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Common uses: Dangerous Game, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 400gr Hornady Dangerous Game DGX Bonded |
| Muzzle velocity | 2300 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 4700 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.315 |
| Case length | 73 mm |
| Overall length | 95.3 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2300 | 4698 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2042 | 3702 | 0 |
| 200 | 1801 | 2882 | -6.9 |
| 300 | 1582 | 2222 | -24.6 |
| 400 | 1388 | 1712 | -56.2 |
| 500 | 1227 | 1337 | -106 |
At 1,000 yards, .404 Jeffery (400gr at 2300 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 76.7 MOA / 22.3 MIL, retaining 862 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1582 | Supersonic | -24.6 | 7.8 | 2.28 |
| 400 | 1388 | Supersonic | -56.2 | 13.4 | 3.90 |
| 500 | 1227 | Transonic | -106.0 | 20.3 | 5.89 |
| 600 | 1105 | Subsonic | -178.8 | 28.5 | 8.28 |
| 700 | 1020 | Subsonic | -280.2 | 38.2 | 11.12 |
| 800 | 956 | Subsonic | -415.0 | 49.5 | 14.41 |
| 900 | 906 | Subsonic | -587.9 | 62.4 | 18.14 |
| 1000 | 862 | Subsonic | -803.0 | 76.7 | 22.31 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .404 Jeffery is a classic large-bore cartridge built almost entirely for thick-skinned dangerous game, and it earned a strong reputation on elephant, buffalo, and other members of Africa's Big Five. Its 400-grain load pushes heavy .422-inch bullets at moderate velocity, delivering deep penetration and reliable terminal performance while producing recoil that many shooters find more manageable than the larger Rigby and Nitro Express rounds. Because it functions well in standard-length Mauser bolt actions rather than requiring an oversized magnum action, it has long been valued as a practical working cartridge for professional hunters and game rangers. It is not a long-range or versatile all-round chambering, and factory ammunition is specialized and comparatively costly, but within its intended role at close-to-moderate distances it remains highly respected. Handloaders and a handful of makers keep it viable today, sustaining its standing as one of the most effective and enduring dangerous-game cartridges. It is also known as the .404 Rimless Nitro Express and the 10.75x73mm.
Introduced around 1909 by the London gunmaking firm W. J. Jeffery & Co. (with design work dating to about 1905), the .404 Jeffery was created to give bolt-action rifles the stopping power of the .450/400 Nitro Express in a rimless, beltless case suited to Mauser-type actions. It became a mainstay of African dangerous-game hunting and was widely adopted by the game departments of British colonial East and Southern Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, and the Rhodesias, where it armed rangers doing animal-control work. Its rugged, large-diameter case later served as the parent for modern high-performance families such as the Remington Ultra Magnum line.
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