Adrian Louwe has just recomended that I buy/make a 458 express as a carry gun. Evidently it has the same stats as a 458 lott 2100 - 2400 fps but only produces 46000 psi as oppossed to 60000 something psi in the lott. You take a 458 win mag by Bruno or CZ to Donnie Joubert in Pretoria and he retools to a longer case and viola... brass is available.

Just wondering if anyone has used/heard of this for DG.

The 450 Dakota / 450 Rigby does the same thing only with greater case capacity, and therefore even less pressure. The 450 Dakota can be made by rebarreling a 416 Rigby. Brass is available by necking up a 416 rigby.

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When I used a CZ550 for my Lott, the cases with 500 gr. Speer AGS's just barely fit in the magazine box. It worked fine but I don't how know the 3" Express with a 0.15 inch longer case would fit in that box, without modifications.



I tried to get some 3 " cases from SA (PMP?) and it was like talkng to a black hole. Of course, if you are in SA it is probably not such a mystery.



You can get 2300 fps with the Lott but a 3" Express would just be less powder compression. Not sure how much difference there would be in pressure. Never have seen any real data, just talk.



You can get higher velocities with a Dakota at the expense of significantly more expensive cases, more recoil (greater brutality??), and less magazine capcity.

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As I recall, Barnard got his reamer from Clymer, so reamers shouldn't be an issue.

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Alf,

Isn't that the article from African Hunter, or Magnum? I forget which. Opps, Koos Badenhorst, not Koos Barnard.

Oh well, all them Afrikanners look alike.

Oh geez! Now the 458 Lott has dangerously compressed high pressure loads! Those Suid Afrikaaners need some new powders. My sympathies.



And not even the 458 Express can tolerate the long bearing surface of the 500 grain Barnes X?



Such spin makes me dizzy. However, the 450 grain monometals are an excellent idea in any 458.

Thanks everyone,

I believe that the 458 express sounds like a reasonable and inexpensive option. I am going out to Classic Arms in Witbank today to look at some guns in other calibres and have put the word out. If I could get a bargain in the 500 Jeffrey, 458 Lott or 505 Gibbs I might do it anyway out of sheer "I don't know what", but the express sounds good. I just wonder about not being able to use the 500g fmj?????