The .405 Winchester

by
posted on June 7, 2013
lessons_ah2015_fs.jpg (9)

undefinedAs I write this I can smell the ammonia-based bore solvent on my hands from cleaning my Model 95 Winchester chambered in .405 Win. I had taken it with me to compete in a side match at our local CAS shoot Saturday. It was an interesting match—“shoot whatcha brung,” provided that it is a lever-action or single shot rifle with iron sights. The match was simple: Each shooter provided his or her own target in the form of a water-filled, one-gallon jug. The shooter would place the jug where he or she wanted to shoot it. The Range Officer would laze the target but not tell the shooter the range. The shooter had up to three shots to hit the target. A first-shot hit scored three times the lasered range; second shot hit yielded two times the range and third shot hit was one times the range.

I had put some red dye in my jug, and at some 92 yards I hit it with the second shot. The results were impressive; the 300-grain soft point at some 2,200 fps made the jug come apart nicely. See the embedded video. I did not win the side match; my friend who goes by Yakima Red in CAS shooting, beat me by hitting his 83-yard jug with the first shot from his 1894 Winchester in .30-30.

The .405 Win. cartridge came about in 1904, chambered in the Winchester Model 1895 rifle. Until the advent of the .444 Marlin it was the most powerful cartridge ever chambered in a lever-action rifle. President Theodore Roosevelt was a huge fan of the .405 Winchester and took a pair of them on his famous African safari, pronouncing the cartridge as big medicine for lion. The cartridge and the rifle enjoyed moderate success here in the States as a bear and elk rifle. It was dropped from the Winchester stable in 1936, and ammo companies sealed its doom in 1955, ceasing loading it.

One of the reasons the .405 Win. did not endure is that it used an almost one-of-a-kind bullet—a .4115-inch diameter, 300-grain soft point. Manufacturers usually despise a one-of-a-kind anything because it limits production. Better to have bullets of, say, .30 caliber—.308-inch diameter—that can be loaded in a variety of cartridge cases. Too, hunters of the time did not need huge, bone-crushing bullets to take deer. They really liked the speedy lightweight bullets offered in .25, .270, 7 mm and .30 calibers that smacked deer down at a quarter mile. Another tick against the .405 was the Model 1895 rifle and its stock design that tended to accentuate the recoil unpleasantly.

A few years ago Browning/Winchester reintroduced the Model 1895 rifle, and eventually they made a limited run of the rifle in a takedown configuration chambered in .405 Win. to commemorate Roosevelt’s safari. I simply had to have one, and I bought one as soon as it became available. Though made by Miroku in Japan, its quality and craftsmanship rivals anything to come from the United States in quite a while. Hornady has solved the ammo dilemma and loads the cartridge today.

I have taken it on a couple of hunts but never been able to close the deal on a critter with it yet—something I need to reconcile. Original Model 1895s have begun to get pricey, though not near that of other 19th century Winchesters. An original 1895 Model in .405 commands a premium, but you can still find a repo occasionally.

Latest

LEDE Barnesharvest
LEDE Barnesharvest

First Look: Barnes Harvest Collection Ammunition

Barnes has debuted its Harvest Collection line of ammunition, targeted squarely at American whitetail hunters. Topped with the venerable Sierra Tipped GameKing (TGK) bullet, Barnes Harvest Collection is designed for maximal lethality on thin-skinned game, combining near match-grade accuracy with impressive terminal performance.

First Look: BANISH 30-V2

New from Banish Suppressors, the Banish 30-V2 is an upgraded version of the company’s popular Banish 30 suppressor that is shorter, lighter, quieter and more versatile than ever.

First Look: Hornady 3-in-1 High Speed Power Case Trimmer

The ideal tool for high-volume handloaders, the new Hornady 3-in-1 High Speed Power Case Trimmer brings three case preparation steps into one space-saving tool.

First Look: Kifaru New 44 Mag Pack

Kifaru has announced the highly anticipated relaunch of the 44 Mag pack. First introduced in 2019, the original pack was popular for its versatility and size. While it was still a traditional top-loading pack, the capacity and organization made it a great option for single- or multi-day trips. 

First Look: Trijicon New MRO SD

The next generation of Trijicon’s Miniature Rifle Optic is optimized for use with a magnifier.

Revolver Build: Fink's Custom Taurus Raging Hunter .44 Magnum

This big bore revolver is tricked out for handgun hunting, defense against dangerous game and personal protection. 

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.