My 404 Jeffery should be finished up toward first part of October. I am really looking forward to getting this rifle in my hands and working up loads for a trip to Tanzania in December. Appreciate any assitance you can provide....

Looking for some load data for 380 grain North Fork Softs and Cup Points. Also interested in any Barnes TSX 400 grain data you may have tested.

I have some information printed from past post on AR as well as the Barnes and Norma reloading manuals just looking to see if there are some loads anyone has worked with recently.

I have Norma Brass, Fed. 215 Match Primers....looking to target 2400+/- fps.

Thanks for you help!

"looking to target 2400+/- fps."

That should be easy enough done. I have loaded anywhere from 88 - 94 grs. H4831 with a 400 gr. and gotten over 2400 fps.

I think Will on this forum has some loads but if you do a search on this forum for .404 Jeffrey loads, you ought to come up with a bunch.

Cant help you with loads but I commend your choice of calibre for an all purpose African round. Loaded with cup Points would cover most situations.

jjs, send Von Gruf a pm. He has all the info on the 404J you could want.

I haven't used barnes or north fork, but using 400gr Woodleighs I get 2185 fps with 72.2 gr of IMR4064. I am using magnum primers.

I havent used the North Fork or Barnes bullets either but have done extensive testing of the 400gn Woodleigh soft and RWS 400gn solid. I found the that H4350 - ADI2209 to give me the best results with 84gn and a Fed 215 pushing both the soft and solid to 2335fps which was right where some origional RWS ammo was running. This is a very accurate loading in my rifle. I could have pushed it further but to no advantage and it is very comfortable to shoot in a 9 1/2 lb rifle that is easy to carry all day. Have heard good things about the north fork bullet but if I was to look at something other than the Woodleigh - RWS combination, it would be the GS Custom HV and FPS.
Whatever you choose, have a great hunt.

Von Gruff.

quote:

found the that H4350 - ADI2209 to give me the best results

Yep...me too. H4350 was a the best I loaded for mine. Never used the NF's in it but with Swift A-frames and Woodie solids, it shot awesome. Velocity was right at about 2325 fps.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I have not tried the 404 Jeff but would prefer a Hogdon extreme powder over any ordinary powder.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I have not tried the 404 Jeff but would prefer a Hogdon extreme powder over any ordinary powder.

Could you explain why? Since you have not tried the 404 how can you make this comment?

I use H380 with 350 gr. Woodleigh's ( load recommendation from Woodleigh). With Barnes 400 tsx and A-frame I use RL-15 and have had good results with these combos.

Sure fred338 will come along on this thread and he has a lot of info for loading the 404.

I tried H4350 in both my 300wm and 270wsm and it gave me a sticky bolt,both times despite having seemed ok at first.I have used Varget and H4895 in my 308 and 458 lott and I am very pleased with the results.I would just simply prefer a extreme powder over an ordinary one.I don't know if Varget would work for the 404??

I believe H4350 IS an extreme powder--at least Hodgdon says it is.

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:
I believe H4350 IS an extreme powder--at least Hodgdon says it is.

sorry,my mistake-thought it wasn't

I did test Varget - 2208 in my trial work and found it to be too fast for the 400gn bullets. I do use 74gn behind a 350gn cast bullet for just on 2400fps though. Would use it for the 320gn GS Custom HV. Believe the H4350 - 2209 to be the best for the 400gn weight range although if I was to load the 450gn Woodleigh I would go to H4381 - 2213SC.



Von Gruff.

I really appreciate the information and your assitance.

I ordered a few boxes of 380 grain North Fork Softs and Cup Points. While I had them on the phone inquired about data they may have available for the 404 Jeffery.

Data North Fork had was using H4831sc with velocities ranging from 2300fps to 2550fps out of a 24" barrel with the following:

North Fork 380 grain bullets
Norma Brass
Fed. 215 Primers
H4831sc

Hopefully, I will have the rifle by first part of October and will play around with Varget, H4350, and H4831sc.

Any further information is appreciated!

Thanks!

With the McGowen barrel, use my African Sheep Rifle data:

88 grains of H4831SC for 400 grainers at 2200 fps: Good, safe load in any rifle ... It will be faster in tighter barrels.

81 grains of Varget for 400 grainers at 2425 fps.

83 grains of Varget for 380 grain North Forks at 2550 fps

87.6 grains of Varget for 340 grain North Forks at 2725 fps.

Above are 25" velocities (+/- 5 fps) at 70 degrees F.

Subtract about 20 to 25 fps per inch of barrel shortening.

Lothar Walther barrels are tighter and will use less powder or give higher velocities/pressures with same charge.
Saeed used Varget loads to get about 50 fps higher velocities than mine above, in a Lothar Walther barrel,
but he had Walterhog 400-grain bullets ...

Cut-rifled barrels of .424" groove diameter as made by Krieger will be loose.
1:10" twist McGowen barrels of .4235" groove diameter are loose compared to .4226" Lothar Walther barrels of 1:14" twist.

LW barrels may be better with the 4350s and 4831s, with 400-grainers, and compressed loads.
Looser barrels need Varget or RL-15 for top velocities and reasonable pressures, with no compression of powder.
Equivalent RL-15 loads will be about 1 grain less in charge than the Varget loads.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be ...
Where I started with the .404 Jeffery and a 24" McGowen stainless 1:10" twist barrel:

Norma brass
GM215M primer
400-grain Woodleigh Weldcore RNSP

Varget
72 grains>>> 2125 fps
75 grains>>> 2233 fps
77 grains>>> 2275 fps
79 grains>>> 2336 fps

Reloder 15
72 grains>>> 2120 fps
75 grains>>> 2227 fps
77 grains>>> 2290 fps
79 grains>>> 2360 fps

H4350
85 grains>>> 2276 fps
86 grains>>> 2304 fps
87 grains>>> 2329 fps

The case was about 99% full of H4350 at 87 grains, so I just decided to stop there, for the first spin with that powder.

With Varget, there is still some "shake room" in the case at 84 grains with my components. Saeed went to 86 grains with the Varget,
but he had the magic of Walterhogs.

Watch out for undersized Barnes TSX bullets in a loose barrel.
It happens.

Jim,

You may remember this old thread (see link below), with info from several of us. My loads are the best of course, since they pretty much fill the case (no wads necessary) but are not compressed loads either, so lessened risk of clumping. Chances are you will also be using a Kreiger barrel?

http://forums.accuratereloadin...881031921#8881031921


Wink

Rip and Wink,

Thanks!

William, it will be Kreiger barrel 23"-24" asked Ralf to see what balances best. He is getting pretty far along and hopefully I will see some more pics in the next week.

Hope all is going well with you and your family!

Best,

Jim

Can't help with the bullets you want but with Woodleigh 450 solids, Fed 215M, H-4350:

80 gr = 2123
81 gr = 2133
82 gr = 2168

I use 375 RUM cases for practice so these loads are fired in the Rem. 375RUM cases necked to accept 0.423" bullets.

Ruger No. 1, 24" bbl, all MV 15 ft from muzzle. Easy extraction, good accuracy, case capacity still left.