found a LH MRC 404J

[sgt_zim]

waiting to see what the current owner is willing to accept for it.

 

[RLL]

Is it the one stocked with a backyard spray job?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

If it is, it has a really short LOP too. One of the photos shows 13 inches.

 

[sgt_zim]

Is it the one stocked with a backyard spray job?

that would be the one.

404J in LH don't just fall out of the sky every day.

@375 Ruger Fan - I can always put a new stock on it. even a standard 13.5 is way too short for me. and with the backyard spray paint job on the stock, I'd want a new stock anyway.

 

[sgt_zim]

I'm not sure the dude knows what he really has. I don't think MRC ever even made that rifle with a 24" BBL. Who knows. But a LH 404J...been looking for one of those for a very long time.

No barrel band, either. That would have to be fixed.

 

[sgt_zim]

ok, bought it. seller agreed to 2800 all in, taxes/shipping included.

 

[Fatback]

Congrats on the new rifle. I looked at it a few weeks ago and I don’t have the skills or knowledge to get it “tuned up” correctly. Would love to see it when you finish getting it fixed up.

 

[sgt_zim]

Congrats on the new rifle. I looked at it a few weeks ago and I don’t have the skills or knowledge to get it “tuned up” correctly. Would love to see it when you finish getting it fixed up.

AFAIAC, it really probably just needs a new stock. I won't mind paying a bit for a nice, new wood stock. From where I sit, this rifle is a total unicorn.

 

[Nevada Mike]

404J in LH don't just fall out of the sky every day.

And if it did, there's always a Chicken Little there to witness it and report.

Good luck with the rifle.

 

[ldmay375]

ok, bought it. seller agreed to 2800 all in, taxes/shipping included.

Congratulations, I hope all works out well with it.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

waiting to see what the current owner is willing to accept for it.

Congratulations on your new 404j. I do not know anything about your rifle, but it is a great caliber.

I would not ask for pictures, but I would really like to see the before during and after.

Lon

 

[sgt_zim]

I'm not in a huge rush. I owe my oldest son a trip to south Texas for nilgai, looking like early 2025, so probably 2026 before Africa gets on my radar. This year and next are a wash...I think my RE business is about to get busy. I'll be lucky to be able to sneak over to Louisiana and get any deer hunting in at all for the 23/24 season.

I'll have somebody else do the work for the stock. My skill set is broad, but working with wood isn't one of them.

 

[sgt_zim]

I'm quite accustomed to discarding loads in my LD process that aren't at least 1 MOA. But I get the impression that 2 MOA for something like 404J is more than adequate. Also, seems to me there's not any real reason to lean on the bullets too hard, MV in the neighborhood of 2150 - 2200 sound about right? A 400 gr bullet at 2200 is still around 5800 Joules.

 

[colorado]

I agree with your 2nd point but not the first. If you've got a good barrel and it's bedded correctly you should get 1 MOA. I get sub MOA with my 500 Jeffery. Though a 2 MOA load with a good DG bullet (A-Frame, TSX, etc.) is better than a 1 MOA with a lesser bullet.

 

[ActionBob]

@Just Gina my wife has a CZ 550 in 404 Jeffrey that easily gets 1 MOA with factory ammo. I borrowed it to shoot a buffalo behind the ear. And elephant brain is not a huge target although most of the time it's close. Leopard should be close also but might be another critter that one would think about using a 404 and need accuracy. No reason to not expect decent accuracy out of the rifle

 

[sgt_zim]

@Just Gina my wife has a CZ 550 in 404 Jeffrey that easily gets 1 MOA with factory ammo. I borrowed it to shoot a buffalo behind the ear. And elephant brain is not a huge target although most of the time it's close. Leopard should be close also but might be another critter that one would think about using a 404 and need accuracy. No reason to not expect decent accuracy out of the rifle

buffalo and dry land hippo are the only 2 biggies on my list of things I want to hunt. but sounds like everybody agrees that 1 MOA should be do-able. Now to find some LRM primers. Will have to scour my LGSs for those. I don't need a brick, probably just a couple trays will be sufficient for the foreseeable future anyway.

if i ever go after cats, I'll use my 9.3x62 loaded with Norma Oryx 285.

 

[sgt_zim]

That idiotic Krylon should come off with some Goof Off.

MRC trigger is effing amazing, and the bolt is crazy smooth. Haven't weighed it yet, but feels like somewhere in the neighborhood of 8.5 lbs or so, way too light for my tastes.

Came with 40 Hornady brass, Redding dies, and a near-full box of 400 gr DGX.

According to the way Boyd's measures LOP, looks like I need to add about 2", maybe 2.25"

 

[sgt_zim]

just put it on the scale: 8.2 lbs

 

[BeeMaa]

After you have a proper LOP wood stock on it, the weight will go up. Not a lot, but a 9 to 9.5# rifle in that caliber would be a joy to both carry and shoot.

Good luck with the project.

 

[JMJ888]

Was it a factory 404J from Montana, or a Montana action that somebody chambered in 404?
I would work up some dummy rounds and check feeding on it before I did anything else to it.