Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .300 WinMag to .458 WinMag Conversion

Since you're going to have to rebarrel and have some gunsmithing done why not make it a .404 Jeffrey. Much classier than a 458 win mag.

.404 is okay, but 450 Ackley or 458 Lott is so much more fun...
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<br>My first hand experience of poking an Elephant from Stem to Stern proves there is enough penetration!! Talk about Viagra for hunters!!

Will the 416 Talor fit into a Ruger M77,3.4" box? I have one in 338 and may be getting another action. Gotta do something with it.
<br>PS: a 305 to 350 swap is a no-brainer,done it a few times.

Good thing you didn't handle it Jeff. You would be learning to shoot right handed if you had. E

Rick
<br>I have a 458 barrel here from Shilen setting on the shelf. Think about it.. I also have a 458 Lilja barrel in a # 9 contour that I am going to make a bench gun some day just to aggravate the bench shooters ! A friend of mine has a 45-70 I built that will shoot in the 3's and 4's with a pure lead swaged bullet in a paper patch. Sure is a lot of fun to see the look on there faces when they see those groups !
<br>Charlie Sisk

You should sell the Winchester and by a new/used big bore rifle in .458 win or .416 rem.
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<br>I am sure that you will find someone who wants to take the winchester off of your hads for plenty of $$ to pay for your new rifle.
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<br>You also will get a rifle designed from the bottom up for heavy recoil.
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Charlie you have some sick...sick friends!!! I like It...
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<br>Mike

Mr. Sisk:
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<br>What kind of action is that accurate .45-70 built on?

Sir
<br>Mine is on a Siamese Mauser, Shilen barrel, laminated stock.
<br>Charlie Sisk

Mr; Sisk:
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<br>Is that the one that shoots in the .3s and .4s, if not, what is that rifle built on?

Rick: Forget the WSM project, and keep your .300WM as it is. Order a NEW classic safari express in .458WM and don't mess with your other M-70. You can purchase a new rifle for less than $900, and won't have to screw around with the conversion. By the time you make all the necessary changes to your .300, you'll be out as much, or more than buying a new .458WM. I'll be more than happy to provide loads for the calibre which will give at least 2100fps with a 500gr. bullet. NO pressure problems either. (I have used my loads in Africa with temps in the mid, to upper 90'sF And as an aside, the last cape buffalo I whacked, the Trophy-Bonded solid broke the near shoulder, destroyed the lungs, and top of the heart before sailing off into the nether reaches of the Zimbabwe bush. Since the buffalo was running at the time I took the shot, he didn't realize he was dead, and carried on for about 50yds and fell over and gave his final moan.) As to weight; I believe the SG weight is right at 8lbs., the .458WM is about 8.5, which is a bit on the light side for any calibre above the .375H&H. INMO Anyhow, good luck with the project, whichever direction you decide. Sakubona, Mukiwa

don't overlook the fact that Winchester (custom shop?)
<br>will build you a nice .458 Lott, and ammo is now commercially available...
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<br>Or you could pick up any .458WM, and do the conversion quite
<br>easily..
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<br>so practice with .458WM, hunt with .458 Lott....

Mukiwa,
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<br>I'd be interested in seeing your .458 WM loads!
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<br>Eric

you guys are killing me I have a spare model 70 in 300 win mag going to waste. tom

Charlie Sisk---What is the feasibility of converting a short action (insert brand here) to .450 Marlin? I have seriously thought about a Savage short action due to the ease of changing the bolt head but another brand wouldn't be that much more work, would it?? Would this be a more readily available and economical conversion versus the Siamese Mauser/45-70? Either way, you would have a serious North American rifle.

Vic

Vic in VA
A short 300 WSM action will work with no modification. I built one for Wayne van Zwoll and it fed great. The Remington actions in SHort Ultra mag or the 673 ina 350 Rem mag should work also. They wont feed the blunt flat nosed bullets but the ones that are the least bit rounded feed fine. In my experience, the 450 feeds better that the WSM cartridges do. And you can really load that puppy up in a bolt gun..........<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Charlie

Charlie--thanks for the reply. I had a suspicion that was the "case". I had a short-action Savage here I just sold, but was seriously thinking about that conversion. If I find another one, I just may do it.

The Savage I had was a .308, so changing the bolthead and magazine would have been necessary.

Makes me want to listen out for somebody with a shortmag they are no longer interested in. May have to wait awhile, though, them things is selling like hotcakes. That's why I was considering the Savage action. A couple of parts from Midway, and a barrel from somebody like Pac-Nor, and a-thumpin' we will go. I imagine that case will handle pressure in the mid-50 kpsi.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas---Vic