Just because I think it will be interesting, I want to take my short handy Ruger 77 in 458WM to Texas with me in January for hog hunting. I have a variety of bullets, such as some 405gr Rem, 350gr Speer, and 350gr Hornadys, and some 350gr TSX, and maybe some 400gr Speers.

However, most interesting is a fresh box of the 300 gr TTSX Barnes bullets that just arrived. These are sold for the 458 Socom. I'm thinking the design specs call for about 1800 fps at the muzzel. It's no problem to duplicate that velocity with some H4895 - about 60grs. My rifle has a short 45-70 throat, so the bullet wil have very little travel to engage the lands.

Anyone have any useful suggestions? Whatever bullet chosen, I don't plan on loading full blast. It's just not needed, and I don't want to suffer the recoil.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewP...productNumber=544442


KB

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
Just because I think it will be interesting, I want to take my short handy Ruger 77 in 458WM to Texas with me in January for hog hunting. I have a variety of bullets, such as some 405gr Rem, 350gr Speer, and 350gr Hornadys, and some 350gr TSX, and maybe some 400gr Speers.

However, most interesting is a fresh box of the 300 gr TTSX Barnes bullets that just arrived. These are sold for the 458 Socom. I'm thinking the design specs call for about 1800 fps at the muzzel. It's no problem to duplicate that velocity with some H4895 - about 60grs. My rifle has a short 45-70 throat, so the bullet wil have very little travel to engage the lands.

Anyone have any useful suggestions? Whatever bullet chosen, I don't plan on loading full blast. It's just not needed, and I don't want to suffer the recoil.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewP...productNumber=544442


KB

Me, me, me... I have the same joy.. It is fun rolling piggies with a 458..

I found, believe it or not.. 500grn Hornaday's worked best.. I have a suspicion the lighter bullets (not TSX's) were more geared for 45-70 velocity's. the lighter bullets seemed to just blow up more piggies like a grenade, were as the 500grn jsut seemed to put all the energy into rolling on through them with the just right amount of expansion

You are apparantly talking about full power loads. I'm not. I am talking about 45-70 velocites, up to hot 45-70 vel.

Also, for sure, there are several "lighter" bullets that will not blow up, namely for example the 350 gr Hornady, and the 350 gr Speer, especially if not driven at full velocity potential.

I do agree that the various 45-70 300 gr bullets and such as the 405gr Rem and 400 gr Speer will blow up at full 458 velocity. I would never shoot game with such loads. However, if those soft bullets are downloaded they can be used on game in the 458. I'm thinking I will get more satisfaction out of something in-between, and that is why this 300gr TTSX looks so interesting. I doubt it will "blow up" at practically any velocity, but there is just so much that I'm willing to stand for non-dangerous game. I think it's good practice to use a DGR with lighter loads, since this spring and summer and maybe next fall I will have a much higher probablility of needing the loads with greater energy already developed.

If I have to shoot hogs with full recoil loads, this rifle will stay home - period...............

If I think I'll need a rifle for hogzilla, I'll just shoot twice.

Again, my rifle has a short throat, so 500 gr bullets will not chamber because they'll jam into the lands, and the bolt will not close. I have no need for 500 gr bullets, ever, so I had this rifle made with intent of using 405gr and lighter bullets 100% of the time. This cartridge is plenty versitle, excluding heavy bullets altogether, outside of Africa.

KB

No excuse required, fire at will!!

Any of those bullet at 45-70 speeds will work great on hogs. I enjoy busting them cast lead paper-patched bullets with my 9.3x74R rifle.

As Larry said (sort of) ...

You don't need no F'n excuse!

Just a steady hold on the target and a light pressure on the trigger

OK, you are right, so I changed the heading of this discussion.

KB

You are correct.. My experiences were with standard 458 Winmag velocities. I agree with you at reduced velocities bullets you mentioned will be about perfect..

The hogzilla thumper. Was a 338WM, now 458WM. No action work at all to get it to feed properly. It feeds blunt/flat nose, round nose, and pointy bullets.

The rifle may not look like much to some, but it is a good shooter, and fun. I still consider it a work in progress. I planned on replacing the stock, but it's working well for now. Ain't broke so I'm not fixing it, yet.

I had the NECG front sight installed after the initial scope broke, a 1x4 Leupold. Now it's wearing a 2x7 Leupold 30mm with German #4 reticle, which I like so far. I'll probably remove the scope when I'm ready to use loads that have significant recoil, and replace it with a NECG receiver sight.

I'm thinking of having the metal coated with grey Teflon - Birdsong. Sights and rings will be black T.

This bullet is crimped with the lee crimp die, and is just perfectly off the lands a few thousandths. The bolt closes easily if the bullet is seated as short as possible and still crimp in the groove. I may trim the brass back a few thousandths.



Thess 100 yd groups were shot with 405gr Rem bullets, and H4895 powder. The best group was with 60gr of H4895 in fresh Hornady brass - first firing. Crony showed 1830 fps, but light was fading and only one shot read. Other two showed error.



I had some doubts about the Hogue stock holding up since there is no extra recoil lug, but so far, so good. I have another one with the full aluminum insert, but it has another job for now.

It's a fun caliber to use on hogs! Any of your bullet choices should work well. I have used every big-bore rifle I have owned on hogs. Why? Because I can! Enjoy!

I built a 458 WSM on a model 70. Nothing fancy, A&B barrel. Cheap big bore build. The blue tipped 300gr SOCOM bullet would not shoot accurately in my rifle. Used up the whole box trying to find a load that would group. Went back to the 300gr flat base TSX and now it is accurate and consistent POI @ 2400 fps. That bullet is a lightning bolt on hogs! swapped out scopes and did not check eye relief on new scope. big mistake. Santa Claus will have a new scar in this years Christmas pics. Good luck with your rifle, It is a looker. Especially from the Big end!

Thanks RandyB. That's interesting info.

The eye relief is important on a 458, and that's an understatment. The first scope I tried was a 1x4 Leupold shotgun scope, which was ok with eye relief. After about 20-25 rounds the scope broke inside. I sent it back and they fixed it, but meanwhile I got the 2x7 shown in the pictures. I like the eye relief so that when the scope is set on the lowest power, the outer edges of the view are not quite full view, if you know what I mean. In other words, on a lesser recoiling rifle, I would set the scope back further back by about 1/4", for full use of the field of view.

This 2x7 has no room between the rings for moving the scope forward, but fortunately it works out just right. As I said, with close to full power loads, I'll probably save my scope from the punishment, and perhaps my eyebrow, and go to iron sights.

That's why I'm looking for milder loads for hog hunting. I like to be able to relax a little when taking a shot from a stand, and with heavy recoil, a whack in the eyebrow is the likely result of relaxing with a scope mounted.

If these 300gr Socom bullets don't shoot well, I'll just try something else. As you said those 300 gr flat base TSX look interesting. So far, every bullet I've tried has been accurate. Those bullets are Hornady 350gr (FP & RN), Speer 350gr, Swift 350gr, Speer 400gr, Rem 405gr, Winchester 405gr, and TSX 350gr. I've tried RL7, H4198, H4895, IMR4895, H335, SR4759 and Trail Boss. The only powder that didn't produce accuracy was Trail Boss. I gave the Win 405 gr bullets away, thinking they were not accurate, but it turned out to be most likely the Trail Boss powder, which didn't work well with any bullet. SR4759 works well.

So far I've shot only inanimate targets with the rifle. It's the kind of rifle that is for whacking stuff, so that's why I want to take it hog hunting. It needs a job. Next spring, if I'm lucky and plan well, I may get a black bear with it.

KB

One more bullet out there is the 400 grain Barnes Original. They make one for 45-70 and one for 458 Win, both pointed. I used the 45-70 bullets at 458 velocity and it worked fine for deer. We killed 4 deer, no explosion, no splash, even on a shoulder shot on a small doe. All except the shoulder shot ran a bit with big blood trails. I would have no qualm about using this combo on hogs.

I also killed a deer with the Hornady 350 grain flat nose at 458 velocity, and it performed the same, big hole in, bigger hole out, deer ran, lots of blood.

I know you don't want max loads and lots of recoil, but I wouldn't worry too much about keeping velocity down for bullet performance.

Your 458 is similar to mine. Mine is a Savage rebarrelled with an E.R. Shaw 20" Stainless, with a 2-7 Nikon shotgun scope. I built a similar one for my cousin. No problems yet with the Nikon, but we each killed an old Weaver steel tube.

I have a Remington 660 that was rebarreled to 458 American. It is equiped with a Williams open sight set with a front fire sight and rear peep sight. I can easliy shoot this rig out to 100yds and is very quick up close in the brush. I use Remingtons 405gr. bullet on hogs and have good results with it.
When loading down your 458 Win Mag you will probably be right at where I am with my 458 American (basicly a 2" 458 Win Mag). It is the perfect hog medicine not to mention it will put the hurt on a black bear over bait.

David

Today's range results:



Three groups, 100 yds, three shots each.
Left to right: 60gr H4895, 62gr H4895, 60gr H4198. The small hole is from a 308. I shot the 60gr H4895 loads first, and note that the first shot cold barrel hit within an inch of the two shots that followed in warm barrel.

The H4895 60gr loads averaged a little over 2000fps, 62grs a little over 2100fps, and the H4198 loads a little over 2400fps.

All with Hornady brass, Fed 215 primer, Barnes 300 gr TTSX Socom bullet.

I am very pleased. Also I discovered that I forgot to tighten the base screw on the rings, and the scope is a little wobbly. I'll tighten it toniht, and hopefully I'll make it to the range tomorrow with some fresh reloads, and finish sighting it in.

So, I'm going to go with the 60gr H4895 load for the hog hunting trip in a couple of weeks. Most likely I'll post pictures.

KB

Don't want to hijack but if Reverend Recoil could offer more detail on the paper patched, cast lead 9.3x74 i would be interested.


thanks,
John

I have shot a lot of hogs with the 350gr Hornady RN at @1800fps in a 45/70 and at @2330fps in my 450 No2 double. Works great.

My brother has killed 2 hogs this year with his 45/70 Marlin Guide Gun with the Hornady 350 FP, loaded over 53gr of IMR 3031.

The 350 Hornady is a great bullet, great performance and great accuracy.

Last summer I tested the 350gr Hornadys and they were very accurate in my rifle too. I couldn't tell any difference in POI comparing the 350 gr Speers and the 350gr Hornadys, same powder charge.

I just wanted to try some of the 300gr TSX SOCOM bullets, out of curosity.

One discovery I made was by accident. I wouldn't have predicted it. I used the same powder charge, same primer, brass, pushing some 405 Remington bullets and 300gr TSX. I had just finished sighting in the 300gr, and shot one last confirmation shot, then for the heck of it shot a 405gr load to the same aiming point. The darn thing hit within an inch of the same spot as the 300 gr. Subsequent shots confirmed that they hit to the same POA.

Strange, but I'm taking about 25 of each to Texas. The 300gr is a little over 2000fps, and the 405gr is a little over 1800fps. Within the ranges I'll be shooting, there will be no practical difference to adjust sighting for.

I could have just as well used the 350gr Hornadys, and been just as happy with the load.

KB

I use a 460 gr cast out of my no3 45-70 at 1440fps does well on hogs in the brush.

I think of my 458 as a sooped up 45-70, without the rim, so it feeds in a bolt action. Like a belted 45-90.

That's what has been so interesting. There are just so many good loading combos, which includes cast bullets. I may order some of the 405gr gas check bullets, but there isn't much cost savings. For now I have a good supply of the soft Rem 405 gr bullets for the slower velocities. For the stout loads, the 350gr Hornady is a good one, and the 350gr TSX also.

If one has to buy your cast bullets with shipping not much savings. The huge savings come from making your own.

A lee mould a bucket full of wheel weighs = lots of hog bullets.