The 400 H&H

[CZDiesel]

I do own a Dakota 400 H&H. I have enjoyed the rifle and the cartridge. By the numbers it lands between my 375H&H and 416REM, both in kinetic energy and felt recoil. In my experience the 416REM sends the bullet at about 2-300 fps faster than the 400H&H. It's a little difficult at times to find brass and bullets, but it has been a fun and very usable cartridge for me over the years.

That’s unfortunately not what I wanted to hear but I thank you for the feedback! I was hoping that it would be in the same class as the 416’s and be able to send a 400gr at 2300ftps…
Now I’m sure it gets the job done quite well at 2100 to 2200 but as you say it’s in between and not in the same class..
The Westley Richards head of sales for the US “LD”, who I met at this past DSC convention in his booth, gave a statement on it in an article written by a noted gun and hunting writer, this is that article.
Never the less I was hoping for better feedback on its performance

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Behind the Bullet: .400 H&H Magnum

The .400 H&H Magnum is the most popular of the more obscure Holland & Holland cartridge offerings, and for a number of good reasons.

www.americanhunter.org

 

[CoElkHunter]

275 H&H and 240 H&H as well

 

[CoElkHunter]

Don't forget the 465H&H.

Yes! He’d be the first in his neighborhood, here on AH, or almost anywhere else to actually have one. LOL

 

[spike.t]

No, completely different, it’s basically a 275H&H necked down to 257 cal. Slightly sharper shoulder, but still belted. They only made a couple of hundred of them
Gumpy

Bonhams : A very rare Holland-Woodward patent .256 falling-block rifle by Holland & Holland, no. 21873 Built for F.C. Selous

The action using H.W. Holland & T. Woodward patent no. 17,578 of 15 September 1894, the sides of the action-body with the makers name engraved in an oval surrounded by best bold foliate-scrollwork, the underside engraved with the patent number, virtually full hardening-colour, the bright...

www.bonhams.com

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

Bonhams : A very rare Holland-Woodward patent .256 falling-block rifle by Holland & Holland, no. 21873 Built for F.C. Selous

The action using H.W. Holland & T. Woodward patent no. 17,578 of 15 September 1894, the sides of the action-body with the makers name engraved in an oval surrounded by best bold foliate-scrollwork, the underside engraved with the patent number, virtually full hardening-colour, the bright...

www.bonhams.com

Thats the falling block rifle, my barrel is for a mauser action. I should get it bore scoped to see if it's been shot out
gumpy

 

[Northern Shooter]

Yes! He’d be the first in his neighborhood, here on AH, or almost anywhere else to actually have one. LOL

I’ve only ever seen them in actual H&H rifles costing $50k+

 

[MBaugh]

My chronographed load using IMR4064 gives me 2434, a standard deviation of 10 with a 5 shot group and very good accuracy from my 400. Results are very similar to my 416 REM using No Fork SS for both, accuracy is slightly better than the 416, recoil in my opinion is noticeably less. I like the long neck of the 400 as I don’t have to crimp. It feeds extremely smooth. I’ve not had any pressure sings with the 400 HH.

 

[zephyr]

For Africa I am shooting 400gr CEB Solids and 370gr Safari Raptors in my 400 H&H
I am comfortably loading the 400gr Solids at 2400fps for 5000ftlbs of energy and the 370's around 2450 ...

 

[CoElkHunter]

I’ve only ever seen them in actual H&H rifles costing $50k+

One COULD build a .465 H&H on a P14 action if you could find the reamers and dies for it? I guess the parent case is the .378 Weatherby, so cases would be available for reloaders.

 

[CZDiesel]

My chronographed load using IMR4064 gives me 2434, a standard deviation of 10 with a 5 shot group and very good accuracy from my 400. Results are very similar to my 416 REM using No Fork SS for both, accuracy is slightly better than the 416, recoil in my opinion is noticeably less. I like the long neck of the 400 as I don’t have to crimp. It feeds extremely smooth. I’ve not had any pressure sings with the 400 HH.

For Africa I am shooting 400gr CEB Solids and 370gr Safari Raptors in my 400 H&H
I am comfortably loading the 400gr Solids at 2400fps for 5000ftlbs of energy and the 370's around 2450 ...

This is what I was hoping to hear!

 

[steve white]

Holland & Holland is one of the major reasons British calibers were such a huge success in Africa compared to many anemic continental cartridges. They WORKED. THEY STILL DO. If the 400H&H was the first to fill the niche, it would already have the reputation the 404 Jeffrey has! If you want it, find a way to make it happen. (sadly, for me, that would be the custom route, not an actual H&H; no use pretending otherwise...)
That's a fine, knowledgeable review by MBaugh.

 

[CZDiesel]

Holland & Holland is one of the major reasons British calibers were such a huge success in Africa compared to many anemic continental cartridges. They WORKED. THEY STILL DO. If the 400H&H was the first to fill the niche, it would already have the reputation the 404 Jeffrey has! If you want it, find a way to make it happen. (sadly, for me, that would be the custom route, not an actual H&H; no use pretending otherwise...)
That's a fine, knowledgeable review by MBaugh.

I have a line on a Custom Pre-64 Winchester in 400 H&H for a good price…

 

[Troubleshooter]

Am I crazy for wanting one?

Is that one question or two?

I gave serious thought to having my .375 barrel bored out to .400 but ultimately decided not to, due to the wider availability of .375 ammunition and components.

 

[Nevada Mike]

The 400 H&H is in the same class as the 404 Jeff, If I didn't have the 404, I'd look at a 400 H&H. Brass may be a problem, though.

 

[CZDiesel]

The 400 H&H is in the same class as the 404 Jeff, If I didn't have the 404, I'd look at a 400 H&H. Brass may be a problem, though.

I called Hedershots and they have a bunch of correctly stamped 400 H&H brass and ammunition in stock
Now how long will that last?

 

[colorado]

There is nothing wrong with the cartridge, just no need for it and they could've done better. I just think it's a vanity cartridge, like buying an H&H baseball cap for $140 at their Mayfair store. If it didn't say H&H after it that cartridge would've been DOA in a day.

 

[Major Bonkers]

⬆︎ Very true.

From memory, Pierre van der Walt makes the same point in 'African Dangerous Game Cartridges'. One point - the only point? - in its favour is the ability to load it with .410" pistol bullets to make a cheaper plinking round: but that's like buying a Mercedes and worrying about its economy.

Bruun-Rasmussen auction house in Copenhagen had a Holland & Holland rifle for sale in .244 H&H this week: yours for 50,000 Danish Kroner (€6,800; £5,600; $7,300) + 20% commission and the usual aggro of shipping and bureaucracy. It did not sell, largely, I suspect, on account of its unorthodox calibre. A more realistic price would be around 30,000 DKK.

 

[Topshots]

400 H&H uses .411 bullets

I thought about the 400 H&H from the time I first heard about it, which was right after H&H announced it. I think Pac-Nor has a reamer for this cartridge, and makes a barrel of the correct bore. I have not been able to locate the dies.

First, the .411 bullet turned me off a little, since I simply prefer the .416. It makes little sense that there are so many slightly different diameters in the so-called 40 caliber, from .400 through .423.

Second, 5,000 ft lbs of energy is more than I think I can really use. I have a 375 H&H, which shoots pretty good for me. The 400 would make more sense for Africa.

The 400 H&H is a neat cartridge though, if you have the correct action for it. I think if I wanted to go with a 40 caliber, I would use the 416 Taylor. It's enough cartridge outside of Africa, and everything is readily available. For now, I choose to bypass the 40s and go with 458 caliber, specifically the 450 Marlin on a Ruger 77 MKII SS short action.

 

[colorado]

I went from a 375 H&H right to a 500 Jeffery no sense in messing around lol

 

[John P.]

400 H&H reamers and dies