H4350 vs Varget for 400 H&H

Pheroze

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I am loading for my 400 H&H (very similar to the 416 Rem Mag for reloading purposes), using 400 gr North Fork SS and CPS. I had previously loaded 400 gr Swift A-Frames using 81 gr of H4350. This pretty much filled the case and produced 2345 fps. The North Forks are a little longer than the A-Frames so I am thinking of using Varget. I believe this powder does not use the same volume as H4350. Also, I am thinking the faster burn would benefit the North Forks design. Does anyone know whether the North Forks prefer a fast burning powder? Any preferences for the use of one powder over the other in either the 400 H&H or 416 Rem Mag? @North Fork Technologies ?
 
Yes Sir, Varget is the only powder I used to build loads in my 400 H&H, it's a model 70 classic that began life as a 300 WBY.

I use Quality cartridge proper head stamped brass FL sized the first time, neck size once fired brass to only bump shoulder back 0.002"

400gr Swift A Frames, 400gr Alaska Bullet Works bonded Kodiaks, and a bullet that will compare nicely with your long 400gr Northforks, the excellent 400gr CEB BBW #13 Safari solid.

All bullets sit over 77grs Varget, I had Lee Precision make a custom factory crimp die, iirc 115 bucks, the soft points get a good pinching in their crimp grooves, the solid gets a good pinch seated with the top drive band flush with case mouth, no bullets have ever moved after crimp, even battering in the mag box, they all stay put.

Fed 215 primers

All loads run 2409 to 2415 fps, a great great heavy medium bore cartridge, took it on a Tanzanian safari as my light rifle, shot plains game with it out to 288 yards using a 1.5-5 Leupold in Talley QD rings with levers, a Gold Medal Waterbuck at 228 yards off sticks in the river reeds was no problem at all, 577 Nitro double did the heavy lifting on Buffalo and Hippo on the ground at 18 and 21 yards.

The 400gr A Frame slapped a Leopard out of a tree that landed with a deadfall thud on the riverbank at 77 yards from the blind, so yes Sir, very versatile useful cartridge that really hits hard, I wont go into the details of the 400gr BBW #13 solid testing I did after cameras and video were put away, will simply say PHENOMENAL penetration!

Those two Northforks will serve you very well.
 
Yes Sir, Varget is the only powder I used to build loads in my 400 H&H, it's a model 70 classic that began life as a 300 WBY.

I use Quality cartridge proper head stamped brass FL sized the first time, neck size once fired brass to only bump shoulder back 0.002"

400gr Swift A Frames, 400gr Alaska Bullet Works bonded Kodiaks, and a bullet that will compare nicely with your long 400gr Northforks, the excellent 400gr CEB BBW #13 Safari solid.

All bullets sit over 77grs Varget, I had Lee Precision make a custom factory crimp die, iirc 115 bucks, the soft points get a good pinching in their crimp grooves, the solid gets a good pinch seated with the top drive band flush with case mouth, no bullets have ever moved after crimp, even battering in the mag box, they all stay put.

Fed 215 primers

All loads run 2409 to 2415 fps, a great great heavy medium bore cartridge, took it on a Tanzanian safari as my light rifle, shot plains game with it out to 288 yards using a 1.5-5 Leupold in Talley QD rings with levers, a Gold Medal Waterbuck at 228 yards off sticks in the river reeds was no problem at all, 577 Nitro double did the heavy lifting on Buffalo and Hippo on the ground at 18 and 21 yards.

The 400gr A Frame slapped a Leopard out of a tree that landed with a deadfall thud on the riverbank at 77 yards from the blind, so yes Sir, very versatile useful cartridge that really hits hard, I wont go into the details of the 400gr BBW #13 solid testing I did after cameras and video were put away, will simply say PHENOMENAL penetration!

Those two Northforks will serve you very well.
Wow I was going to bring a 308 Norma Mag for plains game after my Buffalo hunt. But what you describe makes me think I can just use the same bullet
 
Yes Sir, Varget is the only powder I used to build loads in my 400 H&H, it's a model 70 classic that began life as a 300 WBY.

I use Quality cartridge proper head stamped brass FL sized the first time, neck size once fired brass to only bump shoulder back 0.002"

400gr Swift A Frames, 400gr Alaska Bullet Works bonded Kodiaks, and a bullet that will compare nicely with your long 400gr Northforks, the excellent 400gr CEB BBW #13 Safari solid.

All bullets sit over 77grs Varget, I had Lee Precision make a custom factory crimp die, iirc 115 bucks, the soft points get a good pinching in their crimp grooves, the solid gets a good pinch seated with the top drive band flush with case mouth, no bullets have ever moved after crimp, even battering in the mag box, they all stay put.

Fed 215 primers

All loads run 2409 to 2415 fps, a great great heavy medium bore cartridge, took it on a Tanzanian safari as my light rifle, shot plains game with it out to 288 yards using a 1.5-5 Leupold in Talley QD rings with levers, a Gold Medal Waterbuck at 228 yards off sticks in the river reeds was no problem at all, 577 Nitro double did the heavy lifting on Buffalo and Hippo on the ground at 18 and 21 yards.

The 400gr A Frame slapped a Leopard out of a tree that landed with a deadfall thud on the riverbank at 77 yards from the blind, so yes Sir, very versatile useful cartridge that really hits hard, I wont go into the details of the 400gr BBW #13 solid testing I did after cameras and video were put away, will simply say PHENOMENAL penetration!

Those two Northforks will serve you very well.
Have you noticed how many reloads you get with this brass?
 
I am about to start reloading for .416 Rem 400 grain loads and was planning to use Barnes TSX bullets. Here is Barnes powder recommendations for its 400 grain TSX in .416 Mag. It seems that Varget is a good option in a .416 Rem.

North Fork .416 Rem data is here:


Good luck with your new reloads.
 

Attachments

"I too have 400H&H under construction on a Ruger No1 with a custom stock.
Patience I s not a top virtue of mine, https://atomic29projectiles.com.au/but wait I must!I have a good supply ot Bertram, Woodleigh and Hornady and bullets, plus s bunch of custom copper 350gr bullets by Atomic29 manufacturing in Adelaide, Australia."

******* Be advised the Woodleigh's operating range for the 400gr .411 dia bullet is 1800-2200fps You will be running the 400gr around 2400fps
 
Pheroze,

Yes sir, you can absolutely use that 400 H&H for an all game one rifle Safari rig, even out to 300 yards, i don't have my notes handy from pre-safari shooting ranges verification, but i'll see what i can remember off the top of my head:

400gr Swift A Frames at 2415 fps

+3" at 100
+2 at 150
0 at 200
-2 at 225
-4 at 250
-8 at 275
-12 at 300
Also iirc the impact velocities at 300 yards are still running 1800 fps, the Zebra stallion i busted on the point of his left shoulder shooting prone at 288 yards was knocked backwards on his butt, staggered around without ever regaining his footing, then fell over dead, the bullet was recovered fully expanded in his right flank.

You can compare speeds and drops with your 400gr Northfork SS bullets, in the beginning of load development I segregated 5 pieces of the new Quality Cartridge brass, those cases had four firings on them with primer pockets still remaining tight, I have found QC brass to be excellent, really lean hard on it in a 400 Whelen, it's load uses CFE-223 to boot 400gr Woodleigh softs and solids out at 2244 fps, the QC brass has never flinched.

i Shoot Sharps rifles with Black Powder and also use a drop tube pouring the Varget slowly in these 400 H&H loads for good accurate case fills.
 
BTW, I don't have pressure testing equipment, but, these loads chamber and eject like greased glass rods, the primers are nice and round, no hard bolt lift, clickers, sticky extraction etc, these are very safe loads in my rifle and extremely accurate.

And I thought my 300 and 375 H&H's fed smooth, Holy Smokes, the 400 H&H is a dream feeder.
 
Great info, thanks. I was aiming for 2350 fps or thereabouts based on what I had read. That is what was the most accurate load with A-frames and H4350. I am excited about this next load development
 

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