Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only The great 458 Winchester. Everyone should own one at least once

Well, it seems AA-1680 might be about as perfect as AA-5744 for use in the .458 WinMag with 250-ish grain bullets at around 3000 fps MV from a 24" barrel.

Here is the donor rifle for for a 1:10" twist .458 WinMag capable of handling the 575-gr CEB Lazer hunting bullet.



Maybe CFE-223 would be a good powder for that one.
Sir Jerry has a doozy .400 Whelen load with that powder pushing 400-grainers to well over 2200 fps in a 23" barrel,
at normal temperatures stateside
and he had no trouble at ambient temp of 41*C, baking in Africa.
That is 105.8 degrees F.
That is brain-damage fever.
Or compressed H4895 or non-compressed AA-2460 would get the 575-grainers past 2000 fps.

Barrel: My previous 1:10" twist, .458"-grooved (slugged by me), 8-grooved, No. 4 Sporter stainless "Super Match" barrel from Pac-Nor
was cut to 19.75" on a .458 B&M, which has been re-throated with a .458 WinMag reamer.
It is now a ".458 B&M+W" which is what I am calling it this week instead of a ".458 BMW."
That will do lesser velocity trial loads with the 575-gr Lazer from CEB,
when I load it like a shell-holder action (M70 short action for WSM).

Looks like I need another Pac-Nor like Sir Jerry suggested.
This time a No. 6 Sporter "Super Match" to finish up at 28" length.
Fitted with Creedmoor iron sights and a Picatinny rail it might be about 10 pounds.
Lengthening the barrel from 24" to 28" only adds 0.33 pound according to the Pac-Nor barrel weight calculator.
Don't gain much after 28" of barrel,
start losing velocity about 30" barrel length with these new-fangled smokeless powders.



The .458 WinMag Creedmoor rifle is third in line at the Hilltop Gun Shop & Spa for Wayward Rifles.
1. 500 Jeffery Match CZ 550 Magnum for duplicating .50-140-3.5" BPCR loads with 1:20" twist McGowen stainless.
2. 400 Whelen Ruger M77 Hawkeye awaiting barrel hardware add-ons.
3. .458 WM Creedmoor Ruger No. 1.