2. .458 Lott Among dangerous game cartridges, John Rigby’s .450 Nitro Express set the benchmark at the end of the 19th century, with a ballistic formula that has relied upon since its release. The .450 NE used a 480-grain bullet of .458-inch-diameter at a muzzle velocity of 2150 fps for just under 5,000 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy; the American equivalent was the .458 Winchester Magnum, which—on paper—pushed a 510-grain bullet to 2150 fps, but didn’t quite get there at first. A short case and compressed powder loads made for some issues early on, and hunters sought a means to rectify the problem. Jack Lott saw a quick fix: instead of the 2.500-inch belted case Winchester used, he’d employ the full-length 2.85-inch case—same as the .375 H&H upon which it was based—to give room for additional powder capacity. Though the .458 Win. Mag. is a much better cartridge today than it was upon its release, I still prefer the .458 Lott design, as it will give a light bump in muzzle velocity without crushing the shoulder, and for the handloader it will be a piece of cake to achieve 2150 or 2200 fps with the big 500-grain slugs. If you’re a fan of the .458-inch-diameter cartridges, the .458 Lott is a great choice.
