I'm hoping this is a more or less straight forward answer, with a more or less known consensus.

2000 fps.

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
2000 fps.

Well, that's a very good number. It might make my decisions a lot easier, very soon.

I will be interested to hear what others have to say.

Personally I think I would be happy with a 400gr bullet at +-2150fps(this is basically what the original 404 Jeffery did).

No doubt you could kill everything with less.

My ideal 40 to 500cal MV Velocity starts at 2100 to 2300fps .

All this depends on the bullet of course????

And the Type of DG?

Michael

Well I am a speed freak! Speed creates cavitation which creates tissue damage which equals death. So i would want a 400 grain bullet going as fast as I could get it, I believe the lazzeroni I shot my last elephant with pushed a400 solid over 2500. I am leaving again for Zim in a week and I will be taking my 500 MDM, hunting zebra, wildebeest and sable. Loaded up 325 ceba at 2800 fps.
Faster is better, speed is used twice in the energy formula,

Assuming a 400 grain bullet is used, 2050 FPS would be the minimum in my opinion.

For over 100 years the 450-400 in the 3" and 3 1/4" versions has killed big dangerous game in Africa shooting a .408 to .411 diameter bullet that weighs 400 grains at a muzzle velocity of around 2050 FPS. Even though velocity was advertised at 2150 FPS it is likely many of these rifles especially with 24" barrels were regulated well under 2150 FPS.

While that velocity is not ideal (again in my opinion) it has worked for over a century.

I am tending to agree with the others. A 400gr at 2100 or a bit more should do just find.

It is a nice vel to shoot a 400 gr out of my taylor.

Not much recoil at all out of a 10lb rifle.

is it the concensus of the group advocating the 2150 fps range that this speed allows the bullets to perform adequately given the relatively high SD of a 400 grain 40 caliber bullet?

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
is it the concensus of the group advocating the 2150 fps range that this speed allows the bullets to perform adequately given the relatively high SD of a 400 grain 40 caliber bullet?

That's what it sounds like to me. And I think I can get that with a ruger 416 with a 20 inch barrel, which I am going to buy as soon as they come out with the new ones.

Truth be told, back in the day the 450/400 3" double rifle with the 55 gr Cordite Tropical load probably was only going around 1950fps or so out of the most common 24" barrels of the Jeffery doubles.

In all the old African hunting books I have read, there was never a bad word mentioned on the killing power of the 400 Jeffery 3". In fact any author that had anythig to say about it always had great things to report.

I have had excellent results with my 450/400 3 1/4" double using 400gr bullets at @2200fps, on game from wild pigs,to caribou, to black bear, to cape buff, lion and bull elephant.
Woodleigth Softs and Solids worked perfect.

I also recently saw a 404 Jeffery do excellent work on a couple of cape buff and I shot a few plains game with it as well using 400gr Barnes X bullets at @2200fps.

quote:

And I think I can get that with a ruger 416 with a 20 inch barrel, which I am going to buy as soon as they come out with the new ones.

And then some.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

And I think I can get that with a ruger 416 with a 20 inch barrel, which I am going to buy as soon as they come out with the new ones.

And then some.

Your 416Ruger should be able to do 2300-2400 fps with 400 grains. Lesser weights, faster of course. The little CEB 235 grain tipped non-con ought to be able to get 3000fps.

You will certainly be able to get more than 2100fps out of that Ruger if you want/need too!
It is a great rifle by the way.

then for heaven sake why do we need a 375 300 gr bullet doing 2500+?

just curious.

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
then for heaven sake why do we need a 375 300 gr bullet doing 2500+?

just curious.

Because we can.

I shoot 400gr bullets at 2300 I shoot 300grs at 2550 I shoot 350s at 2450.

I shoot 300gr cast out of my 416 at a 1000. very quite and mild.

[QUOTE
The little CEB 235 grain tipped non-con ought to be able to get 3000fps.[/QUOTE]

Dang, that should certainly be adequate for virginia whitetail.

Actually, what that would equal is range, provided the accuracy is there.
A couple years back a deer ended up on my property which somebody had shot off it's lower jaw. Under those conditions the only thing I care about is putting down the poor deer. That bullet at that speed would be a good choice if a wounded deer stopped on the far side of a swamp hundreds of yards away.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
[QUOTE]
Lesser weights, faster of course. The little CEB 235 grain tipped non-con ought to be able to get 3000fps.

I can't find that particular bullet. Got a link?

The old 450/400 had a good reputation on big game before the 375 pushed it aside.
I tested some original Kynoch 450/400 ammo from a 24 inch barrel and it was only giving a little over 1900fps at the muzzle.
I know Ross Seyfried also reported almost the same results when he tried the same.

Hornady only claims 2050 ft/sec for their 450/400 3" loading.

quote:

Originally posted by frank4570:
[QUOTE
The little CEB 235 grain tipped non-con ought to be able to get 3000fps.

Dang, that should certainly be adequate for virginia whitetail.

Actually, what that would equal is range, provided the accuracy is there.
A couple years back a deer ended up on my property which somebody had shot off it's lower jaw. Under those conditions the only thing I care about is putting down the poor deer. That bullet at that speed would be a good choice if a wounded deer stopped on the far side of a swamp hundreds of yards away.[/QUOTE]


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Second vote for the CEB 225 gr

PS beyond any doubt the most dangerous animal on earth is MAN so I want a light fast bullet