Is the .40-65 once fired brass, or full length sized? I haven't heard of any chamber differences in Cody Ballards, but maybe they used a match chamber that requires it to be mechanically seated?

Vall,  I know of about five different 40-65 reamers.   Hoping to get a clue of which.   I'm guessing that Ron Long might be a good clue.   Thanks Kootne!    Wasn't he associated with that bunch at one time?    A FL 45-70 fits but the neck sizes down to .420-.422 so doesn't mean as much as the chamber cast will.   Thanks both of you!!

Yes, Ron was very involved in the building of Ballard rifles in Cody. Wouldn't surprise me if they used a Ron Long chamber in your gun. Guess the question now is where to get dies for that chamber, or do you have it reamed to a standard .40-65 Win. chamber?

Well here it is:
Case length 2.040+.068 or 2.108
Neck length = .535
Neck Diameter = .4315
Freebore = none discernible
Bore = .400
Groove = .408
Datum at web = .503+
Leade Ramp = .170
Some Measurements are give&stake like the leade ramp length.

So not a Ron Long!    Oh well,  that's why we do chamber casts

My resized 45-70 run .503 at the datum where the web ends.

My Shiloh .40-65 cases are tighter than that at the web.  Mine are no larger than 0.498" anywhere forward of the rim.

Chris.

I think everyone is right... everyone but me that is.

I've been sitting here looking at the drawing and back at my measurements.   With lighting, Cerrosafe, the cast itself and the inexact nature of caliber reading lined up with points on the cast I agree it's a 40-65 Win.   

As for the reported web dimension, that was the one place that didn't have good fill, maybe from not heating the very mouth of the chamber as much as down further.   In other words the .503 was some guesswork after reading .498 but not trusting that poorly filled portion.   Everything but for the freebore (.018) lines up with this PTG diagram.  I would have thought that my eye would easily discern .018 but the shallow end of the leade ramp look to go all the way to the 45* following the case mouth - my buddy and I debated if it did or didn't when looking at it with a magnifier.   As for the length from the base to mouth, Bill said 2.040 and I read it 2.035.   Too close not to be it.   

Time to start the case work -- and probably time to consider an RCBS Shiloh Sharps sizer (like Chris recommended over on the BPCR site) for my other Ballard reline.  My Cowboy dies and a Lyman #17 shell holder are not allowing me to get smaller than .503 at the web ending.

That's what I did when my Lyman set wouldn't get them small enough.