Enough for what?
That’s the question to be answered fairly in this section and in Part 4.
The mere fact that the .458 Winchester Magnum has been around for nearly 60 years, and doing better than ever, is testimony to its endurance and serviceability on dangerous game in places like Africa and Alaska. There is really nothing I can add to that, nor do I intend to try — the record is clear and available to anyone who makes a meager effort to view it. As an example of this, the books by Richard Harlan, renowned African PH, giving his personal African experience in the culling of thousands of elephant, needs no additional commentary by me or anyone else! Then, the fact that the .458 Win Mag is in current use by numerous Alaskan guides in the defense of clients, who pursue the big bears and moose of that “last wilderness”, is explicit witness to its effectiveness on this continent. It’s Phil Shoemaker’s favorite against the big bruins up there.
(Photo credit: USFWS)
My particular aim is to unveil some of its potential usefulness beyond Africa and Alaska, despite the naysayers. AND, based on the FACT that at least 50% of the hits on this website are .458 Winchester Magnum related, AND the fact that my Emails reveal a growing interest in that cartridge for North American hunts, it’s time to bring it out of the closet once again!
It so happens that most who continue to badmouth the .458 Winchester have little to nil experience with one. They habitually cite some claimed “failings” on large African dangerous game in its history of 30 to 40 years ago. The 2 main reasons for those questionable “failings” have been amply explained more than a few times… Again, that’s fully available for ANYONE who is looking for TRUTH and not just to trumpet their own ignorance of the facts!
The two “reasons” for any “failures” were: 1)Ammo that was “baked” in the sun for too many months, and “clumped” up powder as a result, and: 2) In the manufacturing process the machines had a “herky-jerky” movement from where the powder was loaded to where the bullet was seated that caused the spilling of powder to such a degree that no two cases had the exact same amount — hence, NOT the same pressure and bullet velocity/energy. It was a manufacturing fault that was later corrected, not a failing of the cartridge’s potential.
Besides all that, Winchester cut the barrel back to 22″ from 25″ — to keep some American hunters happy — AND reduced the powder charge, that should never have been a problem to start with. The cartridge was capable of it’s claimed specs to begin with — 2140 fps/500gr and 2125 fps/510gr. Those numbers are EASILY obtained TODAY from a 24″ barrel at LESS than 53,000 CUP/62,500 PSI. You can check that out for yourself in the reloading manuals of Hornady, Hodgdon and Accurate Arms. My personal experience confirms that as well. From my CZ550 with a 25″ barrel, I could obtain 2225 fps from the 500gr Hornady within SAAMI specs. That’s 5496 ft-lbs of kinetic energy at the muzzle! I can hardly believe that anything more than that is meaningful for LG and DG anywhere they may inhabit God’s Earth!
(2753 corrected fps from a 350gr TSX in the CZ550 .458 WM)
I’ve read numerous times in various published articles, by some well-known authors, that the utility of the .458 Win Mag is limited. Obviously, these influential writers had never experienced its true potential outside their own limited “box”. What do I mean?
Well, it should be obvious that authors who make their living in “authoring”, are not likely to venture into a realm where “doubting Thomas’s” live! That is, for their own sake, they will use the habitual and expected “right” product for the “right” situation. One example of this in found in the answer to the following question: How many articles have appeared over the past 10 years on the ubiquitous .30-06? Is there anything NEW to be said? Any new adventures? So, “everyone” has a .30-06! Almost. But I don’t because it’s useful but boring! Then, the .300s are more useful and less boring! That’s in my view and experience, of course.
But the last couple of articles that appeared in a couple of well-known magazines on the .458 Win, were written over 10 years ago! One by John Kronfeld that I greatly appreciated and the other by the late Finn Aagaard, whom, and which I also greatly admired! But nothing of significance since, that I’ve noted. Why?
Because the top brass of magazines have decided that certain “things” sell! And the .458 Win Mag is of no interest to “hunter Jimmy” down in south-west Texas! He hunts hogs and whitetails!
So, that’s where I stick my nose into this business. In my view, the .458 Win Mag is a great cartridge for North American big game when handloaded and used with wisdom for the anticipated hunt! That’s where I’m coming from, and I’ll stick by it!
My experience is significant with a .45-70, and, as already advanced as a theorem, the .458 WM in my hands is treated like a super-charged bolt-action .45-70 for anything from wolf to moose! Is it the best for those creatures when “everyone else” advocates a .30-06? You can be the judge AFTER I present the following scenarios from my hunting context!
In the first article of the current theme, I shared some personal history over how and when I got into using an 1895 Marlin in .45-70. That was in 1988 and I’ve never been without a .45-70 since. From my own experience, and that of others, I believe I’m realistic in my thinking about its potential, including its limitations — in my hands and from my handloads — not its limitations in everyone else’s hands! There are those who “dabble” in .45-70. They will NEVER know its potential! Then, there are dedicated .45-70 aficionados who know its potential! And, it’s NOT what you will read about in SHOOTING TIMES or Petersen’s HUNTING by Boddington or Barsness, for example. They may be good enough in their own experiences, but they are NOT specialists in anything! Boddington is held as a “giant” on African fauna, but I reserve judgment on that! As a writer, maybe. But as a hunter of elephant? There are many with FAR more experience on elephant who are NOT acknowledged in ANY popular magazine!
And there are many with far more experience than I with BOTH the .45-70 AND the .458 Win Mag in North America. Yet, from available literature there is STILL a drought of any in-depth knowledge that is shared, especially on the .458 Win Mag. It’s “out there”, but who will fill in the blanks for us? Well, maybe someday Shoemaker will write a book for us… but for now, I’ll give it a try.
As previously mentioned, I’ve owned two .458 Winchester Magnums, and have done more than “average” handloading for them. I gather that from available literature, reloading manuals, personal Emails from a growing number of .458 Win Mag owners and Internet chatter. ALSO, if I may be so audacious as to declare it, I’ve considerably more experience in handloading a few Ruger No.1’s in .45-70 than the current crop of writers, unless they are hiding their experiences out of fear!
When I sent the specs for a 500gr Hornady handload to the powder company that manufactured, or distributed, the powder I was using, amazement, or perhaps “shock”, was the response given to me over the phone from the chief ballistics guy! “You have just reinvented the .458 Winchester Magnum” were his first words to me. And the load tested for me was NOT a .458 Win Mag load but a 500gr load for a Ruger #1 in .45-70! Since then, as recorded in my manual on the .45-70, a new Ruger #1 in .45-70 has had the throat lengthened to seat long bullets “out” so slower powders may be used and the long monolithics, like the TSX’s, could be employed as well. All that, plus an increase of 150 fps from the heavyweights!
It’s been used in hunting… and will be again in 2014. I mention all that to say I have handloading and hunting experience in my North American context with two .458 Win Mags and a couple of #1 Rugers with .458 Win Mag potential. So, as limited as that may be, I’ve learned a few things in the process that someone may find encouraging or, at the very least, helpful.
(2317 fps corrected to muzzle from a 450gr Swift A-Frame — from my Ruger #1 .45-70 LT)
Here, finally, for this week are three .458 Win Mag handloads that I’ve employed in moose and black bear hunting. I’ve terminated black bears with all three of the bullets mentioned and two of the loads. More on that next time.
Ruger M77 bolt action (22″ barrel)
Bullet: 500gr Hornady Interloc
Powder: 69grs RL-15 (reduced load for the context)
Case: Winchester
Primer: WLRM
MV = 1925 fps/4114 ft-lbs/137.5 ft-sec. momentum
CUP = 40,000 approx.
Zero = 100 yds
Accuracy: 1/2 MOA
COL: crimped into cannelure
Recoil = 47.6 ft-lbs
Rifle weight = 9.5 lbs approx.
Ruger M77 bolt action (22″ barrel)
Bullet: 350gr Speer HotCor
Powder: 73grs AA2015 (best accuracy for application)
Case: Winchester
Primer: WLRM
MV = 2335/4237 ft-lbs/117 ft-sec. momentum
CUP = 38,000 approx.
Zero = 100 yds
Accuracy: 1.5 MOA
COL: taper crimped @ 3.3″
Recoil = 41.5 ft-lbs
Rifle weight = 9.5 lbs approx.
CZ 550 bolt action (25″ barrel)
Bullet: 350gr TSX
Powder: 80grs H4198
Case: Winchester
Primer: WLRM
MV = 2753 fps/5890 ft-lbs/137.65 ft-sec. momentum
PSI = 64,000 approx.
Zero = 250 yds for moose/ 100 yds for bear
Accuracy: MOA
COL: 3.45″
Recoil = 51.3 ft-lbs*
Rifle weight = 11.25 lbs
*The recoil of this load was less than my .340 Weatherby moose load, though the .340 was a much lighter rifle at about the same overall length. But I never much noticed the recoil or muzzle blast of either in shooting game. The weight of the CZ was a bit of a chore in tight brush (alders) but didn’t notice it in more open areas.
That’s all for this week — just one more to go on this theme.
Shalom
BOB MITCHELL