Home Forums Lever Action Central .405 Winchester Aficionados 405B for Bolt Guns

405 Belted
Ohio let you use a straight wall, any length. Unlike Michigan’s 1.8” length.
So I built an Ohio rifle, it will work fine in Missouri!
Started with a Sako 366 case, long and a fat .470 diameter. [neck is thin]
With the belt, the case is 2.590”…………so I tried some Quality Cartridge 400 Whelen brass.
Now the neck is .4385-.439”! I had to open the neck up .004”.
QC brass is about .010” shorter, no big deal.
Started with some Hornady Flat Points and Varget…….2340 fps.
Then some 300 TSX’s and Varget….2220 fps.
270 TSX and Benchmark………2570.
Tried some CFE Black, a bit too Fast!
Then 300 TSX and Benchmark………….2545 fps. [Holy Crap!]……… [.700 for 3 shots]
210 TSX and H4198, at 3000 fps and .800” for 3 shots.
Savage Axis HB test rifle, has also been a .500 Alaskan rebated rim.
Factory plastic stock, is ugly, but still doing fine.
Scope is a 4-14, mounted high………the rings I had.
I have been cutting down Barnes coppers for over 20 years.
The old 300s made a nice 240, that I used out of my “pistol”. .41-240x2.170”, 14.5” bbl. [no grooves]
Anyway I have a 23” Shilen barrel and homemade reamers made this project!
Sizes with Hornady 405 Win dies.
Oh, the throat is about .200 long, so I can seat the 300 TSX at 3.440”
Homemade belting dies and a final trim on the lathe, make the belt!
Now for some water testing! I shoot down into a bag lined 40 gal trash can. With a layer of cardboard over the top. No cardboard = bath!!!!! You cannot get out of the way of a tube of water rising!!!!!
Point blank is 300 yds with the 210s.


It was made with a .405 Reamer and is loaded with .405 Dies, so it is a 405 for bolt guns.

That is sweet. Would like to make a stalking single shot rifle out of an economy one shooter. Then a bolt gun. Extend the mag bottom until I have four down. Thanks. Just what I need, two more projects. RZ.

This is the 210 Barnes target.

This test was at point blank into a barrel of water from above.

Damn. How big are the freaking deer!

Great read ! Thanks for posting !

I use a 3T arbor press and a little bit of lube.
One push and the case is ready to have the belt trimmed on the lathe.
This is not for everyone, just showing what can be done.
Now if one of the manufactures would start making cases.

I sized down some Speer 416 Mag Tips to .411 and shot them point blank into water.
No case separation.
I did not do a lot of powder testing, but 2375 fps and 1.3/8" will do just fine.

For info,
The 338 Win Mag only pushes a 210 bullet at 2900 fps.
The 405B will reach 3000 fps at the muzzle.

28 degrees
100 yds
Velocity and sight check target.

Using my new Caldwell Velociradar, it calculates BC
The cut off 300s at 210 grain TSX only have a BC of .167, less than I was guessing.