Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 404 Jeff - Who still offering rifles?

What with CZ out of the picture best I can figure only Heym is offering that chambering.

Anyone know of any others?

Pud

Get a M-70 CRF in a RUM round and stick a Walther barrel on it. I did. Works great. Takes some action work. But not that big a deal for a good smith. About the least expensive way to go.

DF

I just saw this thread and and like many, have always heard what a great round the .404 Jeffrey is for African large and dangerous game. So, I looked up the 300 grain and 400 grain ballistics, and DANG, if it is not up close to my .405 WCF top 400 grain loads.!
A friend of mine has his 1895 .405 WCF 400 grain Woodleigh muzzle velocity up to 2157 fps and still being tweaked up to 2200 fps!

Who would have thunk it!??? An old "Made in the USA" 41 caliber rifle doing that well . :):):)
Eager now to try his loads in my Simson Suhl DR.

What I really wish is Ruger take another run at chambering the cartridge now that lessons have been learned and do some "buddy marketing" alongside their 400 Jeff #1. Yea, I know - it won't happen, but I'd luv to have one to go with my 400 Jeff #1.

I do agree Dirtfarmer - that's easily the least expensive way to go about it.

Pud

Not the cheapest route, but you asked who still makes the 404 Jeffery.

I had Dakota make me one on their Safari (not African) action. The rifle has a 23" barrel and weighs 8.5 lbs. It's a dream to carry, and I have taken two cape buffalo with it in Zambia.

I added crossbolts, 1/4 rib, and a hooded, banded front sight to their Safari model to get what I wanted in a DG rifle.

Old ballistics for the 404J, although they built the cartridges reputation. Today any good 404J rifle will achieve 2400 FPS with a 400 grain 0.423” bullet, solid or soft. Enough for anything up to and including elephant.

The 300 grain load in the 404J was never a good idea IMHO.

I took both of my Zambia Buffalo with 400 gr. SAF in my Dakota 404 Jeffery at 2,300 fps.

On my last safari in Zambia, I switched to 430 gr. NF at the same velocity, but never got a shot at a Buff. Maybe next time...

Visit with forum member Biebs as he is selling one on accuratereloading.com right now. Built by Wayne at AHR on a cz 550 magnum action. Nice looking. I want to build one on one of my LH Zastava Mauser guns.

AHR CZ hard to beat.

DF

I just put one up in the Classifieds. It's my elderly friend's. Never shot since Wayne finished it. He has one in 400 H&H as well.

Your old Buddy has some damn fine rifles for sale Biebs, the old chap had an eye for good taste in builds too.

Yes, he's worse than I ever was....well, almost :-)

I am in the process of finishing up a 404 Jeffery build on a Defiance Rebel CRF action with a 21.5" PacNor #5 in a Bansner Sheep Hunter stock.

Waiting ln Hawkins aluminum bottom metal and Wyatts 300PRC mag kit to arrive so I can assemble and sort out feeding.

Will finish around 6 3/4lb bare and should be a real bear thumper.

Scope and rings should add a pound or so. Still pretty light. A standing bench like Elmer used will be a lot more comfortable than a conventional bench.

Post pictures when you git it together. Sounds nice

DF

A few years ago, I picked up a used New Haven M-70 in 300 RUM for around $750 with scope, IIRC, a Nikon or similar.

I sold the stock, rings, bases, bottom metal, barrel and scope for enough to drop the action price to around $300. The Williams bottom metal, IIRC, was around $150. I bought a Walther barrel, as they were one of a few makers producing barrels in that caliber. I think it was around $300.

Add $450 for the smith to fit the barrel, modify the action, mount Talley SS bases with 8-40 screws, $600 for a D'Arcy Echols Legend stock. I got a NECG peep sight and windowed, fiberoptic front. I already had a Winchester New Haven fold down rear which I used because of the peep sight. It came off my .375 H&H which now has NECG irons. I'm guessing $150 or so for the NECG parts, including barrel band..

I fitted the barrel band, Steel Bedded the action, painted the stock with Brownell's Aluma Hyde, which is a very tough paint. Doing a good bit of the work myself, I'm guestimating $1,650 out of pocket for a top performing .404J that wouldn't have to take a back seat to many.

Look how well the bottom metal dropped in D'Arcy's inletting (I didn't touch it). Echols perfect. This stock is std. fill. McM, who makes D'Arcy's stocks, recommends mag fill. D'Arcy said std fill would work; he installed two cross pins and it's held just like he said. BTW, D'Arcy is very easy to work with, generous with his time and expertise.

It would be hard to have more gun for less money, IMO.

Last photo shows it with Victory scope in QD Talleys, next to my AHR CZ 9.3x62, a pair of serious thumpers.
The AHR would today cost around 4 times what I spent on the .404J, but for sure it isn't 4 times the rifle.

DF

LOL, Word!

Nice rifles DF, I just had a purpose built African stalking rifle built on a M-70 action in 400 H&H, with scope, leather sling, and 4 rounds on board it weighs 8.5lbs, 400gr A-Frames and BBW #13 solids at 2400 fps boot a bit, especially with the checkered skeleton butt, it's okay though, the rifle is wonderfully accurate and easy to carry, being that accurate also means it wont have to be fired so often ; ]

Carried much more than fired was the whole purpose of the build, it's a beauty too.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ican-hunting-rifle-in-404-jeffery#UNREAD

Here's the link.

DF

Pictures?

Get wifey to help, or send them to me and I'll post'em...

Bieb's bud has a 400 H&H. Would like to see that one, too.

Is it for sale?

DF

DF, Thanks, just took her to the airport this morning, she'll be home Wed evening, will have her fire some pics to your e-mail, I bet Biebs' buddys 400 H&H is or certainly will be for sale.

What's your comparison/opinions of the .416 Rem, .416 Rigby, .404J and .400 H&H?

DF

Getting an easy, and very accurate 400 grains at 2400 fps, you can go four down and pop the extractor over a 5th chambered round, but not necessary imo, splitting frog hairs yes, but .410/.411 diameter gives better sectional density numbers, and provides that velocity with only 75 grains of Varget, and, it'll likely be the only one in camp, just a bit different, like my little 400 Whelen.

I recall maybe 15 years ago many folks building 404 rifles on AR. Being guns are a hobby for many it was fun to watch. I settled on an early NH M70 416 Remington.

That's probably an even better buzz for the buck.

I do like the way yours is set up.

.416 Rem seems to be one of the most popular DG rounds from what I've heard, read and been told.

Good bud killed a 41" buff in Zim last year with his .416 Rigby in a Ruger RSM. PH carried a .416 Rem in an older push feed M-70. He liked the RSM, but said it was too heavy. I guess he figured on carrying his .416 Rem a lot more than shooting it. PH liked the 400 TSX, which is what took out the buff, one shot. He did run, but died. Bullet mushroomed, went thru approx 50" of buff.

Guess that PH didn't understand how "un-cool" his PF actually was... Probably not a Fire contributor, or he would have known..

.

DF

The Ruger is too heavy and hurts to shoot I bought a CZ and liked it better when shooting so I sold the Ruger. Ruger kicks hard despite the weight. I also have a Mauser 98 416 Rem that isnt heavy and us fun to shoot

Never warmed up to the 404 Jeffery, the cartridge is just flat ass ugly

You might consider a Ruger #1 in 450-400. I love mine and it's very accurate. I load it down and hunt deer with it. Just bought another one in 405 WCF. A friend re barreled one to this and is getting 2600 FPS (I've seen it on the chronograph) with a Barnes 300gr TSX bullet. He's taken a couple of moose and bison with it.

"Just bought another one in 405 WCF. A friend re barreled one to this and is getting 2600 FPS (I've seen it on the chronograph) with a Barnes 300gr TSX bullet. He's taken a couple of moose and bison with it."

The 1895 .405 has been loaded up to 2400 with 300 fps grain bullets . One .405 enthusiast has his 1895 .405 up to 2157 fps with 400 grain Woodleighs! That is definitely in the 450/400 Zone !

If I ever have the chance to hunt deer in an area that only allows a straight walled cartridge I'll be all set with the 405

The old ballistics were a 400 at about 2150. The "German Ballistics" are a 400 at 2375 to 2400, same as the 416 Rigby.


I have used both back in the 70s. The 2400 FPS load is just fine and works wonderfully, and I shot a lot more game with the RWS ammo then the old original Kynoch ammo. The old Kynoch ammo I used was probably made in the 30 or 40s. But the old stuff was just fine too.

The 404 was designed to emulate the 450/400 shell, and it did that very well. There is not a thing wrong with the load at 2150. I load my own ammo now at 2150 and it does all I would ever ask of it. I do not actually see the 2400 FPS load doing anything better. It will shoot flatter, but with the rifle I was using that made no difference at all. I never fired a shot with it past about 125 yards and by far most of my shots were at 15 to 35 yards. if I want to shoot 200 yards and farther I have a perfectly good 375H&H that will do all I ask of it. Any game that might make me think of stepping up from a 375H&H is NOT shot far away and it's NOT small.

The rifle I hunted with was made by Jeffery and I was told it was a sale made to Tanganyika back when that was still a country. It was said to have been made in the early 20s.
My 404 now is one I made in a style very similar. The old gun was a single square bridge and those actions are costly and hard to find, so I use a standard GEW size action. I used London Guns bottom metal made for a 375H&H which I opened up for the larger 404 cartridge. Because I am getting old I compromised with my nostalgic side and mounted a 2X scope. The old Jeffery only had the irons, but they were perfectly good for all I ever wanted to use that gun for. The one I made for myself has folding express sights at 100, 200 and 300, all zeroed with the 2150 FPS load. The 100 Yard blade also is spot on at 21 yards for the 1st intersection of it's trajectory, so for most shots it is about perfect for anything I would use I would ask of a 404.
Here is my rifle today (uncheckered at the time of the pic)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

Nice, Steve, as usual.

Interesting rifles, interesting story.

DF

DF, I like your 2-rifle battery of 404 Jeffery & 9.3x62.

I have two AHR 9.3x62s and a 9.3x66, all made by Wayne. Great rifles!

I have taken my Dakota Safari 404 Jeffery to Zambia three times now, and have used three different mediums to accompany it; 338WM, 35 Whelen & 375 H&H.

I believe the next time I go, I'll take one of those 9.3s...or my Dakota Classic Deluxe in 338-06.

In any case, the 404 is going!! She has open sights, and the mediums are all scoped.

I do believe you got it covered...

Post some photos if you have them.

DF

As a follow up to my previous post.....I got the Bansner stock pillar bedded and everything assembled this weekend. The feeding from the magazine is spot on, working the bolt both slow and fast.

In that stock/bottom metal combo, 2+1 is all that fits in the box. The only challenge left to sort out is that it is very firm trying to slip the extractor claw over the 3rd round.

Only loaded 10rds of 300gr CEB Raptors over 82gr RL17 to test function. Quickload shows approximately 2700fps though I've not yet chrono'd to verify. Recoil is healthy but easy to handle.

Overall, very happy thus far with the build.

Jake.

I hope you had a great season. I heard that sheep hunting sucked in the Talkeetnas. I wanted to share a funny story about your NULA 416 that you let go. It made its way to Fairbanks in the gunshow circuit and it ended up with a friend of mine. He sought to sight it in for hunting and it was dead nuts accurate. However, after shooting it about a dozen times he started developing heart palpitations. I think that he ended up selling it to a Texas Oilman at a gun show so it probably is headed to Africa. I guess the feller is a very large man and felt that it would work for him. Just thought you should know.

Sincerely,
Thomas

A walking-around weight 41-42 cal carbine.....good choice.