Do you guys think it is really a good conversion, or just another caliber to add to the reloading bench? My 458 Win is a pleasure to shoot offhand, and the final line on many a 458 Lott post has to do with the added recoil. I read on Garrett Cartridges web page that they determined the optimun velocity for the .458 caliber was 1500 - 1600 (fps).
And that the faster the bullets were going, the less penetration was achieved in the test medium. Hence the 45-70 crowd pushing their round so hard. Having never shot a large animal with my .458,
(1)Is this a valid test result?
(2)Go with my gut feeling and get the Lott Conversion?
Thanks for the input.

There is as big a diff. btwn. the .45-70 & .458WM as there is in the .458 vs .458 Lott, both in perf. & recoil. I had a M70 in .458 rechambered to .458Lott & a 500gr bullet @ 2200fps was just more fun than I needed from a 9# rifle. I have a .404 now & enjoy it much more.

Having only shot my 458 win a little bit before sending it off to get work done take this for what it is from the limited experience.

I am ONLY having mine taken out to a Lott because magazine and feeding work already has to be done, might as well do that too. Otherwise I would invest the extra money, especially if it were a shooter to begin with. With modern powders the 458 win is reported to do quite well and has "worked" for many years already. If you already have the stuff for the winchester and the rifle doesn't need anything else done with it I wouldn't bother. Wait till CZ comes out with the 505 gibbs and get that bad boy (after I get one).

Red

Please read the results of 470 MBogo's penetration results with the .458 caliber. Garret is full of shit! Period! a 458 lott at 2300 fps is a hell of a lot more gun than a 45-70 at 1600 fps Duh!-Rob.

There is a big crowd of folks that want to believe that their cowboy guns are equal to elephant guns, hence Garrett has a great group to market to. There is always somebody out there that will take what you want to hear, or want to think, and have a product that will meet your delusion.

Reality check, the 45-70 is what it is. It isn't, and will never be even close to equal to a real elephant gun, and hardly superior to it.

I've only shot a 458 lott and never a win mag so can't comment on the difference in recoil. When I was working up loads with my Lott, way back before it was a commercial offering, I started with max 458 win mag loads and worked up. My 500 gr loads started at 2100 fps, and went up to 2280 fps. I honestly didn't find that much difference in the recoil between the starting and max loads. Both have heavy recoil, but they are in the same ball park. If you can handle a 458 win mag, I see no reason that you can't handle the 458 Lott.

As far as whether it is worth the conversion, I dunno. I'd rather have a 458 lott and load it to 458 win mag velocities but opperating at lower pressures, then running the 458 win mag at full pressures.

how about a 458 win mag and a 500 jeffery shot right fter one another?

the lott is a tremendous amount more recoil, and will REQUIRE a recoil lug, if one is not there.

other than that, it's a rechamber and replace the sheet metal mag. you MIGHT have to do a little feeding work, but I would expect with the right box, it will be all external work.

well worth the money

jeffe

Since I have a .470 Capstick, I don't need a Lott to handle the heavy stuff, so I am having a .458 Win. Mag. built (you know, for in-between stuff that is too big for a .375H&H but not thick-skinned enough to require a .458 Lott or .470 Capstick ).

With modern powders and the new bullet designs, I think it will work just fine.

I shot a friend's .458 (after shooting the .470 Capstick) and was surprised by the (relatively) 'light' recoil.

George

i once dropped a 405 grain .458 solid and a .458 385 cast from the bench top...

I guess they were going too fast, as either penetrated the floor... though garrett said a slower cast bullet will out penetrate a faster jacketed..

so I dropped the cast from ~1 foot, and threw the jacket as hard as I could at the floor....

again, must have been too fast.. they just laid there on the floor...

I guess if I let them run out the barrel of a levergun it would have made a difference/

jeffeosso,

ROTFLMAO! Thanks for that!

ASS_CLOWN

Garrett has never impressed me with his advertising hype, it's just baloony....

There is a lot more to killing Buffalo than penitration, that is just one cog in the wheel and by itself its about like an arrow, but without the hemoraging that an arrow gets.......

The 458 is a good enough Buffalo gun with a good handload, and will even get you by with some factory ammo, but the Lott conversion is without a doubt the most practical and needed conversion that I have ever heard of in the world of gundom! and you can still shoot 458 Win ammo in it...

The Lott is a visably better killer on Buff, Lion, and elephant over the std. 458 Win. which was a factory screw up from the get go in that it never has had enough powder space and when loaded to capable its running with compacted powder and hot, neither of which is desirable in IMO....

You are right Ray. After all, I Own four .357 pistols and shoot a lot of .38 Special. I chose the .357 pistol because it can shoot both cartridges. I've already laid the groundwork with my wife for the Lott conversion in the near future. I had my doubts about the test results that showed slower bullets penetrating more. Kinda flies in the face of logic huh?