This month's Sports Afield has an interesting article about the .404 Jeff. Basically, they say it knocks the .416 Rigby into a cocked hat and that the .416 is only famous because Selby carried it when guiding Ruark. What are y'all's thoughts about the two cartridges?

Well, that is pretty much BS. I hunt w/a 404jeffery & love it, but the original 400gr loadings were pretty vanilla @ 2200fps. The Rigby would push 2400fps. Yo ucan certainly handload the 404 to equal a 416Rigby, but then again you can handload the 416rigby to 416wby vel. levels. Botha re good carts. The 404jeffer will more easily fit into a std. magnum length action. The Rigby needs a magnum Mauser action for best results. Both shoot a 400gr bullet, both can easily be driven @ 2400fps+, I'm not seeign any superiority.

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Both shoot a 400gr bullet, both can easily be driven @ 2400fps+, I'm not seeign any superiority.

I have both and concur with fredj338.

.423-.416 = .007....there's your difference.

Not much....both are great rounds....and CLASSICS!!!

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

All of the "Sweet 400s" have a great reputation for penetration. Just my opine here. . .They shoot a nice long 400 grain 40+ caliber bullet that is the key to their success.

The 416 Rigby, 416 Rem Mag, and the 500/416 NE are walking/talking, living proof! What you trade off for the performance is recoil. Felt recoil is a very personal thing, so to each his own!

The 404 Jeffery was designed to get the job done at moderate velocities and pressures. As I have stated before if you want a round that can kick your ass as well as thump what your are shooting at, the 404 Jeffery can sate that need! Just load it up!

As for me, well, ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you that I'm the kinda guy who romances rifles and rounds! I have a double that is chambered in 400 Jeffery, so it was only natural to want a 404 Jeffery bolt rifle. I haven't been disappointed!

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Originally posted by Jim in Texas:
This month's Sports Afield has an interesting article about the .404 Jeff. Basically, they say it knocks the .416 Rigby into a cocked hat and that the .416 is only famous because Selby carried it when guiding Ruark. What are y'all's thoughts about the two cartridges?

The premise is correct. Rigby built 72 .416 Rigbys total prior to 1972. It was neither common nor popular in Africa prior to 1990. If it wasn't for Ruark and Selby it would be on par with the 11.2x72 Schuyler in popularity.

Ballistically the 416 is superior but so what? Has anybody ever said the 404 wasn't good enough? I mean, anybody that actual had any credibility?

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This month's Sports Afield has an interesting article about the .404 Jeff. Basically, they say it knocks the .416 Rigby into a cocked hat and that the .416 is only famous because Selby carried it when guiding Ruark. What are y'all's thoughts about the two cartridges?

I have not seen the article, but in terms of number of game killed the 404 is way ahead. The 404 was standard issue for several game departments and because of this fact it was used on a bunch of game.

Gator points out what everyone seems to point out; Rigby built very few 416 back in the day. I don't think this is a good measure of the number of 416s in use. Selby's 416 was not built by Rigby and neither were many others including Jack O'Connor's. 416 were not common, but they were not THAT rare.

I believe Boddington noted in Safari Rifles that the 404 did gain a reputation of failures. If you look at how they were used; game dept. issue rifles, well used but not always well cared for, old ammo that was not always well cared for, game rangers who were not always well skilled, etc. and multiply that by the number of incidents, it is easy to see why they may have gained a poor reputation.

A 404 matches a 416 in today's loadings, and it does it in a trimmer rifle. They are both great.

Jason

I'm re-reading Safari Rifles right now and just finished the chapter Jason referred to. Boddington qualified his statement much the same as Jason suggested. With so many used, in so many places, for so long, there were bound to be failures. Boddington spoke to our SCI/Woods and Waters Club meeting just a few days ago. In response to the question "which for buffalo: .375, .404j or .416" his immediate reply was simply "Yes."

I prefer the .416 Rigby. Better SD, great case design and gets the magic 2400 fps at low operating pressure. For references check Pondoro Taylor's African Rifles and Cartridges.

The 404 Jeffry is an ugly cartridge with a neck as long as Audry Hepburns, on the other hand the 416 is a beautifull sexy cartridge much like a beautifull woman

Make mine a 416 Rigby

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Originally posted by jwp475:
The 404 Jeffry is an ugly cartridge with a neck as long as Audry Hepburns, on the other hand the 416 is a beautifull sexy cartridge much like a beautifull woman

Make mine a 416 Rigby

Aw come on! TH e416rigby is about as "Sexy" as Rosie O! Big ole, pear shaped case. You ever see any early pics of Katie Hepburn?

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Originally posted by Buliwyf:
I prefer the .416 Rigby. Better SD, great case design and gets the magic 2400 fps at low operating pressure. For references check Pondoro Taylor's African Rifles and Cartridges.

The SDs are so close it matters little, much like the 0.007" larger frontal area of the 404j. BTW, who said 2400fps was "magic"? I doubt any animal, solidly hit w/ a 400gr bullet @ 2400fps or 2250fps can tell the diff.

Giraffe

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Originally posted by fredj338:

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Originally posted by jwp475:
The 404 Jeffry is an ugly cartridge with a neck as long as Audry Hepburns, on the other hand the 416 is a beautifull sexy cartridge much like a beautifull woman

Make mine a 416 Rigby

Aw come on! TH e416rigby is about as "Sexy" as Rosie O! Big ole, pear shaped case. You ever see any early pics of Katie Hepburn?

She was a fine looking woman if you don't mind a Giraffe lenght neck.

Pear shaped? A Rigby?

Yep, if a cart. could be pear shaped, it's a 416 Rigby. Hey, long necks are sexy, elegant, pear shapes are NOT.