Any 405 Winchester shooters out there?

[erickrschaefer]

I just got a Ruger #1 Tropical stainless in 405 and am looking for anyone has some experience with one. Looking for some places to start with cast bullet reloading data and what type of glass you guys have used. I plan to use it for whitetails and bear out to 150 yards or so and was planning on trying to come up with a good load that would shoot a 300-350 gr WFNGC at around 1500fps. Sure would like to here from anyone shooting something simmilar.

[quickdtoo]

I can't help ya much with cast loads, I've only shot jacketed in my 405 Win H&R, just worked up a load using the .416" Hawk Spitzer resized to .411" at ~2450fps,  but maybe this article will help, there's one cast bullet  listed. Ammoguide has several cast bullet loads if you're interested in joining.

Tim

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger_No1_405.htm

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn=fXfRYCwJkN&catid=46

[Ranch13]

 Been shooting the 405 for over 10 years.  aa5744 is the powder for cast bullets, I think the best cast bullet for both accuracy and should be a good hunting bullet is the Buffalo Arms co. 300 gr .413 gaschecked bullet.
 If you go with jacketed bullets the Northfork 300 ss and RL 15 are hard to beat. (well actually RL 12 is THE powder but unless you have some stashed it was discontinued several years ago).
 Also using Hogdon youth data with the Hornady 300 gr bullet shows some decent accuracy and just maybe going slow enough to keep the things from turning to shrapnel when they  hit anything harder than a paper target.

[StrawHat]

I have a WInchester 1895 chambered for the 405 WCF.  My cast bullet load is the Lyman 412263 (310 grain RN) over 28 grains of 5744.  I had plans to work up a load with a 350 grain bullet but have stayed with the original weight.
 
Rugers can handle hotter loads but the original 405 WCF was considered too much for this continent.

[Ranch13]

 I'm not sure how you would make a "hotter ruger" load in the 405. Case capacity is limited by the long bullets. You could I suppose lengthen the throat in a rifle to accept a bullet seated out further, but the gains from that wouldn't even begin to cover the cost of the throating reamer, let alone the cost of having it done properly.
 You can launch a 300 gr bullet at 2400 fps with the proper powder selection and still remain well within saami pressure specs.

[457121]

as Ranch13 said RL12 is the powder but kind of a moot point. i also use RL15 and sometimes IMR3031. i only shoot cast from my 1895, a LBT 350gr. LFN @ 2200 fps.

[StrawHat]

I believe John Barsness wrote an article about the Ruger #1 and the 405 WCF.  He was able to create loads that took him from the old 40-72 to the 450-400 ballistically.  I like the old 40-72 level myself.

[StrawHat]

I dug through some of my magazines and found an annual index.  The article was by Barsness and published in the Dec/Jan issue 2004/2005.  I was not able to find a copy on line to link, but I will look through my magazine files and see if I can find a hard copy.

[.22-5-40]

Hello, I don't have a .405Winchester..but I do shoot cast in a .40-70 2 /12" straight Axtell Sharps.  The .405 was a modernized version of this old ctg.  I am using Ideal 412263 cast of fairly soft alloy & have had very good luck with H4895.  This bullet..now re-introduced by Lyman was originally designed for this ctg.  I called Hodgdon & they gave me start loads..but I played it safe & went a few grains under..good thing..I never would have found the load it likes..1" and sometimes a bit under at 100yds.  Their start loads opened up groups.  I am using 20.0 grs.  Another good powder is Varget.  I am using a 1/16" Vegetable fibre wad (Walters) under bullet.

[Dalgo]

Barnsness article on loading for the .405 Win can be found in Wolfe Publishing's Handloader Magazine, Dec. 2004 No. 232, page 70.  Cool article!  I ordered mine by going to the Handloader Mag. site on line.  They offer a lot of old issues in either CD format or actual magazine copies. I did order by phone, though. I prefer doing it like that.  Go on their site. Also Rifle magazine. Lots of great articles from the different issues over the years available.


Dalgo

[saltydog]

Hodgdon's reloading annual has cast loads for many calibers - that is where I would start.

[quickdtoo]

Hodgdon's reloading annual has cast loads for many calibers - that is where I would start.

Unfortunately Hodgdon only has jacketed 405W loads. 

Tim

[crash87]

Picked up a Wincester 1885 last year in 405WCF, a Davidsons exclusive. I shoot a 300 gr. LBT lfn gc that actually dropps about 320. Can't give you an exact load or velocity as I am a few states away from home but, said bullet and IMR 3031 is my go to load with 5744 a very close second. In fact took a hog last Feb at Dave's Hog Wild in da U.P. I shot it at a shade over 100yds as thay mde there way out into a little clearing. I suggest you do some digging and find Ken Waters pet load's article on the 405, very good information. In fact that is the reason I tried IMR3031.Crash87