I priced my favourite bradn RCBS $198.00 and CH4 $98 then Hornady $26.00.

I have never used Hornady dies before how do they stack up ??

they are excellent dies. RCBS is so expensive because they were probably made before Hornady started making the ammunition. therefore, they are custom dies. i bought a set a year before Hornady started making the ammo and i paid close to $200 for the set. really bad timing.

PC,
I'll second the Hornady 458 Lott dies, they are excellent. I was quoted just over $400 for RCBS dies about a year ago from ProCal and planned to keep making do with 458 WM dies; until I saw the price of the Hornady unit. I've only used mine once and they were as good as anything else I have. Another Hornady item that is good value is their basic Magnum brass, much cheaper than Bertram or Bell/Mast and easier more convenient than blowing out 375H&H cases.
Cheers...
Con

Con,

I won't say I have these dies until there in my hands. I have placed an order I will have to see if it gets here. Cabelas would not send dies because there restricted. So far so good with Grafs & Sons.

Where did you order your Hornady Basic brass from ??

i got my brass from Huntington's. 530-534-1210

[ 07-27-2003, 13:55: Message edited by: bill smith ]

PC,
Grafs are excellent to deal with, they've sent me dies on two occasions with absolutely no problems. Customs will open them but there's no trouble. Hornady basic brass is now standard fare, any gunstore should be able to order it for you, I think I paid about $75 per 50 for mine from a local dealer in Shepparton, much cheaper than the $95 per 20 for Bell/Mast. I bought basic brass for a 470 Capstick I've got being built, otherwise order Hornady 458 Lott brass, then you'll get them headstamped. Out of interest what guns your Lott built on?
Cheers...
Con

Con,

I have not got my .458 Lott yet. But I will purchase a cz 550 in .458 win mag and send it to Bob De'Vries for rechambering and general slick up of the feeding.

Out of interest what shop in Sheperton stoocked the .458 lott Hornady Brass ??

What are you building your .470 Capstick from ??

PC,
In Shepparton the Marksman Centre will order Hornady brass for you, but as I said any gunstore should be able to get it.
Bob is building the 470 Capstick, we went halves on the reamer which I delivered to him last week, now we're waiting on the barrels to clear Customs. After much deliberation I decided to build the Capstick on a Rem 700 action as I had a spare one hanging around. My CZ550 Lott was chambered by ProCal and if interested I'm willing to part with it. I've a Zastava 458WM and the CZ Lott and one needs to go to make way for the Capstick. If you end up buying your own CZ get Bob to work on the feed using dummy cases with pulled Winchester 510gr softs for projectiles. Getting a CZ to feed these is pretty challenging and if they work, anything will work in my experience.
Cheers...
Con

Con,

why are they so hard to get to feed (the 510 softs) ?? I though that changing a cz .458 over to a Lott was an easy as pie project

I will still build this lott from a new cz 550 but I am also thinking of making a motorbike big bore at some point. Which would mean butchering to an 18" barrel etc.

e-mail me about yours if you get time.

Aren't the Lott chambers just the same as the .458 Win. except deeper? if so, then a Lott die should not cost any more than a .458 Woin. die. In addition, you should be able to load .458 Lott with .458 Win. dies, just like you can load .454 Casull with .45 Colt dies.

The only Hornady Dies that I have are a 3 die 45-70 set. I have been very happy with them since I stopped using them to crimp with. Now I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I like the floating guide in the seater, it seems to produce real good ammo though I have never compared ammo from 2 different die sets. Sean

Ol' deguello had my thought exactly: Why would one bother to buy Lott dies if .458 Winchester dies are readily available? Just back them out of the press the right amount and you have just what you need. I have loaded 7mm STW this way with ordinary 7mm Remington dies (Hornady, no less) and .338/8mm Remington wildcat with regular .338 dies. As a matter of fact, I think most .38 special dies are also marked .357 Magnum, which amounts to pretty much the same thing. It happens that I have .222 Magnum, .223, and .222 dies, but I could load for all three with only the .222 dies, if necessary.

PC,
I've sent an email regarding the troubles I had with getting my CZ to feed. Regarding the motorbike big bore, have you considered a 50 Alaskan? You've got the Marlin, there's a reamer in Sydney (just need to locate it!), Sprinter makes barrels, Bob deVries can do the work, dies are available, 348 Winchester cases we can order, load it using 2207 or 2206, top it off with the Woodleigh 440gr RNSP (for the 500BP) filed flat to feed in the tube magazine ....interested? I'm going to hit Bob with the idea after the Capstick is finished, when he stops laughing I'll ask him again.
Cheers...
Con

[ 07-29-2003, 09:20: Message edited by: Con ]

Con,

now that is and idea !! I have a mate who would be pretty keen on that as well. Just need to get the lott .458 sorted first. I am weighing up options prices etc.

Ordered 3 boxes of .458 lott brass (correctly head stamped stuff) from Grafs. They said fine as long as order is under $100US there happy.

I need to chase down a couple 510 gr soft .458 winchester projectiles.

I will give bob a sample so that hopefull yit will feed with them all. I know Bob will get it feeding right

I just have one question. What's a "motor bike big bore"

Ed B

Ed,

a lot of Aussie hunters use dirtbikes for getting around on in the out back and chasing pigs across open ground. Due to my love of big bores I want a short barrelled big bore rifle in a powerful cartridge so that it will be handy and quick to get into action. We carry the rifle slung across our backs. The longer the rifle in this application the harder to carry etc. Really a Marlin guide gun would be perfect for this application I have used my standard 1895 45/70 before, I have also used my 1894p .44 rem mag (but thats getting sold this week for a .458 lott project, it does not have enough range)

PC,
I think I've got some Winchester softs floating about somewhere. If your interested let me know and I'll see if I can dig them up and send them over. Alternatively, I'll be in Melbourne either this weekend or next and can drop them off to Bob as I've a Brno ZKW465 with him being bedded and floated that I need to pick up.
Cheers...
Con

Con,

I will email my adress to you.

I will only want two, if you say there the hardest to get to feed then I will send those to Bob in dummy rounds.

I have ordered 150 headstamped cases.

What length lott did you go for in yours the .2.8" version or the 2.85" version the latter is what is reccomended.

I will also reply to your e-mail you sent.