Anyone have a chart to load this caliber with smokless powder ? and where can Jacketed bullets be purchased .408 O.D. Thanks .

I have no experience with this cartridge, however I found a load in the 10th Edition of Cartridges of the World, page 138:

370 gr lead bullet, 30.0 gr of IMR 4198

Gives 1400 fps and 1612 ftlbs energy.

The comments are: Lyman No. 403171

Which I presume to be the mold number for the bullet?

The notes for the cartridge say it is nearly identical to the 40-90 Ballard capacity wise. It also states you should be able to form brass from 444 Marlin brass, although it says it will be a little short.

if you want match-grade brass, just trim Norma 9,3x74R. I shoot a Shiloh LRE in 38-90 and all I had to do is neck the case back up .012". It's what the germans did when they "invented" the 9,3x74R about a hundred and five years ago. I would suggest using 405 Winchester starting load data since they are about identical.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

Rich..the 40-90SS is a 3.25" case...As you know the 9.3X74R case is 2.912" and the .405 Win is 2.558" (Hornady Brass) at least according to my calipers...Your 38-90 really interests me as a hunting round in a rechambered Miroku 38-55 Win. 1885 High Wall...I just received 200 Hornady 9.3X74R brass for such a project last week..


Concho.. I have a 40-90SS (CSharps 1875) and shot it a bit this summer using SMOKELESS data from a John Campbells article in HANDLOADER #180...he used cast bullets ranging from 230grs to 400grs....His vel. are in the black powder range and he used Dacron as a filler...
My interest now is to move up in vel. to the 1900fps to 2300fps range with a 420gr. cast bullet...I have not seen any data for this vel. in either the .405 WIN or 40-90SS with a 400gr bullet so I will have to buy some ballistic software this winter and learn how to use it...I may be wrong but I am thinking that these vel. should be achievable at fairly low pressures in the big 40-90SS 3.25" case using slow smokeless powder such as H4831...At least up to the 1900fps vel.
I have no clue where you can get .408 jacketed bullets...BTW the groove and bore on my CSharps is .410X.401
Have Fun!

After thought on .408 bullets...If you can't find any you could size down Hornady .411 bullets in a push thru sizing die like LEE offers...Have Buckshot over at the CastBoolit forum make you a custom sizer in .407" or .408"...Lube case with Lee case lube first (better than Imperial wax for this job so say some)...Buckshot's push thru dies are better for this job as they have a longer sizing area than Lee dies...also he charges less and he is quicker getting them done than Lee...

Thank you all for your help , Concho

Low Wall,

those starting loads will provide just that...and a place to start measuring web expansion and velocity.
Besides, he should just use the Holy Black in a Sharps.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

I found G.C. bullets at Buffalo arms Thanks Guys .