AR Big-Bore'rs,

What is the biggest badddest cartridge one could develop for the Winchester '95?

30-375?

Who knows???

You might be able to squeeze a 10.75X68 Mauser into one.

The famous (late?) Finnish gunsmith Hannu Kamutta loved the 1895 Winchester and he maintained it can take any cartridge you wish.
To prove the point, he shot his .458 Win Mag conversion.

The most limiting factor will be the cartridge length.
I haven't measured but I'd hazard to guess that nothing longer than the '06 based cartridges will fit.

- Lars/Finland

The most impressive caliber I have seen was Judge Gs 405 MOd. 95..It had a long throat and he could seat bullets out a long ways..He gets 2000 FPS plus with 400 gr. bullets..You could also go with a 458 Win I am told but getting the belt to feed may be tricky???

Phil Shoemaker had at one time if my memory is correct a 9.3x62 case necked up to a .375 and he liked that combo real well for a Bear gun. It would be a decent buffalo and elephant caliber.

I would look into the 416 Ruger and see if it would fit before I did anything.

I love the Win. mod. 95, and with a stiff loaded 220 gr. and based on shooting and eland and some elk with it I would be comfortable using it on Cape Buffalo, Alaskan Brown Bear, and wouldn't turn down an elephant hunt with a 220 gr. solid, if it was that or nothing else..

When I think about the guns that tamed the bush in Africa early on and the thousands of elephants kill with such calibers as the .303, 7x57, 318, and the 9.3x62 one wonders why todays hunter can't do the same..Actually we could if we would just do it..I have tried it and I'm satisfied they knew from whence they came, it always has been the right bullet inthe right spot, end of story.

But like everyone else, I still opt for the bigger calibers, however I'm not totally sold about using the biggest of big calibers, I am serious about bullet "construction" and "placement" of that bullet as being the gel that makes for quick kills..

The Winchester 1895 .405 WCF has been loaded to 2400fps with 300 grain bullets and to 2100fps with 400 grain .411 Woodleighs.

How much more "bad" do you want in a relatively light and handy rifle?