Hello and Few Questions

[GuzziRider]

First off "hello to all". I found this list the other night and did a lot of reading. Decided to join in. I am a long time caster due to being into BPCR Silhouette and Long Range Creedmore. But for all of that my experience has been with pure lead/tin soft cast for the holy black loads in my Rollers and Sharps. Here of late I have started playing with my 95 Winchester .405 WCF. Up until now I have been shooting hard cast gas checked 300 gr round nose boolits from Huntingtons. These have worked fine for both deer and a few lever gun silhouette shoots but I am tired of paying the cost for these. I picked up a Lyman #412263 mould that dorps a .413" dia. 288 grain RN plain base grease groove slug for the .405 Winchester. I have just cast up some boolits using WW and quenched them from the mould. I will be shooting them as cast, lubed with SPG and starting out at 1600 fps. I plan on upping the speed until they either start leading, stripping or I reach the max listed load with IMR-4198 at around 2100 fps. Two questions, how far do you all think I might get with this and would you think these might work for hunting duty as well? Any opinions, suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.:coffee:

[runfiverun]

with a p/b boolit i would start closer to 1400 fps and work from there.
for gong above 1600 i usually end up using a g/c.

[snaggdit]

Welcome to castboolits! I have to agree with Runfiverun. With a plain base, even though you will be around 18+BHN from water dropping WW, you will run into issues around 1600fps. I must say, though, have you slugged your gun yet so you know what diameter you want the boolits to be sized to? That will be very important if you are trying to push a plain based boolit to it's limits. Do a search for slugging if this is not familiar to you. There are lots of threads on it. Once you know your barrel's groove diameter you size your boolits to .001-.002 over this size to give you the best seal you can get. Have fun, and chime in with any other questions you might have.

[Bob Krack]

I say, give er a try. It's obvious that you know your way around the loading bench.

Even if 1500 or 1600 DOES end up being your "speed limit", just remember that many a large game animal has been dispatched (humanely) with boolits traveling much slower that that.

Who knows, with everything clicking just right you might surprise a lot of us with the speed you reach!

Bob

[GuzziRider]

Many thanks for the answers. This is just the type of feedback I was looking for. The reason for going down this road is the fact that the latest Lyman reloading book has finally listed some recent data for loading the .405 WCF with this boolit. Too bad the starting loads are all at 1600 fps. Of course this is with their test rig and not my rifle so the bore slugging suggestion is a very good one. I will do it for sure and see where I am at. The listed sized boolit daimeter is .413" and my as cast are at .4125". If the diameter of my rifle's bore is in the range you have suggested compared to my slugs at least I will have a better chance at this working out. My only other choice if not, then will be to look at something like Trail Boss powder in order to lower the veloicity. I am a not too excited about playing around with unlisted reduced powder charges in a long straight sided case like the 405 using modern smokless. Too bad no one offers either gas checks or a gas check mold designed for this round. Or at least that I am aware of. I will get back with what I find in the slugging check.

[runfiverun]

regular 41 cal g/c's can be used.
the mold thing really isn't an issue either.
for a nice rifle like you have, a custom mold would be worth the extra 40 bux they cost.

[GuzziRider]

regular 41 cal g/c's can be used.
the mold thing really isn't an issue either.
for a nice rifle like you have, a custom mold would be worth the extra 40 bux they cost.

Hummmm! Never thought of using 41 Cal. G/C's. And your comment on a custom mold got me to thinking. I have in the past ordered one or two custom molds. One of them came from NEI Handtools. I had heard that Walt Melander the owner died. Your post reminded me that I had seen a gas checked 300 gr. RN .412" diameter bullet mold for the .405 Winchester in his catalog back then. I checked on line and found that the company is still in operation under the leadership of his daughter and the mold is still listed in their catalog. So, I may get one ordered in the near future. I still want to try and see if I can get the plain base number I have on hand to work even if it is at the minimum 1600 fps loading only. If not I now at least have another path to follow. My rifles bore slugged at .405" with a groove dia. of .412" so it might work but only a bit of testing will tell.

[snaggdit]

Good deal, sounds like your boolits drop a thou over so you should be allright. Load some up and see!

[runfiverun]

i have had good luck with quite a few rifles that the boolits were at groove diameter or just slightly over it.

[GuzziRider]

Just a quick up date. First try with the plain based Lyman #412263 and 31.5 grains of IMR-4198 was a modest sucess. No leading or key holes. Ran an average for ten shots of 1570 fps and grouped at 4.5 inches at 100 yds. This is with a Marbles tang sight and the factory blade front and my not very young eyes. I have other loads that shoot some better in this rifle but so far this one seems to be at least open sighted lever gun minute of deer. I now plan on upping the ante a bit and see what happens.

[runfiverun]

you should get 2" or even better keep picking at it go down and up one grain that'll quickly show you something.
if the groups were stringing up and down a filler to help ignition may help also.

[Wayne Smith]

Keep us up to date, please. I've got the same rifle, shot a boar with it with a 350gr LBT boolit I got from The Bullshop. Haven't played with it because of that lack of data. I load that one to about 2000fps. I'd have to go look up the load, can't remember it.

I have a number of other projects going right now, that one is on the back burner.