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

Three cheers for EdM for the side table display.
Hip-hip-hooray.
I once rebarreled a .416 RemMag to .458 WinMag.
She was a Winner.
EdM's rifle would be a lot more interesting if it was a .458 Winchester Magnum
that shoots 404-gr Shock Hammers of about 0.419 G1 BC at faster MV than a .416/400-grainer can do
from a .416 RemMag at 65,000 psi SAAMI MAP.
Hence the .458 WM+ housed in the M70 Long Action would have a flatter trajectory and greater impact at all ranges.
It could certainly beat the .416 RemMag at lesser pressure, whatever MV is desired.
The standard SAAMI .458 WinMag of 3.340" COL pushes 400-grainers to +2400 fps MV at 60,000 psi MAP.
Assume 24" barrels all around.

Jacketed and monometal bullet weights from 250 grains to 600 grains: .458 Win
Cast bullet versatility outstanding, even paper-patched and BP, with even greater weight range: .458 Win
Subsonic to near Mach 3: .458 Win
Greater powder variety versatility: .458 Win

Back to Square Table business now, at the center of the great room.

Order in the great room please.

I make a motion to accept a new BENCHMARK benchmark as a Square Table standard for the King of Cartridges.

The WOODLEIGH BULLETS LOADING MANUAL has tabulated BENCHMARK 2 (ADI) = BENCHMARK (Hodgdon) loads
for the SAAMI .458 Winchester Magnum.
First the powder tables to show equivalence of the ADI and Hodgdon powders,
always showing same loads and results for these two powders in the Woodleigh Bullets load data to follow:







All the load data benchmarks are in the Woodleigh data for 400-grainer to 550-grainer.
There is even a separate tabulation aimed at regulation loads for the .458 WinMag double rifles circa 1970 to 1990,
before the flanged cartridges revived, short lived as it may have been.