425 Express
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Was an interesting cartridge. The only one I have seen in the wild was a Savage. - dan
I build a rifle and made up a wild cat in a caliber very similar to chamber the rifle in.
Mines called the "43 express" and it is a 375h&h case family trimmed to 62mm and necked up to take a .446 bullet.
I believe its pretty similar to the 425 express
Mines called the "43 express" and it is a 375h&h case family trimmed to 62mm and necked up to take a .446 bullet.
I believe its pretty similar to the 425 express
Base brass is 300 Win Mag, if I recollect correctly. Opened up for 425 bullets (think 404 Jeffrey). The A Square manual has load data for it. 400 gr bullets at 2400 fps, the magic numbers for african big game. - dan
Had Andy Cannon make up two for me back in the 90's, ...... one went to a friend, now gone, and it went to Haynes Auction maybe 5 years ago.
Happy with mine and it's taken a bit of big game.
If you want the whole story on it and it's development, several pages on specs and history, drop me a pm with a mailing address, ........ it was intended to replace the .404 Jeffrey with a more common brass.
Happy with mine and it's taken a bit of big game.
If you want the whole story on it and it's development, several pages on specs and history, drop me a pm with a mailing address, ........ it was intended to replace the .404 Jeffrey with a more common brass.
An interesting cartridge, but the naming is odd. As mentioned it uses a .423 bullet, the same as a .404 Jeffery. It essentially reproduces the ballistics of the Jeffery in a shorter action (at higher pressures). Perhaps it should have been called the .404 express?
The name .425 express makes it sound like it should have the same bore diameter as the .425 Westley Richards (.435 bore), which isn’t the case.
The name .425 express makes it sound like it should have the same bore diameter as the .425 Westley Richards (.435 bore), which isn’t the case.
American made and sold, bigger is always better. I believe the number comes from groove diameter of the bore. - dan
Bigborebill
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I have that rifle now I believe
There was an interesting article about this cartridge, I believe in "Guns" magazine, probably about 40 years ago. I must have re-read it a dozen times, always wanted to build one, never did...sigh...
I do remember some mention in it about making brass up from .300WinMag, but that doing so resulted in a case length that was some small amount shorter than the specified length, maybe like 0.1 inch. It was still usable in a "standard" .425Express chamber (whatever that is...), but it was sort of like shooting .38Special out of a .357Mag chamber. Possible and safe, but not ideal.
I forget what the procedure was for making up proper length cases, but it was a bit more complicated than just necking up.
After all this time, I still kinda sorta want one of these, but I'm pretty much past the point where I will be able to use it as intended. Realistically, a .416RemMag would probably be much easier and just as effective...but it hasn't got such a cool name.
I do remember some mention in it about making brass up from .300WinMag, but that doing so resulted in a case length that was some small amount shorter than the specified length, maybe like 0.1 inch. It was still usable in a "standard" .425Express chamber (whatever that is...), but it was sort of like shooting .38Special out of a .357Mag chamber. Possible and safe, but not ideal.
I forget what the procedure was for making up proper length cases, but it was a bit more complicated than just necking up.
After all this time, I still kinda sorta want one of these, but I'm pretty much past the point where I will be able to use it as intended. Realistically, a .416RemMag would probably be much easier and just as effective...but it hasn't got such a cool name.
I thought it wa# 458 necked down…I read the same article back in the day !There was an interesting article about this cartridge, I believe in "Guns" magazine, probably about 40 years ago. I must have re-read it a dozen times, always wanted to build one, never did...sigh...
I do remember some mention in it about making brass up from .300WinMag, but that doing so resulted in a case length that was some small amount shorter than the specified length, maybe like 0.1 inch. It was still usable in a "standard" .425Express chamber (whatever that is...), but it was sort of like shooting .38Special out of a .357Mag chamber. Possible and safe, but not ideal.
I forget what the procedure was for making up proper length cases, but it was a bit more complicated than just necking up.
After all this time, I still kinda sorta want one of these, but I'm pretty much past the point where I will be able to use it as intended. Realistically, a .416RemMag would probably be much easier and just as effective...but it hasn't got such a cool name.
Been a long time, we might both be correct. I think they discussed several routes to getting that brass, I concentrated at the time on the .300 as it was the one parent case they discussed that I actually used and reloaded back then. The .458 case is even shorter than the .300, so I assume it would be less desirable as a source case? I completely forget which case they recommended as being ideal, but I think it was something that required several more steps to complete the transformation.
How are you cobbling together ammo for yours? Do you hunt with it?
Man, I wish I had moved on this during the previous millennium...
I haven’t been to africa ,so it isn’t used .Been a long time, we might both be correct. I think they discussed several routes to getting that brass, I concentrated at the time on the .300 as it was the one parent case they discussed that I actually used and reloaded back then. The .458 case is even shorter than the .300, so I assume it would be less desirable as a source case? I completely forget which case they recommended as being ideal, but I think it was something that required several more steps to complete the transformation.
How are you cobbling together ammo for yours? Do you hunt with it?
Man, I wish I had moved on this during the previous millennium...
I have brass dies and bullets.
It could even be downloaded a bit for Moose etc.
Mine is so heavy that recoil wouldn’t be the worst thing I have shot.
I have a win 70 safari in 375 h&h that I have shot which would work well at 300 yds and in for big stuff.
