338-404 Jef

[Rex Rat]

I was hoping for some help finding info on what has been done on the 404 Jeffery. I only know it parented the RUM family.
Remington shortened it, I do not wish to do so, otherwise I would use the ultra mag brass. The general idea is a .338 neck both long and wide with a 35 deg shoulder and minimal taper to be used in a Wby Mk V origenaly chambered in 300 Win Mag.
I was directed here by 30-338, on the Reload Board, that fiftydriver may be able to help. Any one that has an idea please chime in! This looks to be a great board and is right up my ally.

 

[nebhunt]

You might want to talk to Randy Selby from WY. He build rifles on the 404 case. Randy's Custom Rifles&Rebarreling :: Custom Rifles. He did a fine job on a Sako 75 in 270 WSM.

 

[jwp475]

I was hoping for some help finding info on what has been done on the 404 Jeffery. I only know it parented the RUM family.
Remington shortened it, I do not wish to do so, otherwise I would use the ultra mag brass. The general idea is a .338 neck both long and wide with a 35 deg shoulder and minimal taper to be used in a Wby Mk V origenaly chambered in 300 Win Mag.
I was directed here by 30-338, on the Reload Board, that fiftydriver may be able to help. Any one that has an idea please chime in! This looks to be a great board and is right up my ally.

The only RUM case that Rem. shortened was the 338 case,the 7mm RUM, 300 RUM and 375 Rum are not shortened.. Remington did reduce the size of the case head inorder for it to fit the same bolt face as the other mag. cartridges allready in existence.......

 

[Fiftydriver]

You could go with the 338 Edge which is basically the 300 RUM necked up to 338. This is the full length RUM case not the shortened one used on the 338 RUM.

Performance would be identical to that of the 338 Lapua but better suited for standard magnum bolt faced rifles.

Only problem with your rifle would be if the magazine is long enough and if not, getting a replacement mag box for the Wby. Wby is not overly happy to send out parts and it can be a real challange to get parts to modify the Wby rifles.

To be brutally honest, I would sell the Wby, take that money and get a Rem 700 for this build, in the end, you would be much better off with a properly built Rem 700 over the Wby. Only so much can be done to the Wbys to get them to shoot and even then, some can be extremely finicky. This is generally not so with a properly built Rem 700 plus you can use the much longer custom mag boxes as well which are best for this type of round.

With the 338 Edge out there, I could never recommend a 338-404 Jeff because of extreme cost in dies and brass which is also hard to get. 300 RUM brass is everywhere!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[BountyHunter]

Go to Mark King in PA, his info is found on www.6mmbr.com as one of the top recommended gunsmiths. He is a long time LR gun builder, 1k competitor and builds LR guns on the 404 and shoots them at the mile matches.

BH

 

[jwp475]

Go to Mark King in PA, his info is found on www.6mmbr.com as one of the top recommended gunsmiths. He is a long time LR gun builder, 1k competitor and builds LR guns on the 404 and shoots them at the mile matches.

BH

Feel free to explain exactly what can be gained by useing a 404 Jeffery case that can not be achieved by useing a 300 RUM case,since it is also based on a 404 Jeffery case........

 

[J E Custom]

All of the RUM case's except the 338 are the same as the 404jeffers
in length but as JWP said, the head is larger and requires some bolt
face opening. also the 404 case has a longer neck and around 20 degrees
of sholder Reducing powder capacity.

I build more rifles on Remingtion actions than anything else but if you
allready have a Weatherby MK5 action I would use it ,and it has a longer
magazine than the Remingtion (.100 ) allowing bullets to be seated longer
on a fule size RUM case.

I agree with fifty on the 300 RUM necked up to 338 You only lose
about .001 to .002 thou in neck thickness, and you have a standard
mag bolt face.

I built a 338 RUM on a MK 5 so i could shoot 300gr SMK's an seat them
longer saveing powder space. and shooting factory or standard length
rounds I have lots of room in the magazine.

J E CUSTOM

 

[BountyHunter]

Feel free to explain exactly what can be gained by useing a 404 Jeffery case that can not be achieved by useing a 300 RUM case,since it is also based on a 404 Jeffery case........

for one shot probably nothing. big thing is quality of cases in what is available in the 404 vs Rem.

BH

 

[jwp475]

What makes the 404 brass better??...Isn't it harder to come by and who makes it???

goodgrooper,for the last couple of years has been taking game in the next county with his 338 Thunder based of off the 338 RUM case with REM brass.....What is the advantage of the 404 brass esspecialy with it being so obscure?.....

 

[BountyHunter]

By all accounts RWS makes the best brass period. It normally is much more uniform, stronger and ultimately more accurate. More guns at 1k BR matches use RWS than Rem by a long shot. There is a reason here.

RWS makes the 404. 50 pieces of RWS will outlast 2-3 barrels.

If you are ok shooting 1-4x and then throwing the brass away, ok.

BH

 

[jwp475]

RWS is you are saying better than Laupa?? This is a Long Range Hunting Site not a Long Range Bench Rest Site... A 1/2 MOA gun works fine for long range hunting,but not competetive for long range bench rest.....

 

[Rex Rat]

RUM

Well it seems that the 338 edge is the winner!
I'll be trying that RWS brass! (I like forming)
Thanks to all.

 

[BountyHunter]

RWS is you are saying better than Laupa?? This is a Long Range Hunting Site not a Long Range Bench Rest Site... A 1/2 MOA gun works fine for long range hunting,but not competetive for long range bench rest.....

RWS is the best and that is acknowledged by the best shooters. It is super strong, totally uniform and that is what is needed. Lapua is a strong second.

Remember a .5 MOA gun is really a 1MOA at 1k 90% of the time. The internet warriors like to tout "I shot a 2" at 600." What they do not say is that is one time out of a hundred an yet that is what they always quote as how good the gun is when it is not that accurate normally.

Now does .5 MOA that work fine for LR hunting? Not in my book for 1000, maybe 600-700 but not much further for any degree of certainity espeicallially shooting from field and bipod positions. My 1k BR guns shoot in the .1-.2 most of the time at 100, yet I am very happy with a 5-6" group at 1000 and so is everyone else shooting.

If you are going to pull the trigger on an animal at 1000 plus you should have a plus 90% degree of confidence that the shot is going where you intend, and .5 MOA at 100 will not cut it.

Anyway, that is my opinion.

BH

 

[jwp475]

"you are going to pull the trigger on an animal at 1000 plus you should have a plus 90% degree of confidence that the shot is going where you intend, and .5 MOA at 100 will not cut it.

Anyway, that is my opinion. "

I agree that 100 yard accuarcy is meaning less Long range on animal is usualy a one or two shot affair not a 10 shot group.....