30-404 JEFFERY
The following data was developed in rifle built on the Hall Giant action. The barrel is from Hart, straight tapered and finished at 29.5 inches. A Leupold 6.5-20X scope was installed in Jewel Live Centre rings on Kelbly bases. We used RWS 404 brass and the Federal 215 primers throughout our tests, except for the fire forming loads, in which we used the Winchester large rifle magnum primers, with 18 grains of GREEN DOT. This load produced perfectly formed cases.
The rifle, without scope, weighs 25 pounds.
All shooting was done off the bench in our indoor shooting tunnel. All groups are 5 shots at 100 yards, and all bullets were molly coated.
I was surprised to see that H 5010 developed more velocity for the same charge than H 870. The 2 loads of H 5010 were compressed considerably, although we have used a 3 foot drop tube. The load with 101.5 grains of H 5010 and the 240 MK had an SD of 2!
I checked the throat for any sign of erosion after about 260 rounds. There was a definite sign of slight erosion; another check was done after 345 rounds. I could not see any noticeable increase over the previous check. I am afraid there is nothing scientific in this, it is just what I can see with my eyes under magnification. Another thing you might notice is that with the same charge of powder – 103.0 grains of H 1000, and two different bullets of the same weight, we got a difference of 126 fps! That’s is between the Nosler 125 Ballistic Tip and the Berger 125. Both bullets were molly coated.
The barrel was inspected after 465 rounds. The original erosion noticed at the beginning of the throat did not seem to have increased very much, but, there was more signs of erosion further forward for about 3 inches ahead of the chamber. This did not seem to make that much effect to the accuracy so far, as evidenced by the two groups of 0.161 and 0.149 after 430 rounds.
A few people have expressed interest in this wildcat, it seems they were won over by its accuracy. I would like you to bear in mind that in addition to the rifle being built on a very good bench rest action, we also have gone to a few extra steps to eliminate any variables that might affect the accuracy. For instance, each group was shot with cases that have been weighed to be exactly of the same weight, and the same was done to the bullets as well. This was done in addition to the normal match preparation of the cases. All our powder charges were weighed. We had a magnum bolt face on our rifle, and it handled the 404 case head size without any problems at all. May be our bolt face opening was on the generous size.
This is Scary, one of our resident cheetahs. As you can see, he is right in his elements, as he loves shooting. We have a job sometimes taking the rifle out of his paws.
|
POWDER |
VELOCITY |
GROUP |
BULLET |
|
18.0 GREEN DOT |
NOT CHECKED |
FIRE FORMING LOAD |
SIERRA 240 MATCH KING |
|
|
|
|
|
|
80.0 RELOADER 22 |
2925 |
0.149 |
SIERRA 220 MATCH KING |
|
81.5 |
2980 |
0.294 |
|
|
83.0 |
3027 |
0.160 |
|
|
84.5 |
3081 |
0.842 |
|
|
86.0 H 1000 |
2959 |
0.096 |
|
|
87.5 |
3002 |
0.335 |
|
|
89.0 |
3060 |
0.427 |
|
|
90.5 |
3103 |
0.850 |
|
|
92.0 |
3125 |
0.288 |
|
|
95.0 H 870 |
2992 |
0.411 |
|
|
96.5 |
3045 |
0.599 |
|
|
98.0 |
3093 |
0.432 |
|
|
99.5 |
3144 |
0.576 |
|
|
101.0 |
3182 |
0.776 |
|
|
102.5 |
3205 |
0.519 |
|
|
104.0 |
3227 |
0.963 |
|
|
105.5 |
3254 |
1.068 |
|
|
92.0 H 870 |
2851 |
0.466 |
SIERRA 240 MATCH KING |
|
93.5 |
2915 |
0.459 |
|
|
95.0 |
2947 |
0.468 |
|
|
96.5 |
2997 |
0.942 |
|
|
98.0 |
3026 |
0.495 |
|
|
99.5 |
3058 |
0.631 |
|
|
101.0 |
3083 |
0.684 |
|
|
102.5 |
3098 |
0.653 |
|
|
104.0 |
3107 |
0.151 |
SD 2 |
|
100.0 H 5010 |
3100 |
0.268 |
|
|
101.5 |
3164 |
0.438 |
|
|
100.0 |
3202 |
0.578 |
BERGER 210 |
|
101.5 |
3224 |
0.312 |
|
|
88.0 H 1000 |
2994 |
0.072 |
SD 3 |
|
89.5 |
3056 |
0.188 |
SD 2 |
|
91.0 |
3090 |
0.345 |
|
|
92.5 |
3151 |
0.433 |
|
|
94.0 |
3188 |
0.412 |
|
|
95.5 |
3237 |
0.641 |
SD 3 |
|
97.0 |
3294 |
0.449 |
|
|
98.5 |
3305 |
0.473 |
|
|
100.0 |
3546 |
0.660 |
BERGER 175 VLD |
|
80.0 VVN 165 |
3055 |
0.446 |
|
|
81.5 |
3090 |
0.288 |
|
|
83.0 |
3145 |
0.632 |
|
|
84.5 |
3171 |
0.497 |
|
|
86.0 |
3225 |
0.168 |
|
|
87.5 |
3273 |
0.185 |
|
|
89.0 |
3293 |
0.442 |
|
|
90.5 |
3365 |
0.183 |
|
|
92.0 |
3422 |
0.184 |
SD 1 |
|
93.5 |
3460 |
0.334 |
|
|
95.0 |
3540 |
0.447 |
|
|
96.5 |
3599 |
0.282 |
|
|
98.0 |
3637 |
0.683 |
|
|
100.0 |
3791 |
0.402 |
RUBRIGHT 150 |
|
101.5 |
3841 |
0.715 |
|
|
95.0 RELOADER 22 |
3671 |
0.847 |
|
|
96.5 |
3720 |
0.595 |
|
|
98.0 |
3820 |
0.519 |
|
|
95.0 WMR |
3630 |
0.238 |
SD 3 |
|
96.5 |
3663 |
0.205 |
|
|
98.0 |
3716 |
0.216 |
|
|
99.5 |
3764 |
0.515 |
|
|
101.0 |
3813 |
0.256 |
|
|
102.5 |
3889 |
0.158 |
|
|
100.0 |
3853 |
0.342 |
RUBRIGHT 135 |
|
101.5 |
3881 |
0.232 |
|
|
103 |
3975 |
0.410 |
|
|
85.0 H 450 |
3450 |
0.623 |
|
|
86.5 H 4831 |
3355 |
0.310 |
BAD MUZZLE FLASH |
|
88.0 |
3389 |
0.244 |
WITH THIS |
|
89.5 |
3446 |
0.253 |
POWDER |
|
91.0 |
3509 |
0.248 |
|
|
92.5 |
3550 |
0.433 |
|
|
100.0 WMR |
3911 |
0.990 |
NOSLER 125 BALLISTIC TIP |
|
101.5 |
3951 |
0.409 |
|
|
100.0 VVN 165 |
3931 |
0.588 |
|
|
101.5 |
3990 |
0.337 |
|
|
100.0 H 1000 |
3635 |
0.244 |
|
|
101.5 |
3671 |
0.617 |
|
|
103.0 |
3748 |
0.749 |
|
|
103.0 |
3874 |
0.246 |
BERGER 125 |
|
104.5 |
3932 |
0.392 |
|
|
106.0 |
3995 |
0.440 |
|
|
107.5 |
4041 |
0.339 |
|
|
109.0 |
4074 |
0.312 |
|
|
97.0 |
3471 |
0.567 |
LAPUA 185 SCENAR |
|
105.0 H 870 |
3340 |
0.161 |
|
|
106.5 |
3404 |
0.149 |
|
|
108.0 |
3450 |
0.388 |
|
|
90.0 WMR |
3316 |
0.550 |
SD 3 |
|
91.5 |
3392 |
0.452 |
|
|
90.0 RELOADER 22 |
3373 |
0.452 |
|
|
90.0 VVN 165 |
3306 |
0.282 |
|
|
91.5 |
3328 |
0.379 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are the different stages of forming cases for our rifle, loaded round on the right with a Sierra 220 match King bullet.