Thinking of stepping up to a 458 WinMag. Anybody try the 300 grain bullets as a versitile weight bullet for smaller game?

The idea is take some 400s for buff, maybe ele, and some 300s for the smaller stuff. Would need some prior work sighting in and nailing down quick adjustments for the scope when switching between the 2 bullet weights.

Whattya think. (other than it is just another excuse to buy another rifle!)

You will probably find out that the different weights shoot to very different points of impact. I have had 2 458's.
If I had one now I would load North Fork 450gr Softs and Solids for Africa.
You should be able to get them to hit very near the same place.

404

The problem is that anything under 450grain starts lacking in sectional density.
The other issue is that with 300grainers you run out of case capasity and there you might experience problems with compressed loads and African heat.

A good quality 450 grain bullet will be more than sufficient killing power for any creature on mother earth and is a very comfortable load to shhot.

I am going to try the 450gr North Forks on buff and tuskless elephants this fall.

450NE No2 neglects to mention in his post that he had excellent results with this bullet, killing a bull elephant at 6yds with it out of his double rifle!

As for the 500gr Woodleighs, it is no trouble to push them well beyond what is necessary for elephants or buff.

Yesterday I found a very mild load of AA 2230 that gives 2145fps out of my rifle and shoots really well. I have been able to do that with a mid level load of H 4895 as well. My rifle is a double, so I'm not loading for ultimate performance, but to make the rifle shoot well with at least adequate performance. 2050fps with 500 grainers has been shown through history to be adequate. Its easy to get all that and alot more.

JPK

Been helping a friend develop some 400 and 300grn loads for his .458 Lott. Can get a modified Barnes X ( 300grn) to 3000fps. an option if you want to shoot gensbok in the desert- problem is the huge difference in point of impact. At 50yards the 300grn bullets land 12" higher than the 500grn with various 400grn loads scattered in between.

You could make it work if you had the rifle's open sights zeroed for 500grn and a qd scope zeroed for the 300's.

The Seriera 300grn HP bullets that we have been playing with (to save the X bullets which are in short supply) make an impressive surphase wound on baboons but penetration is marginal on a big male! If you are going to go with lighter bullets Barnes X or similar are the only way to go.

Here is the perfect sight set up.
The ladder sight will reach out to 1200 yds.


My WR .318 is set up to reach out to 500 yds.