Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Any .405 Winchester shooers out there?

Bob the 38 sight does look right on the 95.

I've shot two Alaskan bull moose with my vintage 1895 .405 rifle in the 1990s. The first nearly got me killed. I shot that 59 " bull while he was bedded down about 15 yards away. He rolled his head to the side like he was dying and then sprang to his feet as spryly as a whitetail deer and charged me. I hastily backed up and hit him somewhere (I saw hair fly) with a shot from the hip. By dumb luck, I fell backward over a bush. The bull ran over my outstretched legs, never touching me. He stood out on the open tundra while I pumped 7 more rounds into his chest and neck from both sides. Upon cleaning the beast, his chest cavity was one gelatinous mess. I chalked it up to the moose's increased adrenaline at being surprised at close range.

A friend of mine used my rifle to shoot a 61" bull a week later. The moose was standing broadside at about 90-100 yards. The first shot knocked him down. Five or six more at point blank range were required to finish the job, but still he lingered too long. All shots were into his right chest cavity. The butchering process revealed that all of the bullets failed to penetrate beyond the first lung. They were fragmenting like shotshells after piercing the hide. The bullets were 300 gr. DKT brand loaded over IMR 3031. Those bullets were dubbed widow makers.

Well now I had to establish that rifle's worthiness. I handloaded a 300 gr. Hawk bullet and shot a 57" bull the following season. One shot broadside through the chest at 80 yards put that bull down hard and for good. The bullet was found beautifully mushroomed on the inside of the far hide.

I have not used that rifle since Winchester reintroduced the the model 1895 chambered in .405 and Hornady offered ammo and bullets for it. I don't know how the Hornady bullets would hold up to moose or bears. After my experience with the DKT bullets, my eyes have been opened as to the importance of bullet construction. I have shot two 60+" bulls and a large grizzly boar with 355 gr. cast GC bullets in my 45-90 at about 1900 fps. The results of that combination on large game are truly impressive.

Anybody want to buy my stash of .405 DKT bullets?

I have also been shooting Hawk 300 grain, mine have the .035 jacket. They blast right on thru a deer with no problem and very little damage. I tried some with the .025 jacket, and they didn't group well, I have not needed the .049 thick jacket, yet!
What jacket thickness are you using?

You guys looking for a good bullet for the 405 really need to give the .411 ss from Northfork a try.

I used the .035" jacketed Hawk bullet with good success on my moose. I will look into the Northfork bullet once my Hawks are gone. Those DKTs are only good for target practice or small varmints.

Gents
I must be real cheap or you guys have one heck of a lot of money to throw down range. Those North Fork .411 bullets cost one dollar each.
Thanks but no thanks I'll keep shooting my home made bullets.
Jim

Jim they are pricey. The first box I bought I used less than 20 for load developement. Used another 10 hunting and still have 20 of that load for hunting.
I do have another box hanging around just incase I want to try another load.
Mostly I shoot Hornady's for jacketed practice, and cast for blasting fun.

Hey guys I shoot an original 405 which we know as the famed 40-70 Sharps Straight. Seriously, there are quite a few bullet moulds out there that are supposedly cut for our .408 bores that actually drop bullets that are .412-.413 from the mould. One is a RCBS 350 CSA mould I have that drops .412.

I am betting some looking around would find some good bullets for those 405's out of the production stuff out there. If not, just call Paul Jones or Steve Brooks and have them cut whatever diameters you need.

SS

Ranch
Does any of the small jacketed bullet makers make a 350 grain bullet?
Jim

JIm I couldn't say for sure. I believe at one time Barnes made an x bullet in .411 at 350.
Sharpshooter I've been shooting some bullets cast from the RCBS CSA molds in all 3 weights. So far they haven't given me any leading problems , but haven't been able to get any accuracy that's much to get excited about.

My Brother in-law(oldest sister's husband) passed away earlier this year and while talking to my sister last night she told me she was bringing his rifles, ahotguns, handguns with her when she comes down for Christmas and giving them to me. None of her kids want them and she doesn't want them around the house anymore. Two of the rifles are original Win. M95's in .30-06 and .405. All of his firearms are in excellent shape but is modern ammo for the .405 safe to shoot in this older M95? Lawdog
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As the Hornady300 gr factory ammo is loaded to 2200 fps just like the original stuff, I'ld guess if your rifle is in good shape it will be fine. Rick Jamison, and Mike Venturino have both done a couple of articles on the 405 shooting original and new rifles with the Hornady ammo.

Contact Shell Reloading, Bob Shell at 480-983-7078 or Rel4350@aol.com

I have some of his 400 grain jacketed round nose bullets for the .405 Winchester that I plan to use in a Ruger #1. He included load information that will run the bullet at 2000 fps which is about the same as many factory .450/.400 Jefferys that is used a lot in Africa. He also makes a FMJ and think he makes 350 grain bullets also.

Bob

Swift makes a run of A-Frame 350's in .411" every so often. You can contact them at their website and ask if there are future plans for it.

North Fork makes the 360 grain .411".

have shot it in my old 95 and it's fine.....

The gun at the top is my 405

Hi Bob I am a new user, I am a 405 Winchester Fan. I have used the cartridge once so far, I took a large Feral Pig 240-250 Lbs. with it. The rifle used is a Winchester 1885 Hiwall, I used the Hornady 300 grain spitzer. The load was 55 grns. of H4895, O.A.L. is 3.200, Hornady brass, Win 8-1/2-120 Primer. The velocity should be in the 2300-2400 fps range, my rifle has a 28" barrel. I have not chronographed the load at this time. The Boar was about 50 yds away, facing me, angled slightly to the left, I placed the bullet inside the point of the shoulder at the base of the neck (if you can say Hogs have a neck). The Boar dropped at the shot, the post morteum revealed the heart had the top taken off, some of the lungs were totally chingered up. The bullet was found under the hide at the end of the rib cage, it was mushroomed in picture perfect fashion. The bullet had penetrated about 30" of solid hog. I am impressed by the results, the meat wasn't wrecked like you experience with a higher velocity round and there was no doubt about the effectiveness of the round. The rifle has a curved steel butt plate and recoil is substantial (painful), I fabricated a Padded leather recoil pad, the pad helped a great deal in making the rifle tolerable to shoot from the bench. I am getting about 1-1/2" three shot groups @ 100 yds. Please let us Know how the Barnes 300 Grainers do, I think it should be a Great Bullet for the 405.
Good Luck & Great Hunting
Chet