I knew I wanted something bigger than my 375 so when I got to researching I found that the 404Jeffery had a long and productive history through out Africa, a history of good terminal performance on all types of dangerous game, etc…. Will it do anything that the 416s or 458s won’t, no , not at all.
Felt recoil is supposed to not be as much as the 458s which I thought was a benefit. I will say that acquiring ammo has been a bit of a challenge but I’ve been able to get a supply of 400 grain A frames and 400 grain Barnes Banded solids that should last me the rest of my African hunting. I was able to take a bull hippo with my 404J in August of this year and was impressed with the performance. Would I have been able to do the same with my 375 H&H, probably but I felt better using the bigger cartridge. I plan in using it next year for a buffalo and again in 2025 for buffalo and elephant. I had never even heard of the cartridge before joining AH. I am currently debating getting a 416 Rem Mag but just can’t seem to justify the cost of another rifle with already owning two 375s and a 404J.
As far as the fire side chants go, I didn’t get that memo when I joined the 404J club.