Safari Grade 444 Success!!!!!! New News!

Re: Safari Grade 444 Success!!!!!!

Jack; No...the double in 444 is still a future consideration...some day.

Tony65X55; Thanks! There is still more work to do, but, the velocity/pressure hurdle has been overcome, and the rifle feeds, cycles, and ejects, as it should. I would consider the "basics" accomplished after I get done working with the 300 grain bullet. After that, maybe I can do some "experimenting" as time permits to improve on what I have done so far....but, I am happy with the results. As it stands, this modification and its ballistic accomplishment is all that is needed for anything, anywhere.

rooterpig;.........I dont know...just some old fart that wondered by! I asked him to hold the rifle and told him to "point here" to get picture proof of the "moment"!!! ;D

Lakota; Thanks! The key to taking large game is having the correct bullet (weight, shape, mass) with a suitable momentum at impact to drive deep and make the kill. 400 grain, .400 bore class bullets have been taking large game cleanly for a long time. It seems, from the history of large game hunting that I have studied over the years, that velocities that will produce 4000+ ft lbs with a 400 grain bullet are excellent for the task....no more is really needed, be it in bullet weight or velocity. As I mentioned before, the 404 Jeffery, and the 450-400 NE, up to the 416 Rigby velocities (2100 to 2350 fps) have been ideal in this respect (with a 400 to 410 grain bullet), and are still much favored by those who hunt African large game....these cartridges are legendary in thier performance and appeal. They offer the hunter a standard weight rifle (8 1/2 to 9 1/2 pounds), that is easily controllable (lower recoil than the "big boys"), can be carried afield all day long, and has the power to take large game in thick cover, yet, has the versatility to take smaller game animals at longer ranges. This is where I set my goal for the Safari Grade 444....I wanted all of the above in a lever gun, and the 444 XLR in its modified form fit the bill to a "T".

dpe.ahoy; Thanks! There is no gap...this modified 444 can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest (and proven) African large game cartridges ever devised. If I was to take this to the limit, and use custom mixed powders (which would really limit the use of this modification for the general shooting public), I could push the 405 to 2400+ fps easily...at 5000+ ft lbs, or, the 300 grain bullet at 2800+ fps, at 5000+ ft lbs, but, I ask myself why, when the modification as it stands now is so perfectly well balanced a combination of controllability and power. In the hands of a decent shooter/hunter, this is all I can see that would be needed....history tells me so....besides, to get this kind of power from most lever guns requires barrel changes, custom wildcat cartridges, rechambering and/or rethreading...the works....and that is expensive. This modification allows for standard reloading equipment and components, no special machine work, etc. It is just your factory built 444.....modified and upgraded to allow for its full potential to be realized....and, that is the beauty of this modification. I do rock...every time I pull the trigger on the SG 444!!! ;D