I recently acquired a Ruger 77 in 458 Win Mag. I have researched the forum and found a few things both positive and negative about this caliber. My question, is it reasonable for me to expect to hand load 500 gr soft & solids @ 2150 fps or greater without over stressing anything. I plan on using this rifle on a buf hunt I have scheduled in 2010. Any help from those of you experienced in this caliber would be greatly appreciated.

Great choice of caliber, In times past I have used 64 grains of R-7 with 500 grain bullets, your only going to get around 2050-75fps with this load but there are some better powders and loads out there today.
Will and JPK will probably pipe in here with some good load data for you.

And Dirk is right!

Using book loads and making sure that you work up and that the loads and powders are fine for your rifle, you can possibly go well beyond 2150fps. Especially if your rifle has some barrel length to it.

On the other hand, 500grs at 2150fps isn't needed for buff.

Keep in mind that the actual field performance for the benchmark 450NE is 480grs at ~2100fps (the nominal ballistics are often quoted at 2150fps, but this required a 28" barrel, longer than the majority of real rifle barrel lengths.)

I've had great success on buff with Woodleighs solids at anywhere from 2050fps to 2145fps MV.

I would look to the new Hornaday steel jacketed solids and AA2230.

In my 26" barrels a midlin' load of 72.5gr of AA2230 under a 500gr Woodleigh in a Norma case with a Federal 215 primer gives me 2145fps. This load is well under max in the Hornaday Manual and I was refered to the Hornaday manual by Woodleigh.

As always, start lower and work up, paying attention to the Hrnaday manual.

My load is more than sufficient for elephant, btw, and has been tested more than a few times on the real thing.

The Woodleigh soft is an excellent choice for the 458wm. You will very likely find a soft load that will shoot with the Hornaday or Woodleigh solids very close to the solids load. IIRC, my soft load is 1/2gr less powder, which is odd, but the solid and soft loads will be close.

Good luck. PM if you have any questions.

JPK

The velocity you get depends upon your rifle (its chambering and barrel length), the bullets themselves, and primer for any given powder and powder charge. Just in case you don't have one, get a chronograph for sure.

There was a pretty significant difference between the powder loads in a Win. Mod. 70 I had for the old Hornady brass solids and the old Speer AGS solids, like 3.5 grs. to get 2150 fps with Varget.

Use the reloading manuals and start low. One never knows how the combinations of the above will react.

Anyway, I have used Varget at 2150 fps in the field without any problems though it is mighty compressed. Hornady at one time recommended 75 gr. Varget for their old brass solid and it was darn close to 2150 fps in my 22" barreled Mod. 70. But those solids are no longer available so it's a new craps shoot now.

The new Hornady solids are cheap and finding a load for 2150 fps is probably worth the effort.

The AA2230 powder (see their web site for reloading data - but start LOW. Their max load was too hot in my CZ 22" barreled rifle) is popular because you can get it in the case w/o being terribly compressed. Whether it is better than Varget as to pressure or consistency in general I do not know.

These are two powders that should get you to 2150 fps w/o any problems.Others are using different powders but these are the ones I've tried.

Good luck in your load developments.

Thanks for the input guys. I have ben loading for a long time and appreciate the cautions which I always take. Just have had no experience with this particular caliber and trying not to reinvent the wheel. Don't want to spend a great deal of time or punishment at the bench especially going in the wrong direction. Someone with actual experience giving you a good starting point is much appreciated help.

I currently have Varget on hand and will try to get some AA2230. My rifle barrel is 24" long and I do have a chronograph so we will see what happens.

Hi MMS! I tested a few powders for this caliber including AA2230.It is not the most accurate powder.The best powder I found for this round is Vit 540.It gave me all the velocity needed and more.It was also the most accurate powder.Vit HE powders have been good to me.If you use A-frame(500grainers) bullets you will not have much powder compcation.I had pressure problems with R7.I would not use Varget.

Following up on Will's post:

I tried Varget. I couldn't get the velocity without getting too much deviation round to round. Your rifle might like it though.

Some will voice a different opinion, but I'm ok with compressed loads so long I hunt with FRESH ammo to avoid some of the past horror stories. Not that they're likely to recur, but we're talking dangerous game.

I the past handful of years, Hornaday has switched from round nose steel jacketed solids to brass encapsulated solids back to steel jacketed solids, this time with a flat nose.

I'm sure Hornaday will tell you if their previuos loads in their manual are still ok for the new flat nose steel jackets solid and a phone call or email can never hurt. But I do know from checking that the old Hornaday manuals and the newest one, which predates the new steel jacketed flat nose solids, all have the same data, though the bullets changed. So the data in the manuals is for the steel jacketed solids of old.

JPK