I have shot more .460 Weatherby loads that most people and learned several things while doing it.
1. Rifle weight must be adequate and the rifle balanced with the cartridge size to assist mitigation
2. Length of Pull is a much greater factor that most would think and I learned through owning both a .Mark V .460 and John Rigby .275 that 14 inches is perfect for my build.
3. A Monte Carlo stock design is a tremendous help when you have developed muscles between the shoulder and neck which is commonly called sloping shoulders. (Spent a ridiculous amount of time on the net trying to identify this muscle name and it was impossible. Everything I did not want to know was repeated over and over)
4. The above stock design enhances recoil in magnum cartridges and needs a brake with the best being top and side ports and not full circumference breaks. I favor Magnaporting and have even tried custom versions with 3 ports per side up to recoil levels of the .416 Weatherby Magnum. Cartridges under .30 cal are fine without porting - at least for me.
5. Eye relief is a major factor in your scope choice because after you draw your own blood, the fun stops.
6. Always, (develop the habit fast) always hold the stock fore-end firmly, even when shooting from the bench. The rifle is never heavy enough to let rest on the bags.
7. Learn your recoil tolerance. Use light to medium weight bullets for caliber and moderate loads and learn to like your rifle rather than staring out trying to conquer it.
8. Use the big rifle for snap shooting, bunnies are a great teacher to learn and speed reaction times and handling because their fast break from cover distracts your attention which is perfect.
9. When shooting from a bench, focus your concentration on the point of aim. If you are thinking about getting belted you will shoot poorly. Shoot less at teh bench than in the field.
10. Use the big rifle for eradication work. Shoot it more than any other rifle and increase loads or more more towards the bullet you really want to standardize on gradually.
I will be hunting whitetail with a .458 Model 70 this year. I know the cartridge and load will be adequate so my attention will be on the animal and whether I really want to take it. It is more likely that I will watch and enjoy unless he is like me in human years.
