.40 cal. bullet lengths

[Trailrider SASS #896]

Does anyone know the length of Lyman #410655 and #410663 bullets? What I'm trying to do is determine the seating depth Lyman uses (they measure overall cartridge length) to compare it to that of a 362 gr. Montana Bullet Co. slug. Since nobody list loads for a bullet this light for .40-65, I'm trying to work ratios between the case capacity and bullet weight for smokeless powders.

The Montana Bullet is a flat nose, but has a long cylinderical section, which leaves me with a case WATER capacity of about 44.2 gr H2O.

Anyone use a bullet this light in single shot .40-65's? Any suggestions for smokeless loads?

Thanks, all, in advance!

Trailrider

[DonH]

When I first got my Shiloh .440-65 and did not have a mould yet, I loaded some 210 grain .41 j-word hollow points. T he powder was 4759 and if I recall the charge was 21 grains. I took a light load for .45-70 from a manual and extrapolated. Recoil and report was mild and the load shot around 2" at 100 yds with the buckhorn barrel sight. I realize this is a much lighter bullet than you are asking about but related it to make the point that such powders are very flexible. Since then I have shot exclusively BP with 400 grain bullets.
Last season my grandson began shooting the rifle in matches. He had just turned 14 and kinda skinny and the effects of recoil after 40 shots +sighters (50 shot match) would wear him down. I made up some smokeless loads for the 100 and 200 yd stages. these consisted of 17.0 gr of IMR 4227 with the 400 gr bullet. A TP "wad" was used to maintain powder position. I have not benched the rifle with this load but it easily stayed on the chicken silhouette to 200 yds. Don't be afraid to work with powders in this burning rate range. these include the two mentioned above and also 5744. 4198 can be used on the basis of .40% of the BP charge.

There is, however, NOTHING like shooting the old rifles with black powder1 Granted, one must manage the powder fouling for prolonged accurate shooting but this can be done. The rifles are as easy, if not easier to clean than a modern high-power rifle. One MUST wash the cases after firing BP loads.

HTH

[looseprojectile]

Trailrider;
When I bought my rifle used I got a bag of .40 cal. boolits with it.
Bag says 40 cal. 264 grain .406 dia. I have not loaded any of these as my groove dia. is .408". Soon after i got the rifle I ordered a two cavity RCBS 40-300 sp csa mold.
My rifle has little to no leade so when I crimp into the first lube groove the first band is already jammed into the rifling. Rifle is Cimarron highwall 40 65 cal.
Loading data is near nonexistant for the 40 65 with 300 grainers though I have had some success with the powders you use. I get a lot of unburned powder with RE 7 and the other slower powders. My best loads are with 4198, 5744 and 4759.
What rifle do you have?

[looseprojectile]

Sorry Trailrider I got your post confused with DonH's post.
My best load is with 18 grains of 4198 with the 300 grain boolit.
Happy shooting