40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

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southfork
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40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by southfork »

After at least four years of wanting to roll my own 40-82 reloads, I am finally in a position to do so. I've got some new Jamison 40-82 brass coming in the mail, and I have an old Ideal 40-82 reloading tool with an integrated 240 or 260 grain 40 caliber bullet bullet mold. I also have lots of different kinds of smokeless powder on hand, including 5744.

So, I want to try loading some smokeless powder cartridges that will be both safe and accurate. I realize there could be accuracy or chambering difficulties if the bore on my 1886 Winchester does not slug out at about the same diameter as the lead bullets cast from the ideal mold, but all that aside, who has found a powder recipe that works real well for them in their 1886? 40-82 reloading data hasn't exactly been readily available ---- even in Lyman reloading books of the past 6 decades (that I've ever looked at). Neither have I seen a recipe in any of the "Pet load" articles that were sometimes included in the older gun magazines from the 1950's forward.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by Griff »

Shoot off an email to Accurate for suggested loads with their 5744 powder. Don't forget to tell them what rifle it's for. New or antique 1886, 1895 or ? IIRC Malamute also has a 40-82, and might answer a PM.
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by WinFever »

I shoot a 1886 40-82, my two favorite loads are SR4759 23g with Lyman 403169 240g (sized .407 dia) and IMR4198 28g with same Lyman bullet. I have both a Winchester and Ideal mold for the 40-82, but the molds have some issues Winchester bullets are not round and too small, and the Ideal is too small for my rifle. For brass I use both resized 45-70 or 45-90 brass, I don't remember trimming the 45-90, but I may have.
southfork
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by southfork »

Well, Winfever, Captech finally just made a run of new 40-82 WCF brass. I have some coming in the mail. It costs $35 for 20 brass or $ 172 for 100 brass.. Not cheap, but supposed to have 40-82 stamped on it. This should facilitate a lot of reloaders who have the 40-82 in 1886 Winchesters.
southfork
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by southfork »

Doesn't sound like very many 1886 Winchesters in 40-82 are shootable, even though it was supposedly the second most popular caliber sold in the Winchester Model 1886. Maybe a lot of them were re-bored and re-chambered in 45-70, do you think? Either that or maybe they are just gathering dust in closets or safes. They really ought to be brought back to life. The Jamison Brass people (Captech), I'd guess, are betting that the 1886s in 40-82 WCF WILL be brought out of the safes and closets and made to shoot again.
win40-82
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by win40-82 »

I used 23.5 of AA5744 with 1/4 sheet of TP placed on top of the powder topped with a 260gr soft lead bullet. Very accurate and a mild recoil. The only problem I encountered reloading for the 40-82 is that the necks of some of the new brass was to thick. Check your loaded rounds for neck size. Mine would hold 4-5 inches at 200 yards IF I did my part.
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by TDF »

win40-82 wrote:I used 23.5 of AA5744 with 1/4 sheet of TP placed on top of the powder topped with a 260gr soft lead bullet.
Just curious, did you ever try it without the TP? Granted I don't have a ton of experience with AA5744 but when I was using it in very large cases (i.e. 416 Rigby) it didn't seem to be bothered by it's location in the case. At least I couldn't get it to make a difference and didn't bother with the filler.

TDF
hondo1892
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by hondo1892 »

Mike Ventorino has some loads in his lever gun book. I could look them up if you would like. I've wanted a 40-82 1886 for a while but probably will never own one myself. Need one like a hole in the head but that has nothing to do with wants. Good luck with your reloading.
southfork
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by southfork »

The Jamison 40-82 WCF brass arrived from Captech in today's mail. The brass look like a quality piece, but I guess they should look good at $1.75 per piece. I also dug out my bullet mold today.

Thanks for the input on how some of you are successfully loading 40-82 WCF in your 1886s.
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by missionary5155 »

Good morning
Do not over look loading 3F Goex in that fine old caliber 40. That mold was designed for BP. It will bump up and fill the groove if cast with 30-1 or 40-1. Plus you will know the accuracy potential of that barrel.
The Mold you are using may prove to be a might undersized for smokeless loads. Have you carefully slugged the barrel to know for sure the groove diameter ? Some of these old Winchester barrels are a bit larger in diameter than others and it is essential to have an over groove bullet for smokeless loads. I found all this out shooting old Winchesters.
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southfork
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by southfork »

I looked at my notes from when I slugged the barrel a few years ago. I marked it as measuring .408. I haven't cast any bullets yet, so I don't know what they measure. I've heard that with harder alloys, the cast bullets can be a thousandths or so bigger than with softer alloys. Is that true? Anybody know?
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by Sixgun »

In my Hi-Wall, like win40-82, I also use 23.5 of 5744, but the bullet I use was designed for the 405 and it weighs 300 grains with a semi spritzer front end. It's an nei mould and they drop at .412. I incrementantly size down to .4085.

Beer cans at 300 meters are a joke......as long as the wind is not blowing too bad. Like others have said here, it's critical to match up the thickness of the brass with the bullet so you have enough lead to seal the bore. I inside neck ream.-----6

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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by Bronco »

Beer cans at 300 meters are a joke
I pray they are empty beer cans! :mrgreen:
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by Sixgun »

Bronco wrote:
Beer cans at 300 meters are a joke
I pray they are empty beer cans! :mrgreen:

Lordy, Lordy......well........sometimes we fill them up with water or dirt. I have no honorable way to say whatever happened to the original contents. :D

On a serious note, our gun club will ban you forever if we are caught shooting anything other than paper or steel. I just used "beer cans" as a quick way to show the accuracy of these old guns. While this rifle will blast "beer cans" easily out to 350 yards or so, the accuracy goes to "pot" after that distance. :D The ballistic coefficient must be terrible on these slow moving lightweight bullets. I have trouble hitting the 500 meter full sized ram which is a sizable target.-----6
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win40-82
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by win40-82 »

TDF wrote:
win40-82 wrote:I used 23.5 of AA5744 with 1/4 sheet of TP placed on top of the powder topped with a 260gr soft lead bullet.
Just curious, did you ever try it without the TP? Granted I don't have a ton of experience with AA5744 but when I was using it in very large cases (i.e. 416 Rigby) it didn't seem to be bothered by it's location in the case. At least I couldn't get it to make a difference and didn't bother with the filler.

TDF
Yes I did, tried to find my notes (from about 15 years ago) but without any luck. Am thinking that it was near 28.0 grn but not sure. I've heard pro and cons on the TP but I've had good luck with it in my 45-90, 40-65 and 45-75 as well as the 40-82.
there is no such thing as a miss if you still have ammo
southfork
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by southfork »

So, would you wad up the 1/4 sheet of TP, or roll it up, or just push it in the brass case with a pencil or what?
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by Sixgun »

Don't use ANY TP with 5744. This powder has a high nitro content and was designed to be easily ignited without any filler of any kind. Your risking ka-boom. Talk to the reps from Accurate Arms and they will tell you the same thing they told me 10 years ago.----6
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Re: 40-82 WCF Pet loads Anyone?

Post by win40-82 »

Sixgun wrote:Don't use ANY TP with 5744. This powder has a high nitro content and was designed to be easily ignited without any filler of any kind. Your risking ka-boom. Talk to the reps from Accurate Arms and they will tell you the same thing they told me 10 years ago.----6
Have shot lots of loads with the TP and never a problem but that doesn't say it can't happen, all I know is that it worked for mine and a good friend of mine who was shooting the same loads.
there is no such thing as a miss if you still have ammo
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