Otherwise known as the .458/.338 Lapua Magnum, or "45 Lapua" for short [It's the middle cartridge above (rerun).].

Thought I would move this over from the wildcat forum, since this cartridge is not a new or developing kitten. It has been around for a while. It is arguably the best .458 around.

Here are the rest of the starting loads for future development with appropriate bullets for the game, any game:

RL-15 powder
Lapua brass
F-215 Primer
80 to 85 degrees F
Just three shots chronographed for each powder charge weight
Barnes Original 500 grain RNSP's
25" barrel

94 grains RL-15 >>> 2337 fps ... 15 fps Extreme Spread
95 g >>> 2366 fps ... 30 fps ES
96 g >>> 2383 fps ... 14 fps ES
97 g >>> 2389 fps ... 21 fps ES
98 g >>> 2417 fps ... 5 fps ES
99 g >>> 2433 fps ... 3 fps ES
100 g >>> 2453 fps ... 10 fps ES

There is a little bit of powder shake in the case at 98 grains, with the bullet seated to 3.625" COL, no crimp.

At 99 grains the shaking stops, no air space left.

Bullets can be seated out farther or loads compressed if higher velocities are desired, but who would want to do that?

At 100 grains, the case head expansion is 0.001" or less. Primers are really mild.

The cartridge feeds extracts and ejects like a dream.

Best brass available too. Proper headstamp is no problem, have ye stamp or have ye engraving tool. The reamer for chambering is a .338 Lapua with .458 pilot and a .458 neck reamer.

Make your own dies from 460 Weatherby dies that you won't need anymore, plus a .338 Lapua die properly modified.

[ 06-29-2003, 00:58: Message edited by: DagaRon ]

Just as I figured, no one can find fault with the 457 Faultless Express.

No points to argue.

If the .416 Rigby is King, then the 457 Faultless Express is the Prince and heir apparent.

45 Lapua for short.

It rests on its laurels.

BTW, the Corbin canneluring tool will handle up to .458 diameter bullets.

Hopefully Barnes will make some .458 caliber Triple-Shock X-Bullets someday, or I will have to get one of those canneluring tools and see about making my own.

Too bad about GSC.

[ 06-29-2003, 17:18: Message edited by: DagaRon ]

Ron,
sounds like a great round... wanna send some fired brass to dave and see what he charges to make you a full set of dies?
jeffe

Jeffe,
Good idea. Either Redding or CH4D, eh? But I really don't need to yet as it is so easy to make your own from the spare 460 Weatherby and .338 Lapua dies. Homemade dies and perfect ammo for the 457 Faultless. All it takes is some cutting, grinding and polishing in the home work shop. Very satisfying hobby play.

After I get 45 Lapua Number Two done (barrel: 22" McGowen stainless 1 in 12" twist, 0.750" at the muzzle, action: CZ 550), I might look into the custom dies.

The 22" barrel might get 500 grainers up to 2400 fps with 100 to 101 grains of RL-15, with low pressure.

I am convinced that .458 Lott rifles ought to stick to 2200 to 2250 fps with 500 grainers from 24" barrels.

The 45 Lapua hits harder at lower chamber pressures.

But of course, the .458 Lott hits hard enough.
Aloha

Next on the agenda for the 457 Faultless Express, which is the "6mm PPC of big bores": a light, fast, and flat shooting load for plains game. That would make the 457 Faultless a one gun safari rifle.
Aloha

DAGA,

OK Already!!!!! I can't stand it any longer!!

I just finished my 416 Taylor project and you "TEASE" me with this one.

It's almost too good to be true.

Now I have to have it.

Looks like another project is in the making, I hate when that happens.

Right now I am thinking a Win Mod 70 Safari Express 458 Win Mag rechambered with all the bells and whistles

BD

Daga Ron
A good plains game load with low recoil would be the 350 Hornady at @2330 fps or the Speer 350 at similar velocity. They might not hold up on big plains game like Eland at higher velocity. True with their blunt shape the will loose velocity fairly fast. For the velocity the 45 Lapua can produce a 300gr. or a 350gr. Barnes X maybe the only choice at top velocity.

Bigdog,
Ah, you understand too!
The thought of a 457 Faultless Express on a Winchester M-70 does sound good, but will take a new box and a lot of gunsmithing. Ditto a 98 Mauser, but that could be done too. A CZ 550 .416 Rigby is a natural for rebarreling to 45 Lapua, or a .458 WinMag CZ 550 just needs some boltface opening, feed work, and rechambering. I have the latter and am now working on the former of the two CZ routes, with the services of an able gunsmith. I make my own dies, for now.

Maybe someday I'll realize the M-98/M-70 too. Sounds worthwhile. Faultless.
Aloha

450 NE No2,
350 grain X-Bullet? Now yer talkin'! For varmints and such, I have a lot of the Hornady 350's for mild loads or just getting the preliminaries, starting at 101 grains of RL-15 and working up. Of course a more moderate load might come closer to the 500 grain POI, like 500 grainer (2400 to 2500 fps) zeroed at 100 yards, and 350 grainer (2700 to 2800 fps) no more than 3" high at 100 yards. Or one rifle dedicated to each bullet weight. Will have to see how it works out. Faultless surely.
Aloha

DAGA,

I like the CZ 550 458 Win idea give me more $$$ for the bells and whistles. Was it am easy conversion?

Have you thought about the 550 gr Woodliegh @ 2300-2400 .

"TRUELY FAULTLESS"

I can say no more!

BD

Bigdog,
Yes sir, a very easy conversion of the .458 WinMag CZ 550. Use your .458 WinMag brass for the .416 Taylor neckdown. A simple neckup of .338 Lapua brass and you have a formidable DGR case. Better grab those CZ .458's and .416's for customization.

Yep, the 550 grain Woodleigh is interesting, if it will shoot to the same POI of an appropriate solid bullet load. I'd like to try that one too. They could be cannelured to seat out farther and not encroach on the powder space.

Johan,
Actually, the 457 Faultless is only 2.700", trim to 2.690". About 5 mm shorter.

The 450 Rigby was violated by blowing out the case to less taper, compared to the .416 Rigby.

The 457 Faultless/45 Lapua maintains the original Rigby case body taper, as does the .338 Lapua Magnum.

The 450 Rigby could be loaded up to near 460 Weatherby velocity, with 460 Weatherby pressures.

I'm guessing the 45 Lapua with 500 grain bullets in the 2400 to 2500 fps ball park will be less than 50Kpsi, in 22" to 24" barrels, something like that. That is very fine ... faultless.
Aloha

[ 07-03-2003, 04:29: Message edited by: DagaRon ]

hmm, what an idea

458 winnie take cz barrel

416 rigby cz action...

screw em together, chamber...

poof!! quick and dirty.. with nice sights

jeffe

Virtuoso thought, jeffeosso, I have had it myself. The CZ barrels are excellent as a rule, too good to waste.

Then you can make your own reamer from a .338 Lapua reamer with a .458 live pilot installed, and finish up with a .458 neck and throat reamer of your choice. My chamber necks have gone to 2.720" but I keep the brass down to 2.700" max.

Wild-assed thought: make a long neck version out to 2.900" so it would sort of look like a 404 Jeffery on steroids, sort of 400 H&H-ish ... Nah!

The neck is already a bit longer than .458/caliber. You can seat the bullets out farther without the wild-assed long neck.
Aloha

[ 07-03-2003, 05:00: Message edited by: DagaRon ]

Hmm, makes me wonder if I could take the AI in 338 and rebarrel to the 45 and still get the mag to work, now talk about a sniper rig

Dave,
Some VLD bullets in .458 caliber would no doubt pack more punch at long range than a .338 Lapua. I sure think there would be accuracy potential. Maybe a switch barrel for the AI? That would be fun.
"Ich haben zie vert kafeit und studt." What was that my old professor mumbled in German?

Dagga, might have to look into that, I have no idea what the German phrase is, mine came from a friend of my father, who repeted it to me on hunts for birds over dogs, I had to ask what it meant one day and he spelled it out for me and I have never forgotten it

[ 07-06-2003, 07:46: Message edited by: Dave James ]