I don`t know why, but I`ve decided that I would like to use my .458 to take at least one deer this year. Normally I would start working up a load way before hand, but this year, deer season is only a bit over a month away, and a couple weeks of that will be used up getting my 2 antelope, my 2 boys each 2 antelope, and a good buddy who hasn`t hunted in a while his 2 antelope. That leaves only 2 weeks to get a load ready, the rifle sighted properly for the load, etc, etc. I have several other rifles to use, but I have one any deer tag and one antlerless only tag. I`d like to use the .458 to take a doe. Does anyone have a specific load worked up using somewhere around a 350 grain bullet that is suitable for deer? I was thinking of using a 350 grain Barnes X, but that might be a little too much bullet for a small South Dakota deer. I`m looking for specific recommendations, bullet, powder, primer, etc. Thanks!

Try my favorite 458 win mag recipe. After all you can't kill anything too dead! 500 gr Hornady softpoint or solid with 80.0 grs of WW 748, Fed 215 primer. It hits a little over 2100 fps from my Ruger #1 and will shoot <1 MOA at 100 yrds. It's a compressed load, but shows no overpressure signs and is a little behind the max load Hornady lists for the 458.-Rob

hoss101,
I used to tinker a lot with the .458 Win Mag, and always keep at least one nearby. Currently a Whitworth Mark X.

I have shot moose and marmots, both with 500 grain Hornady RNSP's in a Winchester case, 71.0 grains of IMR 3031, and an F-215 primer. Velocities have been 2100 to 2150 fps in various 24" barrels.

I found the 350 grain Hornady RNSP with that same powder charge (as above) and same brass and primer, gave 2296 fps from my current rifle, with MOA accuracy for three shots at 100 yards, and very small Sd of velocity. An excellent load, and low pressure.

Substituting the Barnes XFB 350 grainer, their manual shows (GM 215M primer by Federal, Winchester brass, 24" Shilen barrel) that IMR 3031 powder gave these velocities:
70.0 grains ... 2283 fps
75.0 grains ... 2446 fps (MAX)

The recommended powders with the 350 grain X-Bullet were
RL 7
63.0 grains ... 2306 fps
68.0 grains ... 2489 fps (MAX)
and
IMR 4198
64.0 grains ... 2261 fps
69.0 grains ... 2438 fps

I have used these powders in the .458 WinMag with the 350 grain and 400 grain Barnes XFB's and got velocities very similar to the manual: near 2500 with the 350 grain XFB, and near 2400 fps with the 400 grain XFB. But accuracy was not as good as my pet load in my rifle.

My rifle likes the 350 grain Hornady (with 71 grains of IMR 3031, Winchester brass, and the F215 primer) best of all.

Good cheap bullet for deer, gentle to shoot.

Hoss101,
In a Zastava with 22" barrel I load 67gr AR2207 (Hodgdon's H4198) behind the Hornady 350gr RN. Velocity is 2470fps from a 22" barrel. Maximum is listed as 72gr.
Hope this helps...
Con

Why not try a hard cast lead bullet? 2100fps sounds perfect for cast. Lazer cast has 250rnd box's for just under $30. That's alot of shooting for cheap. I don't have a 458, but do shoot lots of cast in my 45-70BFR.

As it so happens, I've been playing around with .450 Marlin-equivalent loads in my .458WM, and 66 grains of IMR3031 pushes a 350-grain Hornady RNSP at an estimated 2150 fps. Off the bench with the express sights it grouped under 1.5" at 50 yards, and group center was 1" above point of aim. It's more than one needs for deer, of course, and in fact, it's probably good for anything that walks in North America, assuming good terminal bullet performance.

[ 09-30-2003, 17:13: Message edited by: Slingster ]

I simply use the Max load for the 45-70 in the Ruger No1, with the 400 gr Speer 45-70 bullet, in my 458 Win Mag. Most of the X-bullets will not open properly at anything under 2150 fps, but the Speer 400 gr flat nose is death on deer, black bear, and moose! Recoil is very light, but deer never know what hit them, and you can eat right up to the bullet hole, as Ol Elmer would say, no meat damage at all!

The 400 gr. speer FN opens up great but not every bolt action will feed it. Woodleigh offers a pointed 400 grain 458 if you are interested.

Use a 350 gr Speer and full load of W-748.
Get up to about 2500 fps, depeding on barrel.
The nose has a small meplat that I round off to
make it semi-spitzer, and it shoots as flat as
a 270 gr in a 375H&H..Ed.

hoss101
I have shot quite a few deer and pigs with .458 bullets in the 45/70, 458Win and most recently with my 450 No2 double.
With the 300gr and the 400Speer keep velocities under 1900fps for best results. My favorite bullet is the Hornady 350gr RN. It works very well at velocities from 1900fps [45/70] to 2330fps [450 No2]. I would not hesitate to use this bullet on elk or black bear.
One of the nice things about the 458 Win is that you can pick a bullet that is designed to perform at the velocity and recoil level you choose.
Those 350 Hornadays have always fed through any rifle I have shot them in with out any problems.

This is what I have loaded in my 458 win:

all are win cases, all are CCI 250 primers, all are crimped in the cannelure.
350 speer flatpoint
IMR 4198
68 2412
68.5 2422
69 2442
69.5 2498
70 2480
70.5 2466 2497
71 2505 2513 2508

350 barnes X
IMR 4198
68 2446
68.5 2472
69 2441
69.5 2505
70 2522
70.5 2542 2536
71 2518 2522 2525

I am going with 71gr for the speer and 70 or 70.5 for the barnes X ( 71gr with the X bullet deformed the cases ) . 22 inch barrel.

X bullets not opening properly under 2150 fps? Horse hockey! I've been shooting the 300 gr. .458 X bullet out of my Contender .45-70 at 1890 fps for over 15 years with over two dozen deer killed with it, and have NEVER had a bullet fail to expand. Most all with heart/lung shots, a few with frontal shots. In my testing I got unreliable expansion below 1600 fps, while Barnes was telling me expansion was good down to 1500 fps for the .458 X bullets. Paper and water don't necessarily mean squat in the real world, but two dozen deer ranging from 90 to 200 pounds dropping at the shot DO mean something.
Go ahead and try the X bullet in the .458. Out of my Ruger .458 they shoot great. The only problem is, I cannot hunt with a rifle in my state, so I have to limit my deer hunting to the Contender .45-70, but those X bullets most certainly will expand well below 2150 fps. I've got the heads on the wall and the meat in the freezer to prove it!

[ 10-03-2003, 00:19: Message edited by: Big Bore ]