Home › Browse Calibers › .416 Wby. Mag.
Common uses: Dangerous Game, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 400gr Weatherby Select Plus Hornady DGX Bonded (Round Nose-Expanding) |
| Muzzle velocity | 2700 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 6477 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.311 |
| Case length | 73.8 mm |
| Overall length | 95.3 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 65000 PSI |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2700 | 6474 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2412 | 5168 | 0 |
| 200 | 2145 | 4084 | -4.5 |
| 300 | 1894 | 3184 | -16.6 |
| 400 | 1662 | 2454 | -38.5 |
| 500 | 1456 | 1884 | -73 |
At 1,000 yards, .416 Wby. Mag. (400gr at 2700 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 56.7 MOA / 16.5 MIL, retaining 920 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1894 | Supersonic | -16.6 | 5.3 | 1.54 |
| 400 | 1662 | Supersonic | -38.5 | 9.2 | 2.68 |
| 500 | 1456 | Supersonic | -73.0 | 13.9 | 4.05 |
| 600 | 1280 | Transonic | -124.0 | 19.7 | 5.74 |
| 700 | 1142 | Transonic | -196.3 | 26.8 | 7.79 |
| 800 | 1044 | Subsonic | -295.2 | 35.2 | 10.25 |
| 900 | 975 | Subsonic | -426.0 | 45.2 | 13.15 |
| 1000 | 920 | Subsonic | -593.2 | 56.7 | 16.48 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .416 Weatherby Magnum is a hard-hitting, deep-penetrating cartridge built for the largest and most dangerous game, including Cape buffalo and elephant. Driving a 400-grain bullet appreciably faster than the .416 Rigby, Remington, and Ruger, it delivers flatter trajectory and greater energy than any other commercial .416. That performance comes at the cost of severe recoil and a large, heavy rifle, and its oversized case is powder-hungry with specialized, costly ammunition. It is a purpose-built dangerous-game round rather than a general-use cartridge, rewarding hunters who can manage its recoil with authoritative stopping power on thick-skinned game.
Introduced by Weatherby in 1989, the .416 Weatherby Magnum was created by necking up the company's large .378 Weatherby Magnum case to accept a .416-inch bullet. It was designed to be the most powerful of the commercial .416 cartridges for hunting heavy, dangerous game. Like other Weatherby rounds it uses a belted case with the maker's distinctive double-radius venturi shoulder, and it remains a flagship chambering in the brand's dangerous-game lineup.
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