40-65 loads

[Red Logan]

working up loads for bpcr in 40-65, will use 265, 325, and 400gr bullets any one out here doing this???

[Boz330]

working up loads for bpcr in 40-65, will use 265, 325, and 400gr bullets any one out here doing this???

Red, what twist barrel do you have? Shoot an 18 twist Highwall myself and the 350gr RCBS boolit. Never tried lighter and have had very little luck with 400gr boolits. My load is WW reformed 45-70 brass. CCI 2 BR primer, over primer newsprint wad, 58gr by weight 2F Swiss BP, .025 wad, .135 compression, no neck tension, boolit sized .408.
The first driving band engraves in the rifling. This load clocks at 1290fps and extreme spread 12 to 13fps.

Bob

[oneokie]

Red, welcome to the board. Friendly and helpful folks here.

Do some reading here:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/search.php?searchid=413898

[bullshot]

Red Logan
I have a Cimarron High Wall in 40-65. Been on the board asking questions also. My rifle has a 1-18 twist and will not handle the 400 gr boolits. I have settled for the moment on the RCBS 300 cas. I am having the best luck with a duplex load,51 gr Accurate 8700 over 3 gr IMR4895. 2" at 100 yds.Being new on the board this type load was suggested by another member but I can't remember his name and not clever enough to find his post. I have had reasonable results with 35 gr Varget with the same boolit. Another member suggested a bullet design which went the way of the duplex load author. Its a work in progress. Good Luck.

[405]

I don't have a 40-65 but one that is fairly close. It carries an original Sharps barrel from about 1880. It is in 40-70 SS. I spent a lot of time playing around with the gun and CBs looking to find the best accuracy. The slugged groove dia. is .406 and the twist is 1-20". I found the best loads were either straight FF BP under .030 card/grease cookie/.030 card under plain base 300 gr cast soft alloy, sized to .408 or a mild load of 5744 (Lyman current manual) under about an 18-20 BHN GC 260 gr bullet sized to .408. Duplex loads make for a cleaner burning BP load but should be approached with caution and gleaned from pressure tested sources.

[looseprojectile]

RED
Welcome to the forum;
I have the same rifle that BULLSHOT has. I just recently got the book, The Breech Loading Single Shot Rifle. Ned Roberts and most all of his cronies were using duplex loads and fillers and wads a hundred years ago in any combination imaginable. Roberts also said that good accuracy can be had with the slower pistol powders at close range. These guys shot for money. They also used weak Stevens and ballard rifles.
I would not use any smokeless loads, other than maybe fifteen or sixteen grains of 5744 in an old rifle. But in these new reproductions that are chambered in calibers such as 270 and 30 06 I believe a man couldn't stand the recoil of a load that bordered on dangerous. I believe a full case of nearly any medium to slow powder could be loaded in the newer 40 65s safely, though they probably won't be the most accurate. YMMV!
I am disapointed in Lyman for not including any loads for the 40 65 in the new manual. Also they don't have any loads for any boolits less than 385 grains for the forty calibers. I am still searching for "the load" for my rifle and will hope for something less than 2" at a hundred yards. Very mild loads of 5744 show the best promise. Bullshot has nearly done it with his duplex load. The previosly mentioned book is a good read for single shot buffs looking for accuracy.:drinks:

[Red Logan]

I should have told what rifle in the beginning, its a Browning hiwall 1885 bpcr, with a badger brl and i think 1/16, but not shure.
Have tested only 265 gc pills using 4895, 3031, 4198, uniq and trailbosshave tests to use more powder with the 3031, and 4189, but so far the uniq and tb were the best.
am going to try 4759 as well. have some 325gc pills but weather (wind) has been a problem as well as stock on the range, dont want to bother the stock, but have found a caster that makes a 400 gr pill as well as some heeled pills for my 44 Evans, which I have looked for 5 years, have 50 cases made for it, but will not do it till this summer
when i was a kid on the farm i shot all the 44evans rounds up, and didnt save any cases, but they were to old to save, this was in the late 40's or earlu 50's.
any way back to the 40-65 will keep posted the results amd hope anyone has some advice speek out, thankx Mike

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have a large framed Martini Creedmoor with a Badger 1:16" barrel. Top accuracy has been with either the Lyman 420gn Snover and 57gn FFG Swiss or the Lyman 395gn tapered boolit and a full 65gn Swiss.

10 shot x 200yds bench rested target - Lyman 395gn tapered boolit
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/ericsrifletarget2.jpg

L to R - 40/65 with 420gn & 395gn, 577/450; 45/70 with 485gn tapered boolit & 520gn Postell,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/My_cast_45.jpg

[Boz330]

Your probably going to have trouble with the light bullets if it is a 16 twist. The 400gr will be the ticket with that twist. With smokeless the 465s will probably work pretty good, but you might not like the recoil much.

Bob

[floodgate]

Red Logan:

Interesting to hear about your Evans. Is it a New Model or an Old Model? I have a late New Model Sporting Rifle, made up after the original company folded, and have the dies to re-form .30-40 cases to fit it - but I went ahead and bought 100 NM cases from Buffalo Arms. (I also had a late NM carbine, but sold it to another collector/shooter.) The NM isn't actually a heeled bullet, though loaded cartridges look like it because of their very thin necks. I have a ratty old Ideal No. 4 or 6 tool that has the mould attached, and the bullets don't look too bad. So far I've only fired it single-shot - I am a bit goosey about 26 rounds in the buttstock next to my cheek.

Since each round has to be fully cycled into the magazine, I call it "The rifle you load all week and shoot on Sunday".

I'd like to see a photo of yours, if you can post it here. Or PM me for my e-mail.

Doug Elliott/"floodgate"

[Red Logan]

its a new model, but the bore mikes .430 to .431, and if a round is loaded with a .430 pill it willnot chamber, and yes I will dig it outa the vault and email you a pic..maybe before the weekend..or maybe not, as soon as I can..