Maybe not quite the "Elephant gun" that it was considered in Roosevelt's day but one heck of fun nonetheless. I am having a blast with my repro 95 in 405 Win. 300 grain bullets can be lifted to 2400 fps with benchmark but Rl 7 is a bit more consistent and it gets to 2300. The 300 TSX bullet takes up some powder room and Rl 15 will get it to 2200fps with very small groups.

When I first got it it seemed a bit clumsy... especially to load the single stack magazine. It also looks ungainly. I have used mine for several years now and with experience it has become a favourite fire arm... it locks up like a bank vault and is actually very handy, especially once you learn to load that magazine.

Video here showing the loading and the fire arm in use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...vqN2-Jr7OAnV0ceWlkmw

! have settled on the 300 spire from Hornady as my bullet for up to moose. It hangs together better than the FN. The Woodleigh 300 grain is a bit better still, and is a better choice for tougher game like Bison. The TSX is the most accurate but hogs powder space and has to be started a bit slower. It has the best penetration but makes a longer but narrower wound channel... in fact on my testing day it kept sailing out of the newsprint and went unrecovered.

Just curious, does the .405 satisfy the min. reqs. to hunt dangerous game in any African countries?

quote:

Originally posted by joester:
Just curious, does the .405 satisfy the min. reqs. to hunt dangerous game in any African countries?

I do not believe it does due to low muzzle energy. That said, I brought an old original .405 to Zim in 1994. Many rules are overlooked if you are a paying hunter.
Cal

Money does grease the wheels...how did that 405 work out for you?

Joester,
In 2012, I took a buffalo with my 1895 .405 in RSA.
No problems putting the animal down or convincing anyone to let me use the rifle.

Owned a winchester high wall for about 7 or 8 years, finally hunted whitetail this year with it.
Shot doe 165 yards quartering, shot second doe same at 225 yards, first exited in front of ham, second traveled through deer and was under skin on back side of ham. The 300 hornady pointed worked perfectly.
Loaded 300 barnes and varget, getting 1: at 100 yards, will sight in for 200 and then see how much it drops at 300

What's the bullet diameter North?

The 405 is awesome lots of fun.I wantto try 400 grain billets in. HEY CAN BE PUSHED TO
2000 fps lots more power!
I SHOOT 210 GR 41 MAG BULLETS IN MINE ALOT TOO

quote:

Originally posted by D R Hunter:
What's the bullet diameter North?

.411 Hornady
.412 Woodleigh

I've done quite a bit of experimenting and loading with the 405 and I settled on the 300gr TSX as my "go to" bullet for just about anything the 405 can handle.
I have two of the jap-made 405 and they both shoot Woodleighs, Hornadys, TSXs and North Forks to POI. RL-15 works well, but I found I run out of powder capacity even with keeping with my targer velocity of the original 2250 fps. CR (I think) turned me onto the VV-N-133 and it is a superb powder for the 405 and VERY clean burning. I don't have the numbers in front of me but I think I load somewhere around 52gr of N-133 for all of them and the North Fork 300 gr solid to 51gr. All to POI. The 300gr TSX I believe was designed specifically for the 405's OAL issue and while as the OP says it is ungainly to reload, I can load a full mag with no issues. The TSX shot clean through both shoulders of a 275lb hog DRT.

quote:

Originally posted by North61:

quote:

Originally posted by D R Hunter:
What's the bullet diameter North?

.411 Hornady
.412 Woodleigh

Than you!

Bringing this back from the dead but wanted to post that the 405 is effective on caribou at 220 yards. Took this one with 300 Woodleighs ( I was loaded for bear defense when this fellow came into our camp). The don't expand much at 220 yards but it didn't seem to matter

Plus, the .405 WCF makes a nice double rifle:

DR Hunter,
FYI - the 400 grain bullets that I use in my .405s are:
Woodleigh soft and solids at .411
The Hornady 400 for the 450/400 (http://www.hornady.com/store/450-400-Nitro-Express-3-400-gr-DGS/ ) are .410 and are inaccurate in a clean barrel in my Miroku 1895 .405, but just fine after the barrel is fouled: I stopped using them for that reason.
This might also be tru for the Woodie .410, but I settled on the .411.

Here is my Manton & Co. .405 double:

quote:

Originally posted by OahuKaneohe:
Here is my Manton & Co. .405 double:

Beautiful rifle in a fun caliber. Well done.

Trying using cast bullets in the 405. I bought a Japanese Winchester 95 with the purpose of shooting nothing but cast bullets. IMR 3031 and a 350 grain puts out a lot of power for little expense.

Jim

I had Tom at Accurate moulds make me a 320gn mould and a great reduced load is this bullet over 22gn Blue dot for about 1650fps and great accuracy. I have mine in a early Commercial BSA Long Lee aactioned Lee Enfield I built for this cartridge. Insert into the magazine for a 5 shot capacity makes for a fun plinking session that costs very little for an afternoons shooting

Oahu,
Very nice rifle. Is that a Greener crossbolt I see peeking out the left side of the action?
And side clips?
My Simson Suhl has similar features, but is not nearly so nicely engraved as your Manton.
Thanks for posting.

T he Greener Cross bolt goes thru a doll's head:




side clips, bushed strikers.
British and German proofs in 1925, chopper lump barrels

At 9 lbs 8 oz.s the recoil is quite mild. 26" barrels, flip up moon sight.

tear drops on the stock, unworn checkering:

Beautiful .405. New rifles can't compare with old classics like this one. I seem to remember this rifle about 20 years ago in the DGJ where it was for sale. I remember the caliber, Manton, and the cup on the side lock.

I'm getting tired of shooting the large doubles and am swinging my interest towards small and medium calibers. I'd love to own a .405 double someday (in a vintage rifle, of course).
Cal

Cal,
Let us know when you acquire your .405 double and I will send you load data for 300 grain and 400 grain hand loads.

A '95 in 405 Winchester is the next factory rifle I will probably buy. Maybe my lovely wife will get me one for Christmas...

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
Beautiful .405. New rifles can't compare with old classics like this one. I seem to remember this rifle about 20 years ago in the DGJ where it was for sale. I remember the caliber, Manton, and the cup on the side lock.

I'm getting tired of shooting the large doubles and am swinging my interest towards small and medium calibers. I'd love to own a .405 double someday (in a vintage rifle, of course).
Cal

Here´s my .405 double. Made in the 20´s/30´s by Raick Freres Liége/Belgium.

I bought the rifle 2001 at a gun auction for 3600DM.

Martin

PS: Sorry, I haven´t a better pic...

Big bore fan,
Very nice.
Are those barrels 26 inches long?
And what scope is on the rifle?

quote:

Originally posted by joester:
Just curious, does the .405 satisfy the min. reqs. to hunt dangerous game in any African countries?

a qualified YES -- if you can make the (Country specific laws, these vary) for hunting (what the country defines as dangerous game, with levels) then 300gr at 2400 can make the grade in some circumstances

I won't provide any opinion on logistics or preferences

quote:

A '95 in 405 Winchester is the next factory rifle I will probably buy.

Idaho, remember that you know where you can get one!!!

Jeff,
The North fork 300 grain bullets make a big difference in the effectiveness of the .405 WCF.
The Woodleigh 400 grain bullets at 2076 fps also raise the bar for the .405.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Big bore fan,
Very nice.
Are those barrels 26 inches long?
And what scope is on the rifle?

Morning,

yes, 26 inches long.
It´s a old Zeiss 1,5x6-power scope, without sideknop. The Scope mount is a EAW pivot mount, I mean, installed in the 70´s.

Martin

Judge G, who used to post here, had his 405 long throated and got 450-400 ballistics for all practical purposes, used it on Buffalo with success..A 400 gr. bullet at near 2100 FPS..Sounds like the way to go..

I really liked my reproduction mod. 95 SRC in 30-06 with 200 gr. Noslers, it was a real killer of deer and elk..Never cared much for the rifle versions, too heavy and bulky for me...

This buff took one in the chest at close range and then fell over where it stood.

Great buff! Love the style of the 1895. Just finished Cottar's book, that rifle and calibre are in it quite a bit. I also recall a 405 double for sell on Mick's Guns. Run em to me

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
I had Tom at Accurate moulds make me a 320gn mould and a great reduced load is this bullet over 22gn Blue dot for about 1650fps and great accuracy.

One can kill a lot of stuff with this great reduce load

I have enjoyied this thread and learned a lot. that DR is lovely. I'll bet it is good to shoot with those 26' barrels. the craftsmanship looks awesome. Also those M95 wins still look good enough to eat.

I am beginning to see more potential in the "Big Medicine" round. Brian

quote:

Judge G, who used to post here

Where is Ernest?

Hopefully, he is off hunting somewhere!

A couple of nice looking Mantons there, certainly make my little Manton .405 look rough. But a really honest gun that shoots very well. Also shoots the 210 gn .41 calibre bullets very well. Mine has a straight stock, making me think it had been re-stocked but some research shows that they were made in a choice of stocks.

cheers

Christof,
Have you tried the Woodleigh .411 bullets in your .405 double yet?