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Odd question on the .405 win ????

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04 March 2008, 07:49
500MagMan
Odd question on the .405 win ????
I knoe that the .405 has been taken in to Africa but do you or any on here know for a fact that the .405 was used to take down any of the larger dagis game in Africa ???? I have herd of it but just dont know if it is beliveable or not I seen the balistics and a 300gr bullet around 2200fps dose not sound like a dangrias game round compared to whats out there now ??? dose any one out there know of a load for the .405 win that is faster or harderhitting ????

Just wondering that is all I am thinking of getting one made with a 27" barrle based on my side by side Shot Gun
04 March 2008, 08:04
ramrod340
Didn't Teddy use a 405 on his African trip.

Found this interesting.

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ammunition/bully_041805/index.html


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
04 March 2008, 08:50
craigster
Teddy did use the 405 in Africa. He refered to it as his "lion medicine".
04 March 2008, 08:52
CMcDermott
Teddy Roosevelt was supposed to have used it on Lion during his safari, there is a book about it if you want to verify that he did indeed use his 1895 lever action in 405, and not one of the many double rifles that were also carried.
04 March 2008, 09:10
craigster
He talks/tells about all the gun guns he used in Africa in his book, "African Game Trails". A very good read.
05 March 2008, 00:49
GeoffM24
I just finished the book. He took along his Winchester in .405 as well as his 30-06 Springfield rifle and a big bore Holland and Holland double.

He shot the Springfield the most and even used it on big game after hitting it with two from the H&H.

He really favored his Winchester especially for lion but from his discriptions it wasn't a stopping gun. He stated that for Rhino, Elephant, and Buffalo that the double was the best choice. For Lion, Eland, Gemsbuck, Zebra and other good sized plains game he liked the .405 but the Springfield was used the most and usually used first with the bigger guns being used at closer range for follow ups and finishing shots.
05 March 2008, 01:26
400 Nitro Express
quote:
Originally posted by 500MagMan:
I knoe that the .405 has been taken in to Africa but do you or any on here know for a fact that the .405 was used to take down any of the larger dagis game in Africa ???? I have herd of it but just dont know if it is beliveable or not I seen the balistics and a 300gr bullet around 2200fps dose not sound like a dangrias game round compared to whats out there now ???


A number of Americans used the Winchester Model 1895 in .405 in Africa, including Roosevelt and PH Charles Cottar.

quote:
dose any one out there know of a load for the .405 win that is faster or harderhitting ????

Just wondering that is all I am thinking of getting one made with a 27" barrle based on my side by side Shot Gun


Bad idea. The pressure of the .405 would be marginal for a conversion on most shotguns, and attempting to "improve" it's performance would only make it worse.
-----------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."
05 March 2008, 01:53
richj
Do a search on youtube. There's a guy ( J White) converting a Stoegers shotgun to 405. He has a website too.

He hasn't posted the next part.. maybe it blew up... hope not.

Rich
05 March 2008, 04:37
Rick R
I've got a Ruger #1 that I had rebarreled to .405. The 300gr Hornady bullets were fairly accurate but shooting them into water showed that they have a bad habit of falling apart. Not a good idea for dangerous game I'd think.

The throat on my rifle will let me seat 400gr Woodliegh bullets and shoot them to around 2,000fps. So far the biggest animal I've shot was a blue wildebeest, one shot was all it took.

If you do a google on .405 double rifle you'll probably find info on some Belgian made double rifles that were made in .405 Win, but from what I understand they are regulated for the original 300gr loading.

If I knew then what I knew now and if Hornady was making .450-400 back then I'd have done it in the larger case. The same applies if I were in the market for a rifle with more than one barrel. Big Grin