Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Uberti 1885 Highwall 40-65 Smokeless loads?

I have acquired a new in-the-box, unfired, 40-65 Uberti replica of the 1885 Winchester high wall single shot rifle. I would presume that these are able to handle either blackpowder or smokeless loads equally well. I would prefer to go with smokeless but understand that the 40-65 WCF cartridges that are available are not correct for this single shot. Something about the 40-65 Sharps cartridge being the one to use, and that being a handloading proposition. I can no doubt find some reloading dies, but does anyone have any recommended hand load recipes using smokeless powder? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

As far as I know,there isn't any such thing as a .40-65 Sharps--the .40-65 your rifle is chambered for is the Winchester ctg. based on the .45-70 Govt. case. The .40-70 Sharps was sometimes loaded with 65 grs, but that is a totally different ctg.(actually two totally different ctgs.).

Try Buffalo Arms for cases and loaded ctgs. or Cabella's online, or MidwayUSA. If that Uberti doesn't say "Blackpowder Only" somewhere on it, smokeless is OK. Hiwalls, including replicas, are one of the strongest actions around.

If you do a search for books by Steve Garbe and "Black Powder", you will find his little book that has all kinds of black powder loads and tips for the .40-65. You might even be able to find a used one on Ebay or ABE Books. Neat book; I'd give you the exact title but my books are buried in a remodel of my office.....

Basic smokeless loads should be in "Cartridges of the World" or most of the bigger powder company loading manuals available at a big gunshop or online.

In the box of 50 lyman cast bullets I bought there is some load data for smokeless 40-65. That is the only smokeless data I have ever ran across

My 11th edition of "Cartridges of the World" has four smokeless loads for this ctg. I suspect they would still be in the current edition.

Several directions to go here.
You can get Starline 40-65 brass either direct or thru Cabela's, Midway, Grafs etc..Or you can run 45-70 grass thru the size die and see If the Italians cut the chamber right or will you need to trim.... Or you can go to track of the wolf and get the PMC 40-65 factory loads for cheap, and if the bore on that rifle is 406 or smaller shoot those up, or pull the bullets use the primed brass with bullets from a good supplier such as Montana Bullet Works.
Lyman's 48th manual has data.
I prefer 5744 powder.
Also highly recommend the Lyman 40-65 dies.

Thanks for all input received, especially the last from Ranch13. Think I'd best slug the barrel first to see what bullet diameter will agree with it. I have .408 in my head from when I talked to the salesman at the store that I bought the rifle at in Billings, but I might be remembering wrong (it was 10 years ago). I like the idea of using 5744 powder, having read good things about it in the gun magazines, especially in articles by Mike Ventrino. I'll also check out Montana Bullet Works, once I confirm the bore diameter.

If it is .408 that'll help finding good bullets and molds.
Twist will play a little part in what bullets will shoot well.
I size bullets I cast for the 405 down to .410 to run thru the roller for offhand match loads and just some having fun making the gun go bang....