Needing a dangerous game rifle .404 or .375?

[matt85]

the 404J is just a DG Rifle plain and simple

The 404 is a dangerous game rifle.

i dont agree with this, the 404 Jeffery was originally designed as a short/medium range PG gun using a 300gr bullet. it fell into a similar class of cartridges as the 9.3x62. i use my 416 RM exclusively as a PG rifle with a 300gr Barnes TSX moving around 2650fps. this is a very effective PG cartridge to about 200 yards and has stopped every game its hit properly in short order.

now the problem with the 404 Jeffery these days is the odd bullet size. your bullet selection is terrible and few manufacturers make any thing but 400gr bullets. however it does look like Peregrine bullets offers some nice 320gr bullets for that 404 Jeffery which should work great on both PG and lion.

-Matt

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

My proposition is 404Jeffery.
Witold

 

[Ray B]

Actually, the bullet selection for the 404 isn't THAT bad. Woodleigh offers bonded core bullets in 350, 400 & 450 in addition to their solid. North Fork has soft point bullets as low as 340 gr, then there are the various non-lead bullets of weights down to near 300 gr. And if you want to put a little effort into it, bullets for the 44 Mag/444 Marlin, of which there are a ton, can be sized down from .429 & .427 down to .423" to fit the 404. So limited bullet selection isn't really an issue at this point.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

now the problem with the 404 Jeffery these days is the odd bullet size. your bullet selection is terrible and few manufacturers make any thing but 400gr bullets. however it does look like Peregrine bullets offers some nice 320gr bullets for that 404 Jeffery which should work great on both PG and lion.

-Matt

A couple more:

North Fork has .423 caliber bullets down to 340gr.
http://www.northforkbullets.com/magento/products/bullets/premium-bonded-core/?bweight=5

Cutting Edge Bullets has the 257gr Flat Base Raptor which is similar to the one I use in .458 and push at about 2900fps. They also have a 300gr bullet.
https://cuttingedgebullets.com/shop/cutting-edge-bullets/rifle-bullets?caliber=64

 

[Art Lambart II]

If you are only taking one rifle to Africa get a 375, if you plan on taking a PG and DG rifle go with the 404 J.

 

[Rob404]

i dont agree with this, the 404 Jeffery was originally designed as a short/medium range PG gun using a 300gr bullet. it fell into a similar class of cartridges as the 9.3x62. i use my 416 RM exclusively as a PG rifle with a 300gr Barnes TSX moving around 2650fps. this is a very effective PG cartridge to about 200 yards and has stopped every game its hit properly in short order.

now the problem with the 404 Jeffery these days is the odd bullet size. your bullet selection is terrible and few manufacturers make any thing but 400gr bullets. however it does look like Peregrine bullets offers some nice 320gr bullets for that 404 Jeffery which should work great on both PG and lion.

-Matt

For those of us who reload we are offered different options in both calibers more so in 375 than 404.In store bought rounds you'll find both calibers have their limitations at least here in the colonies.

 

[DWB]

@ Matt

The 404 Jeffery was the first DG bolt action on the market.

It was designed to have the same power as the 450/400 just as a lesser price than a double.

The 300gr pg bullet was just an add on in terms of versatility, not its design foundation.

In my mind, the first real all-rounder of the time.

If you read the OP's first post carefully I would gather his daughter was 10 a few years ago. So maybe she could handle it just fine now.

As far as bullet options. In sunny SA we have at least 8 or so local manufacturers and then the manufacturers from your side of the woods and all over can still be added on. More bullet choices than ever!

Have a good one!

 

[Ryanlo]

Thanks for all the replys guys. Gives me a lot of great info. She will be almost 15 years old when we go. We are taking two rifles. One for the pg and one for dangerous game. Hoping we have enough saved up where she can shoot a dangrous game animal.

 

[Rule 303]

Just my 2 cents worth. I would go with the 375H&H for this trip. I would then pick up a 404J for any further DG trips. The 404 recoil is quite a step up from the 375H&H. Your daughter might handle the recoil of the 404 fine but she may not too. If possible get to a range where you can try both. Now a word of caution. The rifles you try, if comfortable to shoot are the brands to get. Most people equate weight to taming felt recoil. I can tell you that is utter Bull Dust. It is a factor only. The shape and fit of the stock is far more important. example. My Rem 700 SPS at 8lbs with scope in 375H&H felt recoil is way less than the CZ550 in the same calibre weighing a good 2Lbs more. My CZ550 416 Rigby felt recoil is less now that I have a far better fitting after market stock and about a half lb lighter. Finding a 404J might be a bit problematic but they do come up.

Good luck with the hunt for the rifle and the actual hunt.

 

[DM Shooting]

My 2 DG rifles are a 404 Jeff and 375 H&H I love carrying the 404 but would prefer to carry and shoot the 375, it's an easier rifle to shoot well and would imho be a better choice for pg cats and a teenager.

 

[boldo 42]

If your on a budget , win 70 safari in 375h&h . Best out of the box dg rifle going.

 

[DWB]

My 2 DG rifles are a 404 Jeff and 375 H&H I love carrying the 404 but would prefer to carry and shoot the 375, it's an easier rifle to shoot well and would imho be a better choice for pg cats and a teenager.

Ok, so we can finally settle that the 404 is way more gun than the 375...

 

[Art Lambart II]

Ok, so we can finally settle that the 404 is way more gun than the 375...

Based on the responses in this thread you could say the .375 H&H is for teenagers and the .404 J is a mans gun.

 

[boldo 42]

Based on the responses in this thread you could say the .375 H&H is for teenagers and the .404 J is a mans gun.

Methinks Finn Aagaard may have had something to say about that.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Methinks Finn Aagaard may have had something to say about that.

I'm sure a lot of people will have something to say about it. If I was only allowed to hunt Africa with one caliber it would be the 375 H&H. If I can use something different for DG I would, for all of the 375's stellar attributes it's the building code of DG calibers, it's the minimum acceptable standard. It's a great minimum but it's still the minimum.

 

[boldo 42]

I'm sure a lot of people will have something to say about it. If I was only allowed to hunt Africa with one caliber it would be the 375 H&H. If I can use something different for DG I would, for all of the 375's stellar attributes it's the building code of DG calibers, it's the minimum acceptable standard. It's a great minimum but it's still the minimum.

True , if you were on a dedicated DG hunt you would be bringing something with a bit more horsepower.

 

[700xcr]

Have our first safari booked for 2019. My daughter and I will be hunting plains game and a lioness. I bought a ruger m77 in 375 ruger a couple years ago for a buffalo hunt in ozzy that did not work out. I bought it because of the muzzle brake so my daughter could shoot it. She was 10 at the time and shot it with no problem. Ended up selling it.

What was wrong with the 375 Ruger?

 

[DWB]

Based on the responses in this thread you could say the .375 H&H is for teenagers and the .404 J is a mans gun.

Well if we look at it that way then maybe it really is for school girls?

 

[Foxi]

Nothing is wrong on the 375 Ruger.Probably better than the old H+H,but when you are hunting often in Africa,the 375 H+H is a currency.

I would take a 375 H+H
I would keep my fingers off CZ (I have one),a few Dollars more and I would take
a Winchester 70 pre
and than I would be well dressed for everything in the middle and big tickets class.
Foxi

 

[petrusg]

Thats a hard one, if you really want the 404 buy it, its a great calibre! but if you are concerned about money then id go for the .375 H&H, you can shoot all of the big game in africa with the .375