Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 458 Lott factory ammo ?

Hornady is making factory loads for the 458 Lott but I have not seen anyone post about them. If I had a choice I would choose Hornady over all other Mfg's for ammo so I'm glad it's them dong this. I am loading some ammo today for the 458 but I wondered if any of you had experience with the Hornady stuff yet?

JJ,
<br>Not yet but if I find a box I'm gonna give em a try. If for nothing else the brass. I have a feeling though that they will be hard to find on the shelf in most areas.

It has to be special order....
<br>I can't imagine to many folks are interested in that size..
<br>Maybe 100-200 guns in the country??
<br>(Personally I'll take an Ackley myself..)

Cabela's has it (Hornady 458 Lott) in their 2002 Shooting Catalog for $60/Box....two 500gr loads I think a soft point and FMJ offerings.
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<br>Mike

Ruger and I believe Winchester will be offering factory 458 lotts in the near future. Seems like somebody must be reading these forumns, as the lott gets a great deal of discussion.
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<br>Then again, with the movement to ultra mags et all, seems the public is buying up the bigger/faster deal.

Paul,
<br>Your right both have been making the Lott for a while special order. I know they are both making them as standard factory rifles now. You know why I need this rifle, and I spent considerable time playing the pro's and cons of all the various cartridges before deciding on the Lott. With the huge following it has in Afrcia among PH's, and the easily achieved performance it became an simple choice. I guess Winchester, Ruger, Hornady and A square have all seen the light now as well. This is certainly not a rifle for everyone, and to be honest I can't think of real practical use for it in the lower48. Over the years working in Africa around really big dangerous game and having to borrow one for some hunts becasue the 375HH was borderline effective I decided to have mine made by John Ricks. It will be nice to have factory ammo available in some of the stores in Africa now if I fall short. Although so many PH's use the Lott nearly everyone has ammo for it now. Granted most PH's don't load ammo with the dedication an American Bench rest shooter does but this rifle is a short range tool, 450-500 grains at 2200 fps or more solves your problems if you put the bullet in the right place.

at the 2001 SCI show, Winchester had several 458 Lott's for show and tell, built by their custom shop.
<br>Don't forget the 470 Capstick was full length 375 case opened up to 470. So they know how to play this game.
<br>$60 is a lot for a box of ammo, when you can make it quite easily out of 375/416 brass (headspaces on the belt anyway). RCBS has a tapered expander, and one pass and a little full length trimming... presto you're there. You might just want to shoot it with a reduced load to fireform the case the first time.
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<br>I would save the correct 458 headstamped brass for any hunting trips to Africa, in case they match it to the rifle.
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<br>As for A-Squre, I thought he went bust because of the Govt. harrassment??

No need to neck brass up anymore, Hornady offers belted basic brass, just run it through the fl die and trim to length.
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I offered any one interested a chance to buy into my Lott bulk purchase of properly headstamped 458 Lott brass late last year. I had about 10 guys join in. We bought 2000 cases as I recall. it turned out to be 70 cents a case including shipping. Maybe it was 70+ cents but it was around that. This was Bell Brass. I also just bought 188 cases of HDS brass properly stamped "458 Lott" from a well known gunsmith. All were once fired factory ammo cases. I paid 25 cents each for them! With 200 new Bell cases and 188 once fired HDS cases I should be set for a while with brass, especially for a 458 Lott!
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<br>Now if I could find a source for gas checked super hard cast 450 grain bullets I would have it made!

JJ, if you are thinking of using that much brass for the Lott you might think of getting on the weider/bowflex plan .pak

JJ - I don't know the Brinell hardness levels of their bullets, but Cast Performance delivers good gas check cast bullets like right now. I put an order in to Beartooth a couple days before order to CP, and I still haven't received them. That was in May. The CP bullets arrived within days and shot well in my Blackhawk.
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<br>www.castperformance.com
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<br>Scott

JJHACK,
<br>you sire are correct as always...
<br>200-250pcs of brass for a Lott/Ackley/Watts should
<br>last the realistic lifetime of the gun, much less your shoulder...
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<br>I magnaported my Ackley, and used a Mercury reducer, and
<br>I would say it doesn't kick any harder than my 375 without all that stuff..
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<br>The biggest issue with Lott/Ackley/Watts/G&A type "Wildcats" is that you need a different bullet for them. I tried the factory Hornadays, and they are too long.. well actually the canelure is in the wrong place, unless you want to trim the cases a bunch, and that defeats the purpose the way I see it..
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<br>Therefore, as a service to my fellow campfire-ettes..
<br>I looked around, and I think the Woodleigh 458 dia, 480 grain bullets will work without excessive trimming. I think these were intended for the 450 double rifles, but I'll have to shoot them to be sure... looks like they will work...
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<br>otherwise, Corbin makes a nifty and cheap little gizmo for cutting your own canelures anywhere you want them.. that could make the Hornaday bullets usable for practice. But they emphasis, that it must be a lead core bullet, not homogenious alloy (barnes solid) type. probably too hard..

Steve, could you share some loads you have used with the 450 you have. They should be very close to the Lott I have and I am curious to the amount of powder difference and the velocity difference.