Well I got my new CZ 550 404 Jefferys yesterday...I got the Brockman peep (on Talley Base) sighted in for 50 yds.

I had to use a Leupold 4x as the 1.5x5 interfered with the peep, but thats fine with me...A straight 4X just may be the best all around scope every invented...

It shoots a hair under one inch and puts the North Fork softs and GS Customs and Bridger Solids flat nose solids to the same POI, that's a real world bonus deluxe IMO....

Jim did an excellent job on the laminated stock and metal work. The stock is of English design off my H&H pattern stock and Jim copied that pattern, so its available..The gun holds 5 down and one up the tube for 6 rounds of 404 Jefferys...thats another big plus..I stayed with the original CZ550 safty as its a good DGR safty, Lother Walther barrel, barrel band swivel and barrel band front sight and NECG partridge gold faced sight and a slicked up action and trigger...I have about the same money in it that I would have in a Ruger Sarari model...

I will hunt with it this year along with my double Searcy .470..

I will checker it when I get home..I use a half finished checkering job on laminate stocks..all the lines run one direction and no diamonds. Diamonds tend to pop off laminate..I use a special tool to do this and it looks very nice and feels great..Its different but everybody that sees it likes it...It's not my original idea, I copied the idea from Bill Dowtin..I muller the border..

Ray,

Have any pictures for us to drool over?

Erik D.

That's great. Glad your project has worked out. I am curious why you did not chamber to 416 Rigby. Rufous.

I do not have the computer skills to post a picture and the gun is packed, but I do have photos of the rather different and interresting checkering style on my .308 if anyone is interrested I can email you a photo of that..I will take photos of it in Tanzania and maybe get Saeed to post it on here from there????

Ray,

If you will take a snapshot of your .404, your .470 and any other rifles you like and mail them to me, I will be glad to post there here on AR for you.

Ray, If you just ship me your guns I can take photos for you or better yet if you need a gun bearer......

Ray,
When do you leave? Good luck with your 404. Will you use the 404 or the 470 on Buff.
Bryan

Ray,

I am dying to see your .404, it is probably the way I should have built my .404 in hind site...especially seeing as I am a cz addict

Ray,

Be careful that JudgeG doesn't try to trade you out for some P.O.S. with three or four barrels that nobody can find ammo for.

1115

Ray:



You know I'd never trade you out of anything unfairly. I didn't make $1700 on the broken-stocked Brno, regardless of what my bank account shows!



Seriously, I have a Blaser in .300 Ultra Mag for trade. You'll have to add some boot, though. Or how about a Raven auto in .22 Jet? If you really beg, you can trade for my Regent .22 if you want to throw in a Westley Richards double rifle.

OK I will unpack my Tuff case and take the pictures, I don't leave until Aug. 1, but I am packed and ready to go..I do that you know!!

I will send the photos to 500 grs...

500 grs.,
which reminds me I sent you a email requesting your phyical address last week and have not heard from you..I have the bullets I owe you plus interrest..

Jolly good show big guy. That will keep some interest around here. I have gone over the hill and taken up with the .404 Jeffery, largely due to you.

I am pillar bedding and double cross bolting a Brown Precision fiberglass stock to my .404 Jeffery Classic Stainless M-70 with 10" twist stainless 24" McGowen barrel No. 5 sporter contour. It will weigh less than eight pounds bare and less than 9 pounds with a Leupold 1.5-5X in QRW rings. No iron sights, no barrel bands, no secondary recoil lug on the barrel. A back up scope will be the Leupold 2.5X.

The load will be 380 grain North Fork softs and solids. It is that simple. KISS Principle, Saeed style. A sheep rifle fit for the Chadwick Ram.

Of course, Ray, before you vomit or have a conniption fit at the thought of such blasphemy to the .404 Jeffery, I do have plans for a CZ 550 such as yours, to get the 6-shooter instead of 4-shooter, and iron sights of course, for Sunday-go-to-meeting carry.

At last I am finally on the right track and can load and shoot .404 Jeffery ammo in something, anyway.

I am sure you have seen the .404 Jeffery data from Mike Brady of North Fork, but just to add some real info to this thread for innocent bystanders to this spectacle to come (photos of Ray's new .404 Jeffery) here it is:

Lothar Walther barrel 26", .4226" groove diameter
Norma brass trimmed to 2.850"
Federal 215 primer
H4831SC powder
380 grain North Fork "soft" bullet

82.0 grains = 2303 fps >>> 45,200 psi (95% load)
86.0 grains = 2414 fps >>> 49,100 psi (99% load)
90.0 grains = 2500 fps >>> 55,200 psi (with drop tube 100%, without drop tube 103% and compressed)

That is some good data from a true gentleman.

And thank you Ray for educating me on the .404 Jeffery. A whole new world has opened up.

All things come to....

Ray: I too ordered the Pop-up Peep (on a Talley base) from Jim but was disappointed to find that it doesn't work with my new 2.5X8 VXIII. Great concept, though the springs could stand to be a little tougher. Glad to hear you were able to get it to work with your 4X.

Ray: I don't hear much about 4x scopes these days but it is good to hear you talk about them. When I was growing up (I was 8 years old in 1960), a Weaver K-4 was it. Some folks make fun of the K-4 now, and I know very few people who actually use a 4x scope, but there was a time when my Uncle John used the K-4 on everthing. He followed Jack O'Conner, who was a close friend and mentor, and he used a M70 in .270 Win on almost everything, including Yukon moose, NW Territory grizzly bears, and leopard in Tanganyika. My Uncle John made a living with Sports Afield magazine as their Camping Editor for many years. He made a living with a typewriter, a .270. a .300 H&H, and a .375 H&H, and he knew his bushcraft. And he like fixed 4 power scopes. So do I. I like hearing you talk about the 4 power scope.



Robert Jobson

rwj,

I still have the set of wood panniers I made from your Uncles's plans. Back in the good old days.....

.

Rip,
Work up a load with IMR-4831.. I shoot 93 grs. with the 380 North Fork and I have gone up to 95 grs. with a 400 gr. bullet which is about max and in a 26" barrel it really cooks...North Fork tried this one for me and they got 2500 plus in a shorter barrel as I recall, and were within pressure specs...I got 2653 FPS in my old 27" Jefferys...I will chronograph that load in my new gun with its 25" barrel when I get home from hunting...Give it a try and let me know what your max is and what you get with it...I am interrested in the 2500 FPS with the short cut powder you used, thats interresting and it sure meters better. I would like to compare the two and see how that turns out. You could do that while I am gone you know.

RWJ,
I have 4X Leupolds on several of my guns, including my old pre 64 M-70 Win. 300 H&H; my .308 Custom Mauser; and my 30-06...I also have several 3X fixed Leupolds on my Savage M-99 rifles. Tough scopes and problem free with less working parts...I have never felt the need for higher power in the hunting fields, and cannot recall an instanced wherein more power would have changed the result.

Ray,
Of course I will have to finally try the IMR-4831 in my .404 Jeffery sheep rifle, to compare it to Varget, RL-15, and H-4831SC. H-4350 would be interesting too. I'll let you know the results, when I am able.

I got the photos emailed to 500 grs. along with the checkering job that Bill Dowtin exposed me too, both guns are laminate stocks and this type of checkering really does work well on them as they tend to chip with use because of the glass content...All you use is a bordering tool, then muller it...

Rip,
I have had good luck with RL-15 and with 4350, but IMR-4831 has been my powder of choice hands down, and your information on 4831 SC really gets my attention, I will sure be using some of that as I am sure it meters easier and is more accurate out of the powder measure, and that counts bucu in my lazy state of reloading mindset.........And 2500 FPS is more than I need, so I can drop back to about 2300 to 2400 and be set...

This CZ 404 with that stock design is the softest recoiling 404 Jefferys I have ever shot and I have shot a few, its more on the order of my 300 H&H it seems...I mean really noticeably mild...A nice surprise at any rate....

Well done Ray, I also need to see a pic. I'm becoming a .404 addict.
I have tried IMR4831 & like it alot but in my rifle, RL19 is showing slightly better accuracy & the load density is between IMR4831 & H4831sc. 84gr under Mike's 380gr softs gives me 2250fps, sub moa groups & very slight compression. 83gr of IMR4831 for about the same & 86gr of H4831sc is close. North Forks 380gr are amazingly accurate followed by the 400gr Woodleigh. The 400gr Hawk makes a cheaper practice load but accuracy isn't even close to the 380grNF.

.

Alf,
Great news from The North. Current A-Square stuff is of the highest quality, as they are well aware of the old issues with soft brass. I am located within 90 minutes drive of their new plant in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and can swing by there sometime if you are ever hard pressed to find something they offer. I have been there and talked to Jim Smith's son. Jim is the current proprietor/CEO but Art Alphin is still well involved with technical issues, where he is good, and business functions where he won't offend the public!

Please post any results of your shooting (chronograph I hope).

BTW, a "shooter" .404 Jeffery would be about $1000 to $2000 depending on bells and whistles. But if you damage one of those, they are easily repaired or replaced as compared to your original Jeffery's pieces. That has something to recommend the CZ's and Winnies over the Jeffery's Mausers, eh?

.

Fred,
500grs is posting the photos tonight...

I am shooting 93 grs. of IMR-4831, mild of pressure and getting 2400 plus a tad...95 grs. will top out at 2653 FPS in a 27" barrel so I sould get near 2600 with my old 95 gr. load in this new rifle with its 25" tube, but I hunt with the 93 gr. load..

Your rifle sounds like a beauty Ray, can't wait to see it. Have a great time on your trip in August!

Will: My uncle loved those panniers.

Alf,
I do remember the Zipadedo bullet by Nosler..I used them in a 222 to shoot deer and so did my 2 boys..Was it a monolithic or partition, don't recall?? I remember it had grooves and as I recall it was only in 22 caliber, corret?

Ray:
Wasn't the Zipedo the same thing as the new solid-base bullets now offered by Nosler. It was a hybrid.... a really thick base and a smaller than usual core. TBBC's are Zipedo's on steriods with glue that holds the lead to the copper alloy????

Go to www.nosler.com and you'll see the "new" solid base product.

.

Very nice Ray, I like it's simplicity...

A real work horse.

Cheers,

Andr�

That thing would look good if it had a good glass stock!

Ray and Alf,
Thanks for sharing. BTW, Harry is in fine form tonight.
I like it, and find the aperature rear and blade/patridge/sourdough front sight combo to be the way I have evolved. Make the aperature a large enough ghost ring and it is faster than the V and bead express sight, and more accurate if a smaller aperature is screwed in. And when I can't see those anymore, I will be scope only, plus point and shoot at spitting distance.

Looks like Alf beat me to it.

Ray, that's a fine lookinh gun. It's amazing how sweet a straight forward gun can be. I really like the line if that stock and the non-checkering was a excellent choice. Does it still have the standard CZ trigger ? It sounds like you got a peach of a gun for the $.

I agree, a fine looking gun. A no bullshit whoppa stoppa. Love the checkering!

Nice Ray! A beautiful working rifle!

Harry! Well said!

HI.

Mr. Atkinson, how do you like the Brockman peeps, I am getting my 416 very soon and will have the pop-up peeps from MR. Brockman, are they the pop ups?,nice rifle, well done.kev