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

Very cool! I have used a Jet Sled for winter packing, but not on the Prairie where I hunted for years. I do bone them out (gutless method) and then carry them in my pack. I just don't want to leave them on the ground, walk back to the truck, then walk back to the animal with the sled. My 458's are a bit heavy for how I like to hunt out west, but for still hunting or stand hunting on my property in the mid-west, no problem.

Hunting alone I have left the sled in the truck and I have staged it at the morning sit spot. I sit on the ground, never in a tree. I understand the value of a tree stand, just not my thing. I have shot a lot of deer and elk off the canyon rims of my home state of CO so I understand the value of elevation but just don't like tree sitting. I hunt in heavy cover and open prairie. With the 458wm and Cast bullets, there are some shots I would pass up that I would make with my '06 or 260 Remington but I carry the 458WM on it's full share of days. Last year it only needed one day to fill my buck tag so... can't complain about that. I also shoot sitting over sticks a lot and with that setup, I have no problem with a 250 yard shot with the Whitworth. 250 yards covers a lot of deer killing country. My dad killed a lot of deer with Iron sighted 30-30 and 32 Win Specials so I have that plus a scope to work with. Not a problem in my book.
I really need to use my old man's rifle, the 260 Remington more but the 458WM weeps in the closet if I don't take her out. I have near a 1000 cast bullets to use up so I'll just keep proving the 458WM can do it all. Don't really care if anyone other than the Round/Square table agrees with me or not. I'm happy. She's happy.
Good hunting to you sir,
F01

Your hunting sounds a lot like my hunting. Can't stand blinds, treestands, etc. and prefer to hunt on foot, on the ground. I will set up at the base of a tree or something and stand hunt for a bit, but the modern stuff is not for me. My first deer was actually taken while I was standing, hoping to see one on a trail I found. 1911/.45 one shot dropped her on the move at 13 yards. I'm looking forward to hunting with the great 458 this year, good luck to you as well! Hopefully we will all have a good time and pics of nice meat to show for it.

Here you go SLGPT

Here you go SLGPT
458 WM+ groceries.

.

It will be a World Star straight line penetrator Sir Ron, straight and DEEP ; ]

I'm with both of you guys on that F01, i had a beautiful black bear at 14 yards on the ground last year with my Dan Toelke Montana Whip longbow, it was the coolest thing ever, cant believe he didnt hear my heart pounding, i could hear him breathing, he looked past me a half dozen times, never directly in the eyes, but knew i was there, you see, he lives just over a barbed wire fence on the mountain behind the house, doesnt bother new calves or anything, i wasnt going to arrow him for his coat, it was one of the coolest things i've ever experienced.

Yes, i had a 45 ACP with 200gr Lehigh penetrators on my belt, but still plenty spooky LOL!

Good show Sir Jerry.
For Sir Roo, take note.
If you want light rifle carry, here is as light as I like to go in a .458 WM:







Marcella is an M70 .416 RemMag action re-barreled to .458 WM
with a No. 4 sporter contour McGowen of true .458" groove,
cut down from 26" to 23" at the muzzle end of the barrel blank.
It is almost as fast as a 25" Shilen which has closer to 0.459" groove.
400-grainers at +2500 fps was no problemo in either barrel, with AA-2230.
This will be my deer rifle this year, with the 404-gr. Shock Hammer at 3.480" COL.
But I will add the weight of a scope and more:



The 400-gr GSC HV handload was at + 2500 fps from the Shilen.
Same rifle did about 2350 fps with the Buffalo Bore factory loaded 400-gr TSX.
Both killed deer with results similar to Sir Jerry's illustration.

This one needs some accessories added to it for extra weight:



Same as the CIP homologated .45-70 Elko Magnum, with Starline brass for .45-2.6" it is 2 grains H2O bigger than the .458 WM.
The slow twist comes from re-chambering a .45-70 Gov't.,
and note that Ruger makes those with the same groove diameter as their faster-twist .458 WM barrels,
even though SAAMI minimum is 0.456" for .45-70 Gov't.

Thanks Sir Ron, you're set with those ; ]

Sir Ron,

Nicely set up guns, no doubt! My Interarms goes to the gunsmith next week. Can't wait to get it back and compare shooting it to the Blaser in a more balanced way.

Sir Roo,

Good luck to your really good rifle (Mk X Mauser .458 WinMag) going to the gunsmith.
You will probably put the Blaser away for keeps after your first shot with the Mauser.

Great news from South Carolina.
A shipment arrived from Idaho.
Waiting for a care package to Kentucky now.













There seem to be some subtle differences in the band structure with this new 400-grainer,
much more than the obvious, at-first-glance appearance comparison
with any of the other BBW#13 .458-caliber solids picture above,
and it’S ALL GOOD MAN !

Actually looks like the major and minor diameters of the new 400-grainer have a lesser spread.
This allows the 400-grainer to be shorter for weight.
That won't hurt stability.
I will put calipers to it when I can.
Michael McCourry of MIB in SC might do it before I do.

I might even be able to load the new bullet "one-band deep" for Longer COL, .458 WM+,
meaning base band only inside case,
maybe with or without a paper patch between base band and third band on the shank, heh, heh
(insert Bevis and Butthead sound effect here).

Those look so good! I wonder which of the Safari Solids (325, 400, 450 grain) will penetrate the deepest at close range when momentum is held constant.

Sir Ron,

The Blaser isn't for everyone, but I'm not sure how to take your post. It is a truly remarkable performing rifle that I have not seen the equal of.

Sir Roo,

Take it as a joke, of course.
There are many of us who enjoy teasing Blaser owners.
You do get forgiveness points for having a .458 WM barrel on your Blaser.

Sir Bevan,
That 400-gr Safari Solid looks like a contender for sure.
We expect to see some tests from MIB on all those CEB brass FN solid bullets,
as well as the Lehigh 380-gr WFN copper solid.
I cannot do any better than Doc M at MIB,
will see what paces he puts them through.
When I get some of those 400-grainers I will load it longer than he shows here:







Load data with pressures should be first to arrive from MIB.
Penetration tests will come later.
keep in mind that net case capacities of the .458 B&M and the .458 WM are the same when COL is +0.260" for the .458 WM.
A 3.00" COL with .458 B&M is equivalent to 3.26" COL with the .458 WM.
Is the shorter and fatter B&M more efficient than the WM ? Maybe.
Does the longer throat of the WM give it an advantage over the B&M ? Yes.
Is the .458 Lott being used at MIB a long-throated, pre-SAAMI version ? Probably so.
That is the only way it can do higher velocity at lower pressure than the .458 WM in some of the MIB data.
All load data should be taken with a grain of saltpeter.
That last line was a joke, just like a Blaser meme.
This is a seriously good use for a Blaser R8:

You'll be on fire with those new 400gr solids Sir Ron, good stuff man, speaking of good stuff, i sent one of your 404gr Hammers at 2500+ fps to the 300 yard gong after wearing out conformation targets from 50 to 250 yards, +2.5" @100 zeros dead on at 200 yards, exactly -10" at 300, bullet still trucking along at 1950+ fps at the 300 yard line, dont know Hammers minimum bullet velocity for expansion but i believe i'm gold at 1950 and maybe a good bit less.

I held 10 inches into around an 8-12 mph East wind shooting dew North, bullet landed about 2 inches left of dead center, seems Hammers estimated b.c. of .41 is pretty accurate, especially so here at 555 ft. elevation, that combo is a hammer that still packed enough freight to knock the holy dog crap out of that 300 yard steel, a lot of momentum left in reserve, i'll find a big buffalo if one's there and we shall see what it does on the real thing ; ]

Great info ✔️👍