Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots No1 in 40-82 WCF

I thought I'd show my custom No 1 in 40-82 WCF. The rifle started as a 45-70 and was converted to 40-82 by Todd Lockburner in Monument Colorado. Todd did a great job that included necessary modification of the scope base. The Blue is a nice deep blue that matches the receiver. The barrel is a half octagon and 24".

http://www.lonespruce.net/images/hun16.jpg

Accuracy has been very good without any of the issues with the front hanger affecting accuracy. The caliber is written in script and left in the white. Loads were initially calculated with a Powley and then experimented thereafter. Velocities are in the 1900 -2200 fps with my current loads. Brass was formed from 45-90 Starline with a Redding form die. The regular die set is a Redding 40-82 die set.

http://www.lonespruce.net/images/hun15.jpg

The 40-82 is a .406 caliber and I've been using DKT bullets in a 260 gr and 270 and 300 gr Hawks in semi spitzer. The DKT's were intended for the old Winchester 401. As such, they look like a jacketed wad cutter and will rapidly drop at longer range. Oddly enough, the DKT's group in 1.25" at 100 yds.

Wadcutter shape not with standing, this cow elk was taken at 174 measured yards. The animal was quartered to the left where the bullet entered just at the end of the rib cage and exited at the front of the right shoulder. The entry wound was the size of a nickle, the exit the size of a little larger than a quarter. The entire heart/lung area was turned to jelly. She dropped as if poleaxed.

http://www.lonespruce.net/images/hun4.jpg

If anyone is interested in the 45-70 barrel that was pulled, pls let me know as I have no use for it and will sell. If anyone would like to chamber a rifle in 40-82 WCF let me know as I had to buy the chamber cutter and would be glad to sell it as well.

Ken

That's a cartridge I'd like to see revived.

neat rifle, congrats!

Love the 1/2 octagon, 1/2 round barrel!

I wish I would have done that on my last No. 1 custom...

Very cool!

Todd

I've been shooting a 40-82 WCF in an original '86 Winchester since the early 90's and I always thought the cartridge would be great in a single shot. Your results confirm that, well done! Have you considered a bullet in the 400 gr. weight range or is the twist not compatible with that much longer bullet?

I decided I would be using the rifle for elk and deer at a much higher velocity than the old black powder round. So, I asked for a barrel twist suitable for 250 to 300 grain jacketed bullets. In some part I was also considering what was going to be generally available in jacketed bullets. Aside from DKT and Hawk, there wasn’t a large selection. I bought dies and brass a head of time and gave Todd some loaded 300 gr. Hawk bullets along with the rifle so he could do test shoots as well as verify chamber length.

Using cast bullets would have been counterproductive from my intention to take advantage of the NO 1 action strength and modern brass and powders. A rational person would ask why not just choose a 416 or other large caliber No 1 available off the shelf. However if you ask that, no amount of explanation will suffice.

All in all, it seems to have met what I had envisioned. As a conversion from a 45-70, it is a simple barrel swap, the brass base being the same. I decided to “tart it up” a bit with the half octagon and it seems to wear it well.

As a Colorado resident at the time, I was hunting in everything from black timber to wide open mountain parks so distance varied. As I noted, the elk was taken at 174 yards, one of the mulies was at around 70 yards, and in all cases they just dropped where the stood. The 40 seems to have a major impact on deer/elk chest cavities.

Choosing an old and odd caliber in a new rifle is sort of like what Louis Armstrong told someone of jazz, "if I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand". I don't understand jazz but the rifle/cartridge choice...yea, I get it, all too well!!! You mentioned Redding dies, I think mine are as well. I don't recall if anything else was available back when I bought mine. Good stuff.

What velocities are you getting from it? I'd think the combination of rifle and cartridge capable of 2200-2400 fps fairly easily with those bullet weights. That's a lot of case and a strong rifle, more wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I'm a sucker for octagon to round. Both my Shiloh's are so mounted and there's several German rifles in the toy box the same configuration.

Bigger bores have a major impact on game. I don't know how many head I killed with my 45-90 and a 480 gr. cast bullet and they went down where they stood, save one hog that went about 20 feet. Before I relegated my 40-70 to target work I took two deer with it loaded with a 410 gr. cast bullet, same results. I shot one hog with the '86 in 40-82 and he did go about 300 yards. That was not the cartridges fault. He was running flat out at about 40 yards and I hit him in the back end of the lungs, clipping the liver. He went that far before he collapsed. I'm confident my old '86 isn't loaded near as hot as your Ruger!!

Very, very cool rifle and cartridge.

Not to pee in the fire, but someone should have done a spellcheck. 40 is spelled "forty," not "fourty." And that is an unfortunate fact.

But, hell, I have a .223 Ackley that whose cartridge designation is painfully engraved ".233 Ackley Improved 40º" (Hey, it's ten better, right? )

Still, love the project totally.

kd

I've been on a trip to a family wedding so haven't been online to have any follow on comment.

To answer Sharps4590, I've been running a little over 2000 fps. Without any load books to guide me I've been cautious in how far I stoke it up. I'm trying to use slower powders than the medium I've been using, 3031 and 4064.

Re: Fourty vs forty... yep, it's been pointed out. I figure a change is not in the cards and leave it as is.

Ken

Thanks TC, and I apologize. To catch up on the thread I went back to your first post....where you stated the velocities. Shoulda paid attention the first time.