Having killed, what, 1000 elephants and countless other game, he had a better handle on what worked and when to take those shots than the blow hard keyboard warrior that kills a deer or two per year. Mag. In its Nitro loading, a 400grain jacketed bullet was launched at 2150fps. Theres little doubt that the Barnes TSX would be a superior bullet by quite a margin! From there, you've got the various powerful .416s, which use .416-inch bullets as their designation suggests. The .458 Lott, a wildcat that nicely improved on .458 Win. The 400-grain .416-inch bullet has a sectional density of 0.330, and that plays a big part in the penetration for which it is so famous. So, while both of these cartridges have a rather impeccable reputation, which one makes a better choice for the dangerous game hunter? In my hunting world Ive discovered that larger-diameter, well-constructed bullets work better. Theres no word on pressure but I suspect its right up there with any modern rifle cartridge designed for Africas grumpiest! The classic recipe is a 300-grain slug at 2,550 feet per second (fps), generating just over 4,000 ft.-lbs. Midway USA This one is a sleeper. I absolutely love this cartridge; its sloping shoulder allows the cartridges to feed as smooth as silk, and the versatility of the loads will let it purr like a kitten or roar like a lion. Nonetheless, many visiting sportsmen and Professional Hunters use the .458 Winchester with good effect. I took a huge-bodied Zimbabwe bull elephant with my .404 Jeffery, giving complete penetration and exiting on two body shots. Initial loadings were mild, duplicating .450/.400 ballistics in a bolt-action. The "Safari Classics" were built in the CZ custom shop here in the States with upgraded Classic style stocks with cheekpiece and they used McGowen barrels. of energy. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Federal and Ruger helped make the cartridge and rifle available, when both announced that ammunition from Federal would feed the new Ruger Safari Magnum, chambered in .416 Rigby in 1989. Heym offers the rifle in different variants and all variants can be ordered as left-hand version. K.E. Based solely on my internal ballistics computer program, the .416 Remington does show somewhat better results from a 400gr when the psi is the same both from 26 tubes. Jack Lott, a veteran African hunter, had experienced those issues I outlined regarding the .458 Winchester MagnumIve heard the story of how he was nearly killedand decided to fix the issue. My own favorite handloads drive the 400-grain bullets at 2280 fps, mainly because thats where I found the best accuracy; my Heym Express .404 Jeffery will put three shots into 0.75-inch at 100 yards. The huge case was designed to give positive extraction to matter how hot the temperatures got (cordite, the common propellant in 1911, was extremely temperature sensitive), and the 400-grain soft points and solids, pushed at 2,400 fps, made for a great combination, and it still does today. The overall length is about 114 cm. Maybe thats giving too much credit I dunno. Being a rimmed case, it doesnt translate well to a bolt-action gun, but in a single-shot or double its a true classic. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. Using a rimless case of similar design, but changing the bullet diameter from .411" to .423", the .404 Jeffery was born. Winchester The .458 Win. .577 Nitro Express compared to a .22 CB. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." Mag. The 375 and 416 Ruger outperform their H&H based counterparts, and do so in standard action sizes, which makes them much more useful/wieldable for the average big/dangerous game hunter. The Firearms Industry is 2/3 B.S. And then there are those who feel that anything smaller than the .500 Jeffery or .500 Nitro Express is a waste of time, because no smaller cartridge could possibly stop a charge. When an African Professional Hunter tells you a .375 H&H is all you need, he means it; itll take any game animal on earth. I feel it was too light by 2 lbs and kicked like mule. The Jeffery case could be crammed into a .375-length action. The design used a severely rebated rim in order to use the standard .473-inch bolt face of the 98 Mauser, as well as the stripper clips to facilitate fast reloading. Before we get too deep into other details, keep in mind (from previous blogs) our system of scoring: There are 10 criteria with a value of 10 points each that makes a possible 100. When a client shows up in camp with a .375 Holland & Holland, you immediately know that you have a practical and able chap as a customer, a wise and knowledgeable hunter who will listen to reason. Same ranges and targets as used in 1874. 1 single-shot, with ammunition produced by Hornady. With all due respect to the classics, I think there are better cartridges out there now that are more suitable and will outperform most of those listed. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. That affinity might also include the 9.3s (.366), except I find little motiveso farto select one over .358 or .375. I dont. Remington changed the design slightly, using their 8mm Remington Magnum case as a basis, and in 1988 released the .416 Remington Magnum. Capacity: 5 round internal magazine Fire Modes: Single shot (bolt action) The Brno ZKK-600 can be seen in the following: Film. Mag. I am considering a a build for a 404 jeffery and am having a devil of a time getting a definitive answer as to what actions would be ready-candidate for conversion to a 404. Conclusion: All the cartridges tested are similar in many ways, yet each is unique. If the placement is not right with either neither will the result be. With the A-Frame, all these rounds have an MPBR between 200 and 240 yards, which places them in the same trajectory envelop as the .30-30, .308, and .30-06. Adding at least 5% to the performance of the 375 H&H, which most professional African hunters consider to be the absolute minimum for dangerous game, is a significant enough enhancement to warrant replacing the venerable old 375 H&H on the list; likewise the 416 Ruger ought to replace the 416 Rem Mag and 416 Rigby for similar reasons. at the muzzle. vs. 3,732 ft-lb), the heavier bullet weight of the .450-400 gives it an advantage in the field. And since the .404 Jeff is a longer bottle-neck case, it burns a larger dose of slower burning power to achieve about 76% of the ballistics of my .458 Win Mag! Some are more than a century old; some came about in my lifetime. 375 Wby Mag; 375 Win; 376 Steyr; 378 Wby Mag; 38-55 WCF; 40-60 Win; 40-65 Win; 404 Jeffery; 405 Win; 408 CheyTac; 416 Barrett; 416 Rem Mag; 416 Rigby; 416 Ruger; 416 Taylor; 416 Wby Mag; 44-40 WCF; 444 Marlin; 45-60 Win; 45-70 Gov; 45-75 Win; 45-90; 450 Bushmaster; 450 Marlin; 450 Nitro Express; 450 Rigby; 450-400 Nitro Express; 457 WW Mag; 458 . The big Gibbs case will need 130 to 145 grains of powder to push those huge bullets, and it pushes the big 570- and 600-grain slugs to 2,100 fps, for just under 5,900 ft.-lbs. . The .338 Winchester Magnum is one of the most popular magnum cartridges for large American game. Magazine 4 round AICS pattern magazine Barrel Matchgrade hunting barrel with muzzle threat M15x1 Caliber . Comparing these two bullet diameters is like comparing big truck engines : the saying " There's nothing like cubic inches " comes to mind. Actual bullet diameter was .423-inch, already established in Europe as the 10.75mm. My wife shoots one, in a Legendary Arms Works Big Five rifle, and she shoots it very well. As a handloader, I like the premium 400-grain bulletslike the Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized solidsat around 2,275 fps. It's an ancient round that was designed by W.J. Any member who have these two caliber bullet`s expanded version pictures available ? Jeffery had great success with their .450/400 Nitro Express cartridges, and needed a cartridge of similar performance that would work well in a bolt-action rifle. Ive a longtime attraction to .358 and .375, though they arent true Big Bores. But I'm not sure you could see that depending on the bullet you're using. Then it faded into oblivion. The .404 Jeffery, an African workhorse that makes a great choice for dangerous game The .458s Now, we're getting into the realm of the true stopping rifles. Bullet weights range from 325 grains up to 450 grains, with the heavier weights being best for dangerous game work. I like fast cars and big guns But how fast and big is enough to not only satisfy but give pleasure in using them is the question that can only be answered by the individual concerned. So I'm wondering if these cartridges would give similar results- at least on animals with hides of lesser thickness. In the Norma PH line of ammunition, which uses heavier-than-normal bullet weights, both the Rigby and the Jeffery drive a 450-grain Woodleigh softpoint or FMJ to the same muzzle velocity of 2150 fps. John Rigby & Co. released their proprietary big game cartridge in 1911, and it gained much favor among those who used it extensively. Maybe even more important the moderate velocity makes the . The rifle has a weight of about 4.3kg and a standard barrel length of 61 cm. Hornady has introduced a couple of loads for it while Barnes and Woodleigh have produced several bullets in addition to Hornady of course. Get a closer look at the Davidson's Weatherby Vanguard Cipher, the latest addition to our #SundayGunday series. Apr 11, 2012. Mag. It was a particular favorite of Theodore Roosevelt, who dubbed it his medicine gun for lions. Use any of the high weight retaining bullets we have available now and I'd guess you'd not see measurable difference. of energy. With .360 Buckhammer rolling out nationwide, Henry is bringing its first rifles chambered for the new caliber to market with the Henry Steel Lever Action in .360 Buckhammerand theHenry Lever Action X Model in .360 Buckhammer. I dont think the modern Jeffery loadthe 400-grain bullet at 2350 fpsgives up much to the Rigby, though the higher sectional density of the Rigby bullet might influence a choice, but the greater frontal diameter.423-inch v. .416-inchmight offset that concept. The premium 300-grainers and the Woodleigh 350-grain bullets in the Norma African PH line of ammo will get the job done. Starting with the elder of the two, the .404 Jeffery came onto the scene in either 1906 or 1907 (this date has been the topic of debate, but my friend Phil Shoemaker has a certified 1907 .404 Jeffery rifle), and was designed to be a rimless variant of the .450/400 Nitro Express, also known as the .400 Jeffery. And a 550gr for the .458WM is obtainable from the same source. . spectrum of usefulness=1 (due to very limited bullets & rifles). That 500gr load IS actual from my CZ at SAAMI COL. 6,5 - 284 Norma. All have the desired length for a proper dangerous-game cartridge. Ive settled on a score of 60 as minimum for any rifle-cartridge combo to be included in my locker, or even on my wish list! So also, the 550gr in .458 was an educated guess until I ran the ballisticswhich confirmed it. Comparing those numbers with my personal .458 Win Mag, the .458 has a distinct advantage. Yes, the .45s have more weight and a greater frontal diameter, but the energy figures between the lower .40s and the .45s arent radically different: They both have roughly 1,000 more ft-lb at the muzzle than do the .375s. Mine looks like 4.4 on my non digital calipers. Brands include Hornady, Lapua, Nosler, Remington, Silver State Armory, Nammo, Prvi Partizan, Winchester and mixed range fired.. Powder Valley is your Reloading Superstore.. We are the largest provider of all brands of reloading brass because we offer great service and wholesale prices. The beauty of the .450/400 NE is that it has the mildest recoil of all the valid dangerous game cartridgesmany shooters find the .450/400 even easier to shoot than the .375 H&H. So which are the best dangerous game cartridges of all time? And my rifle cartridges, like myself, have become older & slower!marvquillen@aol.com. Made for African DG and plains game, it worked pushing a 300gr in the neighborhood of 2600 fps and a Kynoch solid of 400grs at somewhere around 2100 and change (about the same as my Marlin in .45-70, except that that bullet was very strong and capable for anything up to and including elephant!). Am I just jealous? The casebeing cut downdidnt have the capacity to get those big bullets moving at the advertised speed. Of the .416s, Id say the Weatherby is the least popular, although as with many of its other cartridges, its fans are fervent. Nostalgia? There are good, modern loads available from Hornady, using the DGX and DGS bullets, and plenty of good brass for the handloader. There are those who find the lighter cartridgesthe 9.3mms and .375sto be the pinnacle of versatility, because they offer trajectories similar to some of the popular deer cartridges, such as the .308 and .30-06, yet carry enough horsepower to handle even the largest game. The 2300 fps for the 450gr in .423 is realistic (according to my computer program). This formulawell, actually a 400-grain 416 bullet at 2400 fpswould go on to become an undeniable classic, with the .416 Hoffman and .416 Remington Magnum replicating the recipe, albeit at a higher pressure. The 410-grain .425 Westley Richards bulletthe largesthas an SD of .310. Yes, the .404 is a gentleman of the old school and welcome in discerning company. One reason is the history of the cartridge - not rational I know. Compatible with HK MP5 models and variants, Zenith/MKE Z5-series models, as well as Dakota Tactical, POF, and Omega models chambered in 9mm. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. A RUGER NO 1 rifle is currently worth an average price of $1,519. With a slight shoulder of 8-30, the Jeffery case feeds like it was greased, and was an undeniable blend of striking power and low recoil. It may lack the cachet of the Jeff in the minds of the .1%, but for the rest of us who own and use the .458 Winchester, the .404 Jeffery has a LOT of catching up to do. I prefer the 404J. By the way, an asidepushed from the same case, with the same powder charge, a larger diameter bullet of the same weight will always yield more velocity. The example was made in terms of different bullet weights and comparing the 458WM to the 404 Jeff. While its paper ballistics indicate that the .375 H&H 300-grain load has more energy (4,263 ft-lb. It may not display this or other websites correctly. We've got you covered..243 Winchester vs. 6mm Creedmoor.300 PRC vs. .300 Win. The 404 being .423" would have an edge on sectional density while the .458" would have slightly more frontal area. -Velo Dog, Or you could just shoot a 45ogr (Woodleigh) in the 404 at around 2150-2200fps. As you know by now, if youve been following these blogs, my own .458 Winchester is also a CZ 550 Magnum, not made in the USA but in the Czech Republic. Stopping power is no myth when deep penetration and immediate CNS kills are needed; in those instances when tables turn and prey becomes predator and hemorrhaging and blood loss are not enough. To date, we've had a short overview of the following big-bore cartridges, and the machinery that fires them, in comparison to my favorite Big Bore, the .458 Winchester Magnum: .404 Jeffery; .416 Rigby; .500 NE; .458 Lott; .416 Weatherby Magnum; .505 Gibbs; .460 Weatherby Magnum and, last week, the .470 NE. I think the .458 would be best served with a premium 465- or 480-grain bullet to give a bit of room in the case. So we ARE comparing two brands of apples here sort of. The classic cartridgesthose that made their reputations before World War II during the golden age of the safariall used a bullet with a sectional density greater than 0.300. Dead heat here. Here is a pair of classic African cartridges, both fully capable of taking any and all game on earth, one having been the workhorse of the African game departments and the other has attained unparalleled glory through the writings of an American on his first safari. Experiences? Measuring the diameters of expansion maybe able to provide more insight to this discussion? Want to pursue the heavyweights? Good article but maybe a little to focused on older classic rounds. DoubleTap has offered factory ammo for it in the past, but it remains a handloaded proposition. over enough, then enjoy the small company of those who will rarely grant the happy opportunity for another to boast because they need all the attention they can buy in a super sport car or .500 Jeffery! It's a bigger piston, therefore more energy gets transferred to the projectile (not to mention that the twist rate is generally less, a not insignificant distinction as better than 25% of the energy released via combustion is consumed in bringing the bullet up to rotational speedthis is why ultra-velocity projects, wherein one is trying to attain the greatest projectile velocity possible, always involve non-rifled boressome of these get surprisingly close to the gas velocity, which is on the order of 7,000 fpswhich is why muzzle brakes can be so effective (F=ma -> consumed powder in the form of a gas escaping the muzzle at around 7,000 fps)). Like everyone, WDM Bell was a product of his times and to hunt the dangerous big game of Africa with such light caliber rifles would be illegal today. Its also easier to get an extra cartridge in the magazine with the narrower Jeffery case than with the big Rigby case. Instead of simply maintaining the .410-inch diameter bullet of the .450/400, the .404 Jeffery utilized a .423-inch diameter bullet of 400 grains, at the same muzzle velocity of 2150 fps, generating 4,100 ft.-lbs. Of course, I am 65 and weigh 280 lbs, but my 58 160 son in law can shoot a box of those rounds in that gun just as well with no ill effects. I normally use solids but have used softs and both do the job well. Do yourself a favor get hold of a .423 bullet and a .458 bullet hold them in your hands ..you will really see a big difference between these two bullets..the .458" is really a lot bigger than the .423" no comparison at allthe 404 Jeffery is made for a 400 gn bullet at 2150 f/s it is deadly as isbut if you are not sure of your competency with such a load/rifle,,you can go heavier I suppose? .458 Win Mag rounds (introduced in the 1950s and based off the .375 H&H) compared to a cigarette. Photo Gallery I have a .458 Lott and 404 Jeff , I would rather download the jeff than the 458 Lott or WM . It shares the same case length as the .375 H&H and fits perfectly in a magnum-length action. 44 Magnum 45-70 45-90 45 Long Colt 45-.120 Basic.450 Marlin.450 Nitro.450 Nitro 3 1/4.458 Win. Modern hunters have forgotten how to stalk their prey. Mag. when I hold it right. Mag. .30-06 Springfield vs. .270 Winchester6.5 Creedmoor vs. 7mm-08 Remington8x57 Mauser vs. .318 Westley Richards.358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum.22-250 Remington vs. .220 Swift.270 Winchester vs. .270 WSM.26 Nosler vs. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum.458 Win. It seems getting hold of the 404 Jeffery `s .423 " expanded soft nose bullet and a .458" expanded soft nose bullet may share some light on this discussion? Then there are a few European firms that traditionally loaded ammo for the nasties of Africa. Rifle Recoil Table. Modern bullets have made this .40-caliber even better. Giant Killers: .45-Caliber Rifle Cartridges, https://www.garrettcartridges.com/penetration.html, https://www.garrettcartridges.com/modern4570.html. But, if you want to put an exclamation point at the end of the hunting sentence, the .505 Gibbs will do just that. Includes 2.5 packets of ammunition if picked up. for 4,020 ft.-lbs. This combination has accounted for elephant, buffalo and all sorts of plains game animals at ranges from 16 to 225 yards. They provide adequate velocity, reasonable trajectories, and great killing power for their intended classes of game. In the beginning it was plagued with some manufacturing gremlins that resulted in some cases shipping from the factory with too little powder. Ruger added the .416 Ruger in 2009, and that venerable old wildcat, the .416 Taylor, was standardized in 2011. It reaches 3,250 fps with a 180-grain bullet and a 26-inch barrel. One of the most popular match calibers, the 6,5mm bullet has excellent aerodynamic properties and good sectional density which give it good ballistic potential. In addition to all that, rifles for the .458 WM are not hard to come by. Vel. [2] The cartridge is standardized by the C.I.P. Heres the crop of the lower .40-caliber cartridges, including their strengths and weaknesses. The 404 Jeffery sired the majority of Nosler's cartridge line, namely the 30 Nosler, 26 Nosler, and 33 Nosler as well as other cartridges like the 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum (7mm RUM). The granddaddy of bolt-action big-game calibers is the .458 Win. First off, any 29 year old regaurdless of what he does does not have enough experience in anything to be running his mouth about anyone. Want to use it on elk, moose or plains game? As well, I have a couple of boxes of 600-grainers (Barnes Original) in .458. Among the diverse selection of Nitro Express cartridges that came along to replace the .450 NEthe .475 NE, the .475 No. I would guess if comparing a 400gr bullet performance in both calibers that overall the .404J would perform better due to the better sectional density. Perhaps it would be great for some PHs who specialize in elephants, but for the rest of us who live in our more restricted real worlds, it would be another excess in hubris that typically ends in frustration and letdown. CZ makes a fine rifle, and Montana Rifle Company makes their DGR with a nice big muzzle brake that actually makes it quite comfortable to shoot. It remains a popular choice to this day, with factory ammunition readily available, and many great double rifles being produced annually in this caliber. Its as simple as that! And then there's the .404 Jeffery, a superb dangerous-game round. 400 grain: 2250 fps/4496 ft-lbs, SD .272 (Federal TBBC) 500 grain: 2090 fps/4849 ft-lbs, SD .341 (Federal TBBC) (L-R): .458 Win Mag, .458 Lott, .460 Weatherby Gnanapragasam Creative Commons .470 Nitro Express Description: SAKO Safari A IV .338 Win Mag. The .404 Jeffery was designed to duplicate .450/.400 ballistics in a bolt-action rifle. Bell also stalked in close for those ideal shots through the ear and into the brain with those small bore rifles, when game is relatively calm, not charging and shots are up close and certain. >223 caliber in Ruger #3?.. Thats one in 1000! Thats 92 ft-lbs of equal and opposite reaction from an 11-pound firearm! Actually, all of my uncles have passed on (if not, that would make them fit for entry somewhere in Ripleys at ages of 110 to about 115! / .38-72 / .405 Win / .375 Ruger / .400 Nitro Exp./ .404 Jeffery. Save my name and email to use for future comments. And since the .404 Jeff is a longer bottle-neck case, it burns a larger dose of slower burning power to achieve about 76% of the ballistics of my .458 Win Mag!