40-65 or 45-70 Choice?

[Kudu]

I am going to buy a new C Sharps rifle and need to make the choice between 45-70 and 40-65 chambering. I am familiar with both, and have both, but want a new rifle for mostly match shooting up to 800 yds. I am leaning towards the 40-65. Let me know what you all think.
I know this has probably been hashed out before but I thought I would ask anyway.
Thanks
Rich

[Don McDowell]

Make the choice simple, go with a 44-70 st, or the 44-77 bn.

[country gent]

40-65 is a slightly lighter bullet (400 grns) and powder charge ( 52-60grns depending on bullet seating depth) meaning less cost and lower recoil levels which allows for more practice and less fatigue over the day. 45-70 is a 500 -550 grn bullet and 64-68 grn charge of powder depending again on bullet seating depth. Slightly heavier recoil and maybe a little better in the wind. More selection / availability of bullet styles and accesories available for 45-70 probably. I would ask for a chamber drawing of both from C-Sharps as throats can make a big diffrence on bullet styles types and powder charges that work. You can send your reamer and have it cut with it too I believe.
What model C-Sharps are you looking at? what options? barrrel length and sights?
I have a C Sharps hepburn in 45-90 a Pendersoli 74 in 45-70 and just this winter aquired a CPA shillouette Model in 40-65. In the 45s I use the lyman 457125 round nose, 535 grn postel and a 500 grn paper patch. The 40 I have lymans 400 grn snover and an old west 400 grn "nasa" style bullet.

[bigted]

I also have rifles in both chambering's ... but allow me to state my thoughts on your predicament.

if it will double as a hunting rifle at times ... then id go for the 45 cal. this is the easiest to get boolits that will do for whatever animals you would hunt for.

if strictly a target rifle with no thought of hunting with it ... then ... I would suggest the 45 cal for getting easy weight boolits for whatever range you want to shoot at ... from 100 thru 1200 yards.

if recoil is a factor ... then most certainly the 40 cal. they are way less in the recoil dept. generally as the heavy weight boolits they handle is around 400 grains ... and the most powder able to put behind that boolit is going to be 65 or so grains ... in my experience anyway. this 40 cal in the 40-65 win. is the best shooting rifle ... recoil wise that I own with the exception of my 38-55 target hiwall.

most long range shooters I have read about use the heavy 500+ grain boolits for the wind bucking ability as well as the best in stabilization quality's.

[Lead pot]

If you have and use both calibers I would think it would not be a hard choice to make that decision which one you want to get a second one of. I also have a .40-65 and 45-70 and for the second .40 caliber I chose the .40-70 :)

[JesterGrin_1]

I like the 45-70 over the 40-65 for long range and helps with bucking the wind. Also as mentioned components are far easier to get. But to be honest I would vote for the 45-90 if mainly shooting targets.

[CanoeRoller]

There is not much difference between the two. The 45-70 has more bits available, and the 40-65 has less recoil. If you want an all around rifle, I think the 45-70 would be the better choice. If you are just target shooting or plinking, then the 40 would be the way to go.

[Boz330]

I have both and out to 800yd I think the 40-65 will serve you OK. If you are going any farther I believe the 45-70 is the ticket. For me the 45-70 was much easier to develop a load for and the heavier boolit is a definite advantage. The 45-70 really goes through a pot of lead and pound of powder in a hurry compared to the 40-65 though.
When all I did was BPCRS the 40-65 did everything I wanted. When I started dabbling in 800, 900, 1000yd stuff the 45 seemed to be the best way to go.

Bob

[Doc Highwall]

If you were only shooting 600 yards I would look at the 38-55 and 40-65 and not look back, but if I was going to shoot 1000 yards I would look at the 45-70 or 45-90. I am waiting to see what others say due to you wanting to shoot out to 800 yards.

As others have mentioned about recoil it does affect us more then most people admit to, and no matter how good a rifle shoots, a shooter who flinches will not do well. A shooter with a lighter recoiling rifle who has good wind reading skills will do a lot better shooting, not to mention cheaper to shoot allowing you more range time perfecting your wind reading skills.

[Don McDowell]

There are a couple of questions that need to be addressed. First of what type of shooting to 800 yds? and will the range go longer? Where are you going to shoot? The 40-65 with the right combination of barrel twist bullet and powder will shoot to 1000 yds just fine. There may however be a problem if you hit a match that has a "power factor" or other velocity limitations on it. Gong matches it won't matter.
But I will stand by my 44 suggestion. You say you already have a 40-65 and a 45-70, something a little different in the gun cabinet might be called for here, just for the heck of it.

[Kudu]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I went with the 40-65 in a C Sharps model 75 30 " Barrel, pistol grip stock, single set trigger. I think it will work fine.