Th 40-65 WCF is an old cartridge first chambered in the 1886 Winchester around 1887 with a 260 gr. bullet at slightly more than 1400 fps, not a lot different from about 100 other 40 cal. cartridges from the day. Until the popularity of BPCR Silouhette it was dead. It being easy to form from plentiful 45-70 brass, being 40 cal. and readily adaptable to heavier bullets and single shot rifles it has been very successful since being rediscovered.
I've played with about 80% of the BP cartridges out there today but not the 40-65. I chose the 40-70, (40-2.5) Sharps Straight which is .3 longer than the 40-65.
For what do you want to use the rifle? Hunting, long range target, long range and just plain ol' plinking? Smokelesss or black powder? Cast or jacketed bullets? The factory loads are adequate for deer/black bear/hog sized game and probably pricey as the dickens. If you handload you can up the bullet weight to the 370-410 grain area and have something.
If you're going to reload for it I would make a chamber cast and slug the bore. The cast will tell you everything you need to know about the throat and leade and the slug will let you size the bullet correctly.
I don't know anything about Uberti's rollers. The originals were and are fine rifles. At the match at Creedmore in 1876 one or two of our shooters, I can't remember, used Remington RB's. There is nothing wrong with the 40-65 WCF.
I expect Bertram makes properly headstamped brass and it can more than likely be had from Buffalo Arms and maybe even Midway and Graf's. Me, I'd scrounge a pile of 45-70 brass and start squeezing.
Last edited by sharps4590; 03/10/13 02:18 PM.
