Officially announced in November of 1988, the .416 Remington Magnum was the first American cartridge designed for use on African game to be introduced since the .458 Winchester Magnum in 1956, and the .460 Weatherby Magnum back in 1958. The .416 is based on the 8mm Remington Magnum necked-up to .416-caliber. It was initially available with either a 400-grain pointed soft-point or a 400-grain solid bullet loaded to a muzzle velocity of 2400 fps and a muzzle energy of 5115 ft-lbs.

Although the .416 bullet is 100 grains lighter than that of the .458 Winchester, it starts out with an almost 300 fps higher velocity. That, combined with better sectional density and a superior aerodynamic shape, gives it certain ballistic advantages. It not only has a higher initial velocity, it also increases its retained velocity over the .458 as the range increases.

The .416 Remington should be ideal for dangerous game, including Cape buffalo, elephant, lion, and brown bear. It would also do well on moose and elk. The .416 Remington has a trajectory very similar to the .375 H&H and is a better long-range cartridge than the .458 Winchester for use against thin-skinned game.

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