.458 Win Mag

[Overkill338]

It's not a LR caliber, but I'm curious has used it or similar on deer.

I'm also curious if anyone has necked the 416 Ruger up to .458". Seems like it would get you Lott-like performance without a 3.6 coal.

 

[NDF]

444 was the round, and as you can imagine Chuck Norris couldn't have laid the animal in question more to rest ...

 

[wildcat455]

I had a 458 Win Mag as a younger man when my aspirations were to go to Africa. Well, I never made it, and sold it off. That was 10 years ago.

I never used it on deer, elk etc. Took it bear hunting, but didn't see any bears. I still remember shooting those 500 gr bullets unbraked.

 

[Hoss50]

I had a 458 Win Mag as a younger man when my aspirations were to go to Africa. Well, I never made it, and sold it off. That was 10 years ago.

I never used it on deer, elk etc. Took it bear hunting, but didn't see any bears. I still remember shooting those 500 gr bullets unbraked.

I have shot a siamese mauser in 45-70 loaded with 500gr bullets pushing full tilt. Not quote 458 win mag, but close. It wasn't fun, and would mess a deer up for sure.

A guy I know used some 350gr RN bullets i loaded in 45-70 on a cow elk, and it went down on the spot.

 

[hydehunter]

I shot a deer with a 458 Lott just to be different and it body slammed that deer like you would not believe load was 400 Barnes bt

 

[bigngreen]

Ive seen more deer run farther with these than anything, you need the softest most frangible bullet possible or blow the shoulder out. Elk total opposite, body slamming performance but deer just knocks a hole though them and they run like crazy!!

 

[35 Whelen]

I have a 45-70 but have not had the pleasure of using it on game. We all know the 45-70 is not a 458 mag. but it can come very close in the right rifle. The factory 458 win. mag. loads are usually loaded for the biggest toughest game, but when hand loading for it you can load from the mild 45-70 loadings all the way up to the hottest 458 win. mag. loads. This makes the 458 magnums very versatile cartridges.

 

[RevJim]

The Hornady 350RN handloaded to about 1800fps works swell on deer. As said, try to get low to medium 45-70 speeds and you are in the berries! I've owned 3 458s and one 458 Lott, never killed anything with them, but sure had fun loading them up and down! I used to shoot a lot of 375, 416, 423, 458, hot 45-70s...then a non recoil related torn retina stopped all that... I keep it a 300-338 (all with lighter bullets) level now. Even in those, I always liked to make a "deer load" i.e. my 300WM loves the Hornady 150SST going 2800fps with a reduced load. 458WM is a fine round, and as said, very versatile! You just have to "hold your mouth right" when you shoot it!

 

[yorke-1]

I shot one deer with a 458 Win mag and one with a 458 Arnold. The Win Mag was loaded with a 350gr Speer Mag Tip at 2530 fps and the 458 Arnold was using the 450 TSX at 2325 fps. They worked really well with very little meat damage and it was all pretty uneventful.

Like Bigngreen said, you just need the right bullet if you're shooting deer.

 

[bodean87]

I have used a buffalo classic with a 32" barrel. I used a 300 gr hollowpoint. I used loads for a Ruger #1. I can't remember the velocity but it was a very hot load. It did a number on deer, coyote, and one very unlucky bobcat. In the deer I lost an entire shoulder due to bloodshot meat. I was pushing that bullet too fast.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Some call me crazy, but I often tote my big bores when deer hunting just to be in practice as I like to 'snap shoot' on running game.

I have used my 375 Bee, 416RM, 416 Rigby, 404 Jeffrey, 458 LOTT, 500NE and 505 Gibbs. The latter 2 have not taken deer.......yet.
Ranges were a little far for open sights.

The 375 has taken the most, but it makes a helluva mess, stopped using it for this reason.
Both 416's kill cleanly with minimal meat loss, as does the LOTT.
404 had little or no expansion and has only taken one small hind (doe). It ran quite a ways before expiring.

Cheers.

 

[memtb]

Some call me crazy, but I often tote my big bores when deer hunting just to be in practice as I like to 'snap shoot' on running game.

I have used my 375 Bee, 416RM, 416 Rigby, 404 Jeffrey, 458 LOTT, 500NE and 505 Gibbs. The latter 2 have not taken deer.......yet.
Ranges were a little far for open sights.

The 375 has taken the most, but it makes a helluva mess, stopped using it for this reason.
Both 416's kill cleanly with minimal meat loss, as does the LOTT.
404 had little or no expansion and has only taken one small hind (doe). It ran quite a ways before expiring.

Cheers.

MagnumManiac, .375 (I assume H&H) making a "helluva mess". What bullet were you using? All of my kills with the H&H produced less "bloodshot" meat, than did equally placed bullets from 270's, 7 mags, and other medium to high velocity cartridges. I was always pleased with the "lack of bloodshot meat" when using that rifle. memtb

 

[MagnumManiac]

MagnumManiac, .375 (I assume H&H) making a "helluva mess". What bullet were you using? All of my kills with the H&H produced less "bloodshot" meat, than did equally placed bullets from 270's, 7 mags, and other medium to high velocity cartridges. I was always pleased with the "lack of bloodshot meat" when using that rifle. memtb

Memtb,
375 Weatherby actually, 260gr Partition @ 3000fps muzzle velocity, most deer shot were under 50yrds. Even those shot @ 300+yards had baseball size exit holes, no edible meat 3' from those holes, all bloodshot and jelly.

The 260gr Accubond faired better, but still a lot of bloodshot meat.

Cheers.

 

[memtb]

Memtb,
375 Weatherby actually, 260gr Partition @ 3000fps muzzle velocity, most deer shot were under 50yrds. Even those shot @ 300+yards had baseball size exit holes, no edible meat 3' from those holes, all bloodshot and jelly.

The 260gr Accubond faired better, but still a lot of bloodshot meat.

Cheers.

That extra velocity explains a lot. There was a noticeable difference in meat damage when I started using my .375 AI.... using the same bullets that I had used in my H&H. It's amazing the difference that 2 or 3 hundred fps came make! I went to Barnes Bullets in the early '90's, of the same weight as the previously used bullets....and reduced the amount of bloodshot meat, on those close shots. memtb