The reason the author has chosen this particular cartridge for this week is because he recently ordered a Winchester Mdl 1895 (now being made by Winchester again) in that caliber.
Having read most every book about Teddy Roosevelt and his guns and hunting I would have loved to live in those days when the guns were real guns not shortened versions of our present day magnums. But with Winchester dropping the Mdl 95 and then the 405 round from their production the chances of me finding a Mdl 95 and the ammo for it were close to zero.
But then, thank the Cowboy shooters, as they and their shooting games woke the gun manufacture's up and they suddenly began to produce the old guns, and sold every one they could ship. Naturally the ammunition company's had their ear to the ground and followed up with ammunition for those same new/old guns.
Hornady has the loaded ammo and new brass at realistic prices. So why not pool all the years gun money and get the rifle of your dreams. No sooner had I talked myself into that decision than a invoice was typed up and sent off to Hornady for the ammo.
The 405 Winchester round is a big un.. When Sarge showed PFC Trent the round his eyes got big and he quiped. "Wow, Dad what kind of a pistol are you going to shoot that in?" It is over 2 1/2" long, (2.58") and after you put a bullet in it it runs to 3.18 inches. Luckily the Win. 1895 did not have a tubular magazine because it gave the reloader many spitzer type bullets to choose from. Which flattens the trajectory somewhat. The case itself looks like one of the old single shot rounds made for the Sharps or Remingtion rolling block. But in a heavier lever action rifle with a steel buttplate you could not see anyone using it in a lighter single shot with the shotgun type stocks, as the kick is heavy enough to displace dental plates at each shot if you are dumb enough to continue to shoot after the first loss of teeth.
Teddy was a big man and could undoubtable absorb that recoil. He took the gun and cartridge to Africa and proclaimed it was perfect for everything that Africa could throw at you.
The case itself is the same rim size as the 30-40 Krag which makes you wonder if the Krag was just a necked down 405. It is claimed that with light loads one could blow out a 30-40 case to be a 405 case. I may try this myself.
True to the era that this round was developed for the bullets were round nose ignoring the fact that the rifle could shoot better shaped rounds. The bullets available now are unfortunately the same round nose ones. However shooting even a round nose 300 gr soft point at 2250 fps is bound to get someone's attention and very few will run off with one in their gillet. If you really want to shoot this cartridge and gun a lot then you can make up some rounds with pistol bullets and about1500 fps and have a ball. Naturally when someone come with you to the range (a buddy) you slip the 300 gr ones back in for them to shoot. Even the pistol bullet rounds will do for short range deer and the 300 gr. bullets with 3380 lbs muzzle energy will drop anything from grizzlies to buffalo in their tracks.
After I take delivery of the new/old 1895 and wring it out I will write a report on it. (after the shoulder heals)
Sarge the cartridge man. |
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