With the usual disclaimer about this being safe in my rifle and not yours, etc, etc... here are some chrono results:

BeLL brass
Fed 215 GM primer
H4350 powder
NF 380gr Soft Point
LW 25" bbl

82gr =
2328
2324
2333

84gr =
2366
2377
2384

Measured at 10-feet with Oehler 35P.

Thanks for that.

Yes, thanks. I'll check my old H4350 data in the 10" twist McGowen barrels (24" and 25") and see how velocity compares to the LW.

Nice Chris. If I remember correctly, when I fondled your baby at SCI she was fit and trim. How the recoil with those velocities?

As we spoke, I'm having good luck with RL15...but may look at 4350 in my 404.

Thanks for the hotel info...by the way.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

The recoil is nice to shoot at those velocities. I'm glad I didn't go any heavier with it.

You're welcome on the hotels - see you in Dallas.

You will have much better luck with IMR-4831. Start with about 90 grs. and work up..All of my .404s showed a max load to be 95 grs. and you will be shocked at the velocity with that max but safe load in a modern rifle. All mine have been good Mausers, CZ or pre 64 Win....I settled on 93 grs. at 2460 FPS....Try it, you'll like it.

RWS brass
Fed 215 primers
400 gr. woodleighs

One-Inch-Ray's loads with IMR-4831 in the .404 Jeffery have always puzzled a bunch of us.

He must have an unusual lot of IMR-4831 that packs denser than even H4831SC, and is slower burning than the usual IMR-4831, so about like H4831SC, for results like that in an LW barrel.

Even if he is using a 26" barrel, that does not explain everything.

I've just started playing w/ VV160 in my 404jeffery. It's showing great promise w/ several loads @ 1moa or just under. Right now, it's a toss up between IMR4831 & RL19 for best accuracy w/ 380gr-400gr bullets.
FWIW, I can't get anywhere close to 95gr of IMR4831 under a 400gr anything. Ray's got some special RWS brass or something.

Lothar Walther barrels seem to be tighter than McGowen or Krieger barrels.
Barrels I have heard of range from .4226" LW slugged by Mike Brady to .424" advertised by Krieger.

My barrel by old Harry McGowen slugged greater than .423" and less than .424" (dial calipers by gunsmith slugging).

H4350 is a nice intermediate powder in my barrels by McGowen. Middle of the road.

Using 400-grain Woodleighs and no drop tubes or powder compression allowed, just 95% to 100% load density, and a 24" barrel McGowen barrel:

Varget is the high velocity powder: +2400 fps
H4350 gives medium velocity: +2300
H4831SC gives low velocity loads with a full case: +2200 fps.

Of course the pressures will be increasing as velocity does too, but none of those loads above are excessive, quite reasonable in a McGowen or Krieger barrel.

For best accuraccy (95%to 100% load density) with good velocity in an LW barrel, I would shy away from Varget or RL-15, unless I was using fillers and striving for the classic 2125 fps with 400-grainer. If no fillers desired, stick to powders in the H4350 to H4831SC burn rate range with LW barrels. IMR-4831 is smack dab in the middle of that, but more temperature sensitive.

I have not tried IMR 4831, but did try H4831sc with the same components and averaged the following velocities.

82.0 | H4831sc | 2114
84.0 | H4831sc | 2167
86.0 | H4831sc | 2211

My velocities were about 200fps slower than Mike Brady's. Just goes to show you why you have to "work up" loads... even with the same powder, bullet, primer combinations.

Here are Mike's numbers.
82 grains = 2303fps
86 grains = 2414fps
90 grains = 2500fps

Good info from new_guy.

BTW, you forgot to mention Mike's barrel was 26" and yours is ... 25" or was that 24"?

Maybe Mike had an atypically tight Lothar Walther barrel and they are not all that way?

RIP - You are correct. My bbl is 25".

Thanks for the data, I only have H4831 loads so far. I'll try some of these.

New_guy,
If your rifle produces velocities like that with 380-grain North Forks, then you are ready for Varget. Start at 75 grains and work up stopping when you get over 2500 fps. Your rifle might require less powder than my happy top load:

83 grains of Varget Extreme gives my McGowen barrel about 2525 with the 380-grain North Fork SP and will kill large bovines like lightning.