Paper-patching .416 bullets for use in .404 Jeffery

[Pigoutultra]

I was wondering if it would be advisable or even possible to paper-patch .416 caliber bullets for use in a .404 Jeffery. .416 bullets are more readily available than .423 bullets so that is why I am asking. I'm not very familiar with paper-patching myself, so I don't know if the bullet you are patching is supposed to be touching the lands or if it should be smaller.

 

[Al Thompson]

No immediate help, but Ross Seyfried had a great article on that in either Rifle or Precision Shooter a few years back. Might try Google.

 

[Robert]

I guess it could be done though I am not sure it would work on copper jacketed bullets. You'd have to use lead bullets designed for paper patching. Buffalo Arms has the paper for patching and even has templates for cutting the paper to fit and lead bullets. It would really depend on if you can find the proper bullet size for patching.
http://www.buffaloarms.com/

 

[Jim Watson]

There was some work done paper patching .458s for .470 and even 7mm Mauser for .280 Ross. If you could find the old American Rifleman articles...

 

[BruceB]

Yes, it can work.

I own rifles in both .404 Jeffery (Cogswell & Harrison) and .416 Rigby (Ruger #1).

I tried using an NEI 424-390 cast bullet , .424" cast diameter sized down to .417", intended for .404, in the .416. In a limited experiment, it was not successful. I also tried the RCBS .416-350 bullet paper-patched to .424" in the .404. This worked better than the previous experiment, but not terribly well.

Ross Seyfried was using JACKETED .416 bullets in the .404, patching them with both paper and teflon tape as I recall. To give the patching material some "grip" on the harder bullets, he rolled them between two files or rasps to create some 'tooth' on the surfaces. Results were not bad, and certainly would have sufficed for shooting big game at reasonable distances.

I may give that a "go" some day, but with the Barnes TSX now available in both .416 and ,423 diameters, there's really no need for such measures. However, it IS nice to know that such avenues are open if needed. Sometimes a certain amount of ingenuity can be extremely valuable.

I once chronographed a load in the .416 Rigby with the 300-grain X-bullet......2990 fps, and NO mistaking the fact that the primer had worked correctly! What a marvelous long-range elk load that would be!

 

[armarsh]

There is a lot of info on Castboolits. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

I have paper patched for 577-450 MH so I could use .458 bullets in my .464 bore. It works surprisingly well.

 

[Pigoutultra]

Thank you for the replies, you have been helpful.

 

[Robert]

Ross Seyfried was using JACKETED .416 bullets in the .404,

Now that is interesting.

I have always wanted to get into loading paper patching bullets for my 45-70. But then I need black powder and all the kit that goes with that

 

[dprice3844444]

theres a guy, charlie hahn,sharps paper cartridges,9 locust court,berlin md 21811 410-208-4736 [email protected] that makes cardboard tubes for sharps.give him a call as the tubes maybe adaptable to what you guys are doing.

guns mag 6/2009