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

Mine didn't have such a long rear sight base,
otherwise that looks llke what I had in all
other respects.

Had a fellow custom gun aquantance that
scored a pre64. 458 bit over 10 yrs ago
at a gunshop that didnt know what they had.




Theres two working rifles that come to mind -
Shoemakers 458 and Selbys 416 (after many
yrs in the bush) photographed where it had
little bluing and no checkering...boring as can
be visually. IMO it's a shame someone had the
rifle restored, coz it killed some of its story.

we are 4 buddies who hunt moose together and 2 of them has Ruger no 1 tropical in 458 and this bullets shoots 1 to 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards ( both rifle )
one moose was shot with this bullet at 1600 fps the moose was about 170 yards quartering away. bullet hit rear ham and existed opposite front shoulder when hit it just drop there
the bullet was wheel weigh seized .460 and regular lube was used
this bullet is usually shot with 64 gr. of IMR 3031 and the muzzle velocity is 2014 average but that day my friend had taken his practice load by mistake 1600 fps
this his a custom mold my mountain mold
this year I have a accurate mold 400 gr. with a large flat nose
can wait to shoot it and give result
my first 458 was a Winchester push feed in 1980 and shooting it with RCBS 400 gr cast bullet with 59 gr. IMR 3031 gave me 1886 fps and the deviation was only 3 fps and this bullet shot cloverleaf at 100 yards
I have H4895 and I will try it out with both the 550 and 400 gr bullet and post the results
take care canuckistan

Hi canuckistan;

Welcome to the forum.

I/m a fellow Canadian who had lived in the Montreal area from 1962 to 1975. Have been in Ontario since then. My favourite rifles have been in .45-70 and .458 Win Mag.

Thanks for sharing your loads. I've yet to use IMR3031 in a .458 but your results look promising. Like Ron, I've found H4895 to be my first or second choice for heavier bullets, and H4198 for 300s and 350s. Might give IMR 3031 a try, but first I want to find some AA2460. The powder that has worked best overall for .45-70 and .458 (as one powder for each) is H335, but AA2460 is similar, and perhaps a tad better for heavier bullets. As Ron has experienced, however, H4895 has a wider range of applications as a "one powder-do-it-all", sort of thing.

You can read my stuff on my website at:

www.bigbores.ca

Bob

And I learn from you as well Sir, agreed, AA-2230's slightly hastened burn should indeed give a full 2450 fps from my 458 Win Mag+, don't know why that figure is stuck in my head, 2415 fps would slay any creature out to a long 300 yards anyone would send a soft point bullet in to, the AA-2460 load would be perfect for 110 degree buffalo hunting, the primers are so round, with cases falling from the chamber, gotta be on the low end of sammi spec.

You guys are making my shoulder ache all over again! I used to get these velocities in my 450 Dakota and fully recall how unpleasant shooting them was! Glad I’m past that stage these days. If my 416s won’t get it done I’ll have to hunt other game. But it’s fun reading what all you guys are up to.
RIP, I still love my 375Wby but these days my hunting doesn’t need it’s fire power. Hate to say it but I think my days of hunting in Africa are over. Trophy importation will be getting worse and eventually might end completely for any of the Big 5.

thank you for welcome
here is my ruger no 1 in 4570
was modified to mount a scout scope
great feeding port is free
and no worry for scope bite

I would like to thank Riflecrankcrank, Gunner 500 and others for this fine thread. Nice break after the political rancor of late.

I would like to contribute, full disclosure I am not a big bore guy and don't pretend to be.

About ten years ago I had a pretty steady supply of very clean BrnoVZ24 actions available. Local gun show guy would bring one to his table twice a year and I would buy them.

Anyhow in my gun building frenzy I got a smokin deal on close-out barrels from Montana Rifle Co. $75 a blank and he would contour them! Well he had a 1/12 .458 blank available so I had him contour it to a #5 profile.
At the time a had a clean 1917 Enfield action, so the wheels started turning and out came the brilliant idea I needed a 460 Wby. so I box it up send it to I.T.& D. with instructions to chamber for 460 bee,

Well Dave called me and informed me the shank was too small for the Enfield action! darn..... so I sent him one of my VZ24 with instructions to chamber to .458 Win.

As luck would have it I found a heavy dense blank of Bastogne walnut on Ebay of all places, it was already profiled in a classic pattern for 98 Mauser... another bargain.. $85.00!

So I was off to the races. so a couple months later this emerged from my shop.....






This is my first and only true big bore... well besides a Marlin 45-70.

I didn't drill and tap the receiver for a scope as I decided express sights or nothing.

So I loaded some Remington 405 sp in front of 70 gr IMR4895 & WFFN 440 gr gc in front of 71 gr IMR 4895, and off to file in the sights well it was accurate for sure! despite my limited tolerance for 458 bench work!
Then I orderes a Lee 500 mold cast a few up , powder coated them and stuffed them in with 71 gr IMR 4895, a new level of recoil...

So now I have 3 levels of power and as luck would have it the 500 gr is dead on at 50 yds and the 440 is a couple of inches higher and the 405 just a little higher than the 440. perfect, as the sights are not adjustable for elevation, only windage, I do have two more leaves but haven't filed them yet.

So far this has been a fun and satisfying project. Up until now it has been a range toy, but I have been binging on Cape Buffalo hunting videos..... so maybe?
Everybody loves to shoot the .458.

Very nice rifle! BIG MEDICINE!

Awesome thread fellas.

I recently got a M70 Classic Safari Express 458 Win myself. Haven’t done much but a little shooting with some 300 grain Hornadys and RL7 but once I get some time I’m looking forward to limbering it up a little.

Hi Guys . you can run but ya can't hide 😜

The more I read this thread , including its 230 some pages from the other side . The more I want another CZ 550 in 458.

Oh . Something I've been wanting to say for a long time.
The 375 AINT A BIG BORE RIFLE CARTRIDGES !!!

Nice story - the rifle looks good, shoots well, and sounds like it was a bargain!

Great stuff on the latest installment at Bob's blog.
Anyone who loves the .458 WM will love that.
Baie danke Oom Bob (Thank you very much Uncle Bob).

Thanks Hannay, and welcome to the fire

canuckistan,

I am sure you will be able to find Cast Bullet Nirvana with either H4895 or your current IMR-3031
and your 400-ish-grainers and 550-ish-grainers.
Here is an interesting combo if you branch out into AA-2495 and Blackhorn 209:



Same scope setting, one bullet zeroed at 100 yards, and the other bullet is zeroed at 200 yards.
A moose might notice either bullet.

You can do similar with H4895 or IMR-3031, no doubt.
Get the 550-grainer zeroed at 100 yards, and see where the 400-grainer is landing at 200 yards.

Here are some pointers on the caulk backer foam rod used as filler,
lightly compressed or heavily compressed, as needed, if needed.
Try them and see what you think.

John55,
Funny you say that.
With my .450 Dakota I settled on the 450-grain North Fork bullets at 2450 fps as preferred load.
When I emerged from my dark age of .458 WM neglect, I found that the .458 WM+ is capable of exactly that, with less recoil !
And where the .450 Dakota M98 Magnum holds 4 in the magazine, the .458 WM+ CZ 550 Magnum holds 6.
WIN WIN.


Sad about Africa. The elephants must be culled or they will multiply beyond the carrying capacity of their habitat.
Sport hunting gives them more value and reason to prevent their extinction than mere government culling.
WIN WIN again.
Obvious, I know, except to PETA idiots.

irfubar,

You have a most beautiful M98 .458 WM.
And a most beautiful bit of load data too.
Buy a donkey/ Baie danke for that.
Noted for future use:

beretzs,

Thanks for sharing photos of your Winchester M70 .458 WM.
I will have to trot out my Cabela's 50th Anniversary, supposed copy of a 1961 M70 African.
Mine ain't exactly true to the original but it will do.

I blame Gunner and John55 for the 458... awesome thread. One of the best in awhile.

CTF
Cold Trigger Finger, Ol'Buddy,

It is about time you and the Spruce King showed up here.

Have you got your green Cabela's roof on your new home build yet ?

Heard it through the grape vine:
Saeed was born in San Diego, CA. He was an anchor baby before the USA made his royal highness's pearl-diving family rich.
The America hater is a US citizen !
And the US Navy has a fleet parked off the coast of Dubai, U.A.E. to protect his ass.
Also the webmaster at ardotcom is a light-in-the-loafers, leftist, Democrat employee of
the anchor baby owner of the site who is complicit and approving of censorship of anyone speaking truth that they do not like.