I've Applied For Membership Into the 404J Club

[Bonk]

Bonk, I think you made the right choice in keeping the 300 H&H AHR rifle as is and converting the Ruger. Have you decided which Gunsmith to use for the conversion work? Dennis Olsen's name has come up several times on this thread. Another smith that has successfully converted 375(s) to 404 Jeffrey is Randy Selby @ https://randyscustomrifles.com/therealgunsmith/
I have a Win Mod 70 that Randy converted to a 404. It feeds like a rifle ought to and holds sub MOA groups with Von Gruff's Accuracy Load.

I've been in contact with Randy Selby and he's going to do the conversion. I'm shipping him the rifle today or tomorrow.

 

[Shootist43]

I'm sure you will be happy you made that decision.

 

[Bonk]

I researched him and although I didn't find a ton of reviews outside of his website the ones I did find were all very favorable. Not one person has anything negative to say about his work. I also watched a handful of his Real Gunsmith videos and really enjoyed them. Both the purely technical ones and the opinion ones.

A few of what I assume are millennials don't care for his tell it like it is non PC honesty but I find it refreshing. His opinions are based on decades of experience and delivered in a straightforward manner without any F bombs or acrimony and I like that. Plus, I pretty much agree with him on most things. He's old school and so am I.

The fact you're happy with his work is very comforting considering I'm having the exact same thing done.

 

[Shootist43]

Bonk, hard to imagine isn't it, an "Old Fart" knowing what he's talking about. I sure hope he stays around for a while and continues working. Thanks for not being PC and freely admitting it. I think we just became "virtual" buddies!!

 

[Bonk]

I think we just became "virtual" buddies!!

 

[baxterb]

This project just popped in my head. @Bonk did you get this 404 sorted out??

 

[Bonk]

I shipped the RSM to Randy Selby about 3 months ago. He estimated a 9 month turnaround. I should get it back sometime in the fall.

 

[baxterb]

Copy!

 

[Rob404]

I,m in the process of having my M70 converted from 375 to 404. Its out for bluing right now.
I,m all set on bullets and brass( thanks to a member on this forum) finding reloading dies can be a problem, you could try e-bay

 

[Bonk]

I got my RSM back from Randy Selby. So far I'm pleased with the result. I had it rebored instead of replacing the barrel because I wanted to keep the integral quarter rib the the RSMs were built with. I haven't shot it yet because I want to give it a good cleaning first. I did check cycling and function. I cycled the bolt as fast as I could with a fully loaded rifle several times and it fed, extracted and ejected perfectly. He obviously did some work on the magazine box because the rifle now only holds three rounds where before I shipped it I could load 5 404J in the magazine. I'm fine with 3+1 for a DG rifle.

Cosmetically the rifle is almost exactly the same as when I shipped it. I say almost because I had Randy replace the OG Ruger thin/hard buttpad with a red/brown Pachmayr Decelerator. The LoP is about 1/4" longer but still under 14". That works fine for me. I can't find any nicks, scratches, blemishes or tooling marks anywhere on the metal or wood. Even the blueing on the recut crown looks as if it was original. Mr. Selby certainly knows how to take care of the rifles he works on.

Like I said, so far, I'm happy with the result. I'm holding off final judgement until I shoot it sometime in the next day or so. If it shoots and functions like it has so far I'll be a very satisfied customer.

 

[Rob404]

Welcome to the club

 

[Rob404]

I,m in the process of having my M70 converted from 375 to 404. Its out for bluing right now.
I,m all set on bullets and brass( thanks to a member on this forum) finding reloading dies can be a problem, you could try e-bay

Got my Jeff back a few weeks ago now I need some range time

 

[Bonk]

Here's a pic:

 

[Jack Stevens]

My 404 membership entry, courtesy of Wayne @ AHR … Link below has pics:

AHR DGR .404 Jeffrey Rifle

www.africahunting.com

 

[Rule404]

Welcome aboard the 404j experience. I recently gave my custom FN Mauser in 404 an excursion on Northern Territory Buff.
Using Woodleigh 400g RNSN loaded in Bertram Brass with 79g ADI 2209. and 400g Hydros with same powder charge. I Stalked in on two young Bulls. My first shot was at 80m. To my surprise he basically went down almost where he stood. As I gazed on admiring my handiwork, the local I was hunting with advised me to shoot the other bull as well. He had only moved away a further 15m. I duly took the shot and on this occasion the 2 to 3 year old travelled about another 20m before expiring. Neither animal required a finisher. Both were taken with the RNSN pills. It all seemed a bit surreal and anticlimactic. Two shots for two down. All the anxiety about loads,bullets and shot placement were gone.
Some pics of this rifle by Bob De Vries, Kudu Services are on here somewhere, but with the changes to the site, i am having trouble navigating it.
Time allowing in the future I will try and provide a more comprehensive report.. oh anyone that read previous posts when I was recovering from a shooting shoulder reco, which,subsequently failed, I barely felt the shots.
Cheers
Good hunting

 

[Jack Stevens]

Welcome aboard the 404j experience. I recently gave my custom FN Mauser in 404 an excursion on Northern Territory Buff.
Using Woodleigh 400g RNSN loaded in Bertram Brass with 79g ADI 2209. and 400g Hydros with same powder charge. I Stalked in on two young Bulls. My first shot was at 80m. To my surprise he basically went down almost where he stood. As I gazed on admiring my handiwork, the local I was hunting with advised me to shoot the other bull as well. He had only moved away a further 15m. I duly took the shot and on this occasion the 2 to 3 year old travelled about another 20m before expiring. Neither animal required a finisher. Both were taken with the RNSN pills. It all seemed a bit surreal and anticlimactic. Two shots for two down. All the anxiety about loads,bullets and shot placement were gone.
Some pics of this rifle by Bob De Vries, Kudu Services are on here somewhere, but with the changes to the site, i am having trouble navigating it.
Time allowing in the future I will try and provide a more comprehensive report.. oh anyone that read previous posts when I was recovering from a shooting shoulder reco, which,subsequently failed, I barely felt the shots.
Cheers
Good hunting

Good shooting! … Would definitely like to see pics of your 404 FN Mauser!

Post some up when you get a chance. Thanks.

 

[Shootist43]

Rule 404, congrats on your Buffs. I am surprised by the fact that you were surprised by the results. I wouldn't expect anything different from a 404 Jeffery in the hands of a shooter.

 

[krish]

Congratulations .
Krish

 

[Rule404]

Hi 404 guys..I have just looked at some old posts on the thread. The magazine and feed conundrum. Paul Mauser engineering equation on magazine measurement
( according to the post, not doubting) seems clear. So how do Mauser manage switch barrel rifles like the M03, where some of the cartridges in the same mag, must have slightly different dimensions?

 

[BeeMaa]

Hi 404 guys..I have just looked at some old posts on the thread. The magazine and feed conundrum. Paul Mauser engineering equation on magazine measurement
( according to the post, not doubting) seems clear. So how do Mauser manage switch barrel rifles like the M03, where some of the cartridges in the same mag, must have slightly different dimensions?

Mauser uses a detachable magazine that fits specific calibers, but some are grouped together because the dimensions are very close. Like the 7mmRM, 300WM and 338WM all use the same one.

Another way of doing it is to have an insert that goes into their receiver that would be changed out with the caliber. Again, some take the same insert. This is how Blaser does it.