Dennis Olson called and he has finished my 404 Jeffery which had MAJOR feeding problems. Problem is, it still does with flat nosed and extra long mono solids. He said he was able to get it to feed them as long as the bolt is not operated super fast. Unfortunately, when things go to s--t, super fast is how the bolt will be operated.

He said I can use Woodleighs and feed them as fast as I can work the action. Folks have been killing buffalo and elephant with similar bullets for over a hundred years, so why should't I?

All this has taught me a lesson about choosing the proper action AND magazine to start a project from.

I'd say take that rifle and go hunt something!

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
All this has taught me a lesson about choosing the proper action AND magazine to start a project from.

Exactly.
No matter how good the smith, he can't make a rifle out of a bicycle. At least not within any kind of budget!

GAHUNTER, I know what you mean by super fast bolt cycling and then all of sudden the feeding problems show up. If you haven't yet tried them, buy a box of the Barnes Triple Banded Solids. They have enough of an angle to feed in my 404, with a flat nose, and are the most accurate bullet out of my 404 that I have yet to try.

Thanks, Wink, I'll definitely try them.

I sent him (Dennis) dummy rounds loaded with 400-grain A-Square solids, which are the bullets that jammed on me last year in Zimbabwe when I worked the bolt to chamber a solid in place of my soft in a sticky situation with a heard of cow elephant. It jammed so hard that I had to use the side of my hand to hammer the bolt back to eject the round when the "emergency" was over. No way could I have cleared it and rechambered in time had the cows actually kept coming.

Thing is, I had chambered every round in my loading room several times before taking them to Africa. At "normal" speed, it would chamber about 98 out of 100 without jamming. I discarded the ones that failed, thinking (wrongly) that this would solve the problem.

I can promise you one thing: I'll never take a rifle on a dangerous game hunt again unless it chambers 1000 out of 1000 flawlessly at every angle and every speed! Single shots are for the birds when things go to s--t (which they usually do when I am involved. What can I say; it's a gift )