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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game

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Gundog01
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Reged: 16/05/15
Posts: 291
Loc: Ohio usa
.404 Jeffery for plains Game?
      #319127 - 17/08/18 10:21 PM

Gentlemen,

In the beginning stages of planning a trip to Africa most likely for next year, If I were to bring just one rifle, would a .404 Jeffery be a good one at 200yrds Plus? Just curious to what your experiences have been with that caliber at distance. Thank you


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Gundog01]
      #319128 - 17/08/18 10:44 PM

Quote:

Gentlemen,

In the beginning stages of planning a trip to Africa most likely for next year, If I were to bring just one rifle, would a .404 Jeffery be a good one at 200yrds Plus? Just curious to what your experiences have been with that caliber at distance. Thank you




DISCLAIMER..I DO NOT HAVE A .404 Jeffrey..

Based on the info below, however, and depending on what bullet you use, you would be fine to use a .404 Jeffrey..300 gr bullet at 2600 fps is more than flat enough for up to 200 yards..very close to a .375H&H speeds..which is touted often and the perfect one rifle to take ...

I took one of my .416 Rems to Zim in '08..while tracking buff, we came across a very nice bushbuck..shot him at 260+ yards..was shooting 400gr. Swift A-Frames at 2450fps..

Practice, Practice, Practice... you will be fine..and typically, depending on where you are going, 200 yards shots are NOT the norm..150 and less..usually much less..

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2017/6/9/behind-the-bullet-404-jeffery/

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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Rule303
.416 member


Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 4896
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Gundog01]
      #319134 - 17/08/18 11:42 PM

Like Ripp I do not have a 404J. I know a couple who do and one has no hesitation using the 400 grain bullets out past 200yds on feral pigs. Go for it I say. As Ripp said, Practice.

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Postman
.375 member


Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Rule303]
      #319136 - 18/08/18 12:02 AM

I would think the .404 would be fine. I am going back to the Caprivi in 2019 for buffalo and am looking to use a .458 Lott only. I have a 450 grain load (TSX softs and Hydrostatic solids) worked up for buffalo, and I have a lovely 400 grain Woodleigh PPSP load for the same rifle that I anticipate to use on plains game if and after the buffalo is in the salt.

At the end of the day after playing and experimenting with the load development, if during the quest for buffalo, a wonderful plains game target of opportunity appears and I happen to have a 450 grain buffalo cartridge in the chamber, well, I’ll shoot the plains game with a buffalo load and not think twice about it.

The .404 has the power and reasonable reach. Just get lots of practice and know your rifle!!!!

Edited by Postman (18/08/18 12:07 AM)


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szihn
.400 member


Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2100
Loc: Wind River Valley, Wyoming
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Postman]
      #319138 - 18/08/18 03:16 AM

The 404 is fine.
It has the same trajectory as a 180 grain 303 Brit and out to 300 yards you need not worry much. In reality you are not likely to have any shots offered beyond 200. Zero at 135 or 150 and just kill everything you put the cross hairs on. A shot from such a rifle at about 70 yards will be about 2.5 inches high. Even a DikDik is not too small to hold dead on with such a load and zero.

If your rifle has express sights you may have need of the 200 yards blade, but I think that's unlikely. If I am wrong it's still not a problem as long as your vision is good enough to see irons well.

I have both irons and a scope on mine. My eyes are none to good in dim light nowdays, so I mounted a 2X scope, but I wish I could still shoot well in low light with irons. The rifle was a lot easier to carry and just handier with only the irons.

Here is is before checkering.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: szihn]
      #319139 - 18/08/18 03:54 AM

Steve
That's a really nice looking rifle..congrats

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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cordite
.333 member


Reged: 29/01/07
Posts: 341
Loc: NW Montana
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Gundog01]
      #319140 - 18/08/18 05:21 AM

I have not taken my 404 to Africa but I believe it would be a great choice. It shoots surprisingly flat especially with the 350 grain bullet. Of course for bigger critters the 400 grain bullet is a better option.

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eagle27
.400 member


Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1109
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: cordite]
      #319147 - 18/08/18 09:08 AM

Keith Luckhurst in an article he wrote on loading for the 404 had this to say when comparing the trajectory of the 404 against a couple of other well used cartridges in Africa.

KL - For interest I have used a computer programme to calculate the trajectory figures for my reloads at 2280 feet per second from 0 to 250m. By way of comparison I ran the ballistics for a .458 Magnum 500 grain bullet at 2090 feet per second and a .375 Magnum, 300 grain bullet at 2550 feet per second, all sighted in at 100 metres. The trace of the .4l6 Rigby would have been identical to that of the .404 and so is not included. As can be seen on the graph, at 250 metres the .375 Magnum has dropped 11 inches, the .404 has dropped 13 inches and the .458 has dropped 18 inches. But at 150 metres there is a spread of only 1" between these calibres and at 200 metres it is 4". Most gun writers would describe the .375 Magnum as flat shooting and the descriptions of the .458 tend to include words like "rainbow trajectory". In reality the point of aim for any of the rifles is virtually the same out to 150 metres.


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Rule303
.416 member


Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 4896
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: szihn]
      #319148 - 18/08/18 09:08 AM

szihn that is one great looking rifle.

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szihn
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Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2100
Loc: Wind River Valley, Wyoming
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Rule303]
      #319157 - 18/08/18 01:01 PM

Thank you gentlemen.


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: szihn]
      #319165 - 18/08/18 11:24 PM

Quote:

Thank you gentlemen.





Does she shoot as good as she looks???

Great lines on that rifle, seriously..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: szihn]
      #319166 - 18/08/18 11:30 PM

Quote:

The 404 is fine.
It has the same trajectory as a 180 grain 303 Brit and out to 300 yards you need not worry much. In reality you are not likely to have any shots offered beyond 200. Zero at 135 or 150 and just kill everything you put the cross hairs on. A shot from such a rifle at about 70 yards will be about 2.5 inches high. Even a DikDik is not too small to hold dead on with such a load and zero.





What I did with my .416 for such a situation is I sighted in 1" high at 100 yards..then shot at 200, checked where I needed to hold on my scope for a 200 yard shot..which in my case was right where the cross hair thickened..works great for a reference point..still use it to this day ..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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szihn
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Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2100
Loc: Wind River Valley, Wyoming
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Ripp]
      #319175 - 19/08/18 09:34 AM

Hi Ripp.
It shoots as good as I can "look". With a 2X scope I can't say how accurate it is at it's best. I'd need to put a 4X or more on it to tell for sure. But firing 400 grain Hornady bullets I can keep the whole magazine inside about 1-1/2" to 1.5/8" from a rest at 100 yards. It may do better, but I didn't try to find out because I can't think of anything I'd shoot at with a 404 that a miss of 3/4" to 4/5" of an inch would matter. I think it may, but I have not actually tried.

I have been able to hit 3 out of 2 Coke cans at 200 yards, shooting over my truck hood.


I try to get my other scoped rifles at 1 MOA or less and I am concerned with as small a group as I can get with my 25-06, one of my 270s, my 222 and 223s. But for elk hunting and most deer hunting 1 MOA is better then I actually need because if I remove the rifle from a bench I can't shoot MOA most of the time. I can get to about 1 MOA from prone over a pad or pack, but that's about as well as I can do anymore. I still get shots closer now and then with my 25-06, one 270, and my small bores, but I'd be lying to say I can do it on demand. I can do it maybe 1/2 the time and as I age the ability seems to slip. Getting old ain't for kids, let me tell you!

My 375 and my 9.3X74R are my only 2 "big guns" that I can show off with and I can only do it from a solid rest. But those 2 rifles are far more accurate then they have a need to be. If I have a bag under the butt and one under the forend on either of those 2 rifles I can "wow" folks with how well they shoot. But even hunting antelope with the 9.3, a group under a dime is cool but not needed and not even something I can take advantage of, without the heavy bench rest. But is is fun to show off their accuracy now and then.

The 404 shoots as well as I can in any field position, and anything I were to shoot with it would be big anyway. If I tell the whole truth I probably won't hunt much with it anyway. My 375 covers more bases and is slimmer to carry.
I made the 404 just because of a personal history with a similar gun, and I just LIKE it. Not to hunt with as much as just to own it.


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: szihn]
      #319176 - 19/08/18 10:14 AM

Quote:

Hi Ripp.
It shoots as good as I can "look". With a 2X scope I can't say how accurate it is at it's best. I'd need to put a 4X or more on it to tell for sure. But firing 400 grain Hornady bullets I can keep the whole magazine inside about 1-1/2" to 1.5/8" from a rest at 100 yards. It may do better, but I didn't try to find out because I can't think of anything I'd shoot at with a 404 that a miss of 3/4" to 4/5" of an inch would matter. I think it may, but I have not actually tried.

I have been able to hit 3 out of 2 Coke cans at 200 yards, shooting over my truck hood.


I try to get my other scoped rifles at 1 MOA or less and I am concerned with as small a group as I can get with my 25-06, one of my 270s, my 222 and 223s. But for elk hunting and most deer hunting 1 MOA is better then I actually need because if I remove the rifle from a bench I can't shoot MOA most of the time. I can get to about 1 MOA from prone over a pad or pack, but that's about as well as I can do anymore. I still get shots closer now and then with my 25-06, one 270, and my small bores, but I'd be lying to say I can do it on demand. I can do it maybe 1/2 the time and as I age the ability seems to slip. Getting old ain't for kids, let me tell you!

My 375 and my 9.3X74R are my only 2 "big guns" that I can show off with and I can only do it from a solid rest. But those 2 rifles are far more accurate then they have a need to be. If I have a bag under the butt and one under the forend on either of those 2 rifles I can "wow" folks with how well they shoot. But even hunting antelope with the 9.3, a group under a dime is cool but not needed and not even something I can take advantage of, without the heavy bench rest. But is is fun to show off their accuracy now and then.

The 404 shoots as well as I can in any field position, and anything I were to shoot with it would be big anyway. If I tell the whole truth I probably won't hunt much with it anyway. My 375 covers more bases and is slimmer to carry.
I made the 404 just because of a personal history with a similar gun, and I just LIKE it. Not to hunt with as much as just to own it.




I have one or two of those as well..don't shoot them much, but nice to know I own it..

Have always thought of having a .404 Jeffrey one day..yours rekindled my interest...it's a nice looking rifle..looks like it needs a month or so in Africa.. ...glad you enjoy it..

Thanks for the info

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

Edited by Ripp (19/08/18 11:47 AM)


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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39063
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: .404 Jeffery for plains Game? [Re: Ripp]
      #319483 - 31/08/18 02:13 AM

Haven't shot my .404 at distance yet ... As said, not a big difference to many other similar medium big bore cartridges at realistic hunting distances.

With my .375 with 300 grain RN SPs shot a dingo at over 250 metres once. Impressed even myself. Missed a jackal at 300 metres once too. Not so impressive ...

Larger antelopes to proper hunting distances, no big deal.

Just practice with it, on paper targets and learns one's own limitations. And even better practice on actual game and learn one's limitations even better. As I was mentioning to Curl when in the NT, "once upon a time" here in Australia, people would go on a pig or goat hunt as "practice" for an African safari, with their .375, .404, .416 or .458 and shoot anything up to a couple hundred pigs or goats. Excellent practice. The good "old days" mostly now. Still sometimes still can happen.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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