Forums.NitroExpress.com

Hey, Y'all,
The original suggested upper pressure limitation for the original .405 chamberings ( Mods. '95 lever, '85 Hi-wall, Hotchkiss boltgun) was 45,000 psi. This was slightly above the pressure figures of the then-as-loaded 300 gr. solids and softies, at an m.v. of 2300 fps. When Ken Waters did his work-up on this case, he moved the velocity window up to 2400 fps and better, while suggesting that none of his test loads surpassed that 45,000 psi limit.

Now I'm not your average dumbass, and I am in no way suggesting that anyone approach 2050-2100 fps. with a 400 grainer the first crack out of the box! The newly produced Hornaday .405 loads are rated at 2225 fps M.V., and I'm dead sure certain they're loaded to lower pressure levels than the early ammo, since we all now live in "Lawyerville", and Hornaday can't control what some mental cripple's gonna try to fire 'em in (shades of "wimpy 45-70 factory fodder", doncha know).

Let's look at some numbers here, just for conversation's sake. The 400 gr. .411 bullet, or for that matter the .400 gr. .416, is nearly identical in ballistics coefficient and sectional density to a 500 gr. .458, and the shape of about all the offerings in 400/.411, thusly, have slightly less bullet-to-bore contact than a 500/458. Case capacity-to-projectile mass (the limiting factor in all straight-wall cases) is slightly BETTER in the .405 case, the case length being 2.580 nom. as opposed to 2.500 for the .458 Mag., again keeping in mind the similarities in SD and BC of the projectiles used. Also, the availability of newer propellants now on the market have allowed the .458 Mag to finally become what it was intended to be, while still keeping the lid on chamber pressures (most of the reloading sites are reporting 2150, even 2200 fps with a 500 gr. bullet). The reason I keep referring to the .458 Win Mag in this comparison is that these two cartridges bear striking similarities in every category. Let's never forget that this .405 cartridge was a "magnum" in 1904, fully eight years before the introduction of the .375 H&H Magnum.

I don't have the foggiest where you came up with the pressure figure you quoted, but I'm sure that any reloader worth the title would stop way the hell short of that figure. If you have some secret formula for figuring chamber pressures without ever firing even one round, please publish it for all our edification.

Also, keep in mind that the .416 Remington Magnum is regularly loaded, at the factory, to 65,000 psi chamber pressure, and there are folks out there that are surpassing factory ballistics figures every day in this round. Talk all you want about trying to make a cartridge something it isn't, when it's a stone fact the .416 Remington will NEVER come close to what the poor, old, outdated .416 Rigby will do with 15-20% LESS PRESSURE!!! JOHN RIGBY FOREVER!!!

My original wish still stands: the .405 needs to be experimented with, using the heavier 350-400 gr. bullets. The ONLY complaint that was ever murmurred about the .405 when talking about dangerous game was the lack of penetration with the original thin-skinned 300 gr. Winchester solids. With the advent of the superlative #1 Ruger in .405, we have the makings of a true, old-fashioned, AMERICAN, dangerous-game round, and one that one that doesn't come up lookin' too awful bad beside the numbers for all the old .40-.45 Express rounds, or even the well-deserved reputation as a sure killer of the .404, at factory numbers of 2100-2150 with a 400-grainer.

I feel confident that someone will take this fine old cartridge to the level of performance it is capable of, because the .405 Winchester was laid to rest 'way too early, and deserves the attention of an intelligent reloading world. And thanks for lettin' me rant a while about one of my old favorites.

"When in Doubt, Use More Gun!!!"