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

Sir Dennis,
Very good plan.
The 480-grainer is the best weight for the entire spectrum of Ballistics with which to Bagwell, like Saint Sir Bill Bagwell did with his .45-70 Sharps.
From the Whitworth rifle of the 1850's to the .450 "S Rigby" Nitro Express standard setter for excellence, all same 480-gr weight.
If you cannot do 450 NE ballistics with your current 485-gr bullet when PC-painted, I will be surprised.
I have a 485-grainer yet to be tried that will be gas-checked, hardcast, and PC-painted.
I think 2150 to 2200 fps with 485-grainer will be the perfect modus operandi.
Let us call that the Nitro Express Modus Operandi: NEMO

I move that The Square Table consider a classification of cast bullet loads,
.458 Winchester Magnum Cast Bullet Modi Operandi, with this provisional suggestion,
based on a 23" to 25" barrel length (average 24"), any COL, short or long:

Light Express: 400-480 grain bullet at 1800 to 2200 fps: LEMO
Nitro Express: 480-500 grain bullet at 2150-2200 fps: NEMO
Heavy Express: 500-600 grain bullet at 2150-2200 fps: HEMO
Bullseye Express: Any bullet weight at any velocity that shoots accurately, and is not covered by other MO brackets: BEMO

That should cover everything.

Do I hear a second of the motion ?

As an example, here is a BEMO load: Bullseye Express





Scope was adjusted to raise POI and then a 3-shot group at 100 yards was only 0.16" low.
With only a few rounds of loaded ammo left, the final 3-shot group at 200 yards: