404 Jeffery

RockChucker

RockChucker

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Whitehorse, Yukon
I'm in the process of building a 404 Jeffery on a Remington 700 action. It should be completed and ready to hunt with by August.
Anyone out there with any first hand experience with the 404 Jeffery regarding performance and reloading.
Comments regarding the suitabilty of using a Remington 700 action would be appreciated, IE: feed issues, etc.:nest:
The rifle will be used for an all around big game use in North America and not for swatting Cape Buff and Elephants in the dark continent.

Thanks RC
 
The 404 requires a slightly larger bolt face.
If you want a 404 a simpler and more readily available option might be Ultra mag brass.
404 is the same as the 416 IMHO.

I have all the components to build a 416Ultra.....Just waiting for my 'smith to get back to work.
 
I have a 404 in a CZ 550 now that Hornady makes brass reloading is not that big an issue. Trade Ex carries Woodliedh bullets and you can pick up Barnes if you look around. As far as action anything that will handle a Ultra Mag will handle the 404 so the 700 action will do. I got my dies [CH Square D] from Buffalo Arms in Idaho I think they still can export dies but not brass. As far as shooting the 404. recoil is really controllable. Good luck on your build.
 
My 404 is built on a P14 Enfield and works very well.
So far I've used 300, 350 and 400 gr bullets with more than acceptable accuracy, but it does prefer the heavier ones.
Hornady brass and bullets are a good choice and Bertram has good quality brass also. I have also found A-Square brass at gun shows, but I'm not certain if it is still made by them.
Favorite powder in mine is RL15 with all bullet weights.
 
When I had mine it would hold ultra mag brass on the bolt face just fine as well as regular 404. If you start with a magnum 700 then it should be easy. If it has feed issues look at an HS precision detach clip as they are single stack. They should have one long enough. Mine was a Mauser 98 with a lot of work done to make it function. Yours should be easier.
 
I have found that the 404 Jeffery case fits the Remington mag face bolt just fine. Got bored last night and rebarreled the 300 win to 404 jeffery. Cases fireformed perfectly and it looks like it will feed without too many mods to the rails.
Just have to find a few bullets to tied me over till my Woodleigh order shows up.
Haven't decided on final barrel length 24" or perhaps 22". Pics to follow perhaps later this evening.
 
A-Square does make 404 brass, but it is expensive, it is of hit-and-miss quality and there are no distributors in Canada. You can use 300 and 338 Canadian Imperial Magnum brass - if you can find it.
 
not to steal the thread - but has ANYONE been able to get brass from A-Square?

I keep phoning them re 450 Ackley - just talk from them.... I need that damn proper stamp on the brass instead of reformed 416!

sorry - back to the 404 --- an excellent choice btw!
 
I bought some Hornady brass from Dale @ Chinchaga Bullet Company when I was in Burns Lake for their 1000yd shoot last may.
It seems to be of decent quality but test firing with the wick turned up will tell the tale.
 
"...a Remington 700 action..." It a long, magnum, action?
Pricey brass and ammo. Shooter's Choice in Waterloo, Ont., wants $117.95 per 20 for Bertram brass. There's data on Reloader's Nest. Hornady sells the 2 .423" 400 grain bullets they load in their ammo too.
"...all around big game use in North America..." No game in North America needs it. Nothing needs a magnum either though.
 
There is no such thing as overkill !!
We have Bison, big moose, elk and Grizzlys that are so common we kind of think of them as a varmint of sorts. Just my idea of big game!
Oh ya almost forgot, Hornady brass sells for $45 /20 not that bad at all.
 
My brother in the Yukon has used his 404 to take his last two Bison, both one shot kills using Woodleigh bullets.
He sent me a box of Swift bullets, bought I think from Corlanes and they are a nice looking bullet, more streamlined than most but I've yet to kill anything with them.
The Hornady bullets are much more blunt, but feed and shoot very well.
Hornady brass seems to be of very good quality and is much less costly than some other brands.
 
The 404 is an outstanding cartridge for big and heavy game. But the Model 700 is a thoroughly poor choice for dangerous game, regardless where it lives. The extractor is puny and suspect in quality and the ejector is likely to take a dump on you at the worst possible moment. Now were you building it on a M70 action or running a CZ I would applaud your choice, but there is no way I would take a M700 to a fight with a big animal. Mitigate the risks - use a CRF action.
 
SC that makes two of us!
Perhaps I should be condemned for my choice of actions but if its good enough for the military .............?
Perhaps its not the choice for the "Dark Continent Hunters" but it sure works fine for north american game! Must be the humidity or something.

Did a weight check without sights/ rings/bases and optics, just over 8 lbs. Maybe some lead in the butt to get it up to the 10lb mark.

RC
 
RockChucker

Excellent caliber..... It has no peer with respect to thumping nasty critters (or anything else you choose to point it at) yet still manageable for the operator.

My 404 likes enough Varget to get t to 2400fps with 400gr TSX or Rhino softs or solids, started with a Fed 215 primer. I like Norma brass but it is a bit more than Hornady and probably no better in construction.

If you need bullets to get you through send me a pm. I've got lots and some to spare.
 
Rockchucker....I believe the 700Rem action will work fine. My .404 is built on a Rem721, ex-.270Win. My smith did a fair bit of work to get it to feed properly but it works very slick and smoothly now. A Sako extractor was installed, works well. It holds only 2 rounds down but no plans for an African safari. Have fun....
 
Not that I prefer the Remington system - but I did hunt in Africa with 2 professional hunters that have shot more dangerous game than most can imagine. They both used Rem 700.

The one fellow with a 416 Rem Mag - the rifle was soooooo beat up. The sights were welded and / or epoxied on. The stock was broken and repaired several times. But - it was his favorite.

Although I prefer CRF - its not the be all and end all.
 
farshot said:
Not that I prefer the Remington system - but I did hunt in Africa with 2 professional hunters that have shot more dangerous game than most can imagine. They both used Rem 700.

The one fellow with a 416 Rem Mag - the rifle was soooooo beat up. The sights were welded and / or epoxied on. The stock was broken and repaired several times. But - it was his favorite.

Although I prefer CRF - its not the be all and end all.
Click to expand...

I'll let you know what I see the PHs carrying in Zim when I get back.

I've only heard of the failures with the M700, not seen them first hand. Then again, never seen an elephant either.
 
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