Well, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who commented in my previous thread concerning my choice for a big bore. I ended up ordering a 458 Lott in a RSM. Should be here pretty soon. I can really close to getting the 416 Rigby, but decided to give the Lott a shot I know it will take some effort and time to work up to the full power 500gr loadings. But I think it will pay off in the long run and be pretty affordable to shoot in the mean time. Loading dies should show up tomorrow and I can't wait to start playing with it. I got a bulk order of 405gn bullets to mess with too!

One question, what kind of velocities are people getting from the 400 grn weight of bullets for the Lott? I'm wanting to work up some 400gn X's for some longer range shots on NA game and possibly some plains game when the time arrives. Maybe the 450grn would be a better bet though SD wise, I've read people getting 2400fps with that bullet pretty easily.

Thanks again for all the help and info guys!

I envy you guys the RSM, I wish they would offer them in left handed. Even if it's like Winchester's lefty big bore where they only make a run every 3-4 years.

Congrats. Sounds like a great rifle.

I ordered my m77 early Nov. Didn't ship right away... don't know why. The guy who was supposed to receive it runs gun shows, and had one scheduled the next weekend -- which I was supposed to teach hunter safety at (I would have liked to be able to show express sights). Came a week later, the day deer season opened. Spent most of the season in the woods. The public range is open only on weekends -- when I was in the woods. My game club closes its range during deer season, so I couldn't try it out there during the week. Today, winds were in excess of 20mph, so I took it to the public range. I found the forward express flip-up blade still shoots the Hornady loads low at 100 yards.

The 405 gr bulk bullets sound like Remington bullets, set up for .45-70 charges. You can download, and they will shoot. They won't connect with your express sights. You will also find these bullets are very thin-skinned in the jacket. If you want to move up, there are a number of 400 gr bullets made by Barnes (Barnes Originals in PSP) and Woodleigh Weldcores. Both of these (the pointy Barnes Originals) are supposed to expand optimally at full charges appropriate for a .458 win. You won't find jacketed "solids" at that weight, though you will find Barnes monometal bullets of various flavors. Most of the big-bore dangerous game hunters seem to recoil in disgust at 400gr pointy bullets in a .458 lott or win (round-nosed slugs are the only way to go -- ballistic coefficient isn't important -- though sectional density [proportional to ballistic coefficient] and concommitant penetration, is)... but should be more than enough for anything on the NA continent. I have already tried getting the .458 win in Ruger #1 to shoot 400 gr loads with the open sights. Not good... the 400 gr loads shot too high for the range that the blade could adjust for elevation. A scope solved that problem well.

I don't know which, or even if any, of this is helpful, but I offer it given some of your comments. I hope you have fun with your gun!!!

Dan