405 Wcf

[StrawHat]

Anybody else load for the old 405 WCF?

Mine is a Winchester 1895 rifle from 1900. Originally chambered in 30 Gov't, reworked and rebarreled to 405, complete with rifle buttplate.

What are you shooting?

I load 28 grains of 5744 under the Lyman 412263 boolit.

What other loads and lubes are folks using with cast boolits?

Thanks for sharing the info.

[halfslow]

I have a 405 barrel for the TC Encore.
I found the most fun load is a case almost full of Pyrodex with the 412263 Lyman bullet.
It basically duplicates the 40-70 straight sharps.
I used SPG lube, but ran out and am gonna try Felix lube in the next batch.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, I've been loading the 405 for many years for an original 1895. There are a number of powder combinations ranging from light to heavy. I use the Lyman mold #412263, an old single cavity that drops them with WW at around 300 grains at .413". I shoot them unsized using NRA 50/50 formula. No leading. I finally settled on 40 grains of IMR 3031 which gives 1500fps. That shoots pretty accurately for me without too much punishment. I once went as high as 57 grains of 3031 and got 2250 fps which is original factory velocity, but the recoil was pure murder. That would give you over a ton and a half of muzzle energy and would be adquate for hunting anything of any size in North America. Loads exist at various lower velicities using other powders such as 2400, 4227, 4198, 4895, 4064 and 4320. In addition to 3031, the last four previously listed give somewhat lower pressures and take up more space in the case which improves the loading density. There is a loading of 16 grains of Unique which will give you around 1450 fps; it is the mildest of what I have listed and is probably more economical than any of the other powders. If using that Unique load it might be better to raise the muzzle before each shot, to get the powder charge to the rear of the case. I hope that this info helps you with loading for your 95. Good shooting. LLS

[Tom Herman]

Hey Halfslow!

Try making your own lube! I use the formula of 40% paraffin wax, 40% sheep tallow, and 20% beeswax.
It's doggone near a dead ringer for SPG, and a hell of a lot cheaper.
It nearly looks like it, and has a very similar consistency. SPG might be a touch tackier that this lube (maybe a tad more beeswax?).
It works just as good as SPG in all the revolver cartridges (.44 SPL, .45 LC, .455 Webley) that I load.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

I used SPG lube, but ran out and am gonna try Felix lube in the next batch.

[StrawHat]

... That would give you over a ton and a half of muzzle energy and would be adquate for hunting anything of any size in North America... LLS

Le Loup Solitaire,

I recall reading where the gunwriters of the day considered the 405WCF was overpowered for the lower 48.

Wish I could find that reference again.

Like you, I do not crank it up too much. A 300 grain slug at 1600-1700 fps is plenty for my shooting style.

I'll give 3031 a try.

[Wayne Smith]

I have the new Mikoru 1895. I shoot one of BullShop's 350 gr. WFN boolits - I figured I'll not shoot this enough to buy a mold, I'll just buy his boolits - and put them over 47gr. Benchmark. I'm getting an average of 1985.8fps with a standard deviation of 42. This is with an uncrimped boolit. I haven't measured them crimped, but from the recoil I'm over 2000fps and with better accuracy. Even with a Past pad I don't want to shoot a lot of them in a day!

[halfslow]

Thanks Tom.
I'll have to find some sheep tallow to try this.
I wonder if regular lard would work?
I used to use something similar with my front loaders; Crisco and candle wax. The candle wax was a mixture of parafin, beeswax, caranuba and who knows what else. Bayberry also, I think.
I got a bucket of lanolin to see how it worked with lead bullets, which brought me to making a batch of Felix lube. Haven't tried it yet.

[The Virginian]

What is the best mould to try if loading for a Winchester 1895? How accurate have you found the cast bullets to be in this gun?

[madsenshooter]

Hmm, another Krag project. SAAMI max is 44,000psi piezo, it'd be doable. Where does one find .412 rifle barrel blanks? Better finish the two heavy barrels I have going first, a 6mm/30-40AI with a heavy Obermeyer barrel, and a standard 30/40 (for now) with a new Wilson 6 groove barrel.