Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa .404 Jeffery

I'm off after a buff in a few months with a bit of plains game chucked in too.

My question is if anyone can think of any cons to just using this cartridge on everything. I know I should get a .375, but just fancy sometghing a but bigger and thumpier for the buffalo...

Looks reasonably flat in the modern loadings?

Go! you'll be fine.

maddog

.404 Jeffery will be just fine..... you really don't need a 375 as well.

The Chadwick Ram was taken with a .404 Jeffrey. If it is a good sheep rifle, it is a good plains game rifle.

JW

Thanks chaps, rather as I thought!

You might want to work on two different loads that shoot to the same point of impact, as you don't want to use a heavy, maybe solid, bullet made for Buffalo on an Impala, or something really small.

Something else to remember, if you're going to Africa, or a lot of the European countries, those folks don't know what a wash cloth is, or use them, and you will also want to take your own soap. If going for 2 weeks, I'd take two bars of what YOU like. Most of the folks setting these hunts up say bring toiletries, but let it to you to decide what that is. I took shaving gear and toothpaste and a toothbrush,and shampoo, but not soap or a wash rag. There was soap "provided" but like you might get at a motel..also, and it doesn't take up much room or weight in your suit case, take a couple rolls of your toilet paper. While it wasn't really bad, no splinters or anything, toilet paper in some of these places can leave something to be desired too.. Also of course, take your own shampoo.. and stuff for sore muscles, etc. as you might not find it in stores over there.

If I were going back, I'd take somethink like a 308 or such along, as the 404 a bit big for the small stuff (an Impala small as a small white tail, etc). You can have too much gun, as the bullets won't open on the small stuff, and though it'll kill them, eventually, for deer sized animals, and even Kudu, a 308, etc., a far better choice. But, again, if you reload ad use an expanding bullet, will probably do okay.

BTW: The Chadwick ram was shot with a 404 Huffman magnum, not the Jeffrey.

I shot two blesbok with my .404 on a little culling episode for my PH, after everything was done and we were basically dinking around. I used 400 gr Woodleighs; both shots were around 125 yards and each one dropped instantly.

Seemed to work well...



I think it would be pretty easy to hunt everything with one rifle, but I'd have to knock about two pounds or so off my CZ 550 to carry it all the time.

Dennis

I have used the 404 Jefferys for years. It is a grand 40 caliber and all anyone would need on Safari..I have used it on all the plainsgame and DG except Leopard and Lion as best I recall. It is for the handloader and Nostalgia buff which I am guilty of on both counts, thus my extended use of the 404 over the years...

As to praticality, I prefer the .416 Rem as its easier to come by ammo and components in the worlds most isolated places, its cheaper to purchase a rifel and to reload..It is the balistic clone of the 404 from a practical stand point of the accepted 400 gr. 40 caliber bullet at 2400 FPS, and I believe those specs to be more than valid...

The 404 can however be handloaded about 250 FPS faster than a .416 Rem if that means anything..About all that showed me was a massive amount of recoil production and no improvement in killing effect on the big stuff..

I also would require certain things on a 404 such as a Mod. 20 mag. action of one of its clones as I personally belive it a better round in a big box as to feed and function. I would want a drop box in a 404, but not in a .416 Rem or Ruger. I would have to have all the bells and whistles on a 404 including a real nice chunk of Russian Circasian walnut..It would be worth a bundle...I can build a .416 full blown custom for at least $3500 less money..

I customized one CZ in a 404, but the action was just too bulky to satisfy me. Lot of folks liked it and I sold it..

Need to apologize. Just re-read the story of the Chadwick ram, and it says he was using a 404 Magnum, made by Frank Huffman of Cleveland. So, might have been a 404 Jeffrey..

What is the 404 Huffman Magnum?

See my note above. Huffman was the gunsmith, story just said 404. Might have been a 404 Jeffrey, just built by Huffman. Hunt was in 1936. Didn't specify in the story just what 404 it was. I just read the account of that hunt in the B&C book and all it says is it was a 404 caliber rifle of the Magnum Mauser type, so quite probably a 404 Jeffrey. Was using the 350gr bullet. Sheep actually finished with an 06, by the guide.

I think the Chadwick ram was taken with a 404 Jeffery and the rifle was made by Hoffman Arms. Hoffman Arms built rifles in the 1920-1930s and were consider by some to be best quality rifles. I have a Hoffman 375 H&H made on a Mag. Mauser action that is just a beautiful rifle....Hoffman rifles and shotguns are considered collectors items today...

I been wanting a 404 Jeffery for years and finally have one it the works. It is being built by Ralph Martini on a Standard Mag. Granite Mountain Arms action, etc...I should have it by August and then off to Tanzania to test it out....I am deciding if I should take a Browning Safari 458 win. mag. or 375 H&H as a back up rifle.

I'd thought Hoffman also, but story I was reading from said Frank Huffman of Cleveland. The B&C story, about 1 paragraph long just said it was a 404 magnum, on a Magnum Mauser action.

I just called a custom gun maker I know and he said Hoffman was in Cleveland, so the name in the book I read it in, might have been a typo. If Hoffman, was almost certainly the 404 Jeffrey.

JJS is correct....It was a 404 Jefferys caliber and a wonderful Cleveland Hoffman Arms Rifle. Hoffman also built guns in Lubbock Texas at one point..

Amarillo; at least according to this: http://hoffmanarms.com/HoffmanHistory.html

JJS,

I usually take two rifles to Africa, so I would do the .404 Jeff & .375 combination. Heck one time I took two .375 H&H rifles.

jim

Thanks very much chaps. Have to say most of the old hands over here are fairly supportive of the 'one rifle' notion, so I think it'll have just to be a mix of solids and softs, factory. By the way I came accross an ad over there for .404 loaded by Federal, anyone any experience wuith this one? Didnt realise they loaded it...

That is the beauty of the mediums, say .366 to .425, they are big enough for the Big Boys, and shoot flat enough for the rest of the shooting.

I have always planned on taking two 416's to Africa.

Shikar,

I think it was 2006 they introduced that, but I don't see it listed on their website now. I talked to Kynamco about .404 Jeff ammo several years ago and they reported a steady demand of 5,000 rounds a year for their ammo.

jim

The 404 is still loaded by Hornady, but IMO its a rather meek load duplicating the touted original load of about 2150 FPS, that btw was never all that popular in African society and on demand RWS or Kynoch as I recall uploaded it to 2300 FPS. and it became more popular... What made it popular was it was not a propriatary cartridge and some of the Game Depts such as Tanzania and others adopted it, and it became available in less expensive rifles and that made it popular..Tanzania still uses it to some degree. Many of the Game Scouts still have an old FN in a 404 and some even have a couple of loaded rounds for their gun....BTW, if you hunt with a 404 don't give the "poor ole game scout" some ammo for his gun! He will poach elephants with it if you do..The road to hell is paved with good intentions in other words...

Today in a good strong Mauser or M-70 for instance you can load 95 grs. of IMR-4831 and get 2653 FPS in a 27 inch barrel..I have used that load in Africa, but in all honesty 90 to 93 grs. at 2400 plus, depending on barrel length, and easy to get in a 24 inch barrel works as well and is much nicer on the recoil issue..