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

Sir Bob's blog latest has a passage to make the deniers/liars weep:

"In my view, Winchester did a great job in producing that series of four in the late ’50s and early ’60s, that have really never been improved on by their “Short Magnums”, nor other brands and iterations. The .458 is still a factory standard for African DG firing a 500gr at 2130 to 2150 fps (over 5000 ft-lbs), and handloads that equal or surpass the Lott (to 6000 ft-lbs); the 300 is a world class cartridge for big game at any realistic range as well as a favorite for target shooting. The .338 is still a serious choice in Alaska for its overgrown moose and bears, and the .264, despite a lot of negative press and more than enough competition, is still alive and capable of “getting the job done” on anything to meet Winchester’s intentions – at stretched ranges.

"Long may they live! ...

"And despite its critics, the father of them all – the .458 is not only able to fulfil its promises, but is better than ever!"

Amen !
So said this choir receiving that message.

All of those Fabulous Four chamberings have leade-only throats with no parallel-sided freebore.
The three smaller bores have more obtuse leade angles, but the diameter at the start of the leade is pretty much proportional to caliber in all.
The chamber length of the .458 WM is 0.020" longer than brass maximum,
but all three of the others (.338, .264, and .300 WinMag) have 0.024" for max brass length to stretch into on firing.
Maybe that is because SAAMI limits the .458 WM to only 60,000 psi MAP
while the other three get to go to 64,000 psi MAP, even greater than the .458 Lott MAP of 62,500 psi !

That tells me that the .458 WM+ ought to be allowed MAP of 64,000 psi and really leave the .458 Lott behind, eating dust.