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Fairly new menber here; I'll soon start loading cast bullets for a Ruger #1 in 405 Winchester. I have some data from various sources but there is not a lot of information out there. Could use more data from any members with first hand experience or knowledge of sources.
Thanks to all,
beefan
Ken Waters did a nice write-up on the .405 Winchester in his Pet Loads, and I suggest you find a copy of that for reference.
My favorite load for the .405 Winchester is 55.0 grains of 4895 underneath a 300 grain GC bullet that I had Mountain Molds make a mould for. As I recall, this gives me about 1950 fps from a 14" Contender.
I have been loading the 405 for an 1895 Winchester for many years. I have an old Lyman single cavity #412263 which was then listed as the original boolit for 405. It drops from the mold at .413 and weighs around 290 grains; I could get it up to 300 by reducing the amount of tin that I have added to the WW metal to get it up to a higher brinnel hardness which is really needed. There are a number of well known powders that can be used with success depending upon what you are using the caliber for in terms of velocity/hunting. To name a few; 2400,4227 4198, 4895,3031,4064 and 4320. All (IMR) work very well in the 1400-1500 fps range and I'm sure that there are others in the Alliant, Hogdon, Alliant, etc. brands. Moving higher than 1500 and on up, increases the recoil noticeably. After considerable experimenting and punishment in my earlier years I finally settled on 40 grains of 3031 which is kind of in the middle of it all and that groups pretty well at 1500 fps. The 95 in 405, especially with a curved butt plate, is a hard hitting,straight shooting old earthquake wagon, and with the 300 grain boolit driven at factory velocity of 2250 fps, it generates around 3200 ft pounds of ME, and that makes it pretty potent against anything in the western hemisphere and some african game as well. (according to former president Teddy Roosevelt who hunted lion with it) Anyone desiring that kind of perfomance can get it with 57 grains of 3031, but you won't need or fire too many of those in any one day. Good shooting. LLS
Thanks, gentlemen, for the replies---useful information.
beefan
In my 1895, I use the 412263 over +/- 28 grains of 5744. Nice load and good accuracy.
I am told that +/- 35 grains of H4895 works with the bullets from Hornandy.
Currently, I am working up loads using 350 grain boolits, nothing to write about yet.
I am also playing with paper jackets and find they work well with the 5744.
Good luck and let us know what works for you.
I'm using 47gr Benchmark under one of BullShop's 350WFN boolits. Getting 1985 fps out of a 95 Winnie Mikouro made. I think I'll be getting closer to 2000 when I seat them fully, at that speed they were seated out just a tad. I get more recoil when they are fully seated, but haven't chrono'ed them that way.
On a box of Winchester 405 it shows Roosevelt on an African Safari hunt, pith helmet and pince-nez glasses and all with an 1895 Winchester in .405 leaning on the dead carcass of what looks like a White Rhino. Is this cartridge powerful enough to take down such large African game?
Hello Virginian...
I bought a RCBS .416"/gr. mold from Buffalo Arms to shoot in my Ruger #1 .405 Win. The .405 Win. can be loaded up to 450-400 3" Vel. (2100fps)with a 400gr. boolit in modern rifles like the Ruger and the new Winchester 1895's if the throat is lengthened to accommodate it "from what I have read".
The beauty of the RCBS .416" is that you can size it down using a push thru sizer to your particular rifles needs if you lube and gas check it first in a .416" sizer die.. In my case I wanted a .4145" boolit for my Ruger and it shot very well at 50 meters the one time I took it to the range..
The RCBS boolit comes out at .370grs+ IIRC in my WW.
A fellow that goes by the screen name of JudgeG on the Accurate Reloading website had his 1895 Win throat lengthened so he could use it in Africa shooting 400gr bullets..
Here is a link to a search at Accurate Reloading on the .405 Win in the Big Bore forum..
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/...ID=4711043&p=1
You might want to have a proper slip on recoil pad on hand also before you shoot your 1895.. :shock: