Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Tell Me About The 404 Jeffrey

Fantastic job on sealing and staining that checkering to your liking to DF, very nice.

Gunner

Thanks.


.

9.5 lbs should make for a sweet shooting 404.

Gunner,

You must really like those big boomers. I wonder how many .416 Rigby guns have been shot enough to wear out a throat...

Most used big guns have pristine barrels...

DF

LOL DF, I been training for Africa better than 30 years now. LOL

Lots of timed drills with near 416 Weatherby loaded ammo will do the job, IIRC is was a bit less than 800 rounds.

Gunner

Oh, and Yessir i do like the Big Bores, heck my light rifle before I joined up here at the fire, was a SG Winchester in 300 Win Mag, 10+ all up, and firing 200 gn Partitions at 3000 fps at everything, even WT deer

Gunner

You my kinda man...

DF

YEAH, it's all easy when your kinda Thick-Headed and all. LOL

Gunner

I believe the stock was from a run Win made for their psuedo-custom shop guns some time back. CDNN was selling them a bit ago as I picked one up for a potential project. Very nice stick of wood for sure. Seems I gave $100 for it. The only thing I do not like is the look of the single-sided crossbolt.

DF LOL, I was fondling that old 416 Rigby yesterday afternoon, which is now a rechambered/rerifled 505 Gibbs and noticed I had rubbed a goodly bit of bluing off the steel grip cap hanging on to that shoulder pounding beast over the years.

Saw that shiny steel and immediately thought of you. LOL

Gunner

Using the PacNor barrel contour chart and barrel weight calculator, I estimated a weight of the Stainless Classic factory barrel, which is 26" long, .590" at the muzzle and .795", six inches from the action, at 3# 3 oz. I know PacNor's contours are a bit heavier than most, but I used this as a best guess.

The #1450 Walther contour with .700" muzzle diameter and .875" at 7" is close to a PacNor #5. But, with the .423" bore, a lot of metal is gone and the weights are a bit light.

If I'm figuring right, weight of new barrel at 23" is 3# 7.8oz, at 24", 3# 9.4oz, at 25", 3# 10.4oz, at 26", 3# 11.8oz.

The gun, in your stock with 1.5-5x20 Leupy in Leupy high rings and bases, comes in at 9# 1.4oz. I'm shooting for 9# 8oz all up.

My numbers for overall wt. with 1.5-5x20 as mounted: 9# 1.8oz at 23", 9# 3.4oz at 24", 9# 4.4oz at 25", 9# 5.80z at 26". None are 9# 8oz. If I use a VX-6 1-6x24 instead of the 1.5-5x20, I add 4.9 oz, (14.6 oz vs. 9.7 oz.). With the VX-6 in Talley QD's, at 24", I'd be 9# 8.3 oz.

Looks like I may need a bit more barrel than my original 23" and a bigger scope to make it to target wt. Hopefully my numbers are a bit high on the factory take off barrel. If so, we're OK.

BTW, the VX-6 1-6x24 is a LOT more scope than the Vari-X III 1.5-5x20. Costs a bunch more, too...

Your thoughts.

Robert

Yessir, the V-6's are beautiful creatures, I dont know your height, but I am 6' 2 1/2" in my socks, I absolutely love 25" barrels on the heavier carry rifles.

In the case of your 404J it may very well be fired from shooting sticks in the wilds of the dark continent some day, either or, I love the way a bigger bore rifle planes for me on firing.

My 8-Bore has a 28" barrel and my 577 has 26" barrels, they are perfect in my regard, and I believe an extra 2"'s of barrel will make weight just fine without going overboard.

If ya remember pics of my little 6.5 Swede and 9.3X62 they each wear 25" barrels and couldn't be more perfect for me.

Gunner

The gun looks pretty good in your stock with the factory 26" tube. Maybe a 25" would be about right.

DF

Another shot, but not of the full barrel.




Edited to add weights.

All up with 25" tube, 1.5-5x20 Leupy, 9# 4.4oz. With VX-6 1-6x24, 9# 9.3oz. The VX-6 adds 4.9oz, 14.6oz vs. 9.7oz.

Yessir IMHO a 25" would be perfect.

Oh, and if that is in fact still "my stock" just leave it as is and go ahead and send it on back up here.

Gunner

The phrase, "your stock", is purely a study in poetic license...

But you knew that...

DF

I didn't think you would look to hard to find any humor in that ridiculous request.

Oh, and 9.5+ lbs would make a perfectly weighted 404J hunting rifle.

And if ya dont mind the Warne QD's may add an additional oz. or two over the Talleys.

Gunner

The Warne QD's are big and tough, but the Talley QD's are sleeker and nicer looking. I'm going to go with them on the 9.3x62, as that gun came in a few ounces over my 8.5# target wt. after adding the VX-6.

For the 404J, I'm getting SS Talley bases with 8-40 screws. I may get another VX-6 1-6x24 for that gun, as well. Lots of money for scopes, but what fine scopes they are. I'll keep the Vari X III 1.5-5x20 as back up for the 404J and the VX-3 2.5-8x36 as back up for the 9.3x62.

I'm going without iron sights at this time.

DF

Agreed on the Talley QD's, and keeping in mind when/if you DO decide to outfit the 404J with full quarter rib, barrel band sling swivel, and full ringed barrel front sight, weight will be easily made.

Also a more comfortable shooting rifle should you wanna twist the 400 grainers up on the heels of 2400fps.

Gunner

Here's the M-70 SS project gun with a VX-6 1-6x24 in Talley QD's and with SS Talley bases. I like the way the blue and SS mix, the SS bases and blue rings.

DF

You got her goin' your way now Bro, that looks really nice.

Tried to send ya a cell pic of that stainless bottom metal I got from ya, but it wouldnt go through.

It turned out very nice on my old walnut stainless cerakoted M-70 in 375 AI, that sombuck chunkin' those 270 gn TSX's @3100 aughta make a helluve Bull Hammer.

Thinkin' either Cape, Moose, or Elk.

Gunner