I spent the past 4+ months building a 404 Jeff. Shot it for the first time today. I am really happy with the results:

I used a Rem 700 in 300 RUM as a donor rifle. I pillar bedded the stock and added 14 oz of lead fore and aft ( 8 fore, 6 aft) to bring the weight to 9lb without the scope. Soldered on iron sights,

I chambered a Lothar Walthar barrel with a PTG reamer, and re-worked the chamber ramp slightly to improve feeding.

In spite of the fact that it is not CRF, it feeds all rounds smoothly.

Rather than open the bolt face, I trimmed 4 thou from my brass in the lathe. Nice positive lockup and extraction.

Since this is the first time I have shot anything bigger than my 300 WSM, recoil was attention getting.

I managed to put 6 rounds down range with open sights just to get a feel for it.

I shot 4 rounds, adjusted the sights, and then shot two more.

Last two rounds went throught the same hole.

Scope is a Leupold 1.5 - 5 in their new QR mounts.

Our rifle range was closed for repairs so I could only shoot at around 25 yards.

Wish I could figure out how to post photos...

As Mr Rogers was wont to say "It's a great day in the neighborhood..."

I have one built on a VZ-24, they are a lot of fun to shoot.

Simple question - not slamming your decision.

If you're trimming the rim diameter of each case (also assuming you are slightly deepening the extractor groove) to work with the existing factory bolt face - did you consider just using the RUM case upsized to .423 caliber since you're already dealing with a non-standard case? Or do you perhaps intend to have the bolt face opened to accommodate the Jeff's rim diameter at a future date?

quote:

Originally posted by capoward:
Simple question - not slamming your decision.

If you're trimming the rim diameter of each case (also assuming you are slightly deepening the extractor groove) to work with the existing factory bolt face - did you consider just using the RUM case upsized to .423 caliber since you're already dealing with a non-standard case? Or do you perhaps intend to have the bolt face opened to accommodate the Jeff's rim diameter at a future date?

When I purchased the donor rifle, I was not aware of the rim diamater issue. Spinning the brass on the lathe was faster than dialing in the bolt and doing it properly.

Once I have the rifle where I want it, I will open up the bolt face the 6-7 thou.

WHen I was building the rifle, replacement extractors and rivets were extremely hard to find. Now that I have a few lying around the shop, I will work on the bolt some time in the near future.

I have a.404 Jeffery and love the thing. I'm not recoil sensitive but I think it kicks pretty Damn hard. I also have a.458 Winchester mag and it kicks a little harder but not by much.
I'm actually impressed with the trajectory of the .404 and make use it for deer hunting this year just to say I killed something with it.

Cal30

velocity and bullet weight of the 404J and 416 Rigby are the same, so recoil should be about identical.

I will say that shooting it off of sticks or offhand is a lot more fun than from the bench...

Yep, whoever told me a 404 would recoil a little more than a 375 H&H was mistaken ....

But it's not bad, and it's fabulous caliber.

I'm glad others agree ,now I don't feel so bad.
I hang on tight when I shoot that bad boy.
Cal30

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
velocity and bullet weight of the 404J and 416 Rigby are the same, so recoil should be about identical.

I will say that shooting it off of sticks or offhand is a lot more fun than from the bench...

The Rigby uses more powder, so it will always kick a little harder.

I have been a 404 Jeff fan since 1950 when I purchased an original Mauser for $250 a big spend back then..It had the original 27 inch barrel and loaded with 95 grs. of old 4831, it killed deer with aplomb or like a bomb, it took the top of this kids head off each time I shot it..but youth handles such things and time healed and toughened me up to its recoil..

I have owned, traded for, purchased, or built who knows how many, and I have hunted most of the worlds dangerous game and Africas PG with one, and like Will Rogers I never met a 404 I didn't like! and that includes the various wildcats I built like the 404/375 Ruger, 10.75x68, and a couple of others..

I just had a 404 Jeffery built on a Win M70 375H&H action. Installed a Pac-Nor 25" Match grade stainless barrel with a 1/14 twist. Rifle is a tad lighter than I would like due to the synthetic stock but still shoots quite nice. Topped it with a Nikon Monarch 3 1-4x20mm w/German #4 reticle on Talley QR rings. Recoil is more of a push than crack on the shoulder. It still let's you know it's there but I've shot worse. I really like it. I also have a 416 Rigby which is stout on the recoil and a 450 Rigby which is just plain brutal!
Hopefully I'll get to Africa one day.

an excellent round - what levels are you loading this? as its a very mild round in terms of recoil when loaded to original spec - a "bolt action 450/400" --

if you ever decide to use rum cases, you will need to note this in your load data, as the rum cases MAY have a greater H20 capacity -


the original loadings of 400gr bullets was 2150, to match the 450/400 .. which these cases are VERY similar is several dimensions - it has been uploaded to 2400 for decades,though, in truth, 2300 is a better pressure fit - though kynock loads DOWN to ~2000fps...

so, if your loads are better than, lets just say 2200, you are firing top end 404 loads -- and you will be experiencing a sharper and larger recoil that utterly needed

The problem with the 450-400 is that it has 1000lbs less energy than the 375 H and H.I believe the 500-416 would be a 40 cal in the 375 energy level.

Energy doesn't kill. And the 400 gr bullet has greater SD and greater momentum and greater surface area. I think we can take solace in the fact many others with greater experience than you or I have found the 450-400 purely satisfactory hunting big game. For that matter, the 404J when loaded to 2150 is also beaten by the H&H on energy but that proven round hits harder than the 375. Or shall you tell us now that one is no damned good, too?

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
The problem with the 450-400 is that it has 1000lbs less energy than the 375 H and H.I believe the 500-416 would be a 40 cal in the 375 energy level.

you can believe what you like - the facts are what they are

Oh my god..............really........that's really .................cool.

My Oberndorf Type A Sporter 404 Jeffery has always been a fairly hard kicker, weighing in at 9lb with a 2x Leupold and one in the chamber and three in the magazine.
This is with early factory Kynoch at a claimed uprated 2225fps, Parker Hale (Norma) at 2245fps and my own reloads more or less duplicating factory MV (85grs IMR4831 and 400gr RWS FMJ).

An old 8mm movie of me (got onto video now) taking down a good Aussie buffalo bull shows the muzzle rising considerably and the recoil shoving my shoulder back quite dramatically. I was pretty wiry and light weight in those days.

I have since replaced the hard ventilated recoil pad with a softer red Pachmayr pad which is the small size ground down quite a bit to fit the stock. Obviously the small bearing surface of the pad transmits the recoil on a small area of the shoulder which doesn't help with felt recoil.

Congratulations on your new 404J. An excellent choice IMHO.

I had one made last year and used it on a Buffalo hunt with Andrew on Royal Kafue. I took it back again this year and just got home yesterday. Took another Buff with the same rifle.

My rifle weighs 8.5 lbs. and is a pleasure to shoot. I use open sights with an orange fiber optic front sight. I shoot Hornady factory ammo and some that Dakota loaded for me with 400 gr. SAFs, both brands at 2300 fps.

Good luck with your new rifle. I hope you get to use it some day on Buffalo in Africa.

Congratulations!