Just picked up a 458 Socom upper. Been wanting a big bore AR for short range hunting. Anyone who uses one what kind of factory ammo are you running? It will be used for deer and hogs.

Anything 300 grain JHP will work.

Black Butterfly 300jhp is my go to, but everything I tried from them has been fantastic

Tromix LW 16.25" barrel built with Aero Precision's receiver set

These were all with the same 75yd zero, 5rds fired in the numbered order with very little time between groups other than swapping mags

what is a black butterfly 300 JHP?

Brand of ammo loaded with a 300 grain JHP.

Ah. Guess I could have googled. Thought it might be a specialty bullet.

I answered off the cuff and from memory, so I might need to google...


I did and we are both right. It is a brand and they load a 300 JHP and some specialized bullets, also.

I shoot Wilson Combat custom ammo loaded with the Barnes TTSX in .300 grain.
Very accurate

I shoot an RRA on an NFA lower

Call it my short range materials interdiction gun.

Yow! That sounds like fun!

Its really hard on optics.

That's funny Etoh. I have never had my SOCOM wreck any optic I installed. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

Mine doesn't either if I don't shoot full auto.

Just as an experiment, I played around with some Beartooth Bullets Piledriver Lites (355 grain LBT). I was able to get it to just under 1800 fps and feel comfortable about the load.

That would make something say "ouch".

Accuracy is good, and Id feel confident with that load on pigs and Black Bear within the limits that the trajectory would impose. I don't doubt bigger ungulates are quite possible, too.

I don't think there is anything that wouldn't fall to that load.

It'a a good one but I'd still feel more comfortable with a bigger case if big bears were a quarry. It do have some punch, though!

I load my Beowulf with 300 gr Gold Dots, 400 gr Speers, and 275, 325 and 375 Barnes. The Gold Dots and all the Barnes shoot very well. I haven't tried many powders yet for 400 Speers.

I'd believe any of these big bores would work spectacularly on big bears as a person could put close to 2000 grains on it in less than a minute. The AR platform does not recoil as would a traditional bear rifle.

Good points.

I'm not one to "admire" the shot if the animal I'm shooting isn't "following script".

I don' have a lot of hunting experience with the .458, but the basic formula suggests it is suitable for larger game. I also appreciate the higher round capacity, faster rate of aimed fire, and reload speeds that are much faster. Those things do count.

I shoot a Faxon barreled 16 inch. It loves 300g CT silvertips . 40 g h4198 gives right at 1800 fps .
Have only got one Elk with that bullet in the socom but have 5-6 with it loaded in my 45-70 marlin.
For years I only used 405 g wide hard cast.. Now it is mostly silvertips you see in the boxes on the shelf.
They don't shoot as well in the 45-70 as they do in the socom. That sucker will keep a 6 inch steel plate spinning at 125 yards.
Am fond of it. So fond I have all the parts in my basket at primary arms to put another one together.