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Kansas Highwall
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Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:02pm
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If so, how does it preform compared to the 45/70?



« Last Edit: Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:31pm by Kansas Highwall »  
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cellargun
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #1 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:26pm
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Kansas Highwall wrote on Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:02pm:
Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? If so, how does it preform compared to the 45/70?
I have one in a highwall with a 30" #3 weight barrel so there isn't much recoil. Factory rifles had a slow twist that are only good with original 210g bullets with ballistics similar to the 41 magnum, not even close to 45/70 performance.




  
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Otony
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #2 - Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:47pm
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Perhaps you are thinking of the 40-65 Winchester? It is quire a bit closer to the 45-70.

As cellargun mentioned, the 40-60 is not a particularly powerful cartridge in comparison.
  
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1Hawkeye
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #3 - Feb 1st, 2026 at 9:31am
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The .40-60 was winchester's first attempt at a big game cartridge for use in the 1876 lever action rifle and its quite underpowered compared to a .45-70. From what I've read it was accurate and good for deer sized game but it also isn't as good as the .40-65 in the 65's modern configuration with the rifling changed for heavier bullet weights. The 76 couldn't take the breach pressure of the .45-70 round so winchester had to design several new rounds for the 76.
  
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cellargun
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #4 - Feb 1st, 2026 at 6:15pm
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Mine is accurate, easy on the shoulder in a 10# rifle, and has that oddball cool factor. And yes, I’m regularly asked, “don’t you mean 40-65?”
  
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Kansas Highwall
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #5 - Feb 1st, 2026 at 9:40pm
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Actually the first I heard of the 40/60 was from the movie Tom Horn. I reckon my interests circle on ali the rimmed center-fire cartridges. My first was a 30/30, then a 218 Bee and the 45/70.
What I love about them is the reloading process. It is easier just like the straight walled cartridges.
  
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Babydriver
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #6 - Feb 1st, 2026 at 10:01pm
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What is a rimmed center fire cartridge? Sounds like an oxymoron. Not the member. 🤣🤣🤣🤣👏
  
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Kansas Highwall
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #7 - Feb 1st, 2026 at 10:41pm
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The rimmed cartridge, is the oldest of the types and has a rim that is significantly larger in diameter than the base of the cartridge. Rimmed cartridges use the rim to hold the (usually straight sided) cartridge in the chamber of the firearm, with the rim serving to hold the cartridge at the proper depth in the chamber. i.E the 45/70 Gov't
  
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Schuetzendave
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #8 - Feb 1st, 2026 at 11:56pm
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They did make a few .40-60 Win 1885 Winchester HighWalls as well.

The .40-60 Winchester was made from 1884 to 1934 and used a 210 grain bullet with a velocity of 1,960 fps.

The .40-65 Winchester was introduced later in 1887 and used a 260 grain bullet at 1,420 to 1,500 fps.

Today many of us are shooting 410 to 422 grain bullets in tighter twist 14:1 barrels on our .40-65 calibers so hard to compare the old .40-60 cartridge with what we shoot in the .40-65s or .45-70s today
« Last Edit: Feb 2nd, 2026 at 12:12am by Schuetzendave »  
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Babydriver
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #9 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 6:57am
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So would the 1873 Maynard cartridges be examples?
  
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TomKlinger
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #10 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 7:40am
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They chambered the ‘76 Winchester in 45/75 45/60 and 50/95. 
The action was plenty strong enough for the black powder 45/70  round.
The 2.1”  length of the 45/70 was the issue, not the pressure.
The 45/75 case was 1.9” so was the 45/60 etc.
All safe rounds for the black powder era.



Tom Klinger

« Last Edit: Feb 2nd, 2026 at 7:47am by TomKlinger »  
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TomKlinger
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #11 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 7:41am
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1Hawkeye wrote on Feb 1st, 2026 at 9:31am:
The .40-60 was winchester's first attempt at a big game cartridge for use in the 1876 lever action rifle and its quite underpowered compared to a .45-70. From what I've read it was accurate and good for deer sized game but it also isn't as good as the .40-65 in the 65's modern configuration with the rifling changed for heavier bullet weights. The 76 couldn't take the breach pressure of the .45-70 round so winchester had to design several new rounds for the 76.

  
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1Hawkeye
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #12 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 8:57am
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Tom's correct its length not pressure l got mixed up.
  
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Statesrights
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #13 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 11:15am
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I shoot a .40-60 WCF in a Whitney-Kennedy using 210 and 245 grain bullets over AA5744 or Trail Boss. A big improvement over a .44-40 and no where near comparable to a .45-70. My shoulder enjoys the difference.
  
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oneatatime
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Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester?
Reply #14 - Feb 2nd, 2026 at 12:14pm
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I would be happy to call the 1873 Maynard cartridges "flanged" to provide something to grab for fingertip extraction.
  
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