.404 Jeffrey - New Load Performance

[PENDLETON AMMUNITION]

New load development for the .404 Jeffrey is going well... we have been focused on the 400 Gr North Fork Semi Spitzer bullets to start.
The target shown from from today, shot out of a 22" barrel Heym rifle at a muzzle velocity of close to 2300 FPS. Tested equally as accurate out of a 25" barrel custom rifle at almost 2390 FPS... the extra barrel length definitely added velocity.

We are now pivoting to the 400 Gr Cutting Edge Safari Solid and we should have that ammo finished up shortly.

.404 JEFFREY SHOOTERS - what is your personal favorite bullets to send down range in your rifles while on safari?

 

[PerH]

I wish a 300 hp copper if NF would make a .404 in that would be a truly great bullet .

When I had a .404 , I had some of them ( Norwegian made copper ones ) they made the ballistic of .404 like a 180 .30-06 and much better than it was originally when it came .

 

[Hunting Hitman]

New load development for the .404 Jeffrey is going well... we have been focused on the 400 Gr North Fork Semi Spitzer bullets to start.
The target shown from from today, shot out of a 22" barrel Heym rifle at a muzzle velocity of close to 2300 FPS. Tested equally as accurate out of a 25" barrel custom rifle at almost 2390 FPS... the extra barrel length definitely added velocity.

We are now pivoting to the 400 Gr Cutting Edge Safari Solid and we should have that ammo finished up shortly.

.404 JEFFREY SHOOTERS - what is your personal favorite bullets to send down range in your rifles while on safari?

That’s excellent results for a DG caliber.
My preference are 400 grain North Fork SS and FTS.
400 grain CEB FTS
400 grain Swift A-Frame
They get the job done for sure.

HH

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

400 gr Swift A Frame

 

[Fatback]

400 grain Aframes
400 grain Northforks semispitzers
400 grain Barnes, flatnosed solids

 

[Jack Stevens]

New load development for the .404 Jeffrey is going well... we have been focused on the 400 Gr North Fork Semi Spitzer bullets to start.
The target shown from from today, shot out of a 22" barrel Heym rifle at a muzzle velocity of close to 2300 FPS. Tested equally as accurate out of a 25" barrel custom rifle at almost 2390 FPS... the extra barrel length definitely added velocity.

We are now pivoting to the 400 Gr Cutting Edge Safari Solid and we should have that ammo finished up shortly.

.404 JEFFREY SHOOTERS - what is your personal favorite bullets to send down range in your rifles while on safari?

Well, I experienced some really tight groups recently with 400grn Barnes banded solids over Varget @ 2100fps, which is right in the original .404 Jeff muzzle-velocity window (1975fps-2125fps). My rifle sports a 23” McGowen barrel and was built by Wayne at AHR.

Those velocities are what made the cartridge’s reputation as a DG killing-machine with the early 400grn bullets, softs and solids. The difference today is we can access premium DG bullets due to much better bullet technology than existed in William Jeffery’s time.

Never saw the need to turn a .404J into a 416 Rigby by pumping up the m.v. another 200-300fps. If you want to run it that hot, just get a Rigby.

 

[RR 314]

I like the 380 Nortfork softs at a mere 2200 fps. Then again, I am recoil sensitive.

 

[towserthemouser]

@PENDLETON AMMUNITION thank you for doing this.

I would be very interested in the NF 430gr bullets in the SS, CPS, and FPS configuration. I figure with a Sectional Density of .343 (vs. the .319 SD of the 400gr bullet), this would be Big Medicine for buffalo, elephant, and any DG. I hope with modern loads you can still hit close to the 2100-2150fps mark with the 430gr bullet.

I'm also interested in the idea of the NF 340gr bullets loaded to higher velocity for a flatter trajectory, to be used on PG.

 

[sgt_zim]

What I want to know is...where are you sourcing your brass?

I have 100 Bertrams and 30 or 40 Hornady. I'd like another 50 or 100. I've only shot Hornady DGX out of mine because that's all that was available at the time, and haven't taken it to Africa yet, but probably will in 2027.

 

[deewayne2003]

New load development for the .404 Jeffrey is going well... we have been focused on the 400 Gr North Fork Semi Spitzer bullets to start.
The target shown from from today, shot out of a 22" barrel Heym rifle at a muzzle velocity of close to 2300 FPS. Tested equally as accurate out of a 25" barrel custom rifle at almost 2390 FPS... the extra barrel length definitely added velocity.

We are now pivoting to the 400 Gr Cutting Edge Safari Solid and we should have that ammo finished up shortly.

.404 JEFFREY SHOOTERS - what is your personal favorite bullets to send down range in your rifles while on safari?

Still waiting on my .404J to be completed, but I’ve got Woodleigh 400 & 450gr Weldcores waiting.

 

[Flipper Dude]

I’m using the 400g TSX. Carrying the 400g Barnes banded solid, the old one with the flat meplat, but haven’t used it yet.

 

[Jack Stevens]

Still waiting on my .404J to be completed, but I’ve got Woodleigh 400 & 450gr Weldcores waiting.

I’m still waiting for Woodleigh to get back up and running from their fire so I can order two hundred of their 400grn .404 SPs.

Right now, at least in the U.S., Hawk bullets makes some useful .423 bullets.

 

[deewayne2003]

I’m still waiting for Woodleigh to get back up and running from their fire so I can order two hundred of their 400grn .404 SPs.

Right now, at least in the U.S., Hawk bullets makes some useful .423 bullets.

Their up and running and just churning out all the back orders for the most popular calibers in their domestic market such as the 9.3 which is incredibly popular for Sambar hunting in OZ.

They’ve been up and running long enough to have new USA sellers; site sponsor @RAVEN ROCKS PRECISION is just waiting on the import permit.

FYI the .423 Hydro Solid was never out of production and the .423 350gr weldcores are not to be underestimated; I shot 5 water Buffalo and a scrubber with them and only recovered 2 bullets.

 

[Jack Stevens]

Their up and running and just churning out all the back orders for the most popular calibers in their domestic market such as the 9.3 which is incredibly popular for Sambar hunting in OZ.

They’ve been up and running long enough to have new USA sellers; site sponsor @RAVEN ROCKS PRECISION is just waiting on the import permit.

FYI the .423 Hydro Solid was never out of production and the .423 350gr weldcores are not to be underestimated; I shot 5 water Buffalo and a scrubber with them and only recovered 2 bullets.

Great to hear and thanks for the update! I do hope RRP posts up what Woodleigh bullets they’re planning on stocking for purchase after their import permit is approved.

On the 350grn Weldcores, yeah I bought 5 boxes of those from Huntington’s back before they closed. They shot very well in my rifle.

 

[Tucketed]

I shoot 400g AFrames but need to work on a solid now

 

[spike.t]

Well, I experienced some really tight groups recently with 400grn Barnes banded solids over Varget @ 2100fps, which is right in the original .404 Jeff muzzle-velocity window (1975fps-2125fps). My rifle sports a 23” McGowen barrel and was built by Wayne at AHR.

Those velocities are what made the cartridge’s reputation as a DG killing-machine with the early 400grn bullets, softs and solids. The difference today is we can access premium DG bullets due to much better bullet technology than existed in William Jeffery’s time.

Never saw the need to turn a .404J into a 416 Rigby by pumping up the m.v. another 200-300fps. If you want to run it that hot, just get a Rigby.

Yeah my 404 at 2300 or so booted way worse than my 416 rigby in basically identical rifles...2100 or just above was nice....dont ask me why....