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Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? (Read 600 times)

Kansas Highwall Junior Member Offline Posts: 57 Joined: Oct 12^th, 2023	Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Jan 31^st, 2026 at 11:02pm	Print Post
	If so, how does it preform compared to the 45/70?
	« Last Edit: Jan 31^st, 2026 at 11:31pm by Kansas Highwall »

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cellargun Full Member Offline Posts: 141 Joined: Feb 28^th, 2022	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #1 - Jan 31^st, 2026 at 11:26pm	Print Post
	Kansas Highwall wrote on Jan 31^st, 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 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 287 Location: Bandon, Oregon Joined: Jun 5^th, 2021	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #2 - Jan 31^st, 2026 at 11:47pm	Print Post
	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.

	Otony
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1Hawkeye Full Member Offline Posts: 234 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #3 - Feb 1^st, 2026 at 9:31am	Print Post
	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 Full Member Offline Posts: 141 Joined: Feb 28^th, 2022	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #4 - Feb 1^st, 2026 at 6:15pm	Print Post
	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 Junior Member Offline Posts: 57 Joined: Oct 12^th, 2023	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #5 - Feb 1^st, 2026 at 9:40pm	Print Post
	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 Full Member Offline Posts: 229 Joined: Mar 22^nd, 2024	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #6 - Feb 1^st, 2026 at 10:01pm	Print Post
	What is a rimmed center fire cartridge? Sounds like an oxymoron. Not the member. 🤣🤣🤣🤣👏


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Kansas Highwall Junior Member Offline Posts: 57 Joined: Oct 12^th, 2023	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #7 - Feb 1^st, 2026 at 10:41pm	Print Post
	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 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Retired Ex-Shooter Posts: 4204 Location: St. Albert, Alberta Joined: Jan 28^th, 2005	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #8 - Feb 1^st, 2026 at 11:56pm	Print Post
	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 2^nd, 2026 at 12:12am by Schuetzendave »

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Babydriver Full Member Offline Posts: 229 Joined: Mar 22^nd, 2024	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #9 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 6:57am	Print Post
	So would the 1873 Maynard cartridges be examples?


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TomKlinger Full Member Offline Posts: 241 Location: Central Florida Joined: Feb 17^th, 2019	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #10 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 7:40am	Print Post
	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 2^nd, 2026 at 7:47am by TomKlinger »

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TomKlinger Full Member Offline Posts: 241 Location: Central Florida Joined: Feb 17^th, 2019	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #11 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 7:41am	Print Post
	1Hawkeye wrote on Feb 1^st, 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 Full Member Offline Posts: 234 Location: South end of Northern Virginia Joined: Jun 29^th, 2019	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #12 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 8:57am	Print Post
	Tom's correct its length not pressure l got mixed up.


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Statesrights Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 411 Location: Virginia Joined: May 3^rd, 2016	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #13 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 11:15am	Print Post
	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 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4310 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #14 - Feb 2^nd, 2026 at 12:14pm	Print Post
	I would be happy to call the 1873 Maynard cartridges "flanged" to provide something to grab for fingertip extraction.


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GeneB Participating Member Offline Posts: 18 Joined: Dec 10^th, 2015	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #15 - Today at 9:36am	Print Post
	The 40-65 WCF is a longer 45-70 length cartridge. The toggle action used in the early Winchesters if scaled up for a 45-70 length cartridge would have made a very large heavy action. The old carrier design used in them had to be totally in front on the toggles, so the extra length of any cartridge needed the receiver lengthened about double that. The Bullard's for 45-70 length cartridges, which used the same carrier design, have a very long action. The original cartridges for the Model 1876 Winchester all had the same diameter rim so all the action and magazine parts were the same. Later 45-60 cases have a slightly smaller rim the same as a 45-70 which is probably the base case they were made from. According to 'Old Cartridges of the World' the 40-65 WCF, 40-60 Marlin, 40-70 Bullard and 40-75 Bullard all would interchange.
	« Last Edit: Today* at 9:42am by GeneB* »

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17673 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #16 - Today at 10:12am	Print Post
	The original .40-60 Marlin made for the 1881 Marlin rifles came as a small primer, but soon got replaced with large primer cases. UMC also made .45-70 cases with a small primer for the 1881 Marlin per Marlin's request, but they also didn't last long.

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rkba2nd Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 2077 Location: earth Joined: Feb 16^th, 2009	Re: Anybody here have a 40/60 Winchester? Reply #17 - Today at 1:33pm	Print Post
	I have seen that in a lot of cartridges, first in 25-20 SS when I acquired my first rifle with that cartridge using large primers.

	rkba2nd
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