Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 458 Winchester Magnum for plains game?

saw one of the Cabela's exclusive winchester 70's in this caliber and fell in love. I know it's better suited to the big 5 but short of having to rob a bank to get proficent with it, will it work?

Sure but you will get some strange looks from your PH..And you had better be able to shoot it well or there will be some serious rolling of eyes and shaking of heads at your choice..

I hunted plains game in Namibia and my PH carried a 500 A Square. He had just bought it and wanted to get used to carrying it around.

A hunter brought a 300 Win Mag and a 458 Win on a hunt when the firing pin on the 300 broke. He got a black springbok and a common reedbuck with the 458 using solids.

Both shots were within 200 yards.

And you CAN load the 458 down to say, 45/70 velocities or slightly warm 45/70 velocities, and target practice with those. Can get good quality hard case lead bullets for it too. Some years ago, the man who held the top place for a deer killed in PA, shot it with a 458. As Pieter notes, it's good to 200 yds. Go search the round, and see what the trajectory is to 200 yds. and then memorize those trajectories, sight it in at some closer range, and know your hold over.

You can use 300 or 350gr heads (like I did)this makes an excellant heavy plains game rifle in bushveld for Kudu and Eland. Its not really going to be a long range rifle.But think of it as a 100yds gun. I used my Win70 ,458Lott last year on plains game and it worked well. Also had it in Croatia last year on driven Boar, this bowled grunters over. It would be good on Warthog sat over a waterhole. I suppose neck shooting Impala would be fine as well. Done this using my .375Wby, using 300gr heads, so I carn't see 50gr would make much differance.
Cheers,
Paul.

After I bought my 458 win mag is when I started reloading.
I am sure you can load 300gr and 325gr bullets in that and if you can keep the shots within 125 yards..it will be fine on plains game...just my opinion...but like Pete E. said,, be ready for some eye rolling and some jokes aimed your way.

It wouldn't be my first choice, but a .458 loaded with 300 grain TSXs @ 2700 fps or so wouldn't be giveing up a whole lot on plains game.

It would be a way of getting some valuable field trigger time with the big rifle before takeing on something big, bad and epensive. No amount of range time can completely replace time in the field.

Used two differnt PH's in Namibia last year, both liked it and thought it was great for heavy plains game. No rolling eyeballs or comments. I think a PH would rather you bowl somthing of its feet and its dead rather than looking for somthing in the fading light.
Infact there was an article in Magnum Magazine a few years back about using a .458Lott on plains game, and how well it worked.
By Gregor Woods. He discribed it as a general purpose hunting calibre. He used 450gr Barns X at 2241fps on Kudu, Impala, Wilderbeest and Warthog.

It's only just on the wrong side of acceptable for plains game. I mean the 416Rigby is okay, but the 458WM draws frowns.

I would't use one in open country, but in bushveld it works well on heavy plains game. But, the best way is to ask your PH if he has a problem with you using a .458 on plains game. If he has a problem ,and you want to use it, then use some who hasn't got a problem. There are enough outfitters/agents out there looking for your business.
But just thinking about it!
If its ok to use a .375wby using a 300gr2600fps.
and its ok to use a .416wby using a 400gr2600fps.
but not OK to use a .458wm using a 300gr1950fps.
If your PH doesn't think its powerful enough for shooting plains game then you could always up the bullet weight and the load a bit!
I can get a 450gr TSX shifting out of my .458Lott2372fps, so that should take down a Duiker without too much trouble!!!!!

Sure it will work. But, I would let expected terrain (and my PH's advice) be my guide. There are parts of Namibia and South Africa where 200+ yard shots are the norm rather than the exception. A trajectory which resembles a howitzer will not necessarily breed confidence unless you become super familiar with that rifle. Most down-loaded examples will only accentuate that trajectory challenge.

If you have been over there before and won't mind passing on some shots, and if you don't mind a raised eyebrow or two, then use it. However, if this is your first trip, and you don't have a lot of "off the sticks" time in front of an audience, then I think I would suggest something which would assure the greatest likelihood that you will handle your part of the deal efficiently and confidently.

I agree with what you are saying. I said in my posts that it works well in or thick cover on heavy plains game. For long range stuff he should take somthing along the lines of a 30-06.
I always take two rifles either my .280Rem and .375wby or my .375 and 458Lott. I'm going back to Namibia next year and just built a 9.3x62 for driven boar in Europe,with ghost ring sight but fancy a crack at Warties over a waterhole in the late afternoon with it, but I just don't think I can go to Africa without my .375wby....just don't seem right.May have to put the 9.3 on my wifes ticket!

The 9.3x62 is a special thing. For plains game, I also love another great European caliber - the 8x68. Like the .338 Win Mag, it almost always delivers an exit wound. Have fun with that 9.3!

Yes, 9.3x62 is a very nice round. Below is the rifle I have just built. Its not a long range gun with a 21" barrel and a ghost ring sight. I just wanted to build a fast handling rife for driven boar.
I think an interesting comapare would be 9.3x62 Vs 35 Whelen . I picked up a load of Mausers and Parkerhale rifles from auction and just got a .35 Whelen barrel 1-14 twist from Midway. I'm going to build a copy of the rifle below in .35 Whelan (with a brown stock). I think the .35 Whelan is a very over looked calibre in Europe.
[img:center]http://[/img]

An old friend of mine took only his .458 WM to Africa in the early 1980s. His PH was pretty skeptical until Jim shot the head off a francolin at over 100 yards, after which there was no objection whatever.

Actually a .375 H&H or a 9.3x62 can be used at longer range with the right set up. The 9.3 with a 250 gr. NAB and a Leupold CDS could be effective out to 500 yds. on plains type game, saving the 286's for bigger, closer stuff.

I have a VX-3 1.75-6x32 that I may send for a CDS to use on my .375 H&H M-70 SS Express or one of my 9.3x62's. With a good, accurate load, these guns would have plenty of K.E. at 4-500 yds. for most non dangerous game. From what I've read, long range isn't a big issue with PG in Africa, but why not be prepared for any possibility. And that could be a nice option in North America.

DF

I haven't been to Africa yet, but there isn't a thing there I wouldn't hunt with my old tang safety Ruger in 458 WM with the 400 gr TSX's at 2400 fps.

Dangerous game up close, or plains game to 300 yards, with the bullet testing I've done on cattle, I have little doubt about it's effectiveness.

Gunner

A .375 H&H would be a far better choice and would not handicap you for DG very much, if at all.

I agree, I also have a beautiful 500 gr TSX I recovered from a bull I shot at 300 yards with my 458, it expanded plenty even at that extended range. LOL

Anyone wanna see it PM me your cell and I'll shoot ya a pic.

Gunner