Cast Bullets for .405 Winchester in 1895 Clone?
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Cast Bullets for .405 Winchester in 1895 Clone?
Any of you levergunners shoot cast bullets in a 1895 made-in-Japan Winchester clone? What bullets and what loads have you found to work, and at what velocities and accuracy? I see that Leadheads has a 270 grain gas-check bullet in .411 caliber. Is that the closest to the 300 grain that is commercially available? Also, what is the bore diamenter of the Japanese made .405 rifles? According to my old Lyman manual, the original Winchester bores are .412, which maybe too big for the leadhead cast .411 bullet (PFM41-270G).
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Don McDowell
Re: Cast Bullets for .405 Winchester in 1895 Clone?
I have a Winchester marked 95 in 405 , built by Miroku.
It's a fine rifle with cast or jacketed.
Cast bullets I like the best are the Lyman 412263 cast from 16-1 and pushed by 5744 powder, velocity is around 1750.If you don't cast your own those are available from Montana Bullet Works .com
Another fine bullet in it is the BACO .413 300 gr gc you can purchase the bullets or the mould from Buffalo Arms . Again 5744 powder is the place to be.
You can also use the RCBS 416 mould and size to .413.
It's a fine rifle with cast or jacketed.
Cast bullets I like the best are the Lyman 412263 cast from 16-1 and pushed by 5744 powder, velocity is around 1750.If you don't cast your own those are available from Montana Bullet Works .com
Another fine bullet in it is the BACO .413 300 gr gc you can purchase the bullets or the mould from Buffalo Arms . Again 5744 powder is the place to be.
You can also use the RCBS 416 mould and size to .413.
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Don McDowell
Re: Cast Bullets for .405 Winchester in 1895 Clone?
Forgot to add that you can also get bullets from Hunter Supply thru midway, but those need the gascheck added to keep from keyholing and they still tend to lead somewhat.
Those gc bullets from Leadheads didn't give me any leading problems but they weren't at the top of the accuracy food chain...
Those gc bullets from Leadheads didn't give me any leading problems but they weren't at the top of the accuracy food chain...
Re: Cast Bullets for .405 Winchester in 1895 Clone?
I just replied to a similar post on castboolits.gunloads.com. Congratulations on acquiring a fine rifle, especially a fine rifle for shooting cast boolits. I've been shooting a Miroku .405 since 2003, with some success using cast boolits.
Store bought cast bullets are usually sized .410 or .411 and are rock hard. They will do OK , but aren't what you really need, for hunting. If your rifle is like mine, it will probably have a .4125 bore. Consider the RCBS .417-350 mould that is readily available. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=282505
I bought a .413 sizer from Buffalo Arms, use Hornady .416 gas checks. No problems. Using WW and about 2% tin, my .405 boolits run about 363 grains and test out at about Lyman #2 alloy for hardness.
Use my load data for reference only, but I load 49.0gr of Reloader 7 for an average of 2279fps and get ~ 3" groups. There are absolutely no signs of excessive pressure in my rifle, but I can't vouch for any other. No doubt that this load wakes you up, but you bought a lion killer, not a mouse gun. Use a good lube. I'm cheap and try to make my own Alox type lube, which allows a slight flash of lead at the muzzle with these loads. When I dip the exposed lead ogives in Lee Liquid Alox, there is no leading at this velocity.
I have a few other recommendations:
1. At your first opportunity replace the factory semi-buckhorn rear sight with some form of aperature (peep) sight. The Lyman Model 21 and 38 are traditional, and the Providence Tool Company offers a modern M21. Other receiver sights like those made by Lyman, Redfield and others can probably be made to work. The bottom line is that I shrunk my group sizes in half when I went to a receiver sight.
2. Redo the buttplate. Either install a good recoil reducing rubber pad or a better fitting steel plate. I went with a nice checkered Neidner steel plate from Brownells and have no complaints.
3. Go hunt something big. That's what this rifle was designed to do. I've only killed one animal with my rifle, a young bull moose, unfortunately with handloaded factory bullets, but the difference between the .405 hits and those of my hunting partner's .308 were amazing.
Store bought cast bullets are usually sized .410 or .411 and are rock hard. They will do OK , but aren't what you really need, for hunting. If your rifle is like mine, it will probably have a .4125 bore. Consider the RCBS .417-350 mould that is readily available. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=282505
I bought a .413 sizer from Buffalo Arms, use Hornady .416 gas checks. No problems. Using WW and about 2% tin, my .405 boolits run about 363 grains and test out at about Lyman #2 alloy for hardness.
Use my load data for reference only, but I load 49.0gr of Reloader 7 for an average of 2279fps and get ~ 3" groups. There are absolutely no signs of excessive pressure in my rifle, but I can't vouch for any other. No doubt that this load wakes you up, but you bought a lion killer, not a mouse gun. Use a good lube. I'm cheap and try to make my own Alox type lube, which allows a slight flash of lead at the muzzle with these loads. When I dip the exposed lead ogives in Lee Liquid Alox, there is no leading at this velocity.
I have a few other recommendations:
1. At your first opportunity replace the factory semi-buckhorn rear sight with some form of aperature (peep) sight. The Lyman Model 21 and 38 are traditional, and the Providence Tool Company offers a modern M21. Other receiver sights like those made by Lyman, Redfield and others can probably be made to work. The bottom line is that I shrunk my group sizes in half when I went to a receiver sight.
2. Redo the buttplate. Either install a good recoil reducing rubber pad or a better fitting steel plate. I went with a nice checkered Neidner steel plate from Brownells and have no complaints.
3. Go hunt something big. That's what this rifle was designed to do. I've only killed one animal with my rifle, a young bull moose, unfortunately with handloaded factory bullets, but the difference between the .405 hits and those of my hunting partner's .308 were amazing.