Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 405 Winchester

Have any of you taken game with the 405 and what do you think of it? Is it better suited to a scope or a dot sight?

I have a couple, Winchester 1895 repro's. They are not suited for anything but open sights, although there is a nice Lyman repro receiver sight for the 1886& 1895, but it is very pricy and does not look good . I have not hunted with mine, but looking at ballistics would think of it as a very mild 375H&H pushing a 40 cal bullet. It should be more than adequate for anything in the western hemisphere, and all but the very largest of African game.

Tang sight.

BMT

I hope to "christen" mine this fall. Both my wife and I have adult moose tags, so here's hoping. From the range work I have done, and the time at the loading bench, I am confident that mine will drill either a moose or a deer out to 200 yards with enough oomph to kill quickly. 300 gr Barnes X bullets seem to be the most accurate in my Ruger #1H. I have a scope on it. Leupie VX-II in 2-7x33. If I'm on my game, it is holding sub inch at 100 yards, and I shoot it better off hand than any other rifle I own.

Shootist, What kind of velocity do you get with the 300 gr bullet?

A good friend of mine has a win. 95 in .405..He had the throat lengthened, the feeding worked over, and he can seat the bullet out..He gets and easy 2100 FPS with 400 gr. Woodleigh RN and solid bullets..he has shot a number of buffalo with this gun and found it to be about the same as his 450-400 N.E.

I see that as a good idea...

Interesting, I wonder how involved a job that is?

The Barnes bears a little more in the bore, and so it won't give the velocities that I am getting with the Hornady bullets. I'm getting near 2300+ with the Barnes which is just a tad over the factory 300 gr FP at 2275 ft/sec. With the 300 Hornady SP, I am getting right at 2450, but that is out of a #1, so I would not consider using that load in a Winchester 95 or the repro. Someone on either this site or another one suggested that with a #1, velocities approaching 2600 were attainable . . . . I haven't pushed the envelope that far yet. Can't imagine why I'd need to.

The gun makes a lot of difference.

We had a bunch of '95s in the family with various sighting arrangements. If it's a Winchester '95, I would not use any sort of optical sights. I don't like tang mounted peeps. I'd use open irons on the barrel or a receiver mounted peep. I've used both Lyman and Redfield, both are good.

I haven't had a #1 in .405, but if I did, I'd probably scope it. Anything from a fixed 2.5X up to a 3-9X should be fine if it has enough eye relief. There are also some quick-attach aperature sights available that lock onto the quarter rib that might be worth consideration.

I plain don't like dot sights. I had a battery go dead unexpectedly one time and leave me in a bind. I won't use them except on "toy" guns again, nothing for any purpose more serious than paper.

Tom

I have a new model '95 that wears a Buffalo Arms reproduction Lyman 38 sight. Using IMR 4320 and the Hornady 300gr roundnose it shoots 1.5"groups.

Regarding its effect on game, I have killed 3 deer and one bear with it. It is a true hammer. Last fall I shot a decent sized doe (120lbs dressed)at 60yds quartering towards me. Shot went through the shoulder, traveled the full length of her and exited though the opposite ham (blowing through the femur).

The one hunt I really want to do with this rifle is a brown bear. Perhaps someday!

Those 2600 FPS velocities were with a 404 Jefferys, not a 405 Win..that just won't work...

Jkingrph,
You would have to contact Judge G on the Accuratereloading.com forum for that information..I can't recall the smith that did the work on his .405 but he is one of the better ones out there..I am sure Dennis Olson in Plains, Mt. could also do the work...I would not think it would be overly expensive and I would certainly do it...

I have taken a few Female deer on a cull hunt last year with my Win. 95 405 WCF. They were hit HARD with the factory Hornady
300 gr. loads. They were Dead Right There.
AMRA

I acquired an early 405 M1895 repro with a a Lyman 66 intalled.
The newer ones are even drilled and tapped for this sight. I shot some 2" groups at 100 with the Hornady 300gr Spire Point, it shot better than the round nose. I suggest against going above the 2100FPS lever, the prudent man approach is wise and
the elk, hogs, etc. wont know the difference. You will at the
butt end, and why abuse the gun? I dont like to fight my guns, food, and women at my age.

Estacado

FYI- I went to the range yesterday and chronographed the Hornady factory loads at 2226 and 2237 fps.
just my 02

My Hornady 300 gr FP factory ammo chronied at 2275 average for 10 shots with an extreme spread of 23 ft/sec. Not bad for factory ammo, and it shot very well.

Chrono results for the Hornady stuff better than I thought. A level certainly adequate for us mortal men.

Estacado

Yup. I was pretty impressed with it, and at usable ranges, it should be the hammer of Thor.

Pretty pricey, though. Up here I think a box of factory loads goes for just under $50. Makes the decision to reload a whole lot easier.

Jkingrph,
The fellow is Judge G over on the Accurate Reloading forum..He booked his buffalo hunt through me and I hunted him with Pierre van Tonder..I have booked him more than a few times over the years...We cussed and discussed this gun and he used it with 100% success in our Tanzania camp...I have tried to swap him out of it many times but he locked up on it...It duplicates the 450-400 exactly and how could it get any better. IMO it is the ultimate big bore lever rifle..Simply a long throated .405 Win wherein you can seat bullets out and get more powder in..A 400 gr. bullet at realistic 2000 to 2100 FPS is about ideal for any dangerous game...

Shootist...what powder are you using for the 300 grain Hornady bullets? I have only done a little loading for the .405 and just made 2250 with WW748.

I have both a stainless #1 and a modern Winchester 95 in .405...a great caliber especially if you love the .41 Magnum handgun..

My factory loads chronoed at 2194 and 2197 fps from the 95.

Shell reloading makes 400 grain solids and a SP for the .405 that doesn't require a long throat...I have not had a chance to load any yet however...

This is a pic of the bullet next two the Hornady and Barnes...




Bob

Varget, H4895 and Benchmark. Can't get any decent results from Varget -- don't know why. Accuracy is very marginal compared to loads with the other two.