Rustzipper
The only difficulty I ran into with the 458x2, in the short action 660 was, it would only feed semi-spritzer bullets. I liked the Hornaday 350 grain RN bullets I had been using in my full 458, but, they would not feed. So I went with the 300 and 400 grain Barnes Originals, which I believe was the only semi-spritzers going 30 years ago. Now there's more options, but the Barnes 350 TSX FB looks like the ticket. I have not tried them yet, but will this summer, always thought the 350's would be nice. Liked the recoil of the 300's, but the 400's in a light rifle with full house loads where just getting uncomfortable. When I was on the Islands or anyplace that the Big Bears roam, the 400's where always in the mag.
I replaced a nice 458 mag I had built by a friend who used to Smith for Stanley's Gun Room in Santa Ana, California just before moving to Alaska in the early 70's. it was a nice rifle, nothing fancy, just a working gun, with a Lyman receiver sight. But, and this is why I built the 458x2. My 458 mag was 46" long, right at 11 pounds with a full magazine. I took my Father after Brown's down in the Wood Tikchik lake system in southwest, Bristol Bay area with that 458. Well climbing through alders and other brush dragging that big ass gun with me, I said never again. I would have been very stressed to get that rifle in action in some of the areas we hunted. Loved that gun shot well and should have kept it, but................
Less than 8 pounds loaded and 40 & 1/2 inches on the 458x2 will drop anything out there and handles well.
