Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers 405 Winchester

I've always been fascinated by this cartridge and the history behind it. Anyone here have a rifle that is chambered for this round and hunts with it? I want one. How is brass availability and what bullets do you guys like?

I've owned this T/C Encore for about 2 years and haven't hunted it yet. Weight is 6 lbs 10 oz's. I've stocked up on the factory Hornady 300grFN because it was purchased at a really good price. Brass & Bullets are readily available. The recoil with this lite rifle is manageable. I've owned and shot the Ruger #1 but it's just too heavy for my liking. Thinking I'll try it out on a black bear hunt this fall.



I'm also waiting on a friend to make some cast bullets to try. He owns a Ruger #1 and also purchased a T/C Encore barrel from me.

Ken

I want mine chambered in the Winchester 1895 model, but not the take-down version. Any experience with those? I noticed they are made in Japan but the rifles I have seen appear to be nicely made.

What grain bullets you use and what are the ballistics?

I have a Winchester 1895 (Japanese) in 405 WCF that I bought in 2006, it has been fitted with a recoil pad and XS peep and front sight (the white line is very fast and easy to pick up).

I have hunted with the Hornady factory 300 gr. soft points on deer and pigs, on all 5 occasions it was terminal, closest was 40 yds and the longest was about 85 yds.

I have tested the Hornady FP and Spire Point, they shoot better than I can hold them. I really like the Kodiak 300gr RNSP, this would be the bullet I'd use for bigger stuff.

So far H4895, RL15 and Varget have worked well for accuracy and velocity.

The Hornady brass has been durable and seems to be of good quality. I buy a box of it every now and again just to rat hole it away.

I am really enjoying the 405 WCF (I really need to take it moose or elk hunting).

In the mid 1970s had an original Win 1895 that'd had about a half box of shells run through it. It was spooky to shoot because the old, original ammo ignited slowly enough I could hear the hammer slap before the shot went off.

I was 13-14, got the rifle from my mom's dad when he died. My father had no attachment to the rifle. He's an expert on everything, just ask him. He convinced me to sell it because since it wasn't an '06 just like his, it was useless. Same thing for a 3 digit serial numbered Model 70 in .375 H&H.

Personally, I would avoid the newer Winchester rifles with the tang safety. If I'm going to have a tang safety anyway, I'd rather shoot a Ruger #1.

Tom

Found one, M95, without the tang safety, it has a rubber butt pad, a Lyman 66, and shoots the Hornady SPs best. It is one of the "fun guns" I have with no earthly use for. I plan on taking a Meat Bull or Cow Bison with it next year, Teddy would like that. Hope to take on some Hogs in Texas when I move this summer. Buy one and have fun, just stock up on brass and bullets. They might not be around forever.

Buzz Gillis

I have the Ruger #1H in 405 and it is very accurate. Some don't like the weight, but I find with a 300 grain Barnes X heading down range at 2450-2500 fps, the weight helps to calm my nerves. My best powder is Benchmark. Haven't bloodied it yet, but am thinking moose may be on the menu this fall.

I also have a mould for 300 grain cast bullets which I have launched at 1400 using AA5744 and am now trying a load with Blue Dot. They also shoot very accurately, as do 210 JHP 41 Mag pistol bullets.

Hang on, and enjoy!

Back in the 1930/40s/50 Kenneth Anderson used a .405 Winchester ina lever action to hunt several maneating tigers and leopards in India..

He used it basically because it was a cheaper more available option to the class bigbore doubles...In many cases, such doubles were easy to obtain because the ammo was virtually impossible to get...

If you haven't read it, I can fully recommend any of his bookes but especially "Nine Maneaters and One Rogue"

He doesn't dwell in the rilfe, but it does get an honourable (sometimes not so honourable) mention in many of hus books..

By all means, get the 1895 .405 and have fun with it. I like my 1895 TD shooter so much that I bought an unfired Deluxe looker just to look at and show off to folks.



I use factory Hornady 300 grain FP for hogs, deer, antelope and such, but handloaded some North Fork 300 grain bullets (SP, CPS, and FPS) at a velocity of 2250 fps for more serious stuff.
http://www.northforkbullets.com/magento/blog/?p=204

I have also loaded Hornady 400 gr solids of .410 diameter up to 2050 and they shoot well also. The 400 grain project has moved on to Woodleigh .411 bullets and a target velocity of 2100+ fps.

Do a search here and you'll see lots of data and opinions. I've been loading 300GR TSX and RL-15 with real good results. Shelton, I'd be interested in your loads/results of your 400gr 411 solids2100. jorge

Jorge,
Not there yet with the 400 Woodleighs. Bought the RSI Shooting Lab and Pressure Trace II kit and will install strain gage on two rifles before further testing of heavy loads.
http://www.shootingsoftware.com/index.htm

I will let you know how it works out.

Excellent. I'm looking into having some 300gr solids made up given the 1895's mag length limitations. I'm very interested in what you come up with!

Jorge,
I have had very good luck with the NF 300 grain FPS and CPS bullets in my 1895 with no magazine problems.At 2250 fps they shoot to the same point of aim as do the factory Hornady 300 grain jacketed flat points.

If you need more powder space and want to shoot through steel plates (or elephant heads) you might want to have Belt Mountain make you up some 300 and 400 grain Punch bullets at .411 diameter or work with Mike Rintaul at Grizzly Cartridge for loads to meet your needs.

Mike made up some heavy custom .45-90 loads for my 1886 a while back (a friend took it to Africa for some DG bullet testing) and last Friday I used that ammo to slap down a running bison with a shoulder shot. We called Mike that day and thanked him for making ammo to do just what was asked.

Thanks, Shelton, I did not know NF was making 300gr CPS/FPS... I'll check them out./ What load are you running? I have shot 300gr NF soft points using 56gr of RL-15 with similar velocities as well as 300gr TSXs. I really don't want to get into the 400gr bullets.

How is the recoil? The 1895 models don't seem to offer much for a recoil pad.

Steel recoil pad. Still, mild recoil in my opinion about equal to a 375 H&H.

Of course one must keep in mind that Brother Jorge DID have lotsa carrier impacts (landings??) so his definitions may be very subjective to say the least!!

well yeah, to me a 375 falls under "mild"

I would like to find an old 71/86 type lever rifle in 405 Win, never seen one.

Gunner

Did they even make them in that caliber? I don't think so.