Accuracy with a .458 Win Mag?

[jml]

What sort of groups have you guys with a .458 been able to shoot? I'm curious, because I recently had one put together and I can't seem to get the **** thing to shoot better than about 1 3/4" at 100yds. Thanks.

 

[Fotis]

With 350 Barnes X--not TSX-- and 748 I get 2500 fps and well under an inch at 100 yds from my Ruger #1.

 

[Black Diamond 408]

I built one long ago out of a Mauser action, for a bear hunt trip, 350grn round nose Hornaday's with 4198 powder. I have shot groups that all three shots will touch at 100yds. It has a Shaw bbl, 24" the whole gun weighs 7# no brake! No recoil pad! OUCH! The only thing this gun has killed is a "Snaggle Toothed Beaver" and several shoulders, oh and a bloody nose on a not so good friend...hehe.

Dave

 

[edge]

I had a Savage muzzleloader. I wanted to upgrade the barrel, and I bought a Krieger 505 gibbs to replace it. Since I had ZERO experience in gunsmithing I bought a barrel from midway, a 458 barrel from A&B with a 99 ( straight 1.250) contour.
I cut it to length, I cut the barrel taper, breech and crown. A $70 investment so that I would not screw up a 350 barrel

That worked out great so now I have a cheap 458 barrel sitting around. I decided that it would be worth it to buy a Savage action and attach the barrel to see if it would shoot.

Some loads are better, and some are worse, but here is a 3 shot group @ 100 yards with an A&B muzzleloader.

edge.

 

[jml]

Hey, thanks for the info everyone. POP, do you remember how many grains of 748 worked? And are you all using Fed 215 primers?

 

[Fotis]

80 gr of 748 215m federal match caps

 

[Tracer]

JML...I get 1.62 using Hornady 350 grain bullets with a dose of IMR-4320 powder @ 71 grains. I shoot them at a velocity of 2140fps.

I also use the Barnes 450 X bullet and get groups of 1.78 to 2.35 inches. at 100 yards from the bench. These are shot at 2250fps using IMR-4320 powder.

I get 1.40 from the Hornady 500 grain FMJ using same powder again at 76 grains at a velocity of 2120fps.

At 70 grains of 4320 same 500 grain bullet, I get 1960fps and groups of 1.70 inches at 100 yards from the bench. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[budlight]

I have the .458 Ruger#1 with a 26 inch bull barrel. I never did do the load development to dial it in like a bench rest gun. 20 years ago I just used 78 grains of 4320 and 510gr solids and round nose soft points and 2.8X10 50 mm scope. I just dialed it to a consistant sub 4 inch group at 200 yards and called it good.

Later on I bought 500 Barnes 405 gr X bullets for horned game shooting. I was able to to get some clover leafs at 100 yards on the bench shooting them right at 2400 fps. Very deadly round. I don't think that sub 1000 pound animals would stop this bullet in under 250 yard shots

 

[AussieWriter]

I have the .458 Ruger#1 with a 26 inch bull barrel. I never did do the load development to dial it in like a bench rest gun. 20 years ago I just used 78 grains of 4320 and 510gr solids and round nose soft points and 2.8X10 50 mm scope. I just dialed it to a consistant sub 4 inch group at 200 yards and called it good.

Later on I bought 500 Barnes 405 gr X bullets for horned game shooting. I was able to to get some clover leafs at 100 yards on the bench shooting them right at 2400 fps. Very deadly round. I don't think that sub 1000 pound animals would stop this bullet in under 250 yard shots

That 400gn X bullet ws a huge loss tp the .458 users when Barnes stopped its release to handloaders. It is still available in one brand of factory ammo.

I have shot .6 MOA groups for 5 rounfs in both .458 and .460 rifles using that 400 grain bullet. It was a terrific bullet that demonstrated 5 feet plus in penetration for me on larger game.

 

[Dean2]

45-70, 458 Win and 460 Bee will all shoot 3 shot clover leafs with the 350 Grain Hornady and the 500 Grain Hornady Bullets. They will also do that with Speer 405s and the 480 grain Woodleigh. Depending on Cartridge, velocity is anywhere from 1400 to 2500 FPS. The accuracy does not seem to be speed dependant.

If you can't get the 350 Hornady Round nose to shoot then there is something wrong with your form or the gun. I have used them in dozens of 458 Bore rifles and never had a gun that wouldn't shoot them well under an inch. Most will shoot them into .5, center to center.