Well, I'm finally employed! Three months out of college with no firm job offers starts wearing on the nerves, but I was finally offered an internal auditor position. Anywho...I figure that a new job deserves a new toy.

I've talked before about a .375 JRS Magnum but have lately been wondering about a CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag. After pricing componets, I've found that the .458 will actually be a little cheaper to load for (by my calculations--using 405 grain remington SPs and 500 grain commercially cast bullets).

My questions are:

Since the .458 case has no shoulder and you can't necksize only to allow it to headspace on the shoulder, about how many loadings should I expect per case (this will be a factory chamber)?

Does anyone have any experiece with the CZ 550 Safari Magnum? The stock looks like it has a lot of drop and don't know how well it tames recoil as compared to a stright combed stock.

I've noticed that the CZ comes with a set trigger. Does anyone know what weight they are set at unset/set?

Can I expect 2100-2200 fps. with max 500 grain handloads through the 25" barrel or will it still stay around 1900-2000?

Thanks in advance for the help.

You don't have to full length size the .458 any more than you do to a .44 mag. The other stuff I can't help you with. Good luck.

I have never trimmed a 458 win., 458 lott, or 45-70 yet! I think that straight wall cases don't stretch nearly as much as bottle necks. I have also not worn out a case yet, so I do not think it is really an issue.

As for velocity, I have not worked with the 500 grain bullet much, but you might want to consider stepping down to some 450's to preserve some powder capacity in the case.

The CZ trigger works normally until you cock the striker and push the trigger blade forward. Then it becomes a set trigger that lets go at something like four ounces or so. If you cock the rifle and just pull back on the trigger, it works normally. The CZs I've examind seem to be around 4 to 5 lbs with the trigger unset.

Stick to a lower velocity with the cast bullets, 1400fps or so to minimize leadding. If the cast bullets have a gas check then you can drive them faster.

You can drive the jacketed bullets as fast as you want. However, with big bores, hypervelocity speed is not needed. 2300-2400fps is about as high as you need to go for animals that fight back. Deer, pigs, varmints, and paper will be dispatched just as quickly with a 1800fps bullet as a 2500fps bullet (both velocities will cause the bullet to enter & exit). The LARGE frontal area is what provides the 'smack factor'.

In my 458 lott, I did have to trim cases after each firing, as they grew .005-.007", and when the seater/crimp die was set for a heavy crimp with a 2.800" case, it would buckle the longer cases. That said, go with a Lee factory crimp die.

I think you'll be pleased with the 458, and if you desire in the future, you can punch it out to a 458 lott.

If you shoot cast, then drive them 1700-1800 fps, as I think that is an ideal speed for cast rifle loads. If the bullets are the proper hardness and size for your barrel and chamber, then plain base will work at those speeds w/o leading. The advantage of the gas check is they are much more tollerant of dimensional differences and alloy hardness.

For hunting in NA, it is tough to beat a 350 gr speer or hornady over a charge of RL 7 for 2400-2500 fps. Recoil is on par with a 375 H&H, but you'll make a wee bit bigger hole.

As far as stock design goes, I like the straighter stocks better. I have been looking at a CZ in 416 Rigby or 375 or a Winchester in 375 or 416 Rem. I recently shot a fellow AR member's CZ 416 and model 70 458 Lott. Side by side, I liked the model 70's David-Miller-designed stock much better than the CZ. The CZ's curved stock really seemed to cause the rifle to recoil upward, but the comb was better aligned for open sights. For a lighter-kicking, open-sighted rifle, the CZ stock may work well. For a hard-kicking, scope-sighted rifle, I like the stock on the new model 70s better than anything I have handled, including a $5,000 Dakota. Your results may vary according to your shooting style and build.