.404 jeffery on the cheap...

I want a .404 Jeffery badly but just can't afford a new or used one. So far I've been downloading a .416 Rigby to approximate .404 specs but it just isn't satisfying my lust.

Recently I've been offered the opportunity to purchase a used wooden stocked Remington 700 in .300RUM for a few hundred dollars. I thought being the .300RUM is based on the .404 case I could simply rebarrel, open up the barrel channel, then reinforce the stock and have my own poor man's .404. To me it sounds reasonable and relatively easy. Am I missing anything that might rear it's ugly (read expensive) head somewhere along the project?

It already sounds ugly to me. Just talking about re-barreling, etc.

Good luck with this project.

In theory you could have an on the cheap there, but if you are already downloading to 404 specs (and I don't know if it's the recoil from the Rigby or if you just like to slow it down for some other reason), but why not just take that "few hundred dollars" plus the money you make from selling the 416 Rigby and the reloading components, and put it toward a new or used 404?

If you just want to have both then I say go for it, but, to keep it on the cheap you will probably have to do almost all of the work yourself. $300 for the rifle probably another $200 or more for the barrel, and having to have the barrel drilled and tapped for sights, it's not really the cheap way out in my opinion.

I'm going to keep the Rigby so selling it isn't an option. I can handle the recoil but just want another classic African caliber to hunt and play with.

I can bring this project in under $1000. The cheapest .404 bolt gun I've found, new or used, is $2000. I think I'll go ahead and see how this all plays out. Thanks for your suggestions and advice, gents. Will post pics when everything is completed.

Originally Posted by dfm

I'm going to keep the Rigby so selling it isn't an option. I can handle the recoil but just want another classic African caliber to hunt and play with.

I can bring this project in under $1000. The cheapest .404 bolt gun I've found, new or used, is $2000. I think I'll go ahead and see how this all plays out. Thanks for your suggestions and advice, gents. Will post pics when everything is completed.

Trust me I was not trying to discourage you, if you can bring it in under $1000, I say go for it.

Wow what a project...

Just talked to the Mauser Rep for western USA about a 404...

He used to be a PH in Zimbabwe for 8 to 9 years...

He suggested that i consider the 458 Lott instead of the 404 Jeffry.

I have his card and a new catalog to go over and i went back the following day to see what combo's i could put together.

he suggested a 25 inch barrel in 375 H & H with the 458 Lott in 22 inch barrel. talk about a nice set up and easy barrel change out. liked there scope mounts and change out. i wanted a 338 win mag and the 404 Jeffry. problem was they do not make the 338 win mag for the gun i wanted. Plus changing the bolt head would be necessary. I could make the barrel change on the rifle in under 2 minutes with the scope change included what a smooth system.

The .404 is a great, classic round and needs no other reason than "I want one", to figure out how to get one. I have had one for a few years now, a CZ Safari Classic. Handsome and shoots fantastic. Have a Nikon Monarch African 1-4 mounted on it. I load it a little warmer than original specs but not up to Rigby speeds. It just aint neccessary. There was a barreled action on Gunbroker for a while based on a Mk X action but dont see it now. I recall it was about a grand, using a Walther barrel.

dfm,

I've done it all, bought new, had custom rifles built, rebarreled old rifles and sporterised ex-mil..

The cheapest way to get a reliable rifle is to buy new off the rack. Save up or sell somthing off. Trust me.

I would like to say first "there is no free lunch". As a smith I advise against this project sounds simple but it aint. The RUM's have a rebated rim to fit a .534 max cartrige casehead same as all375 H&H derived cases. If you bore out the bolthead to acceapt the larger cartrige base the wll will be to thin to hold an extactor. Then looms the feed rails must be perfect to feed the larger pojectile round. So save yourself some cash and just buy a CZ 550 in 404jeff.
Bart

Both the preceeding make much sense.

The RUM case has a .532 rim and .550" case head to fit the M700 magnum bolt face, while the .404 Jeff is a .543"/.545", but your gunsmith can handle this.

545+.002=547-534=.013 or one tenth
and 3 thou =too damn thin for an extractor groove. extractor and rivet.you can but would you bet your life on it?truth about relativly obscure cartridgies on a 700 is that you have a gun that youll have a hard time selling if the need arises.

CZ chambers a 404 jeffrey in their safari classics range, it won't kill the bank and there is no doubt about the working ability, might want to finish off the bolt a bit when you get..... I would save a little and go for that. my 2 cents.

My best always.

Originally Posted by BARTFRNCS

545+.002=547-534=.013 or one tenth
and 3 thou =too damn thin for an extractor groove. extractor and rivet.you can but would you bet your life on it?truth about relativly obscure cartridgies on a 700 is that you have a gun that youll have a hard time selling if the need arises.

I would absolutely listen to brother Bart. The last thing I would want is a potential dangerous game rifle with an inherrent flaw which could fail on an extraction at the wrong time. I have also been through a lot of custom builds and restorations. While I have several great rifles and guns as a result, saving money never turned out to be one of the virtues of such exercises.

Do it I'm rebarreling a 416 rem mag to 404 Jeffery
You may want a slightly heavier barrel profile foe weight but it is doable

Originally Posted by ve7poi

Do it I'm rebarreling a 416 rem mag to 404 Jeffery
You may want a slightly heavier barrel profile foe weight but it is doable

Well just a rebarrel will damn near take you to the $1,000 dollar mark. A good barrel now is $275 to $300. We Charge $350 to cut crown and chamber, that is 650 there. THere is $650 no sights no blue...

We just built Louis at Spiral Horn a 404 on a Winchester M70 LH. To do it proper it is about a 2,500 to 3,000 dollar job--to do a complete job. Louis is close to 4,000 with a quality wooden stock.

The Remington will have to have the bolt face opened up a slight bit as the RUM cases are slighty rebated, and the feed rails will need a little work. I have found that it is alot easier to get a remington to feed out of the center.

If I were you I would by a Winchester in a 300 Rum...that is the easy way...or a CZ in a 375...

We can do the work, and it will be proper...

Canyon Sporting Arms

Ed