Bullets for Big Bores — the .458 Winchester Magnum – 5

I’ve referred to my new acquisition of the Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum as a Ruger No.1 Safari in .458 Win Mag. That was  because the dealer had promoted it as “Safari”.  In truth, it is a Ruger No.1 Tropical in .458 Winchester Magnum, so that is how it will be identified in this piece and in any future reference.

But this series concerns bullets for a few mediums and the .458 Win Mag in particular even though .416s have been made a part of this topic as well. As noted, anything larger than .458-caliber lacks any projectiles that could reasonably be assumed as intended for medium game. Large bore handguns being the exception, of course.

So, we continue with bullets for the .458 Winchester Magnum in particular, though mention has been made of the .458 Lott and .45-70, and will remain as data points in making comparisons with the .458 Win Mag.

From personal experience in using eight rifles in .45-70 and three in .458 WM, as well as careful research on the expected and documented results from the Lott, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Winchester .458 Magnum is the “best” of anything in .458-caliber.

“Best” must be qualified, of course. In my manual, as well as in blogging and comments made on various forums, I’ve documented why it is equal to the Lott and “better than” anything larger due to much greater versatility, including the .460 Weatherby.

The following quote was posted on the AR forum by the late Dr. Don Heath (“Ganyana”) when debate was rather “hot” over some of my presentations on the .458 Winchester Magnum. Dec. 3, 2010:

“….. depending on the throat of your rifle you can seat the bullet way out anyway. The CZ rifles typically have such a long throat that using the Barnes Banded or TSX you can crimp the bullets in the third groove and have rounds nearly the same length as the Lott. That’s quite a common practice in Africa where the CZ is the most common make of big bore rifle….

“A poor man’s Lott. 2300 fps (from 500s) with S321 is no problem either”.

Don’t look for confirmation of that quote as a lot of the discussion was deleted by the moderator who didn’t like the idea of a .458 Win Mag having ballistics equal to the Lott! I was taken to task by him over my presentations. Apparently, he has somewhat relented as he now admits that the .458 Win Mag is quite capable of 2150 fps from 500s, but at the same time never admitting that the Lott (one of his favorite Big Bores) only has 50 to 75 fps over the Win Mag when both are loaded to SAAMI specs: 3.34″ COL for the Winchester and 3.6″ for the Lott.

Of course, my point, all along, including these current articles, is to confirm that COL for the Win Mag doesn’t need be kept to a SAAMI COL due to the excessively long throat. In a long action in particular, or in a Ruger #1 with no magazine box to constrain COL, it’s no problem to match or exceed Lott ballistics. However, using handloads that will easily match Winchester’s original published factory loads will crumple an elephant, hippo or Cape buff bent on mayhem, or any other of “the big five” (or six). Of course, under the current restrictions and growing “anti-hunter” climate in North America, it’s somewhat doubtful that original loads for the .458 WM will ever be needful or useful for some of the Big Five. The exception will be the “Dagga Boy”. But, the emphasis of this piece and my manual is it’s capability on bears and moose this side of the Atlantic, and Asiatic buffalo in places like Australia. A guy from Saskatchewan has culled over 100 Asiatic buff in Aussie Land using his. Then, many have and do use theirs as they might a “hot” .45-70! You can include me in that latter group. Ample reasons will be forthcoming.

(This is the 350gr Hornady FP. There is also a RN for the same bullet. Ironically, the FP at .25″ has the better BC! Left click on pic for a better view.)

Again, the emphasis being its great versatility due to the hundreds of bullets readily available. Do you want a Sharps in .45-70? You could have one in a .458 Win Mag! Or one in .45-90 or 110? Same deal. The vast majority of .458 WM owners will never set foot on African or Alaskan soil. But they know something that the pro writers and ballisticians don’t… it’s a great deer, black bear, elk, moose and hog gun! That is, in employing 300s, 350s and even 400gr relatively mild loads for the same.

Here is some recent results from my Ruger Tropical in .458 WM (just some loads that could be useful in hunting this side of “the pond”), NOT maximum:

Bullet: 350gr Hornady FP (flat point)
BC = .195
SD = .238
Zero @ 150 yards
MV = 2500/ 4856 ft-lbs (-1.60″)
50 = 2284/ 4055 ft-lbs/ TE = 159 (+0.73″)
100= 2080/ 3362 ft-lbs/ TE = 132 (+1.38″)
150= 1887/ 2767 ft-lbs/ TE = 108 (+0.01″)
200= 1706/ 2261 ft-lbs/ TE = 89 (-3.81″)
250= 1539/ 1841 ft-lbs/ TE = 72 (-10.6″)

This bullet was chosen with a specific goal in mind. With its broad flat point it should be very effective on anything down to an impact velocity of around 1200 fps, even if there is no expansion. Provided the construction is adequate for large game as well as medium, the results should be predictable. Hornady recommends the bullet for medium and large game. It is loaded as a component in their ammo for the 450 Marlin. But, also, it is listed as a component bullet for the .458 Winchester Magnum and Lott at MVs of 2500 and 2700 fps respectively. BUT, get this, also for the .460 Wby at 3000 fps!!! While I’d not recommend that from a Weatherby, I could push it at 2700 fps from my Ruger #1 Tropical. However, that too isn’t my intent. My goal is to use it at 2400 to 2500 fps for testing purposes and in walk-about hunting. The sight-in, which has already taken place at a zero of 150 yards, as seen above, is for ambient conditions more or less expected for September – October. November could be colder. The bear season is till Nov. 15.

(In N. Ontario chasing moose and bear with my former CZ550 in .458 Win Mag loaded with the 350 TSX at 2700 fps.)

I’ll not be in that game to actually kill a bear, but to defend myself if I need to, and/or in the case of a rare specimen.

I’ve gathered some photos from the Internet at impact velocities in media at 1600 (no expansion), 1800 (avg. wt. retained @ 335gr = 95.6%) 1950 (98% retention) and 2400 impact = 65% retention. That’s impressive for a simple cup-n-core bullet! But it has a thick jacket and harder than “normal” lead core. In none of those tests was there jacket and core separation! The impact velocity of 2400 fps was from a .458 Winchester Magnum.

I was faced with a bit of a dilemma over the powder charge of H4198 to produce a little over 2400 fps. I did a search from manuals and also made reference to former loads of the 350 TSX in the CZ550. I’d also recently tested the 350 TSX (modified to 342gr) using 78 grains of H4198 at 2675 fps in my current Ruger Tropical #1. Extrapolated from that information from several sources, including Hodgdon’s manual, I came up with either 67 grains or 70! So you see my quandary! I knew that both charges would be safe, but somewhere between those two I’d find what I was hoping for, so I chose the upper end of 70 grains H4198. Hornady shows a max at 72 grains behind the 350gr Speer at 2548 fps from a 24″ barrel. But the Speer is longer than the Hornady putting it deeper into the case than the Hornady at the same COL. I seated the 350 Hornady slightly longer than Hodgdon’s Speer load; meaning that I had about 1/4″ more space in the cartridge. So, as stated, I knew that even 70 grains would be “more than” safe!

It all turned out very well. I got a corrected MV of exactly 2500 fps… believe it or not! Because the rifle is now sighted as reported above, I’ll let that be my load for the fall season. As it is sighted at +1.38″ at 100, and zero is at 150 yards, I can just hold dead on out to about 200 yards, whether it be a wolf, deer or bear. In the Haliburton Highlands, 200 yards would be a very rare opportunity.

Recoil: It’s up there at about 42 ft-lbs minus 15% due to the ports = 35 – 36 ft-lbs. About the same as a 300 Win Mag with stout loads of which I’ve plenty experience. But due to the weight of the rifle (10.3 lbs), the recoil is not as “fast”.

The 350 TSX was also tested without modification. I wanted to find out three things: 1) Confirm the BC; 2) Would the MV be less using the same charge of 78 grains H4198 as previously when the 342 TSX was tested?; 3) How would the trajectory be affected using the bullet as manufactured vs the cavity being opened by drilling making it slightly larger?

I’d settled on a BC of .338 for the unmodified bullet, though at times I’ve published .365 (best case scenario). However, in using my ballistics computer program, I mostly use .338 for most conditions, despite Barnes published BC of only .271 for that bullet.

Several years ago, when their #4 appeared on the market, I sort of took them to task over dropping the 400gr “X” when they came out with the TSX’s; it was not included… Then in testing the 350 TSX, I couldn’t agree with their BC number and was told that several factors affect those chosen results. I think we all know about that: Ambient conditions; test barrel; actual rate of twist (they tested in a .45-70 barrel with a 1 in 20″ twist rate.);condition of bore, etc. But I was also told that on any given day actual BC can vary as much as .050. That means that a BC of .338 isn’t unreasonable from my rifle and under my conditions. .271 + .050 = .321 BC. Then, on the phone I was told that the BC for that bullet had been upgraded to .278, which, to my knowledge, has not yet been officially published! But .278 + .050 = .328 BC.

Keep in mind that Barns’ published BC for the former 350gr FXB with the single groove was .402! The TSX is the same bullet with a couple more grooves… and that “apparently” changes the BC by .402 – .271 = .131 BCs ??? How can we put trust in published BCs without personal testing of them? The legendary BOB HAGEL said as much when he wrote his book on GAME LOADS and PRACTICAL BALLISTICS for the AMERICAN HUNTER — of which I’ve owned a copy since it first appeared in any of our gun shops. I still value it quite highly. But from the conversation, referred to above, with a Barnes’ rep, it came out that in former editions Barnes published the most optimistic BCs possible… not exaggerating, mind you, but choosing the best possible parameters. In their “new” version (#4) with the introduction of the TSX’s, they chose a more conservative approach — in my view, maybe too conservative, especially regarding the 350gr. With chronographs now available at $100, or less, a writer has put it this way: “With a chronograph in every garage….”, those who publish ballistics must exercise as much caution as called for — but, seemingly, not more! The elevation at which bullets are fired has the biggest impact on how fast they lose or retain original MVs. Next in importance is ambient temperature. So unless you have access to a computer program installed into your computer, or one online, don’t jump to conclusions about downrange ballistic results! And, that goes for MVs as well. A chronograph is the only sure way of making just evaluations of BOTH MVs and BCs.

Shoot your “favorite” load at 100, 200 and 300 yards, or even 500 if such a range is available to you. Make a graph of the trajectory based on the bullet holes. That turns a bright light on in our dim brains! If you never shoot game beyond 200 yards, and have sighted your rifle appropriately for an adequate load for the animal being pursued, then don’t spend one sleepless night over it. But if you don’t know the range at which you might “have to” take a deer, elk moose or bear, studying and testing MVs and real life trajectories isn’t wasted! You’d better spend the time and effort it takes to KNOW! No guessing allowed for a serious mind in a serious hunt!

For your information, and to verify the BC of the 350gr TSX in .458″, I fired a few at the range yesterday (Tues. Sept. 3/18). They were a bit slower (at 2662 fps corrected MV) than the same bullet modified to 342 grains. The previous test of that bullet at 342gr, using the same load of 78 grains of H4198, gave 2675 fps. The BC as reported in my last blog was .265. But yesterday’s results for the ‘UNMODIFIED” 350gr TSX as manufactured did give a result of exactly .330 BC from the Ruger #1 in .458 Win Mag with a rate of twist of 1 – 14 inches.

That’s for whom it may concern — probably that being myself! The former test was the 342gr over 78 grs H4198. Trajectory was +3.5″ at 100 and +2.15″ at 200 from an MV of 2675 fps. I plugged that in to my computer program and the result was .265 BC due mostly to the larger nose cavity. Yesterday, I used the same procedure for the 350 TSX. Results: 2662 fps, +2.88″ at 100 and +1.35″ at 200. The scope had never been adjusted after the first test. I plugged that (yesterday’s test) into the computer program and those numbers gave an exact BC of .330.

So, my goals for the day were accomplished.

All in all, I’ll leave the 350 TSX as it is without modification. But I still have a few that have been modified and they will be used in practice.

Till the next on Bullets for Big Bores…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

 

Why the .458 Winchester Magnum is Enough — Part 4

While the previous articles in this series have been mostly aimed at dispelling some myths and prejudices in regard to the history and usefulness of this classic big-bore in .458 magnum, this final section is about modern bullets and loads that could be employed to cover the full gamut of big game hunting anywhere. And that includes North American big game from whitetail to polar bears.

To a large extent, it’s growing popularity is due to a lot more exposure of this great classic to hunters who either own one or are contemplating a true big-bore rifle.

It’s evident that up until recent history only a few admitted to owning a .458 Win Mag, and most of those few had Africa in their plans. That’s not so anymore… many are not only admitting to the fact of ownership but also proudly talking about their loads for shooting anything from water jugs to hogs, and on up from there to grizzly and brown bear! In large part that’s due to better and more informed communication of facts on it’s usefulness for game from 200 lbs to 2500+ lbs that are found anywhere, as well as it’s more intended focus on African DG.

Here is a lineup of .458″ hunting bullets that I currently have in my “stash”… (500gr Hor. Solid; 480gr Hor. DGX; 465gr hardcast; 450gr A-Frame; 450gr X; 400gr X; 405gr Rem.; 400gr Barnes Buster; 400gr Hawk; 350gr TSX; 350gr Speer; 350gr Hor. RN; 350gr Hor. FP; 330gr Barnes Banded; 325gr Hor. FTX; 300gr Barnes TSX and 300gr Hor. HP). Now, what potential hunting would be suitable for them all? Well, to be honest, I have neither the economic power, nor time, to put ALL of them to their best use! Having admitted that, there is no big game — and some medium-size, like wolf — that I couldn’t legally hunt in Ontario if all I had was a suitable .458 Winchester! Not only that, but be comfortable and happy in the process of such hunts! In my situation, that could include the following: wolf, whitetail, bear, elk and moose. Then, if so inclined, with more money I could go to the next Province either to the left or right of Ontario and include caribou. Farther west and/or north, it could be bison and grizzly!

So, with one rifle, a standard-length bolt-action (.30-06 length) with a 22 -23” barrel, holding 4 down and weighing about 9.3 lbs all-up, with 4 rounds, scope and sling, I could be as happy “as a haddock in the Atlantic”, as I told a friend, and he replied that was the first time he’d ever heard that expression! Well, after all, I was born in a small fishing village on the East Coast of Canada, and we caught tons of haddock, and other fish! So, whatever you may think of that expression, it simply means that I’d be “a happy camper”! So there you have it in plain camper’s English!

Good bullets from 300gr to 350gr could handle any hunting of wolf, whitetail, black bear, caribou, elk and moose. For bison, grizzly and brown bear I’d use 400s. For African plains game? The same deal. Pachyderms? 450s and 500s. Snakes in the grass? A .22LR or 12-gauge.

The following 4 loads are actual that I developed for the CZ 550, followed by 5 others that together could cover all of the suggested hunts mentioned above. Of course, using the right bullet for the intended game is critical along with correct shot placement. Recoil for the 11.25 lb CZ 550 was based on a particular formula (there are several formulas for calculating recoil).

The final 5 are actual from my Ruger #1 in .45-70 LT (long-throat) and could simulate near identical loads based on the 9.5 lb M77 Ruger, 22″ barrel in .458 Win Mag that I once owned. Recoil would, of course, be less in the M77 as it was about 1 pound heavier.

CZ 550 American in .458 Winchester Magnum — 25-inch
11.25 lbs all-up
Winchester brass and WLRM primer.

1) 500gr Hor. RN//78grs H335//MV=2200 fps/5373 ft-lbs//COL=3.34″//1.25 MOA//Recoil=55 ft-lbs

2) 350gr TSX//80grs H4198//MV=2750 fps/5876 ft-lbs/COL= 3.45″/MOA//Recoil=51 ft-lbs

3) 350gr Hor.RN//75grs RL-15//MV=2112fps/3466 ft-lbs//COL=3.2″//MOA/Equals a 350gr load in 450 Marlin//Recoil=29 ft-lbs

4) 405gr Remington//75grs RL-15//MV=2081fps/3894 ft-lbs//COL=3.19″//good accuracy/equals a top load in a 22″ 1895 Marlin//Recoil=35 ft-lbs

The following 5 loads have been developed in my Ruger No.1 .45-70 LT and simulate .458 WM loads from a 22″ barrel. The actual results would be very similar:

Rifle: Ruger single-shot #1 with a long throat — 22″.
Weight all-up=8.6 lbs with 5 on the stock in holder
Primer: WLRM

1) 300gr TSX //68grs H4198//MV=2645fps/4660 ft-lbs//Recoil=45 ft-lbs//PSI=57,800 approx. (That’s PSI, not CUP!)Could safely add 100 fps.

2) 350gr Hor. FP or RN//57grs H4198//MV=2255fps/3951ft-lbs//Recoil=38ft-lbs/Good mild all purpose load to 200 yards.

3) 350gr Speer//65grs H4198//MV=2500fps/4857ft-lbs//Recoil=50ft-lbs. Consistently accurate at near MOA.

4) 500gr Hor.RN//75.5grs H335//MV=2200fps/5373ft-lbs//Recoil=70ft-lbs. Shot a black bear with this load at 40 yards. Also a coon at the same distance! (See Chrony)

5) 450gr A-Frame//76grs H335//MV=2317fps//5364ft-lbs//Recoil=67ft-lbs (see Chrony)

All loads are under 65,000 PSI average. Based on a 1981 NRA handloading publication, the “established maximum product average for factory ammunition is 56,200 c.u.p.” in the .458 Winchester Magnum. That’s 66,300 PSI. But none of the above loads are recommended to be used by anyone else, but simply to reveal the potential for employing similar bullets at approximately similar velocities under the conditions, and for the game, presented.

Use your own informed judgment and pay attention to ANY signs of excess pressure. I don’t claim responsibility for anyone else’s handloading procedures. These are presented as illustrations of the potential from the great classic .458 Winchester Magnum.

Now, let’s go shoot something!

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Why the .458 Winchester Magnum is Enough — Part 3

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

heavy big bores – the “great” .458 Winchester Magnum

I lack inspiration today… That shouldn’t be so as last evening I visited two of my bear bait sites and they’ve been plenty busy with lots of good sign that a big bear is visiting each. And, oh yes… “Big” Ben was with me. Did I not mention “Big Ben”? Sorry about that… Well, you see Ben is a 20-year old and he’s plenty big alright. Let me put it in perspective: I’m 5′-9″ right out of the shower, without socks (or anything else), and 180 lbs right on the nose! Add one inch for boots/shoes, whatever. Normally dressed for this time of year I’m 5″-10″ and 185 – 186 lbs. Oh yes, Ben… well, he’s 6′-3″ and 295 lbs (out of the shower… I hope!). I figure he’s good to have around in big bad bear country as he’s bigger than most bears I’ve shot. We put bait in one spot where it was supposed to go, and then…

We went shooting… A cardboard box… the one in the pic was placed on a backwoods trail, on a downhill slope, and we backed off 20 yds for some shooting. Not much… just a couple to make a comparison between a 180 Nosler Partition from my .300 Win Mag at 3010 fps and my Ruger No.1 .45-70 Imp shooting a 350gr TSX at an MV of 2470 fps… wanting to evaluate penetration, expansion, weight retention and general destructiveness to both bullets and hard, dry glossy magazines wedged tightly in a box.

Results? Penetration was identical, as was expected. Destructive cavity was immense by the .458″ bullet, though the 180 NP had nothing to be ashamed of either. The TSX retained 81% of it’s mass (lost two petals) and the NP lost 51.5% and was a shapeless, tangled mass of lead, alloy and paper. If I were hunting DG, I KNOW which one I’d choose, both in bullet and caliber! Yes, the 180gr Nosler Partition from a 300 magnum is a union made in heaven for MOST big game… The 350gr TSX at a MV between 2400 and 2700 fps would simply be devastation on ANY soft-skinned game in the world!

Oh yeah… this is about the .458 Win Mag, ain’t it… Yes, I do recall that fact. However, at that speed (from the .45-70 Imp) the 350 TSX represents what it would do from a .458 Winchester. Now, in MY .458 it can be speeded up to 2750 fps if need demands it, like for long range. But for most ranges 2470 fps will do the job very nicely. And, I’m planning to try the same test from my CZ550 at 2700 to 2750 fps. Will let you know results… hopefully next time.

LOTS OF BULLETS available for the handloader of a .458 Win Mag… from Hornady, Barnes, Woodleigh, Nosler, Speer, North Fork, Swift, etc. Anything from 250gr (Barnes) to 600gr (Barnes – but they no longer offer them. But I have some). Woodleigh makes a 550gr. There’s an excellent 300gr TSX from Barnes if you want to use yours for soft-skinned lighter big game. I prefer the 350 TSX. It’s VERY accurate from both my Ruger No.1 and the CZ. Then, there are cast bullets aplenty, or the tools to make your own. I don’t have time for that so I order them from a friend.

Lots of people make custom rifles in .458 WM and a number of big rifle makers chamber for that “great” cartridge. You can google or check with the traditional rifle makers, or purchase one of the annuals that “everyone” seems to produce these days. 

My CZ .458 WM will sit with me over a bear bait this year and hopefully it will get bloody (NOT with mine – at least that’s my prayer!).

So, next time I plan to have some results for you from the 350 TSX fired into hard, dry magazines at about 2750 fps from my CZ 550.

Take care…

Bob Mitchell

heavy big bores – .458 calibers

Well, the .45-70 has attracted a lot of attention to this site, as expected. But we must move on to other .458 cartridges. Before we do that, however, let me just add that one of the great attractions to .458-caliber is the super-abundance of bullets available to handloaders from a vast array of manufacturers and suppliers. And this, in no small way, is attributable to the popularity of the .45-70! In other words, bullets lighter than 500-grains in soft-point configuration have also become popular in .458 magnums due to a vast supply of them being readily available for the .45-70!  Now, of course, lighter premium bullets from 300-gr to 450-gr are manufactured specifically for the .458 magnums as they are now being used on thin-skinned game in Africa as well as moose, elk and bear in North America. To bottom-line it: hunters are now using their Big Bores on game other than elephant and Cape buffalo. They’ve discovered they work very well on North American game such as those mentioned as well as bison, deer, wolf, sheep, goats and caribou.

Obviously, there’s an advantage to using one rifle and load for N.A. game! If I were stuck with one rifle it might well be my CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum! It’s pic is on the header. But before I talk about my CZ 550, I need to make a few observations/statements about something else… 

The .450 Marlin came about because of the obvious popularity of the .45-70 using handloads. Not many 1895 Marlins would be sold if it depended upon weak factory fodder for effectiveness on really big, dangerous game like the Big Bears. But Marlins in .45-70 were being effectively used on such game by handloaders. So Marlin and Hornady conceived a plan to reinvent the .45-70 so it could be safely loaded to higher pressure than SAAMI specs allow (28,000 cup) without the attendant paranoia of blowing up a Springfield, Rolling Block, or some other relic of the past and spoiling some hunter’s appetite for adventure… The .450 Marlin is the .45-70 case with a belt to keep it from being chambered in one of the relics of the past. Understandably so! But, it also has a slightly thicker case – especially in the head area – making it incapable of having as much volume as the various .45-70 cases from several manufacturers.

Being the same rifle as the 1895 Marlin in .45-70, it will never be able to surpass the .45-70 when handloaded. In fact, it will always be “the runner up”, not numero-uno! Hornady makes the cases so there will be no opportunity to choose among various brands as is the situation with the .45-70. Plus, the .45-70 comes in a much broader range of makes and models, and it has history and nostalgia going for it, so I don’t have any anticipation of the .450 Marlin cutting into the .45-70’s popularity, much less taking over from it. My survey of two large local dealerships indicate a 10 to 1 ratio in sales in favor of the .45-70. But the .450 Marlin is almost as good, just not quite. There are a couple of factory loads from Hornady. Both are good enough for deer hunting and smallish black bear but nothing really special.  My choice is still the .45-70 in a Marlin and Ruger No.1. And, as already stated, I’ve also owned a NEF Handi-Rifle that for the dollars invested has very high value in my view.

To turn now to the .458 Winchester Magnum. This is my all-time favorite big-bore magnum. I’ve owned a couple of ’em, and the current version is the CZ 550 with a 25″ barrel and double square-bridge magnum-length action. It can be loaded, if wanted, like a .458 Lott. On the other hand, it can be loaded, if wanted, like an 1895 Marlin in .45-70! That’s the beauty and versatility of the .458 Winchester Magnum. It can be used with cast lead bullets at 1000 fps for plinking, or shooting crows, up to screamers like the 300-grain Barnes TSX at 2900 fps! In between I can load it like I’m on safari with 500’s at 2200 to 2300 fps, if a Cape buff gets attracted to my bear baits!

But, my real hunting load for North American big game is Barnes 350-grain TSX’s at 2753 fps and 5890 ft-lbs of ka-smash-like-a-wrecking-ball meeting a moose or bear!

See ya next time… in a week (more or less).

Bob Mitchell