Barnes VOR-TX 416 Rigby 400gr TSX FB – Superb Buffalo Load

Description

The Barnes VOR-TX Safari 416 Rigby 400gr TSX FB is the expanding softpoint in the Barnes dangerous game line for the cartridge John Rigby designed in 1911 and that has never needed improving. An all copper Triple Shock X leaves the muzzle at roughly 2400 fps carrying about 5117 ft-lbs of energy. This is the load that goes in the magazine first. Each box holds 20 rounds.

• Barnes VOR-TX 416 Rigby 400gr TSX FB Overview
• 400 Grain All Copper Softpoint Performance
• Why Hunters Choose 416 Rigby Hunting Ammo
• Specifications
• Range Notes For This All Copper Dangerous Game Bullet

Barnes VOR-TX 416 Rigby 400gr TSX FB Overview

The projectile is machined from solid copper, so under the extreme stress of a close range impact on heavy bone there is no lead core to separate and no jacket to strip away. That failure mode is exactly what a buffalo at twenty yards tests.

The hollow nose peels back into four sharp copper petals at roughly double the original diameter and stays attached to the shank. On a 416 caliber bullet that is an enormous frontal area, and weight retention stays close to 100 percent so the bullet keeps driving after it opens.

400 Grain All Copper Softpoint Performance

A comparison worth making. Our 416 Remington Magnum load pushes the same 400 grain bullet at 2420 fps for 5203 ft-lbs, marginally more than the Rigby. The Rigby does not win on paper, and it was never meant to. Its advantage is the enormous case running at low pressure, which keeps it reliable when ammunition sits in a hot cartridge belt all day.

A flat base is the correct design at these distances, and Barnes machines relief grooves into the bearing surface to lower pressure and cut copper fouling from this much bullet bearing on the rifling.

Why Hunters Choose 416 Rigby Hunting Ammo

The 416 Rigby is the classic African dangerous game cartridge and the one most professional hunters would name if asked to pick a single rifle for buffalo. It has taken everything on the continent for over a century, and the rifles built around it are among the finest ever made.

What this 416 Rigby hunting ammo adds is a modern projectile. The traditional argument against a softpoint at these velocities was that it could come apart on a shoulder before reaching the vitals. A monolithic copper bullet simply does not have that failure mode, which is why guides who once insisted on solids for everything now load softs first.

Be realistic about the rifle. A 416 Rigby weighs ten pounds or more for good reason, and practice from field positions matters far more than bench accuracy. Ammunition is expensive and not stocked everywhere, so buy enough of one lot for practice and the trip.

Specifications

Range Notes For This All Copper Dangerous Game Bullet

Zero with the exact load you intend to hunt. If you plan to load softs first and solids behind them, confirm that both print together at your zero distance, because individual rifles do not always agree with the factory pairing.

Feed test the full magazine before you travel. A flat nose copper bullet has a different profile than the round nose ammunition some older controlled round feed actions were regulated with, and a feeding fault is not something to discover in front of a buffalo.

At 2400 fps the Barnes VOR-TX 416 Rigby 400gr TSX expands reliably at every distance this cartridge is realistically used. Store the ammunition cool and dry, and inspect it after a long flight in a hold.

Lead Free Buffalo Ammunition Availability

Hunters booked on a buffalo safari, professional hunters, and anyone hunting where non toxic projectiles are required will get the most from this lead free buffalo ammunition. Full factory ballistics are published by Barnes Bullets.

Pair it with the non expanding Barnes VOR-TX Safari 416 Rigby 400gr Banded Solid, compare it with the 416 Remington Magnum version, or browse the full ammunition selection at MAG5 Firearms.