.

I am sure you will hear from the experts that this 400 grainer at 2075 fps is fine, especially since you are deadly accurate and very comfortable with it. So was Pop.

It will be especially good if you move on to North Fork 380 grainers at about 2175 fps. I'll bet that will solve the accuracy problems.
Soft, Flat Point, and Cup Point will all be comfortable at about 100 fps faster than the old fogey round nose solids. The Woodleigh Weldcore soft would still be a great bullet at that velocity (400 grains at 2075 fps). But nothing beats a North Fork inside of 200 yards.

It will be like a 450/400 NE, and even Mark Sullivan has carried a double rifle so chambered, with which to let the buffalo choose.

Congrats on the heirloom.

The rifle is still capalble of doing what it has done those many years ago.

Load up what you have been shooting and return that rifle to Africa where it belongs! It will know what to do. Just put the bullets on target.

ManCannon,

That velocity is very much in the ballpark and would probably represent the original 404 Kynoch load. I think they bumped it up to just under 2200 fps in later years.

I use 80.0gr of AR2209 which is your H4350 powder since that is made here in Australia, with Norma cases, WLR primer & 400 gr Woodleigh. From my 24 inch barrel I get 2185fps & sub MOA groups-3 shots.

Now RIP drives his loads much faster - more in Rigby territory & plus. But that is too much for my wimpy ex army surplus 1909 Argentine & nice custom wood stock.

Its OK I'll let RIP be the big boy in the yard!!!

Unfortunately we can't get the North Forks here. I mean even Barnes are scarce as hens teeth. Even if available they'd probably be $2+ a bullet. But if I was in USA like you I'd jump at the North Forks. No need for a soft & solid. How good would that be! 1 load for everything.

The only thing that may not be great is regulating to your open sights but I'm sure you could get there experimenting with diff loads & powders.

Regards
JohnT

Have you confirmed that the bore on this rifle is .423" ????

2075 FPS works on Buffalo. I have used the mild loads you like on Buffalo with some old factory ammo...but I really like to get my .404 up around 2350 to 2400, it just works much better there....make no mistake about that.

You have a fine old rifle capaple of modern loads.. I would try IMR-4831 as it fills the case and gets lots of velocity but not at the price of pressure...Try about 90 grs. and work up..Try Northfork, GS Customs, and Woodleigh bullets, the inaccuracy is probably from the bullet or the wrong powder, thats usually the case.

I have shot and used the .404 for a decade or so, and envy that wonderfull old gun of yours, wish it was mine...I had one years ago and hunted about everything with it, but alas sold it, a mistake I assure you.

If its an original Obendorf Mauser Commercial model, it will have a .423 bore...

You didn't say what powder/bullet combo you are using, but I have had good luck from 2000fps to 2250fps w/ just about everything I've run through the bbl. Imr4831 works fine, so does H4350, RL19 (my favorite) & RL15. RIP has a ton of data, he's the current best source here. I really like the 380grNF too, just a great bullet. I couldn't get his cup point to feed 100% so I use a Branes 400gr mono. You will be fine @ 2100fps or so.

My 404 (modern) is finicky about what it shoots.

I have had good luck with Hawk bullets (400 and 350 grain), but you need to start at the lower end of powder charges and work up if you use them.

One thing I could never get to shoot well was the Barnes X bullet, and I heard the same thing from a number of people shooting them.

By the way, something you might want to experiment with (as I did) is using a spray-on moly coating on your solids (the one I use is baked on in an oven). This has nothing to do with accuracy....it's just to reduce friction and wear on the barrel.

Garrett

fredj338,
You are too kind. Actually Saeed is the one with tons of reloading data. He said he was going to post it all on the reloading page, but it has slipped by undone. Princes get too busy sometimes. When he adds it to the current data, that will vastly expand the .404 Jeffery section. Hint, hint.

You are probably right RIP, but I just call it like I see it. I would like to see that data, especially w/ some pressure data. I haven't shot mine since last Nov., time to break it out & play. No 340grNF so I'll have to work up data w/ 350gr Woodleighs. I'm thinking H4350???

quote:

The rifle is still capalble of doing what it has done those many years ago.

Load up what you have been shooting and return that rifle to Africa where it belongs! It will know what to do. Just put the bullets on target.

I like that.

I would love to see a pic of your new .404 !!

ManCannon,

Please post some pics of your rifle for us? Sounds like an old classic and I'd love to see it.

What a dad!!! Gives you a classic and you have the opportunity to use it for its' intended purpose. Hope you post the picture.

The following text, which appeared some time ago on this forum, sits framed on my desk.

If there was ever a reason to romance a caliber or a rifle this would be it.

Jeffery 404

With acknowledgement to Rege Podraza ( Where Elephants go to die )

“It rested between the ivory
That hung on grandpa’s wall
It’s finish checked and yellowed
Like the tusks it helped to fall

It’s barrel smooth and polished
From a hundred bearers hands
It reflected the light warmly
Like campfires flickering bands

The stock of English walnut
Chewed and clawed a bit
It still showed a trace of checkering
And a dent where a horn had hit

Stamped on the barrel lightly
Was a name and not much more
A single word “Jefferyâ€
“Jeffery 404â€

If that rifle could only talk
And take us back again
With grandpa in Africa
A time of buffalo, elephant and men


But that day has set it’s sun
And the rifle speaks no more
Oh what I’d give for one last time
To hear that baby roar

Grandpa's “Jefferyâ€
His “Jeffery 404â€