I fired some more of those mild, low pressure African Sheep loads today, at 100 and 300 yards for 3-shot groups.

Muzzle Velocity: just over 2700 fps (2706 fps).
Temperature: 54 degrees F.
Elevation above sea level: 300 feet
Barometric pressure: 30.18"
Sight height: 1.5"
Wind: nil

100 yard 3-shot group: 0.557"
300 yard 3-shot group: 2.126"

100 yard POI: +3.0" (above POA)
300 yard POI: -7.75" (below POA)

Using a ballistic program that allowed me to enter the appropriate data, I tried some ballistic coefficients until the trajectory matched for +3.0" at 100 yards and gave -7.74" at 300 yards.

That BC is 0.300 exactly!

The sheep bullet is blunt.

However if one put in a BC of 0.500, roughly such as Barnes claims for their X's and TSX's, one would get less drop at 300 yards by only 2.54", or POI = -5.20".

However, one would get 314 fps more velocity and about 960 ft.lbs. more energy at 300 yards, with BC = 0.500 instead of the observed 0.300 effective BC.

As it is the African Sheep Bullet of .423/340gr soft point, North Fork persuasion, when pushed to 2710 fps MV would deliver:

Muzzle: 2710 fps >>> 5544 ft.lbs. >>> -1.50"
100 yds: 2410 fps >>> 4383 ft.lbs. >>> +3.00"
200 yds: 2129 fps >>> 3421 ft.lbs. >>> +1.49"
300 yds: 1869 fps >>> 2637 ft.lbs. >>> -7.74"

The rifle is zeroed at 225.74 Yards.

The North Fork 340 grainer still packs a punch way out there, and is very rifle-friendly for accuracy and lack of fouling.

Rifle: .404 Jeffery Winchester M-70 Stainless Classic, McGowen 24" Stainless 1 in 10" twist barrel. Brown Precision fiberglass stock. Leupold 2.5X-8X, Leupold QRW rings and bases.

Ammo: North Fork 340 grain .423 caliber soft point, Norma brass, GM215M primer, Varget Extreme powder charge = 87.6 grains.

Pressure: less than 60,000 psi by Scientific Wild Assed Guess.

Bullet Ballistic Coefficient by SWAG: 0.300.

You make a very good point Rip. The only people who should be worrying about Ballistic Coefficient are Target shootes at 600 yards+. For normal (and abnormal) hunting ranges it is absolutely of no consequence.My first two new pressure barrels will be 375 Weatherby and 404 Jeffery. Probably by late June. No sense going throughj the trouble until it is 40 degrees C/104 degrees F. If you know of anybody that has a PT&G, Henrickson or Manson 404 reamer for sale (cheap) please let me know. Renting is an option, and I would be gratefull for a gift of one of course. Science is spendy (barrels $295.00, chamber and fit $125.00). Each caliber I obtain ends up around $700.00 when you add in brass, primers, bullets and test probes.

Dart.

O.K. lawndart,
I will loan you my Manson reamer. You are special. Let me know when you need it and how is the best way for you to receive it: UPS, USPS, or FedEx. I will come visit you in Idaho if you keep it too long, to check out your equipment. You will find no better CIP spec reamer than Dave Manson's. It will be good to know that your pressure barrel is cut with my reamer. Now what are we doing up so late? Night night.