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

 

Bullets for Big-Bore Rifles — the Competition

In this case,  I’m asking and will attempt a sane answer to the question: How do I choose the best bullet for my big-bore hunt?

I suspect hundreds of buckets of ink have been used up on that one. Nonetheless, that question is still being asked on forums, emails, literature, phone calls, formal and informal discussions, and in responses to my blogs.

Recognising my own limitations, as well as those of other writers who have a broader experience, as somewhat of an annalist in .458-caliber, I thought some practical applications of basic knowledge and principles might be helpful.

The title of this piece suggests there might be differences in weight, style and construction. If we’re thinking true Big Bores, that would limit the choice of calibers to only one where there would be an adequate selection of bullets  designed specifically for anything from whitetails to elephant. That being, of course, in .458-cal.

In checking the various web sites and manuals of bullet manufacturers that regularly offer projectiles designed specifically for soft-skinned medium game all the way to the pachyderms, the choices are limited. Hornady and Barnes are at the forefront of that short list, and they have been the traditional leaders. More recently SWIFT has entered the fray of the Big Bores and offers a selection in .416 that might be considered appropriate for game as light as whitetail deer. Barnes, on the other hand, has gone away from lighter bullets in .416 according to their manual #4.  But their website reveals a couple of TSX’s that could qualify for light medium game — a 300 and 350 in TSX. Also North Fork and Woodleigh offer a 325 and 340gr  respectively.  Cutting Edge has several offerings in .416 starting at a 180gr FB with a large poly tip. But frankly, I have no experience with their bullets and still entertain lots of doubts and questions. I just don’t see them as an all purpose bullet that may work on most game at a variety of ranges. Generally they have very poor BCs. One correspondent described them this way on a cull hunt for water buffalo in Australia: “They were like a hard thrown bag of leaves…” Sorry if that offends, but that confirmed my own suspicions. They may work as well as anything else at relatively close range but loose velocity (and energy) rather quickly due to construction and shape. The added tip makes most too long for optimum results from standard barrels and actions.

Some lesser known family owned bullet making firms may offer speciality bullets from time to time or on special order — but the waiting time may cost a hunt if wanting to use your .416 Something-Or-Other. That is, unless the timeline includes such potential delays. It’s a catch twenty-two situation for both speciality bullet makers and the hunter who wants to use his “Big Bore” somewhat more frequently than a rare trip to the African Continent or up in Alaska. Should you want to use your .404 or .416 for something other than a too costly Alaskan or African trip, you might be stuck with 400-grain super-premium bullets — unless, of course, you make your own cast bullets or order some well in advance from some speciality shops, as suggested. Small shops can’t afford to tool-up quickly for someone who wants to order even a couple hundred 315-grain cup-and-core .416s that might be useful for wapiti, moose, caribou and black bear. Unless they have some certainty of selling a few thousand of such a number, at a “premium” price point, it would be hardly worth their while in time and start-up costs. Hence the dilemma.

Truth be told, there really isn’t a lot to offer in .416″ that could cause any kind of mental fatigue over choices — and that applies in spades in anything more than .416, again with the sole exception being .458″. For some nostalgic reason, .416 is, and has evidently been, perceived as an African only dangerous game caliber, so little interest and therefore demand has surfaced to make it anything but that. Not so in .458 — thanks to the historic .45-70. All others combined in present big-bore rifle sales, both used and new, could hardly get the most liberal bean counter excited. The most prolific gun emporium in our area lists 56 dangerous-game rifles, most of which are NOT Big Bores to begin with — a few .338 Win Mags are listed as DG rifles, and the other sub-.416-caliber is various .375s (mostly H&Hs). The few others remaining of those listed as DG rifles are used and exotic calibers that have been “dumped” — and demand truly horrific prices! A very informative fact is that the same store offers over 40 NEW rifles in .45-70, and NOT one single used one! (Edit to add: To prove me wrong, a couple of .45- 70 used models have just recently appeared; a Marlin “Cowboy” in 26″, and an 1886 Winchester.)   And NO used .458 Winchester Magnums — and I’ve been following their web-site for many years as well as being a semi-regular client.

Therefore, a plethora of bullet types in .458-caliber are currently extant from 250-grain to 550-grain in RN, FP, HP, SP, cast, mono-metal, bonded, traditional and exotic form for literally anything that may be legally hunted worldwide from medium-game to the biggest and baddest!  And yes, if you need practice, very modest loads could efficiently dispatch a gopher or three. I know of one Ontario group that spent a whole season knocking off chucks with their Four-Five-Eights!

(My former M673 in .350 Rem Mag)

Since there really is little to zero competition in bullet choices from all other “Big Bores”, I’ve decided to include a couple from what I’d originally designated as the “Light Big Bores” — from .358-cal to .375-cal., and one from the 9.3s/.366-cal that I’ve written quite a bit about over the past seven years. That is IF they make 4000 ft-lbs at the muzzle and include in their repertoire of bullets at least one solid made expressly for pachyderms, plus at least one “soft-point” that could reasonably be useful for all “plains game”. Of course, all my blogs are in some way related to personal handload experiences.

Let the games begin! (I had to begin somewhere to make this interesting!)

Of course, any such arrangement, while somewhat logical is still arbitrary — no matter who makes whatever lists or divisions.

My choices for “Light Big Bores” are from those that I have at least from “some” to considerable experience with. In .358″ it will be the .350 Remington Magnum and from .375 the choice is natural — the .375 H&H. The “true” Big Bore being in .458-caliber; the .458-Winchester Magnum, and it’s equivalent in my Ruger No.1 in .45-70
LT (long-throat), or “Improved” (IMP).

Though the .350 Remington Magnum has been around for a long time (1965) it is still relatively obscure for the average hunter who thinks rifles for big game must be chambered in .30-06, .270 Win or .308 Win. Other than that, those who have ventured past .30-caliber think .338. Still, the .35 Whelen has experienced some awakening in recent times but sales still leave it in a slumbering mood. There have been several attempts to re-introduce the very good .350 Rem Mag in new garb but sales have hardly sparked new interest among those having a fling with the “short-fats”! I think it’s a case (pun intended) of “too skinny” and too early for the latest generation “fat” crowd!

My experience is limited to two Remington models in .350 RM: The first a Rem 700 Classic with a very good walnut stock embracing a short-action with a 22″ tube screwed into it. It was one that was coveted and should have been kept, being one of the best handling/proportioned bolt-action rifles I’ve ever handled and owned. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a ton of experience as a handloader in those days, and didn’t fully appreciate its potential.

The second, and last, was the Model 673 (that I’ve written about a few times). After my gunsmith got it sorted out by finishing the chamber that was left in the rough by Remington, it became one of the very best shooters, and most efficient, that has ever graced my gun cabinet. It too carried a short action and a medium-heavy 22-inch barrel. I’ve never owned a more accurate big-game rifle. In fact, it would shoot it’s preferred 250gr Grand Slam into 3/8″ at 100 yards, leaving the muzzle at over 2700 fps, thanks to RL-15 ignited by WLRM primers, and, of course, Rem brass.

As a further insight into it’s capabilities compared to the .35 Whelen, check out Barnes #4 manual. It’s insightful in that the ballistics from the .350 RM are from a 20-inch test barrel while those for the .35 Whelen came from a 24-inch.

My best results from each came from 22″ barrels using RL-15 and several 250s. Results from 225s were similar, but the .350 (M673) would fling the 250 GS at an average of 2710 and the 250 NP at an average of 2695 fps. I could get about 2600 from the 250 Speer and Hornady from the Whelen, but not even 2500 fps from the 250 NP without pressure problems! In fact, the distinction between those two shooting the 250-grain Nosler was more like 150 fps in favor of the .350 RM. Plus, while the accuracy of the Whelen was good, the .350 produced superb accuracy. Oh yeah, I know, that may depend more on the rifles than on the chamberings.

Anyway, if I were to do it all over again, I’d choose a 22″ barrelled .350 with a standard action as in the M700 that Remington produced at one time. I heard rumors before my first purchase that it would come close to the ballistics of a .338 Win Mag when fitted with a 22 – 24″ tube and choosing the right components in powder and bullet… I found that to be true enough! My choice of bullet for all big game would have been the 250 GS or 250 Nos. Partition if the GS were unavailable. That combo was plenty for anything in North America, and most anything else the world over. While the 225s have their proponents, the only practical advantage, and a slight one at that, is slightly less recoil. Downrange, the 250s hold their velocity and energy much better. I loaded my 673 with the 250gr GS over 60.5 grs RL-15 for a very consistent sub-moa at over 2700 fps. That was plenty good enough for me, and would still be today!

Guns, like humans, have their own ideas of what works best for them, in them and through them. While general descriptions may be made about “if the shoe fits, wear it”, yet a handloader does need be somewhat of a psychologist to convince firearms to behave in a manner suitable to their physical form. Despite that, however, they do appear to have a mind of their own. Just like in human relationships, when you think you’ve figured them out, they will often prove you wrong. So, as in raising kids, eventually you have to let them decide for themselves what they do best — otherwise big disappointments may be around the next turn in life’s road! At a rather early stage in my life, my Mom thought I’d like to learn piano lessons since she came from a very musical lineage, but I liked the outdoors much more than that! Later, since I came from a lineage of musicians, I wanted a guitar for Christmas — an Hawaiian one at that! Well, that didn’t seem to work out too well either — I still liked the outdoors too much! It wasn’t until adult years that I actually learned to play a musical instrument, took some music courses in college, and learned to sing tenor in a choir and high-tenor in a quartet. All that to say, I’ve also had to learn patience with rifles as to what their preferences might be in handloading components, and to what degree! And they didn’t always agree with what others dictated should be the norm for their purpose and existence!

If you get the drift here, don’t assume that you, or anyone else for that matter, knows best for the rifles under my care! And I’ll extend the same courtesy to you.

The following is a comparison of two loads from my former M673 in .350 Remington Magnum. As mentioned, many shooters seem to prefer the 225s over the 250s in the mid-bores. The advantages are slim, but there are a few: Slightly less recoil (29 vs 31.5 ft-lbs in mine); slightly better trajectory; and in some places, perhaps slightly better cost for the 225s over the 250s. In downrange energy, as well as in starting out, the 250 NP is the winner over it’s sibling. It also carries more momentum and penetrating power due to a better sectional density (.279 vs .251). So, depending on the game being pursued, I’d choose the 250 for most applications. Although, Woodleigh makes a 310gr in both RN and FMJ, I believe.

(Some bullets tested when I had the M673. Left click for enlargement)

I’ve a friend who had his .350 RM in a Rugger 77 re-chambered to .350 WSM — simply the .300 or .325 WSM necked to .358″. Since it’s a “Cat”, I’ll not include its specs here except to say that it appears to be the full equivalent of the .358 Norma in a 24″ format. There is no lack of good to excellent bullets in .358-caliber these days. My friend also likes the 250gr Speer. It has a good reputation from a long career.

CARTRIDGE = .350 Remington Magnum
Barrel length = 22″
Bullet: 250 Nosler Partition
Powder: RL-15
Primer = WLRM
Zero @ 250 yards

MV = 2695 fps/ 4031 ft-lbs (-1.6″)
50 = 2598 fps/ 3747 ft-lbs (+1.52″)
100= 2504 fps/ 3480 ft-lbs (+3.33″)
150= 2412 fps/ 3228 ft-lbs (+3.76″)
200= 2321 fps/ 2999 ft-lbs (+2.69″)
250= 2232 fps/ 2766 ft-lbs (+0.01′)
300= 2146 fps/ 2555 ft-lbs (-4.41″)
350= 2061 fps/ 2357 ft-lbs (-10.7″)
400= 1978 fps/ 2171 ft-lbs (-19.1″)
450= 1897 fps/ 1998 ft-lbs (-29.7″)
500= 1819 fps/ 1836 ft-lbs (-42.7″)

Yes, I think that at 1819 fps, that bullet should give some expansion on a moose or elk. With precise shooting on a broadside hit through shoulders and lungs, 1836 ft-lbs should be ample for a 1000 lb animal… but barely. Nonetheless, most of us, most of the time should get closer before squeezing the trigger. The 225gr NP, that provides the following ballistics, should be adequate on the same game to 400 yards with good to excellent shooting.

Same conditions as above:

225gr Nosler Partition

MV = 2775 fps/ 3847 ft-lbs (-1.60″)
50 = 2673 fps/ 3569 ft-lbs (+1.37″)
100= 2573 fps/ 3308 ft-lbs (+3.11″)
150= 2476 fps/ 3063 ft-lbs (+3.54″)
200= 2381 fps/ 2832 ft-lbs (+2.54″)
250= 2288 fps/ 2614 ft-lbs (+0.02″)
300= 2197 fps/ 2410 ft-lbs (-4.17″)
350= 2107 fps/ 2219 ft-lbs (-10.2″)
400= 2020 fps/ 2039 ft-lbs (-18.1″)
450= 1936 fps/ 1871 ft-lbs (-28.2″)
500= 1853 fps/ 1715 ft-lbs (-40.6″)

To help put these numbers in perspective, when I owned my Remington Classic in .350 Rem Mag, the only manual in which I could find a number of loads for 250gr bullets was SPEER’s No.11. In fact, it was the ONLY current manual available from a company that actually made those bullets. And that bullet was the 250gr Speer SP with a BC of .446 (the same as the later 250 Nosler Partition). I immediately purchased a can of Winchester 748 ball powder as it was listed as giving the best velocity and energy, of course. Being a ball powder permitted a larger charge. They showed 57 grains as max at 2484 fps from the 22″ barrel of a M77 Ruger. Mine was a 22″ Remington, so I figured I should get close to that number from 57 grains of WW 748. It turned out that my rifle fell short of that. So I managed to cram in 58 grains that produced slightly more than 2400 fps. I was beginning to feel some disappointment. No other powder tried would even come close to that. So, I settled on that as the best possible from that rifle. Eventually, I chose a 200gr SP (Hornady) at around 2700 fps and took it deer hunting. My dream was “busted”.

All of that came after the purchase of a .338 Win Mag in a SAKO FS with a 20″ barrel. It was giving factory specs for 250s and 225ts.

Fast forward to today’s manuals: Some are still “stuck” with original factory ballistics for the 350 RM; others are NOT! For instance, take BARNES #4. From a 20-inch barrel they show 2943 fps from their 200gr TSX, and 2764 fps from the 225 TSX. That’s equivalent to original ballistics from a .338 Win Mag. In my 20″ SAKO in .338, I couldn’t do better than that for the same weights. From a 22″ .350 RM those Barnes numbers should look more like 3000 fps for the 200 TSX and 2800 fps for the 225 TSX. Again, that would about match results from a 22″ to 24″ .338 Win Mag. How could that be when “everyone knows” that the .338 WM is greater because it has more case capacity? Evidently, not “everyone” knows about ballistic efficiency, or how a larger bore is more efficient in the use of a faster powder than a smaller bore with a larger case capacity that is compelled to use a slower powder… It’s called Expansion Ratio. A .35-caliber is much better at that than a .33-caliber — meaning, a .35 Whelen, and especially the .350 Rem Mag, really lack little to nothing in real life ballistics, when barrel lengths and pressures are the same, to the highly toted .338 Winchester Magnum. More bullets, you say, for the latter? Yeah, perhaps, but not to any meaningful degree.

From Nosler’s #6 manual, I see they used a 22″ — same as mine. For their 250gr Partition, they record 2571 fps from WW 748. That should easily give 2500 fps from a 20-inch tube. However, there are better powders available today. I think it’s reasonable to expect a good improvement over those more modern results if RL-17 was given a try, as it has in my own 9.3 x 62.

Til the next on the 9.3s (of course, I couldn’t leave that one out, could I?)

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

bullets for big bores–page 5

Merry Christmas to all, and a blessed New Year!

How’d you like a box of shiny new bullets for Christmas? For your .416 magnum? Well, truth be told, there are lots of ’em available these days from all the larger makers and some smaller ones as well. So, I’m not gonna go through the complete list again, as it’s been done several times already. What I aim to do is talk about bullets for whatever purpose and apply that to the .416s. Fair enough?

So, here we go about bullets one more time: What do you want to shoot with your .416? To make it practical, I suppose we should break things down based on particular cartridges in .416, and therefore the rifles that go with them.

There are currently five commercial .416s available from well-known companies, which are–in terms of the oldest to the youngest–the following: .416 Rigby; .416 Remington; .416 Weatherby; .416 Dakota, and the most recent .416 Ruger. There is also a longtime wildcat, which has been semi-legitimized, the .416 Taylor.

So, we’ll briefly acknowledge each of these, not necessarily in the above order, but with the intention of how and where they may be successfully used/or have been… that is, their appropriateness using particular bullets. We will also group them based somewhat on ballistics and the total package.

I’ve let it be known that if I really wanted a .416 it would be in a compact package. Therefore the Ruger should be first pick, but won’t be even though I like the concept of the Alaskan. It has a synthetic stock and stainless metal and/or metal finish, which would be to my liking for our rather wet big game hunting seasons in Ontario. At one time, I had an M77 Ruger with the “boat paddle” handle  and stainless barrel in .300 Win Mag. I shot a nice 9-point buck with it that dropped in it’s tracks just 35 yards away. I also “dropped” that rifle on the ground as I dressed out the buck. And, oh yeah… there was about 6-inches of wet snow on the turf. When my work was done, I picked up the rifle, whipped it off with the sleeve of my jacket and thought no more about it until I was ready to put it away in its locker. Does that tell you something about why I like that concept?

Also, it’s a 20″ barrel with a .30-06 length action making the whole package light, handy, durable AND powerful for any kind of mission it might be sent on. Now THAT is a commendation that very few rifle/cartridge combos can best or even match! The downside isn’t BULLETS… There are plenty of them for anything from white-tailed deer to eles. The downside at present IS: the cartridge-case isn’t readily available for the handloader, and it would be real difficult to form it from something else. As well, factory ammo isn’t THAT easy to come by either, as Hornady has a reputation of being late with their promises, and, to date, they are the only maker of cases and ammo… Soooo, I’m unwilling to venture at this time with a .416 Ruger, though I still believe the idea has a lot of merit. If ammo were not a problem, it would be a very tempting proposition. The next best thing, in my view is the .416 Taylor, which would be a custom or semi-custom project that doesn’t interest me either. But cases can easily be formed from .458 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag brass.

Therefore, in my opinion, the best currently available cartridge in .416 is the Remington, though, even for that cartridge, cases and ammo have been quite scarce. If I owned one, I think I’d want it in a 22″ version, but it still has the long action of a .375 H&H and with a 22″ tube it’d be way TOO LOUD in burning 80 to 85 grains of powder.

With those current unsolved dilemmas, I have NO intention of owning ANY .416… even though excellent component bullets are available for any big game, including DG.

The .416 Weatherby, Rigby and Dakota are all in a similar class, meaning: heavy, with lots of recoil, and unable to match the .458s.

So I’ll stay with the .458s.

Bullets for Big Bores intended for thin-skinned big game:

That includes all of North America, South America, Europe, Australia and PG in Africa. There are plenty of expanding bullets for most Big Bore cartridges and rifles at .458-inch bore, or less, that will get the job done on these animals. Of course, as stressed three zillion times already… if you’re looking for an abundance of anything over .458″, FORGET IT!!! It just ain’t gonna happen! But, if you’re persistent enough, I’m fairly optimistic that you’d be successful providing: a) You have a stash of money you don’t mind parting with, and b) You’re persistent enough! Good luck!

That .416 Remington case I’m holding in the photo above is one of a half-dozen or so found in one of the garbage containers at the range of which I’ve been a member for the past twenty plus years. (On some rare days, I manage to be there solo) A previous fellow shooter at the range was most certainly not a handloader!

The right premium, or super-premiums, from Nosler, Barnes, Swift, North Fork, Woodleigh, and others, will do a fine job on anything to bison in size if we choose one of these in the appropriate weight to bore ratio and place it in the right spot. That demands not only becoming familiar with the bullet and load, but practicing under realistic field conditions UNTIL WE CAN”T MISS!

This bear was hit EXACTLY where the cross-hairs quartered a center-chest hold, at 90 yards.

The bullet…? A 350 TSX from my .458 Win Mag! That’s an example of what I’m writing about. Know your load and bullet, and practice UNTIL YOU CAN’T MISS! If you look carefully you can detect where the bullet made it’s exit… the shiny-wet spot just in front of the right hip.

Know your bullet BEFORE going afield! If you’ve never used it before, get all the information possible through testing, talking with fellow hunters who’ve used the product, and it’s reputation through various media. Even so, arguments rage on the various NET forums as to which is best! Talk about bias in politics! It pales in comparison to the vitriolic exchanges by verbal combatants  on the NET over BULLETS! THEY’RE ALL GOOD… at least I hope so, but you’d better do your own homework just the same.

‘Till next time…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

bullets for big bores–page 2

BULLETS for BIG Bores!

Yes! That’ll be our preoccupation for the next few weeks. This photo represents a part of my stash, only, and includes three boxes that are not true big-bore bullets–a couple in .30-cal. and one in .35-caliber. The others are all in .458″. 

The point is to show some of the better known companies that produce quality bullets for Big Bores, and a few of their offerings. These include: SWIFT, BARNES, HORNADY, SPEER, NOSLER, and a relatively small cast bullet maker that supplies an excellent product–M.T. CHAMBERS’ SUPPLY from Saskatchewan. Those are 465gr semi-hardcast that shoot MOA from a couple of my rifles… in .458″ of course. One shot from my former NEF Handi-Rifle in .45-70 and that very nice bear was kaput, fini, DRT!

That 1 to 10, tin/lead slug leaves the barrel of my Marlin and current H&R at 1900 fps. That translates into 3727 ft-lbs at the muzzle and a KO Value of 58! Compare that to a .375 H&H with a KO Value of 41 and the picture becomes clearer all the time! In momentum it equals the .378 Weatherby firing a 300gr at 2945 fps, but still has a better KO Value due to it’s 50% larger cross-sectional area!

Oh yeah, this is about bullets for Big Bores… I know… but is anyone in their right mind going to deny that the Marlin and strong single-shots in .45-70 can sit among them… comfortably?

Here is a formula that I use to determine bullet effect on ANY big game, at ANY distance:

kinetic energy at impact (KEI) X sectional density (SD) X cross-sectional area (CSA) X 25 = relative game weight (RGW).

In other words it looks like this: KEI X SD X CSA X 25 = RGW. There are several qualifications: Should the bullet be a “super-premium”, 33.3 is used instead of 25. Another caveat is that should the game be dangerous and agitated, 1/2 of 25 or 33.3 is used. If it’s anything but broadside, 2/3’s  is used. For brain shots, including elephant, the result is multiplied 2x.

As an example of the above, let’s say we’re shooting an elephant with a .458 Win Mag using a 500gr solid leaving the muzzle at 2200 fps, and the range to elephant is 20 yds. That would be an average distance for brain-shot elephants. Impact velocity would be about 2160 fps/5179 ft-lbs, based on BARNES 500gr Banded Solid. So, here’s the data using my formula for elephant:

5179 X .341 X .165 X 33.3 X 2 = 19,407 lbs, or about a 10 ton elephant. If we use 25 (a traditional RN solid) instead of 33.3 (a FT monolithic) the results are still impressive: about 14,570 lbs, or a 7 ton elephant!

How valid is this? Well, you can pretty well determine for yourself what you need before going afield. Just make sure that we’re using the right numbers and math, and we can be confident of results assuming we do our part.

Another real-life example… Is a .30-06 adequate for a 900 lb brown bear that’s bent on havoc at 20 yds? Let’s see…

If we are using a 220gr NP starting at 2550 fps (possible)… at 20 yds the velocity will be about 2500 fps/3053 ft-lbs:

3053 X .331 X .074 X 12.5 (1/2 of 25) = 935 lbs. Yes, adequate, but barely! In this scenario, the hunter is in BIG trouble if his shot is off by a few inches! A brain shot from a cool hand would do it of course. But that’s why most Alaskan hunters for big bear choose .338’s and .375’s, or even the .45-70 or .458 WM. The .45-70, with the right bullet, is more than adequate. Take for instance, one of these, which cleanly flattened the big bruin above. Impact was about 1760 fps/3198 ft-lbs! Would that be enough even for a large grizz comin’ for ya, full tilt at the same 70 yds at which I shot that blackie? Let’s see:

3198 X .317 X .165 X 12.5 = 2091 lbs! My goodness… that would kill the largest buff going… assuming a good hit with a strong bullet! Incidentally, this bullet has a .25″ meplat (flat tip), and a friend who was 300 yds from me when I shot the bear heard the reverberating “twack” on impact (a frontal chest hit) and said to himself, “Either he hit the bear or a large tree!”

We should NEVER underestimate what a properly constructed cast bullet can achieve from a hunting rifle!

All of the manufacturers mentioned, plus a few others such as North Fork, Woodleigh and Kodiak, produce excellent quality bullets. We have never had it so good. Some are expensive, and others are very expensive, no doubt about it… but how many of those do we really use in hunting?

As mentioned, several times in these blogs: shooters of .458-calibers are far-and-away the most potentially wealthy of ALL big-bore aficionados. I don’t want to labor this point again, but for the record (one more time), there is NO OTHER BIG-BORE SIZE that even comes close when compared to the sheer number, variety and versatility of projectiles readily available to .458-caliber hunters and shooters. And, due to quality bullets being produced for the .45-70 at reasonable cost, the handloader of .458″ bore won’t need to declare bankruptcy due to his/her excesses! Just ask me how I know that!

But then… there are very good to excellent products for the Big Bore buff, in any caliber starting with the metric 9.3’s in these days, from the same producers. More on that the next time.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

bullets for big bores–Part 2

Yes, there’s no end of good to excellent bullets for our Big Bores. Then, there are the cup-n-core variety from a few manufacturers as well, such as Speer and Hornady. These can be used for plinking fun, sighting-in, practice or just slowing them enough so that they will not explode on impact with game. They generally will work quite well on whitetail and similar game at modest velocity.

For example: in .458-inch, the 400gr Speer is a very good choice for whitetail when velocities are in the range of 1500 to 1700 fps. If pushed much faster it tends to expand too rapidly on impact. Of course, velocity at impact is a factor of distance as well. Though I’ve no experience with it personally, the 300gr Speer in the same diameter has a good reputation for deer-size game, and perhaps it would work quite well on tougher game as long as the velocity/range is appropriate for its construction.  We need to keep in mind that this style bullet (plated) is not intended for DG or long-range shooting since it also has a poor ballistic coefficient. Then there are the 350s from Hornady in the same caliber intended for slightly tougher game like caribou, elk and moose. However, I can’t recommend these 350s for game larger than caribou as they are still too soft, and if impact is too high they will shed their jackets, like we will soon be shedding our winter wear. (In fact, in these parts of Ontario, spring weather has already arrived! What a beautiful day today was. We’ve had this kind of weather for nearly a week, and tomorrow (Thursday) looks to be even more grand! Then the rains are on their way…  That is, if we can believe the Weather Channel! OK, I know… this isn’t a weather report… but the snow’s disappearing and the sunshine sure makes it feel like May, or maybe April at least. Can’t wait until I can get out for some tramping around in the woods and shooting at the range! What about you? What are your plans?)

Back to our subject of bullets for the Big Busters…

There’s such a proliferation of quality bullets for .458″ that it’s well nigh impossible to cover them all. If we include cast bullets, which we must… then .458-bore has everything covered anywhere in the world from mice to moose, bears to buffalo, wolf to wapiti and eland to elephant! One Big Bore could do it all in any part of the world! That’s not to suggest it’s the best or only Big Bore capable of such feats,  but in my view it qualifies very near the top of the heap just because of the cost factor, distribution, variety and quality of bullets suitable for most anything from coyote to elephant! That, my dear friend, adequately covers any hunting we could ever undertake in ranges measured in inches to at least 400 yards! A .458 magnum or a .45-70 is no varmint rifle, or perhaps not even a mountain rifle, but one could do a lot worse than shooting a 300gr TSX at 2400 to 2800 fps for most North American big game or African plains game! 

My second choice for a Big Bore, or really a Medium Big Bore, would be in .375-inch as there are about as many bullet choices available as in .458″. Everyone and anyone who makes bullets has them in .375″. And like .458″, they are available at reasonable cost in premium, regular or cheap. For that reason alone, if I were to choose a caliber other than .458″ for DG, or as a Big Bore, it would be in .375″. The .416s are attractive as Big Bores for DG, but they are lacking in overall diversity of slugs appropriate for all hunting anywhere in the world.  

From Hornady there’s a 220gr FP made for the .375 Winchester. Driven at around 2200 fps from a .375 H&H or Ruger, it would make an excellent deer slayer. Also, it would work about as well on hogs or anything else you could think of in that catergory of fauna. Then, there are several 235-grainers available from the usual sources. Some are cup-n-core, which would be appropriate, no doubt, for deer and hogs as well. But, for my money, the 235 TSX would be a winner for most game in North America and plains game in Africa. In a .375 magnum only three quality bullets are needed for anything that walks, crawls, slithers, swims, bounds, stomps, snarls, growls, glares… you get the picture! Those three are the traditional favorites in 235gr, 270gr and 300gr. Of course, Woodleigh makes ’em in 350gr as well… a soft and a solid.

Quality bullets are available for .375″ and .458″ for any serious hunting we might undertake in any part of the world… and for plinking, practicing and fun shootin’ of varmints! Yep, it’s been done! I once knew a group of hunters, not far from where I’m seated at my computer, who actually used a different cartridge each year for groundhog huntin’… including the time-honored .375 H&H and the world renowned .458 Winchester Magnum.

Long may they both live!

Until next time… more on bullets (pic above is of a few bullets in .458″),

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

bullets for Big Bores

Since .375-caliber in one of the big magnums is a common cartridge for use in Africa on anything up to elephant, I’ll include it in our discussion of bullets for Big Bores. Yet, this piece isn’t limited to the clean termination of DG (dangerous game), but includes harvesting African plains game as well as North American big game. Also, because the 9.3 X 62mm and the 9.3 X 74R are legitimate cartridges for the taking of elephant in certain African states, I’ll bend a bit and include those two as well (Yes, I know that the 9.3 X 64mm and the SAKO version AUGHT to be included under certain conditions).

So, starting with the “African” 9.3s, Hornady in their Seventh Edition Handbook list no less than 16 bullets beginning at .375″ up to and including .458″. Their website adds another 18, which includes one in .366″ (9mm).  That makes a total of 34 big game and DG bullets from one supplier alone for calibers ranging from .366″ to .510″. Hornady is believed to be the largest privately owned supplier of component bullets for handloaders. Of course, many of their bullets find their way into loaded ammo as well. Personally, I have more boxes of Hornady bullets on my shelves at any given time than any others. Barnes would be a close second.

Other name-brands that spring to mind, that also produce bullets for the biggies are: Speer, Trophy Bonded (owned by the Speer brand), Hawk, Woodleigh, Kodiak, North Fork, Nosler (though limited) and Swift. I’m sure there are other less conspicuous brands as well. Then, of course, there’s a veritable truckload of cast bullets, or the equipment to make your own, by such representative and well-known companies as Lyman, RCBS and LEE. So, there’s no lack of bullets for the Medium Big Bores, or the Big Bores themselves, should we be in the hunt for something that will do the job assigned to our rifles with barrels having holes the size of  house plumbing.

The next question is the most obvious: How do they stack up? Well, for what purpose? If I were hunting a whitetail with my CZ–which I’ve done, by the way–would I use the same weight, style, brand, etc., as I would if the target were moose? Yes, I might do that or, on the other hand, I might not. As we all like to qualify such issues, I’ll repeat what most would say, “It all depends…”. It all depends on: a) what bullets I have on my shelves that might work for either species, or what’s available, and b) what distances I might be called upon to shoot, and c) at what range I’d be comfortable in attempting a shot on live game using that rifle/load combo, and d) is the bullet accurate enough for any shooting I decide upon, and finally e) will it hold together at close range and expand adequately at “long range”?

Those qualifiers cover a lot of ground. I’ve been evaluating the 235-grain Barnes TSX (Triple-Shock X) in .375″ as it has the same SD (.238) and nearly the same BC (.270) as my favorite all-purpose 350-grain TSX in .458″. I do use the 350 TSX in two Big Bores: my CZ in .458 Win Mag and in my Ruger No.1 .45-70 Imp. From the .458 it leaves the muzzle at 2750 fps and from the Ruger it makes 2470 fps. In the CZ that’s max, while in the Ruger, not quite. But both loads are accurate and consistent. The 235 TSX from a .375 H&H, .375 Ruger Hawkeye, .375 RUM, .375 and .378 Weatherby, would make an excellent all-purpose bullet for North American big game in my view, including the big bears… though some would opt for the 270 TSX. But the point is… with all of today’s multiple options, yes there are single bullets out there that will be more than adequate for all the big game hunting most of us will ever do with Big Bores. I’ve written that very thing in my manual on the .458 Win Mag. My choice for that rifle is the 350 TSX  leaving at 2750 fps. That load is for any hunting in North America where I choose to use it. There’s no need for anything else. I could slow it down to 2400 fps, but since I also have the No.1 Ruger that shoots it at 2470 fps, I’ll just leave well enough alone. Now, I’ve shot a lot of other bullets and loads in that rifle, but unless or until I go to Africa after elephant, I really don’t need anything more than a 350 TSX. That load would easily take anything on this continent to 400 yards, and any African plains game to the same distance. I think it might even work well enough on a Cape buff, but I’ll let others decide that. I’m thinking moose, and I’ve taken that load for moose where shots could have been anywhere from 5 yards to 500. And it’s very likely, God willing, that it’ll go again for moose this October. That’s the point… a load and bullet that will do it all. 

Above is a pic of the 350 TSX loaded long for both the CZ and the No.1

Until next time when we continue with this subject of bullets for Big Bores,

Shalom

BOB MITHCELL