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

Sir Bevan,
I think you know the answer to that.
Actually it performs about as well as the 400-grain "Special" Safari Solid.
Just to clarify it for my mind, I reviewed the McCourry Institute of Ballistic "Terminals."
There is a 325-gr Lever Gun Solid with 0.460" nose projection
and a 325-gr Safari Solid with 0.650" nose projection like on the latest 400-grainer.
Nose projection includes the first band in length of projection beyond the case mouth.
Short nose projection does not penetrate as well as longer, somewhere over 0.600" does better,
seems to be optimum according to MIB "Terminals" for the .458-caliber solids in the
high-order test medium tougher than critters by depth of penetration.

Marlin .45-70 velocity, about 2000 fps impact: ~ 37" penetration, 325-gr Lever Gun Solid



Whether 2200 fps or near 2500 fps impact: ~ 52" penetration, 325-gr Safari Solid





Higher velocity and same penetration has to go into some other form of energy dissipation/wound trauma/heat/noise ...

Unfortunately the lower velocity with the Lever Gun solid confuses the issue, but MIB research assures us that
longer nose projection (ahead of first CEB band) improves penetration.

Dead elephant shot in skull as a test of 325-gr Safari Solid:



Here is the comparison for 380-gr Lehigh Copper WFN, near 2200 fps impact: ~ 41" penetration



The wider, sharper edged meplat transmits trauma to tissues well if not aiding penetration.