The Accurate Reloading Forums
404 Jeffrey loads
12 June 2008, 18:03
Ezra4570404 Jeffrey loads
I have purchased a Mauser Single Square Bridge in 404. It is comming with 100 RWS cases, and RCBS dies. I was wondering if you would share some of your favorite loads for 404. I have a good supply of RL 15 if that is a good powder. Thanks for you help!
12 June 2008, 19:30
gerrybi shoot the 404 a lot and use 80 gr of rl-15 this is safe in my cz and shoots less than 1 inch and kills like thor.
12 June 2008, 23:47
eurocentricThis is what Woodleigh Bullets sent me:
400 GRAIN 82 grs of H4350 for 2200 fps
450 GRAIN
Federal 215 primer
450gr SN bullet
87 grains ADI 2213SC / Hodgdon 4831SC for 2160 fps
87 grains Reloader 22 for 2125 fps
Or
CCI 250 primer
82 grains ADI 2209 / Hodgdon H4350 for 2160 fps.
For FMJ reduce your SN load by 3-4 grains, and then work up if necessary
350 GRAIN
Try 80 grains Hodgdon Varget or IMR4064 for about 2500 fps.
A conservative load is 80 grains IMR4350 or H4350, velocity not recorded.
Generally use magnum primers in 404
I have a CZ Safari Classic Rifle.
13 June 2008, 00:03
fredj338Depends on bullet wts. but I like RL19 & IMR4831 under 380-400gr bullets. For 300-350gr bullets, RL15, IMR4064 & VV150 work great. I use RP magnum primers.
My pet load is 83gr of IMR4831 or 84gr of RL19 under a 380grNF soft or 400gr Barnes banded solid. This give me 2250fps for the softs & 2150fps for the solids. Both shoot right at 1" for 3 @ 100yds. You can go hotter for sure, but they work perfectly as is.
LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT!
13 June 2008, 01:47
AtkinsonIn your good Mauser a load of 95 grs. of IMR-4831 under a 400 gr. bullet is max in most of my 404s, and it will give you a 10 shot average of 2653 FPS in a 26 inch barrel and 2575 plus in a 24 inch barrel. I had this load tested by Northfork Industries.
My go shoot buffalo load is 93 grs. of IMR-4831 and any 400 gr. bullet for a 10 shot average of 2462 FPS in a 26 inch barrel and enough recoil to satisfy the toughest of internets shooters!

.... I take out the high and low shots in the average btw....90 grs. gave me 2372 FPS.
79 grs. of RL-15, 400 gr. bullet, gave me 2474 FPS and 78 grs. matched it with a solid..
I tried a lot of powders but like the .270, IMR-4831 shined in all the 404s I have owned, more velocity, more accuracy and less pressure based on visual and reloading practices.
Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120
rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
67 grains of RL-15 plus a tuft of Dacron Polyfil will give you right at historical velocity 2135 with a 400 grain bullet. RL-15 is a very consistant in it's velocities, it's just position sensitive. Holding it against the Federal 215M primer will get the job done nicely. It does for me! You will find that the RL-15 has less felt recoil than the IMR-4831. Always use Mag primers with the 404 Jeffery loads!
Rusty
We Band of Brothers!
DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member
"I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends."
----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836
"I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841
"for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
13 June 2008, 07:51
fredj338quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
In your good Mauser a load of 95 grs. of IMR-4831 under a 400 gr. bullet is max in most of my 404s, and it will give you a 10 shot average of 2653 FPS in a 26 inch barrel and 2575 plus in a 24 inch barrel. I had this load tested by Northfork Industries.
My go shoot buffalo load is 93 grs. of IMR-4831 and any 400 gr. bullet for a 10 shot average of 2462 FPS in a 26 inch barrel and enough recoil to satisfy the toughest of internets shooters!

.... I take out the high and low shots in the average btw....90 grs. gave me 2372 FPS.
79 grs. of RL-15, 400 gr. bullet, gave me 2474 FPS and 78 grs. matched it with a solid.
FWIW, Ray uses RWS brass I believe, but you can barely get 93gr of IMR4831, w/ a drop tube, in current Norma or Bell brass w/ 0.575" left for a very long 400gr bullet to seat w/ a slightly compressed charge. Ray has been at this 404j loading longer than I so I, as always, will defer to him.

84gr of IMR4831 gives me an honest 2250fps from my 23" bbl. & it hammers game w/ decent recoil. At 2400fps+, it starts to not be fun to shoot for me.

LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT!
83 gr of H4350 gives me right at 2290-2300 for both 400 gr A frames and 400 gr Woodleigh solids in my 24" Heym. VERY accurate load and recoil is easy on the shoulder....but my Heym is right at 11#. This is the load/bullet combo going to Zambia with me in August.
Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC
Wish mine weighted 11# when I'm shooting the heavy stuff off the bench!

The nice thing about the 404 Jeffery is you can load it down or up. Load up a variety of bullets from 300 to 400 grains and it will get the job done.
The more I shoot mine the more I like it!
Rusty
We Band of Brothers!
DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member
"I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends."
----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836
"I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841
"for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
14 June 2008, 18:30
jeffeossoFirst,
define what a 404 jeffery IS .. 400gr at 2150fps .. when you start loading them past that, you are now loading a higher pressure version wildcat
2400 FPS is crazy talk.. oh, i am certain you can get there, but thats crazy.. if one wanted a 416 rigby, one should get one
Anybody tried any good loads with VihtaVuori powders they want to pass along?
_________________________________
AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim.
15 June 2008, 00:06
fredj338quote:
Originally posted by Wink:
Anybody tried any good loads with VihtaVuori powders they want to pass along?
Hey Wink, I though had given you these before, but:
82.5gr of VV160, 380grNF, RP 9 1/2m in Norma brass is good for 2240fps & nice round 1"-1 1/4" groups. You can sub the 400gr woodleigh for about 2175fps w/ sim. accuracy.
83gr of VV150, 350gr Woodleigh, RP 9 1/2m in Norma cases is good for 2450fps & sub 1" groups. Substitute the 340grNF (if you are lucky to find them) & the vel. goes to 2560fps but doesn;t quite break 1" @ 100.
LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT!
15 June 2008, 00:54
cable68quote:
Originally posted by fredj338:
Depends on bullet wts. but I like RL19 & IMR4831 under 380-400gr bullets. For 300-350gr bullets, RL15, IMR4064 & VV150 work great. I use RP magnum primers.
My pet load is 83gr of IMR4831 or 84gr of RL19 under a 380grNF soft or 400gr Barnes banded solid. This give me 2250fps for the softs & 2150fps for the solids. Both shoot right at 1" for 3 @ 100yds. You can go hotter for sure, but they work perfectly as is.
I'm actually on my way out to test out 83gr IMR4831 400gr SAF loads this afternoon.
Caleb