Using a rimless case of similar design, but changing the bullet diameter from .411" to .423", the .404 Jeffery was born. In the same year Westley Richards introduced the .425 Westley Richards cartridge. The granddaddy of bolt-action big-game calibers is the .458 Win. The 404 uses more powder, which I guess is due to larger case capacity, and since velocities are similar, I suppose the 404 runs at lower pressure. The choice of one of these .40-caliber cartridges is as subjective as choosing a deer cartridge. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; that is one of the physical laws of our universe. Are they any real differences, as far as the late Elmer Keith once said about using a .416 Rigby for Kodiak bear- You mean it kills them too dead? between the .416 Rigby as loaded today by Woodleigh (my favorite) and the /416 Ruger? Any member who have these two caliber bullet`s expanded version pictures available ? of energy at the muzzle. 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. Roosevelt used this .40-caliber on lions and other game on his 19091910 safari and obviously lived to tell the tale, but Im of the opinion that there are much better choices. Compared to the venerable .450-400 3-inch NE, it has a definite advantage in terminal ballistics and an increase in recoil. I think there is so much overlap with cartridges that perhaps the title should be reworded to 10 of the best instead of the 10 best, at which point there is little argument that any of these fit the bill. You must log in or register to reply here. 404 Jeffery 1909, the era of African safaris was in full swing. 1970: M77 Magnum is introduced and includes a slightly longer action and calibers . 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! vs. .300 Win. Both kill very well, both have proven to be very accurate (I have sub-MOA loads for both) and both are wonderfully nostalgic. The 2300 fps for the 450gr in .423 is realistic (according to my computer program). Yes, of course and the rationale has been given that just didnt happen without reason, or because one of my three uncles designated Bob Mitchell to receive his .458 upon his decease! Although fewer than 200 rifles were made up until World War II, the writings of Robert Ruark and John Taylor immortalized the cartridge. The case volume is a direct result of the volatility of cordite in the African and Indian heat in order to keep pressures low. 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. It is a cartridge that can use bullets up to 350 grains, and the recoil of the .375 H&H is mild enough that just about anyone can shoot it with a bit of practice. It is sad that these great cartridges have fallen by the wayside. Dangerous gamethose two words pique my curiosity like a kitten at the sight of a laser-pointer. 4.16 Dakota.444 Marlin. To solve the problem, and gobble up a huge share of the market, Winchester developed a cartridge that would mimic the ballistics of the .450 NE, but in a bolt-action rifle of American make, which would be both affordable and available. An undeniable classic, the .416 Rigby was released in 1911. It was a particular favorite of Theodore Roosevelt, who dubbed it his medicine gun for lions. It's an ancient round that was designed by W.J. Ive used this cartridge to take Cape buffalo, and wouldnt hesitate to do so again. Here is a quote from Karamojo Bell He wrote about being able to drop an elephant with a light caliber rifle if he shot it in the same place that he would have shot it with a heavy rifle and realised this fully when he saw that elephants shot with a .303 died just as quickly when shot in the same place as a .450/400 double rifle with both triggers wired together, so they went off at the same time. In 2008, the joint effort between Hornady and Ruger was expanded to include the .416 Rugera beltless case designed to fit in a long-action receiver, matching the velocity of the Rigby and Remington cases. No sane gun writer would ever put those words in print, and Im a longtime proponent of the .375. Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Both came on to the scene before the World War I, when the smokeless powder revolution had changed the course of cartridge development. But even with the 350-grain Woodleigh Weldcores, the .375 H&H doesnt quite hit as hard as the .40s do. With the exception of those whove handloaded the Rigby case to the red zone, the Remington variant will match the performance of the older cartridge. 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. Just dont go on the forums boasting on its superiority over the .458 Win Mag, cause it just aint so! The .416 Rigby and .416 Remington are the most popular, followed by the .404 Jeffery. Stopping power with its usually intended meaning is a myth. 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. Remember, its .423 vs .458, 300gr vs 350gr, 2600 fps vs 2750 fps, and 4503 ft-lbs of kinetic energy vs 5890 ft-lbs! 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. It does have that going for it at about a century old! There are good, modern loads available from Hornady, using the DGX and DGS bullets, and plenty of good brass for the handloader. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. 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? But with the exception of that .405 Winchester, any of these cartridges will make you a happy hunter. (6989 ft-lbs). Those ballistics are VERY impressive, to state the obvious in the least possible definition of it. Learn how your comment data is processed. I wish all such rousing legends were this alive and this well. It looked good on paper, but there were immediate problems. Actual bullet diameter was .423-inch, already established in Europe as the 10.75mm. "Mit Scharnier" MTM RLLD-50er Patronenbox fr .300/.458 Win Mag/.444 Marlin u.v.m grn/schwarz 8,50 . 6,5 x 55 SE. But thats not to cast doubt with faint praise with todays powders and stronger rifles it is quite capable of impressive performance though nothing extraordinary. The .404 Jeffery uses a 400-grain bullet of .423-inch diameter, with the original load leaving the muzzle at 2,150 fps and modern loads ramping up that figure to 2,350 fps. The first is the case capacity. 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. Good article but maybe a little to focused on older classic rounds. Comparing these two bullet diameters is like comparing big truck engines : the saying " There's nothing like cubic inches " comes to mind. Thus, thye standard magnum actions (such as 300, 338, 7mm or even 458) should work. I'm all for different strokes for different folks, but the 29 year old PH is as ignorant as they come and probably doesn't even understand the purpose of a double rifle.The purpose (the elitists that use themyou know, the guys that survive dangerous game) is to allow you to instantly provide a follow up shot without lowering your gun. The old .40-caliber cartridge (released in 1902) was used by Jim Corbett for tiger and leopards in India, as did John Pondoro Taylor in Africa. The casebeing cut downdidnt have the capacity to get those big bullets moving at the advertised speed. This puts it in the same league as the .416 Rigby, Remington and Ruger. That, combined with the fact that the ball powder Winchester used to fuel the .458 had a tendency to clump, resulting in squib loads, almost equaled disaster for the .458 Winchester Magnum. Placement of the projectile is quite important, really more so than its size unless its a fragmentation grenade. "Mit Scharnier" MTM RLLD-50er Patronenbox fr .300/.458 Win Mag/.444 Marlin u.v.m grn 8,50 . for 4,020 ft.-lbs. 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. Being designed to basically duplicate the 1890s .450/400 N.E. I have used both on a fair number of water buffalo and cannot see any difference. Mag..243 Winchester vs. 6mm Remington7x57mm Mauser vs. 7mm-08 Remington.25-06 Remington vs. .257 Weatherby Magnum.338 Winchester vs. .375 H&H Magnum.30-30 Winchester vs. .35 Remington.257 Roberts vs. .250-3000 Savage.270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington.35 Whelen vs. 9.3x62mm Mauser.416 Rigby vs. .416 Remington Magnum.308 Winchester vs. .30-06 Springfield.22 Nosler vs. .224 Valkyrie.300 Win. But, if you want to put an exclamation point at the end of the hunting sentence, the .505 Gibbs will do just that. .40-Caliber Cartridges: Marvelously In The Middle Big Bores, Fading Away? Some hunters (like Phil Massaro) also recommend dropping down to a 480 grain bullet with the .458 Win Mag. Given the option I'd take the .404 over the .458, any day. After all, the .450 Nitro Express set the benchmark for dangerous-game cartridgesbut their trajectories give up a considerable amount to those lower .40s. A wildcat based on the .458 Winchester Magnum and necked down to hold .416-inch bullets, the .416 Taylor is a solid design. Then it faded into oblivion. The design is certainly sound: In both factory ammunition and handloaded stuff, Ive seen nothing but good results from the .416 Ruger. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Mag..458 . It gives the same perfect balance of power & shootabaility as my other rifles. Rifles chambered in .505 Gibbs and .500 Jeffery include a mercury recoil reducer installed in the stock. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. 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. When a client shows up in camp with a Remington or a Weatherby in any caliber, you know the hunters experience probably does not extend past the clerk at the gun counter. However, having spent a considerable amount of time with both cartridgesin a few different riflesI will admit that the Rigby recoils harder than does the Jeffery. Email When Available 458 WIN MAG: 500 [+] Close . Using a .410-inch bullet, the classic .450-400 3-inch load consisted of a 400-grain bullet at 2,050 fps for 3,732 ft-lb of energy. With premium bullets, the .416 Weatherby will certainly handle any game that walks the Earth. Conclusion: All the cartridges tested are similar in many ways, yet each is unique. Am I suggesting that cartridges such as the revered .375 H&H Magnum arent sufficient for dangerous-game hunting? [3] As is typical, there are exceptions to every rule, nevertheless the rule holds true.As for the .404 Jeffrey, she's a gem, no doubt about it! Title Actor Character Notation Date; Deadfall (2012) Kris Kristofferson: Chet Mills: with a scope: 2012 Deadfall (2012) Eric Bana: Addison: with a scope . The 1980s saw a revival of the .416-inch-bore diameter: Federal brought back the .416 Rigby, and Remington introduced its .416 Remington Magnum, which is officially based on its 8mm Remington Magnum case (but the .40-caliber more than resembles the wildcat .416 Hoffman). 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. Of the .416s, Id say the Weatherby is the least popular, although as with many of its other cartridges, its fans are fervent. This modern rimmed case from Krieghoff uses a 3-inch case to push a 400-grain, .416-inch bullet to 2,300 fps and makes a solid choice for a hunter who wants a double-rifle in .40-caliber. This combination has accounted for elephant, buffalo and all sorts of plains game animals at ranges from 16 to 225 yards. Mind you, the recipe is a familiar one: 500-grain bullet at 2,150 fps, but with a bit more frontal diameter and yet enough sectional density to penetrate even the honeycombed bone of an elephant skull. BP or smokeless, it's all good. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Same ranges and targets as used in 1874. Another is that it is not straight walled so should feed more reliably and it has the runs on the board from local game rangers to PH's. So, lets compare Empire to MacIntosh apples you know, the .404 Jeff to the .458 Win Mag, using their best bullets and their best loads for the game normally intended for their use: Oh, by the way, CZ-USA does chamber their Magnum Express Rifles in several interesting and challenging cartridges, including the not-too-common (anymore) .404 Jeffery. 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. Its also easier to get an extra cartridge in the magazine with the narrower Jeffery case than with the big Rigby case. Sometimes more is just more and not necessarily better. An insurgence in India resulted in the British Empire banning all .45-caliber ammunition in the early 1900s, so as a result, gun makers needed to replicate the ballistics of the dangerous-game-proven .450 Nitro Express, yet in a different bore diameter. You really cant ask for any more than that from a dangerous game cartridge. 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. The .404 Jeffery uses a 400-grain bullet of .423-inch diameter, with the original load leaving the muzzle at 2,150 fps and modern loads ramping up that figure to 2,350 fps. I feel it was too light by 2 lbs and kicked like mule. #1. Simply put: The 410-grain bullet of nominal diameter at 2,370 fps (modern loads use a 400-grain bullet at 2,350 or 2,400 fps) offered more than 5,000 ft-lb of muzzle energyand virtually unequaled penetrationdue to the high sectional density. 1's are well known for their phenomenal accuracy and essentially fail-proof design. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. 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. The .450-400 3-inch is also known as the .400 Jeffery. 44 Magnum 45-70 45-90 45 Long Colt 45-.120 Basic.450 Marlin.450 Nitro.450 Nitro 3 1/4.458 Win. 6,5 Creedmoor. Email When Available 458 LOTT: 500 [+] Close . The rounds for these modern day elephant slayers are. Original loads were: a 400-gr. Magazine 4 round AICS pattern magazine Barrel Matchgrade hunting barrel with muzzle threat M15x1 Caliber . Nostalgia? at the muzzle. That affinity might also include the 9.3s (.366), except I find little motiveso farto select one over .358 or .375. The sectional density (SD) of the 300gr was about the same as a 350gr in .458, at .239 SD compared to .238 SD in .458. The Jeffery case could be crammed into a .375-length action. Couple that with the huge frontal diameter (.505-inch) and youve got an elephant stopper that isnt all that terrible on the shoulder. It looked good on paper, but there were immediate problems. The 404 being .423" would have an edge on sectional density while the .458" would have slightly more frontal area. 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. vs. .300 WSM.223 Remington vs. .22-250 Remington. Like the .300 H&H, the .300 Winchester is designed to headspace off the belt, but the clever reloader can adjust the cartridge to headspace off the shoulder. and other magnums, in that a 200-yard . Having laid bare my soul on these matters, I could further speculate that one might simply choose a modern 12-gauge with rifled tube and accomplish the same things using saboted copper slugs of 400grsbut I wont. There have been many designs over the years. Availability of ammo is not a factor in this comparison as most dangerous game cartridges are not ones you will find stocked in most any gun store either. Its a big bottle-necked, rimless case designed for magnum Mauser bolt-actions. Based on my research, the 404 is a standard magnum action. 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. Looking at the performance level among the .375s, lower .40s and the .45s, using 300-, 400- and 500-grain bullets, respectively, youll see the trajectories of the .40-calibers staying very close to that of the .375s, where the .45s drop off quite a bit more. You take a liking to this guy immediately.. . 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