Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Winchester 1895 .405 WCF ready for Africa!

I am finally through tweaking the Woodleigh 400 grain .411 bullet load combinations and am ready for practice shooting at Cape Buffalo targets before leaving for RSA May 27!

Yesterday afternoon at the Krodle Kountry Range, Joe and Ricky helped me chronograph and accuracy test what were to be the last two load combinations whose only difference was standard and large Federal Match rifle primers. Serendiptity! The mag primer load is in-the- zone in velocity and accuracy.

The last four mag primer rounds were recorded at ERROR (bullet path too low between screens), 2068, 2069, and 2068 fps with the chrony 10 feet from the muzzle. With or without correction, this is just over the 450/400 velocities claimed by Hornady(

http://www.hornady.com/store/450-400-Nitro-Express-3/ ) for their factory loads. With correction from screens to muzzle, it is equal to the reference loads(corrected to 2076) from the Wolfe Load data site.

These loads are also accurate; with the front bead covering the 8" bull at 100 yards, they are all in the black. So with no physical sight adjustments, the 400 grain sight picture of bead-on-target and the 300 grain picture of 6 o'clock (factory and handloads print an inch above top of bead at 100 yards) allow me to use either load as appropriate without physically adjusting the sights. More serendipity.

I then fired two series of three fast shots from a tripod at 50 yards and they were all in the eight inch black bull. Now I can just go shooting with this load and practice, practice, practice, to be ready to pop a buffalo in RSA.

That'll work. Bully, as Teddy would say! :-)

Good for you. Enjoy and happy hunting......... you skunk!

what is your load, oal, etc? I'm running the 300gr North Forks solids@ 2250.

Brother Jorge, you haveta be absolutely bonkers by now Lessee here, Ya have a fine Teddy Commemerative,a very fine 450 NE double rifle and a 45/110 Sharps ALL capable of smoking a buff. Decisions decisions decisions

Yeah it's a terrible quandary

Sort of sights are you using?

Jim

me? Three different on three rifles. One 1895 has a Williams, the TR Commemorative has the standard Buckhorn and the 450NE Double has the standard "V" Express sight, one standing (50yard zero) with subsequent 75 and 150 yd flip ups.

Jorge,
The solution to your problem is quite simple really; just shoot a buff with each rifle.

WRT your question on my 400 grain load?
It is 54 grains of TAC. TAC and N133 were tied up to just over 2000 fps, but as velocity increased, my Ni33 load velocity increase fell off and so did accuracy.
The TAC reference load began at 52 grains and topped out at 53.5 grains with fine accuracy. My heaviest load of 55 grains showed some pressure signs, so the range between 53 and 54 grains of TAC seems to be the sweet spot for this powder and bullet.
(just in case you are interested)
Also, FWIIW, all loads were weighed on my Lyman 1200DPS and then poured through a 24 inch drop tube into the case.

Got it thanks! I've never used TAC before and yes that is why I'm considering Tanzania even though it's extremely expensive if I add a leopard and two buffalo, one for the 95 and the other for the 450 . Still I think the 300gr NF solid2250 will do almost as good as your load.

Jorge,
I agree on the 300 grain NF or Barnes at 2250. I saw what the NF CPS did to the water buffalo I shot and was very impressed.
However, the folks I am to hunt with have used and liked their 450/400 doubles on buffalo and can now relate to my .405 with the same bullet at the same velocity. And reloading and experimenting is fun. I bet your buff with 300 grain bullet will be just as dead as mine with 400 grains. Whatever the results, it will make for good campfire talk at elk camp this fall.

I am taking 300 grain NF loads for the waterbuck and warthog.

This is very exciting! I have always felt that the .405 WCF gets a bad rap, but I know that it has been used for buff. I tackle much smaller game with it, but it is a fun round. Best of luck!

Guys, I have a question on affixing a sling to this rig. Ideally, a barrel band swivel's the way to go, but I don't have a reliable gunsmith down here I would trust with that, so do you foresee any issues with stud swivels on the forearm? I've seen it on old 95, but I always wondered about the forend.

Jorge,
Like you, I wanted a barrel band sweated or soldered on ( me no gunsmith), but I settled for an Uncle Mikes solution:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/93...set-barrel-with-750-800-diameter-1-black

One day I would like a more permanent solution, but am not going to risk messing with the barrel this close to hunt departure.

That's perfect. I take it the link is the correct size for the 405? Silly question but I had to ask

I think so, BUT,it has been a couple years since I bought mine and do not remember exactly. I put the calipers on my .405 barrel before I ordered it just to be sure.
Also, it is recommended to place the band an inch or two forward of the end of the fore stock so that recoil cannot drive it back into you hand. OUCH!

Similar tip if shooting heavy 400 grain loads in your 1895, wear shooting gloves when practicing to protect knuckles of trigger hand. I learned that one the hard way.

Well, rifle and other gear packed in Tuffpak for departure Saturday. With some luck and hard hunting, I will have some game pictures to post in a couple of weeks. I will be off-net while out of country, but will report in upon return.

Good luck. As an aside I used the Uncle Mike's 20 gauge barrel band and it worked very well. It did slip a bit but I used black hockey tape on the inside and one layer did the trick.

North61, that's what I used on my M71 magazine, with the exception of the tape. It worked very good.