Anyone who owns or shoots one? What do you think of it?

I own a 450/400 3 inch double rifle. Just my opine, I find it to be the ideal double rifle round. You get a long .408-.411 caliber 400 grain round that penetrates well. It is small enough to hunt deer and hogs with and big enough to handle whatever pops out of the bush.

The recoil won't beat you up. There is plenty of good new brass on the market and well as Hornady bullets. Dies are resonable. Several manufacturer are producing rifles chambered in the 400 Jeffery. In the Ruger No. 1 you can run up the velocity if you need, however the round has been getting it done for over 100 years at historical velocities.

Did I mention that I liked the round?

What Rusty said X 2.

is it a 45 cal bullet or a 40 cal bullet? I dont understand the designation of the numbers.

.40 cal.
It's .450 necked down to take the .40 bullet (or actually .408" - .411" as Rusty mentioned).

The 3" is a later development by Jeffery due to complaints of sticky extraction on the .450-400 3 1/4" which was originally a black powder cartridge. The 3" is designed for smokeless.

Best caliber going for a double to use on a multitude of game. Recoil compared to 470, 450 3.25" and 500/416 is that it doesn't compare....it's a whole lot less.
I think it would be hard to ague AGAINST this caliber....whether in the 3" or 3.25" guise.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Historically a great choice for buff and a good all rounder for the double rifle or single shot.

While it has been successfully used for elephants, it is on the light side for them, especially in the thick stuff.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
Historically a great choice for buff and a good all rounder for the double rifle or single shot.
While it has been successfully used for elephants, it is on the light side for them, especially in the thick stuff. JPK

Ditto's JPK, It will kill eles but it's still not a stopping caliber. If I were to own one double rifle the 450/400 would be the one, great for buff and all other game worldwide, sufficient on elephant but definately not my first choice.

I do remember ELS of this forum took his Searcy 450/400 3 inch to Africa, twice one year and he had high praise for it's penetration on elephants.

I would not call the 400 Jeffery a stopper, I reserve that title for the 500 and 600 Nitro Express rounds. And on occasion the 475 #2 Jeffery. In my opine one of the most under rated Nitro Express round ever made!

As confirmed by more than a century of history, stoppers begin at the 450NE and go on up from there.

I don't see much to love for the 475 Jeffery, .488" 500gr bullets, SD .300, @ 2120 (out of 28" barrels) = too much diameter, too little wieght and ok velocity.

On the other hand, the 476 Westley Richards is one heck of nice and overlooked round. .476" 520gr bullets, SD .328, @ 2100fps (out of 28" barrels) equals great stopping power and great penetration too.

Btw, the SD for the 450/400 is .344 for .408" bullets and .338 for the .411" bullets. Rivaled in "standard loads" only by the 458WM or Lott, etc's 500gr bullets at SD .341 and the 416 Rigby's 410gr bullets at SD .338.

JPK

I think the 450/400 is the best calibre in a double rifle, for the modern sport hunter.

I have used mine for deer, & wild pigs in Texas, black bear in Montana, caribou in Alaska, and baboon, zebra, warthog, cape buff elephant and lion in Zimbabwe.

I killed 3 pigs with it the first week of June.

Only if a person was going to "specialize" in elephants, would I recommend something bigger, and even then, only IF the shooter can handle the heavier recoil.

While I have used my 450 No2 on several elephants, when I hunted with the 450/400 I was not worried in the least.

My Uncle owns a woodward in .450/400 and I grew up coverting that rifle . For a client comming to Africa, I would rate it as the perfect round for a double. More than enogh for ele.

As A PH I opted for a .500/416 for even greater penetration and better shock effect on lion. However, the recoil from the Krieghoff .500/416 is significantly more than my uncles .450/400 and the .400 weighs a pound less

Interestingly but certainly not surprisingly this verifies the old writings of Taylor. He and many of his contemporaries had highest praise for the .450-400. Taylor went so far as to say that prior to the introduction of the .375H&H it was THE all-round caliber.
In his style, he also reminiscens of a couple of occasions where stopping power against ele and lion was needed, and the .450-400 did the job perfectly.

Another note: Tony Sanchez-Arino opines that any gun whose bullet weight is at least 400grs; has a muzzle velocity of more than 2000fps; and muzzle energy of at least 4000lb-ft is a "perfectly adequate" elephant gun.
Hm, this looks an awful lot like the .450-400's spec sheet...

One point that should not be over looked with the 400's in a double is that recoil is light enough that it is very easy to double tap an elephant with it. Time between aimed shots is very short. Any way Anuses and opinions every bodies got one but the 450/400 sure has been a delight for me.

HAVE TAKEN MY NEW HEYM 450/400 TO RANGE ONCE, IT DOES NOT HAVE BRUTAL RECOIL, IT SHOOTS LARGE BULLET AND SHOULD BE A GREAT KILLER IF BULLET IS PROPERLY PLACED,

JUST LOVE THE FEEL AND BALANCE OF THE RIFLE, IT WILL PROBABLY BE MYY FAVORITE RIFEL, MIGHT EVEN LOOK INTO HAVING A SCOPE INSTALLED AND MAKE IT MY ONG GUN AFRICAN BATTERY.

HUNT WITH SCOPE ON, IF YOU WOULD A BUFF , TAKE THE SCOPE OFF TO FOLLOW

I have shot a few 450/400 3 1/4 and 3" versions. I have a trim 470 (weight of 9lbs 12 oz) and I must say a 450/400 at that same weight or even at a pound lighter would be a joy to hunt with.

My next double will be a 450/400! It is the way to go!

Ed

IMHO stopping rifles begin with the 450/400. Not a great stopper but certanly adequate.

465H&H

It is the only stopping rifle I use...I have stopped Buffalo charges with it on several ocassions..

It is all the caliber I will ever want..I sold my 470s long ago, the last one leaving a couple of years ago.

I have just had too much luck with the 450-400 to ever need anything else in a double rifle and the 404 or 416 is my choice in the bolt guns so you can see the 40 caliber is my choice..