just as much range. WOW i never thought i would write those words about the old BMG LOL. i built a Rigby on a CZ 550 action, a 45/70 on a siamese mauser, and a .458 on a savage 110. i dont have any of them anymore and lost $$$$ on all of them when i sold them despite all them being like new. i would be looking at the .416 Barret too if you want a .40 cal boomer.

 

[Ringo]

I don't know much about the .416 (Ok lets be honest, I'm a rookie to big bores, but I want one. ONE.), but what I quick-searched I liked. Overall, .416 cheaper to own/shoot? I would think it'd be a little more ubiquitous. But what do I know. And again, I'd have to find the action for it.

-R.

P.S. - Can the .416 be put on a standard (if heavy/bench) stock? Or maybe something from AI?

 

[ArtFWTx]

Go with the 50BMG. It's the Harley Davidson of big bores. There are many choices as well as industry support for the 50 that makes it attractive and relatively affordable to support the addiction. There are many completed rifles from mild to wild, ammo choices, reloading support, bullet choices, as well as component choices for building a rifle.

Ask Blacklion about his Bohica 50DTC upper. It just pins on an AR lower and you go shooting!!
Serbu, Bohica and other brands make the 50BMG uppers for AR's. That's just an example for conversations sake.

You have the Barrets, McMillans, AIs, and many other choices for 50BMG.

 

[nemohunter]

i would say the 416 would be cheaper to feed. thats it. the rifle cost would likeley be the equal. lots of 416 bullets out there to be had. that is the biggest expense once you have the brass. rifles as far as i know are limited to Barret right now.

barret ammo is $66 per10. bullets are just over a buck by the 50

cheytac is $9 per round with a 100 round order. bullets are $2.10 each for the cheap ones by the hundred.

for the $$$ involved with the Cheytac i would definetly go .50 and never look back. if youre only gonna own one the .50 would be it for me. one of these days i'll have a .50 just because.

 

[ArtFWTx]

i would say the 416 would be cheaper to feed. thats it. the rifle cost would likeley be the equal. lots of 416 bullets out there to be had. that is the biggest expense once you have the brass. rifles as far as i know are limited to Barret right now.

barret ammo is $66 per10. bullets are just over a buck by the 50

cheytac is $9 per round with a 100 round order. bullets are $2.10 each for the cheap ones by the hundred.

for the $$$ involved with the Cheytac i would definetly go .50 and never look back. if youre only gonna own one the .50 would be it for me. one of these days i'll have a .50 just because.

The 416 does have cost advantages over the Chey Tac, definitely. The 416 has impressive performance specs also. A Barrret 99 in 416 wouldn't crush the bank account like other options would.

I would just lean to the 50 because there are several different levels you could get into and brass, bullets, and ammo are common.

 

[BLACK LION]

well well well... what did I stumble on here....

Cheytac= way too uber tacticool to be worth the $$$$ to support unless the .gov or private company is flippin the bill...at that point they could add a BORS to it as well and get you a cybernetic spotter that never gets tired.

.416 Barrett would be a more optimal choice in the .forties ... I can walk in most places that deal with firearms and pick up .416 barret ammo and a .416 rig to boot. Ammo is spendy but no more than some good .50 bmg ammo....

I went the modularity route as I wanted something that I could snap on to my AR and play with the biggest of big boys.
Here in Kommifornia barret answered the .50bmg ban with the .416 but failed to offer it in an AR15 upper configuration.
We "hippies" (lol) messed around and came up with our own caliber as a big F-U to the powers that be... enter the .50DTC
which is basicall a .50bmg projo in a 1/10 shorter 50bmg case... imagine that.
I have realized that I only pay 60.00 for 25 rounds of 695 grain armor piercing cartridges. That is suprisingly less than .50bmg
I can get 2750 fps out of a 24" barrel with 240grains of h50bmg powder.

Oh.... and 2 pulls of the YHM ez-pull pivot and takedown pins and off comes the 6.8 upper and on goes the big boomer...

 

[sharpshooter08]

Just my .02 cents I would look more into the 338 lapua. Its definately holds its own the "big bore" class. The nice part about it if you do reloading for it you can get it for under $2 round and most of the 338LM rifles are right around 15lbs.

Plus you can get out to a mile plus in distance withoout breaking the bank!

 

[Bigdog923]

Nice thumper

 

[BLACK LION]

Just my .02 cents I would look more into the 338 lapua. Its definately holds its own the "big bore" class. The nice part about it if you do reloading for it you can get it for under $2 round and most of the 338LM rifles are right around 15lbs.

Plus you can get out to a mile plus in distance withoout breaking the bank!

.338 lapua mag is also a very viable option.