Book says 2,300 (with 500-grain bullet), but most on the hands-on info I've seen falls somewhat short of that (2,200-2,250).

What velocity do you shoot your Lott at?

2200 to 2250 is exactly right in a 24" barrel, and that is exactly where the Hornady loaded .458 Lott is by my chronographing of several "average" rifles.

If you want to duplicate the factory load, try 84 to 85 grains of RL-15, in most rifles, with most 500 grain bullets, I reckon. F215 primer and Hornady brass.

Of course some rifles will be tighter and give higher pressures and velocities for a given charge, so start around 80 grains and chronograph as you go, and stop at 2250 fps. Should be good.

Hard to improve on that. You will be able to match the velocities of the soft and solid loads much better than Hornady does though, by cutting the solid load by a grain or 2 after you get the soft charge worked out.

Handloads are better in this case too.

Ditto to what RIP said. This basically duplicates the British nitro express rounds, and keeps pressures low and recoil managable.

I've been shooting mostly 500 gr cast from my 22" 458 Lott, and drive them around 2150-2200. If your gun groups at 2200-2250 I'd be happy with what load you find that achieves that, if you have to run it 2300 to get best groups, I wouldn't sweat it.

If 500 gr @ 2200-2300 didn't do the trick, me thinks more speed isn't the answer

Which brand and type of bullet?

Your barrel length is?

I'm different then most have used the 550 gr. Woodlegh solids and soft points with H4895, velocity 2125 to 2150. Have had excellent results on elephant and buff.

465H&H

Or you could use 450 grain bullets and get a full 2400 fps.

Nick, I'm a Swift A-Frame kind of guy. I use A-Frames in all my big bores (two .375s and a 404)for all applications, except for scrubbing down powders and loads; then I use Hornedy (cheaper!). I've found them to be practically interchangable with my A-Frames in ballistic performance (but not in terminal effects, which is why I use the A-Frame to hunt with).

Barrel length will be 24 inches, or whatever Ruger calls 24 inches. (won't have the gun until Santa comes on the 25th).

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:
I've been shooting mostly 500 gr cast from my 22" 458 Lott, and drive them around 2150-2200. If your gun groups at 2200-2250 I'd be happy with what load you find that achieves that, if you have to run it 2300 to get best groups, I wouldn't sweat it.

If 500 gr @ 2200-2300 didn't do the trick, me thinks more speed isn't the answer

Paul, what do you cast these bullets from? Sized to?

It's a lyman mold I picked up from Great Northern, I forget what the mold number is, comes out 500 gr on the nose when cast from ww's, and they are sized ~.459"

Send me a pm if you want to borrow the mold, I have enough cast up for the amount I'm likely to shoot the gun this winter.

Thanks Paul, I am still busy laying in a supply of wheel weights and reading everything I can about casting.
Gas checked? Did you try any 400 grains slugs?

Yes, gascheck. It's the only .458" mold I have, though I'm been meaning to pick up some lighter plainbase lee molds for plinking.

In general I think that 2200 fps is practical max for cast bullet shooting, so I typically go for the heaviest for caliber bullets given that self imposed limitation.

I need to get some more wheelweights to have on hand, my previous sources have dried up, and I haven't made much of an effort to get more. I did once send my wife out to see if a local tire store could spare some ww's to make some toy soldiers for our kids.

Since she's much better looking than me, and she's a she, I got a couple buckets of ww's for free. I've always had to pay