I need to develop a SOFT & SOLID load for a new 450 Rigby. My primary focus is on the SOLID, I'm considering Northfork and Cutting Edge bullets for the SOLID and prefer at least a 500gr bullet.

Does Cutting Edge Bullets make a 500gr SOLID in .458cal.....? I didn't see one listed on their webpage.

CEB does offer the BBW#13 FN Solid in 500gr, here's the link:
https://cuttingedgebullets.com...&key=DGBR_S07_BBW_13

Thanks.......I will give them a try.


Decided to also try the 400gr solids in my 416 Rigby, since I was ordering.

I've had shots go very high when a monometal solid is fired after a lead jacketed soft.I would consider a Hornady DGS and swift-a-frame combo.

Shootaway

Please go to the doctor soon! I am quite sure you have worms! They have migrated to your brain!

or the Woodleigh 550FMJ/RNSP super combo.Can't go 550 with monometals.Also,unlike monometals,your bore doesn't have to be crispy new to get a bite out of them and spiral them down towards the game!Your bore will certainly not be new after firing only a dozen of them.

Ask Michael458 how many monometals he has down some of his barrels-

SSR

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:


Ask Michael458 how many monometals he has down some of his barrels-

SSR

ask him how many he has fired beyond 10yds

As his range box is at 50 yds--thats what you shoot isnt it?- then I will.

how much time do you shoot from a bench at a real target? Michael458 goes through chrono into ballistic box. then takes them out into field.

Are you saying that there is no accuracy over 10 yds? based on what-your "rapidfire' at targets no-one can see?at a range we cant determine?

SSR

Since when has his range box been at 50yds?Cross,what I say about shooting is REAL! I don't take sides with anything-never have and never will.

I have a full 50 yard indoor range. I do a lot of work at the 25 yd bench just because it's convenient to do terminals for Dangerous Game Bullets there, and that is Dangerous Game Range. Accuracy if needed or sighting in is all done at 50 yds.

Michael

From the 50 Yd Bench



From the back of the range looking back at benches



Doing some pressure traces at the 25 yd bench, using the extra room available there as you see.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:


Ask Michael458 how many monometals he has down some of his barrels-

SSR

ask him how many he has fired beyond 10yds

1000s upon top of 1000s.

That is why Michael458 owns 100 upon top of 100s Winchester rifles. That way after he wears the barrel out after 10 rounds he switches rifles.

I shoot the CEBs out of my 105 year old double and believe they are better for the barrel than copper jacketed steel.

Mike,why would you want to go hunting with a 105yr old rifle? I would by a better functioning new one.

Michael has shot so many mono solids that I have asked for the mineral rights to his range.

So what? Did you guys learn anything by shooting them? Why did he not learn by now?

An idea

floating softly through the vast expanse-searching for a spot to land
the open vistas, the sheer space-

looking for a place to land,in his mind

SSR

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
So what? Did you guys learn anything by shooting them? Why did he not learn by now?

I'm a Slow learner Shoot!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
That is why Michael458 owns 100 upon top of 100s Winchester rifles. That way after he wears the barrel out after 10 rounds he switches rifles.

It's called "Switch Rifle Technology" HEH HEH.......

Oh and by the way Shotwhichway, I like shooting close at 10 yds, I can see better the closer they are!

HEH HEH......

The 550grn Woodleighs would work very well from the large 450Rigby.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
The 550grn Woodleighs would work very well from the large 450Rigby.

I agree.

+1 or is it 2?

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
+1 or is it 2?

465H&H

Good Day 465!

Higher math, always gets me 2!

I wish Hornady would come out with a 550gr DGX and DGS.

Since this is a free wheeling topic, here's my story, which has nothing to do with a 458 caliber bullet, but a 400 grain 404 Jeffery bullet. In my 404 Jeffery which I shot yesterday, I use 400 grains Barnes TSX as my soft and Barnes Banded Solid 400 grains for my solid. I load to the same velocity with VihtaVuori N550, with 81.5 grains for the TSX and 83 grains for the solid, both giving around 2,250 fps at the muzzle.

For what it's worth, both print in the same group at 100 meters, with the solid being just a tad lower, maybe half an inch, for the center of the group. For me that's as good as it gets I think.

If Barnes makes the same combo in 458 it might work for you.

BBW#13s Solid and Matching NonCon are designed to work to the same POI at 50 yards.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I wish Hornady would come out with a 550gr DGX and DGS.

I have heard this request before and I always wonder why some guys want a 550 grain .458 bullet. A 500 grain bullet is not enough? Heck, in my 450 Dakota, I drop down to 450 grain TSX to get more velocity, flatter trajectory, and less recoil.

Hello MHC_TX,

The 450 Rigby is one of our favorites and it is the cartridge we use for testing our .458 bullets. We have our softs and solids in 550grs. also. Plus, we have some custom order only 600gr (PH's in Africa really wanted these). The Rigby sized cartridge is the only .458 cartridge that can effectively push this much mass. When one drops down to a 350gr, the Ribgy turns into a plains game rifle since it can push our bullets over 3000fps without any trouble.

We are having a 10% sale right now, so it would be a good time to try us out and see our bullets meet your expectations.

Regards,
John
North Fork Technologies

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I wish Hornady would come out with a 550gr DGX and DGS.

I have heard this request before and I always wonder why some guys want a 550 grain .458 bullet. A 500 grain bullet is not enough? Heck, in my 450 Dakota, I drop down to 450 grain TSX to get more velocity, flatter trajectory, and less recoil.

That is a good question and one that has been answered in bits and pieces here but never put all together in one post. I'll give it a try.

I have used the 550 grain Woodleigh softs at 2,150 fps from a Lott on buffalo and solids on elephant. Here is how I view the utility of their use. On buffalo I like a bullet to be a soft and to be soft enough to stay in the buff on broadside shots. Typically, the initial shot is a broadside shot. I don't want to give up shots at a buff because I am worried about the bullet exiting and hitting another animal. I also want the added tissue destruction you get from a quicker expanding bullet. I personally wouldn't use the 550 grain on this shot as it will in all likely hood exited. Where it does have an application is maybe the second shot at a rapidly disappearing hind end of a buff. I also think it would be a great bullet for the PH to use for the exact same reason. You can count on this bullet if launched at 2,150 fps to penetrate four to five feet of buff depending on how much water content is in the stomach.

On frontal head shots on elephant, the 550 RN grain bullet has penetrated farther than 500 grain FN mono-metal solids at the same velocity. No doubt about this. Having faced a couple of elephant charges, I place a great deal of importance on how much thump the bullet gives on head shots. This thump, shock or whatever you want to call it, is most dependent on bullet weight. So going down to a 450 grain bullet even at increased velocity is going in the wrong direction in my opinion. If I am hunting elephants in herds I have the same concern about over penetration. You don't always know whether or not another elephant is behind the one you are shooting at, so I like my solid bullet to stay in the elephant on broadside shots when hunting herds. On a trophy bull hunt, especially some of those huge Hwange or Botswana bulls there is no doubt that I would use the 550 grain Woodleigh or North Fork or a 500 grain FN mono-metal solid such as the North Fork or CEB.

465H&H

Now THAT'S the kind of indoor range I want...maybe a little wider so I could have at least 3 benches, a little higher, I need SPACE...and a little longer...say 200 yds, so I can test my 50 cals without too much end wall destruction... ...and of couse several assitants at the loading bench keeping me well supplied(inclucing a real stout assistant for testing the heavy weapons)...

Luck

quote:

Originally posted by North Fork:
Hello MHC_TX,

The 450 Rigby is one of our favorites and it is the cartridge we use for testing our .458 bullets. We have our softs and solids in 550grs. also. Plus, we have some custom order only 600gr (PH's in Africa really wanted these). The Rigby sized cartridge is the only .458 cartridge that can effectively push this much mass. When one drops down to a 350gr, the Ribgy turns into a plains game rifle since it can push our bullets over 3000fps without any trouble.

We are having a 10% sale right now, so it would be a good time to try us out and see our bullets meet your expectations.

Regards,
John
North Fork Technologies

John,

I do use your bullets in several different calibers and your softpoint is my favorite.


Can you send me a PM with your 450 Rigby/Northfork load data?

Thanks
Mike

I also use NF bullets in many calibers and particluarly like those in .416.

Alas, John refuses to make them in proper big bore calibers like .620

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I wish Hornady would come out with a 550gr DGX and DGS.

I have heard this request before and I always wonder why some guys want a 550 grain .458 bullet. A 500 grain bullet is not enough? Heck, in my 450 Dakota, I drop down to 450 grain TSX to get more velocity, flatter trajectory, and less recoil.

I would like to be able to put down a charging buff with a frontal headshot.I know a 500gr swift a-frame is capable of accomplishing this because the one I tried made it to the brain and was recovered from within.I am pretty sure a 500gr Woodleigh,Hornady or TSX will not make it to the brain.I think a 550 Woodleigh RNSP might.In this same way I believe a 550gr woodleigh solid will work better on elephant than a 500gr Woodleigh solid.So,if the 550gr RNSP will make it to the brain of a charging buff,then why not use the 550 grain bullets as my only rounds,since elephant are always around?BTW,if you where ever charged by a buff and shot well enough to strike the right part of the skull,the 450TSX would not stop the charge,so why use it? IMO,all of ones bullets should be able to accomplish this.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I wish Hornady would come out with a 550gr DGX and DGS.

I have heard this request before and I always wonder why some guys want a 550 grain .458 bullet. A 500 grain bullet is not enough? Heck, in my 450 Dakota, I drop down to 450 grain TSX to get more velocity, flatter trajectory, and less recoil.

I would like to be able to put down a charging buff with a frontal headshot.I know a 500gr swift a-frame is capable of accomplishing this because the one I tried made it to the brain and was recovered from within.I am pretty sure a 500gr Woodleigh,Hornady or TSX will not make it to the brain.I think a 550 Woodleigh RNSP might.In this same way I believe a 550gr woodleigh solid will work better on elephant than a 500gr Woodleigh solid.So,if the 550gr RNSP will make it to the brain of a charging buff,then why not use the 550 grain bullets as my only rounds,since elephant are always around?BTW,if you where ever charged by a buff and shot well enough to strike the right part of the skull,the 450TSX would not stop the charge,so why use it? IMO,all of ones bullets should be able to accomplish this.

Then you had better use the CEB BBW#13 Solid and Non-con



SSR

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I wish Hornady would come out with a 550gr DGX and DGS.

I have heard this request before and I always wonder why some guys want a 550 grain .458 bullet. A 500 grain bullet is not enough? Heck, in my 450 Dakota, I drop down to 450 grain TSX to get more velocity, flatter trajectory, and less recoil.

I would like to be able to put down a charging buff with a frontal headshot.I know a 500gr swift a-frame is capable of accomplishing this because the one I tried made it to the brain and was recovered from within.I am pretty sure a 500gr Woodleigh,Hornady or TSX will not make it to the brain.I think a 550 Woodleigh RNSP might.In this same way I believe a 550gr woodleigh solid will work better on elephant than a 500gr Woodleigh solid.So,if the 550gr RNSP will make it to the brain of a charging buff,then why not use the 550 grain bullets as my only rounds,since elephant are always around?BTW,if you where ever charged by a buff and shot well enough to strike the right part of the skull,the 450TSX would not stop the charge,so why use it? IMO,all of ones bullets should be able to accomplish this.

A well placed brain shot with 450 grain TSX launched at 2400 fps will not stop a charging buffalo? Damn, you must be shooting some pretty tough buffalo!

All the buff I shoot are tough-I don't shoot weak ones.Alongside with our camp manager,I shot an old dead log by the kitchen with the lott and a 500gr TSX and to our surprise it did not make it through.It probably only made it half way and it wasn't the biggest or toughest log.I also shot the 500gr TSX upclose,broadside,on buff, on a dispatching shot and again it did't go through.IMO,a 500gr a-frame will.I don't think a 450gr TSX will stand a chance,unless it was modified in some way so that it doesn't expand or open up.

MHC,

Please post your results. My poor 450 Rigby has been sitting in a gun safe back home for nearly three years while I am working here on Guam. When I get back I am going to start developing loads for it and am interested in both the NFs and CEBs.

Thanks in advance.

Most any solid will work on buffalo, most will work on elephant..The only failures I have seen were from dead elephants.

My preference for elephant is the GS Customs flat nose solid and I like the Northfork softs and cup points for buffalo and PG..I really like the cup points for about anything, but have not used them on elephant. They are awesome on buffalo, Hippo, and every from Eland to duiker.

I still like Woodleighs and they have been killing elephants for several decades. I have never had a Woodleigh fail an most PH really like them. I have seen them used on elephant culls with great success. some PHs prefer them to monolithics as they are shorter for caliber and don't tend to go off course as the long monolithics are claimed to do on ocassion, but I wouldn't know about that, its just opinnions I have heard from some PH.s that should know..

Mostly I would go with whatever bullets shot well in my gun..Most all of todays solids seem to perform well on elephant and the softs perform great on softer stuff....Kudos to todays bullet makers..

We tend to get into these bullet arguements, mostly out of habit or to issue fourth our expertise from old issues of Sports Afield, from years past I think..Bullet selection is not much of an issue anymore regardless of how this might upset the masses!