My November, 2002 issue of Rifle arrived at the post office today, or at least I arrived there and picked it up. (Rifle #204)

Ross Seyfried has an article on the .458 Lott -- prompted by Hornady introcucing amunition and Ruger chambering their magnum rifle for the cartridge.

Ross does mention that Jack Lott's first choice for the Lott conversion was the BRNO M602 (now the CZ 550). The CZ line looks like the AR favorite, at least for the magnum version of the 550.

His summary:

"I should end this by saying that almost everyone in the world is better served with a .416- or .375-caliber rifle. Sport hunters with the .375 and professionals, who are not fighting elephants, the .416. But, for those who need or want a .45, with its heavier recoil, combined with slightly increased stopping potential, the .458 Lott is a wonderful round. With the addition of the very special Ruger Express rifle and quality factory loads from Hornady, Mr. Lott's warrior has finally achieved the status it richly deserves."

jim dodd

Jim, no truer words were ever spoken! This is what the 458 Win Mag should have been to start with!

Based on another thread, I'm really going to thinking hard about a 458 Ultramag conversion of the Ruger M77 in 458 Lott. Now that really gets me going. An easy 2400fps with a 500 gr bullet. Three or maybe four in the mag and one in the pipe. Much easier and more elegant than a460 wby loaded down to 2400fps. I've gotta check the case dimensions, but a 458 Ultramag reamer might just clean up a 458 lott chamber. It would be slick if one could keep the Ruger quarter rib barrel and just do the chamber/mag( if any)/ ramp work without having to re-time the barrel. Even if I had to face the barrel back enough to remove the belt, and re-time, it still would still be a neat conversion.
This gets awfull close to my idea of a great Zimbabwe type DGR ( where you don't want to bring along anything too good to lose, but you want enough gun!.-Rob

I really feel that seeing as Ruger chambered there magnum in .416 Rigby they should have chambered for the .450 Rigby. That would have made for a great matching pair, just my 10 c worth.

CZ would also be better doing that as well, I bet they wourls sell more .458 cal rifles if they were in .450 Rigby it would be som much nicer than the .458 win mag.

Chambering to a 450 Rigby is like starting from scratch, again. The big advantage to a Lott, in my opinion, is that you can get 5 in the mag in a CZ 550. And Lott cases are available and cheap.

I know Seyfried is suppose to be some of saint, but the 458 Lott is just that much better than a 375 or 416, ASSUMING that the additional recoil is not a problem.

The fact that Sanchez switched from a 416 to a 500 Jeffery (a super Lott) is a better testimonial to me.

Will

Ross Seyfried says that the magic of the .458 Lott is that it is a 10-minute job to ream the chamber of a .458 Win Mag by .3", and the resulting Lott chamber can still fire standard .458 WM ammunition.

So you could have your wildcat, but you could still find ammunition it will fire anywhere.

The .450 Rigby is a wonderful cartridge, but try to buy loaded ammunition for it -- sort of like hens' teeth.

The .458 Lott has been selected by the market, it is what shooters will buy. Hornady and Ruger have noticed.

jim dodd

Ruger's website still does not list the 458 Lott for either the bolt action (375 and 416 Rigby only) or the Number 1.

Mike

Mike375,

I just got a new 2002 Ruger catalog and it does not have the 458 Lott in there. However, I have seen several Ruger ads that mention the 458 Lott cartridge. The Ruger No 1 in 458 Lott is available now but not the bolt action. Actually, I have seen a stainless No 1 in 458 Lott and it will just might be one of my next rifes to own. I just love the stainless stuff and the No 1 in 458 Lott can be rechambered into a 450 Ackley for me. I just like the 450 Ackley much better. Later.

Cheers!
Ming

Ming,

I have notied several websites that are out of date. This seems strange because I thought that one of the advantages of having a website would be to enable the business to have instant updates.

Mike

Mike you no what it's like in Australia we will not get the Ruger Lotts down here for years

So as I understand the posting all you have to do to a Standard Ruger in 458,is a little chamber work and presto! its a Lott? If I wrong would some please explain the proper steps

I think the listed velocites, although adequate, are a bit low. Maybe the cartridge maker is being very conservtive in pressures?

Next Lott build I will run the loads across the Oehler M43. Have fired 2250 to 2350 ft/sec loads in the Lott in the photos below. (Has a 22 inch barrel). This rifle has been in African for a couple of months, the owner left it here at the shop for me to run my new reamer in the chamber and lengthen it for the 2.85" cases one finds in Africa.

Dave,
Try this website www.african-hunter.com and read the 458 Watts/458 Lott article. It explains the conversion from 458 Win Mag to Lott very well.
Larry

Dave,

The standard Rugers that were in 458 will be to short for the 458 Lott.

Mike

Thanks,90 I have that copy will go and read the article,
Thanks Mike,found an older I quess ruger 458 in one of the smaller shopes here and he's only asking 600 U.S. for it may buy it any way,altho I am left handed as you know I like the way it feels and lines up when at the shoulder,suppose i could always make believe its a 45-70 mag and load it that way

I like Ross's comments, but, he failed to point out the greatest beauty of the 458 AIM, or Lott, and that's a great gun, at a great price.

Beauty of the 375 is it's half as expensive to feed with factory stuff as a 416.

The 458 uses either 416 or 375 brass, and more common, industry standard, 458 bullets. 416 is more expensive by a Lott(:lol) then the 375, and 458.

Plus, as others point out, you can still use 458 win mag stuff if your ammo gets lost.
s

Let's see now. If you shoot the 458 Win Mag, you shoot the 458 Win Mag. If you rechamber to 458 Win Mag AI, you can shoot 458 WM in it, if required. If you shoot a 458 Lott you can use 458 win Mag ammo or 458 WMAI if need be. If you rechamber to the Watts 45, you can use 458 Win Mag, 458 WMAI, and 458 Lott ammo in a pinch. If you rechamber to 450 Ackley you can use 458 WM, 458 WMAI, 458 Lott, 450 Watts, and 450 Ackley ammo. Kind of like the Swiss army knife of 45's. Interesting. - Dan

Dan, you've got it!!!!

Anyone have an AIM reamer?
s

" If you rechamber to 450 Ackley you can use 458 WM, 458 WMAI, 458 Lott, 450 Watts, and 450 Ackley ammo. Kind of like the Swiss army knife of 45's. Interesting. - Dan "

That's it. I guess the AIM is a necked 458 Win mag case?

s

I've got a 450 AIM reamer!-Rob

Socrates, yes apparently it is. I have personally never seen one, but if Rob's got the reamer it must be a real cartridge. I still prefer the 450 Ackley Magnum myself, but whatever floats your boat. - Dan

I thought the 450AIM stands for Ackley improved magnum. I do have a reamer for this puppy and it's based on a .375 H&H case. Great cartridge, 2400fps with 500 gr bullets and the parrell neck seems to help the feeding and perhaps improve accuracy.-Rob

PaulH,yup its the smaller action,bought it the other day only paid 400 U.S for it he jewed and dickered for awhile but said he had it in the shop for about 2 years and it wouldn't sell{not too many elephants in the swamps,HE!HE!}.Even though I am left handed I couldn't turn it down,Have given the Model 70 to my smith to convert to 375H&H so will play with this one for the time being

Whoops sorry Rob. You are correct, I was thinking of the 458 Ackley Improved Magnum, not the 450 Ackley Improved Magnum. The first is an improved 458 Win Mag. and, as I mentioned, I've never seen one. I have a 450 on an enfield though, great caliber in a great rifle. - Dan

John, that's a beautiful 458 Lott!

I have shot quite a few animals with it but nothing really big. The biggest being Kudu, wildebeest Zebra warthogs and the like.

The best shot I made so far was a running gemsbok (previously shot) running straight away at about 80 yards. My bullet, a 450 grain X at 2350fps hit the big bull in the rear end very near the tail and exited the neck about a foot from the back edge of the jaw. The exit hole was about 1.5- 2" diameter. He folded as if struck by lightning. I did almost the exact same thing with a Zebra but is was standing and not running, although it was nearly 100 yards by my estimate. He was also wounded and I was tracking him. That bullet exited the chest just above the parallel line of the front legs. Again a huge exit hole in the 2" area.

I was with a client on a hippo hunt and just had the feeling I was going to have to whack the bull to keep him from getting to the water. The client with a 375HH dropped that hippo where he stood with a dead center brain shot. I have a feeling it will take a hippo sized critter to stop that 450 grain X bullet!