Final advice for learning to shoot it well.

After you have taken it to the range several times, purchase some snap caps in .458w/m (I don't know if they make Lott caps yet)
Go to the range with a friend who is eager to see you embarrassed. With you not looking have him load the rifle. Either with a live round or the snap cap.
Then take the rifle and shoot offhand and standing at a 50 yard softball sized target.

What you will see will be a valuable lesson.
This is a suprisingly tense exercise so do not over do it. Repeat this several times a month until you are without flinch when the snap cap comes up.
At this point you will be putting every round into the target and you can start moving it further out. You will get to the point, in only a month or so, where you can put at least three out of five into the softball at 100 yards, standing unsupported with iron sights.

When this gets too easy swing some bowling pins at 50 yards from a 7 foot string.
Have fun.

I have a brand new 458 Lott with the extra fancy wood, that is still in the box and unfired. After reading all of your posts I will certainly have this beast glass bedded before I try it out! I am considering having this gun gone thru to smooth the action, hone the feed ramps, smooth the safety, dehorn all of the sharp corners and maybe restocked with a great piece of Turkish I have had for years. I know that the rifle is not worth all of the trouble and money, but I like them done correctly.

Geez, .44, finding someone looking forward to seeing me embarass myself shouldn't be much of a problem. It's choosing someone from a long list and not leaving anyone out that will be the problem!

Okay, I've shot an 8-lb .416 rather extensively, and I've shot a good friend's 450-3 1/4 NE, how much worse can the Lott be? Guess I'll have to give you a full report next week! Actually looking forward to this (I've always been a masochist).

Whitworth

jjs -- looking forward to trying it out. I will get it bedded. I've got a box of Hornady 500 grain FMJs to break it in with. Don't know how hot they are. Hornady claims 2300 fps. With a 25-inch barrel, that just might be possible.

Whitworth

I don't want to spook you before you even shoot the Lott but there is a lot of difference between it and the 416's. I personally think there is a threshold between 5100 and 5800 ft-lbs that make the Lott a real crusher.



I will be awaiting the report!

I couldn't tell you if a Lott is a lot worse than the 416, but I have heard that it is. (I have never shot a 416)
All I know is that my 500gr loads are impressive, my 550 loads leave me sore and the 600 loads sometimes take my breath away.

Will -- I'm not spooked, but I most certainly will deploy my sissy-pad when I take it to the range -- why sustain more damage than necessary?

PC -- the standing bench is probably the best idea when sighting one of these monsters in...

I will keep you posted and thanks for the responses.

Whitworth

My lott was originally a cz .458 win mag. Also use a standing bench rather than seated. I use a sand bag over the bonnet of my landcruiser for sighting in my big bores.

I also do not see that much difference between my .416 loaded with 102 gr of powder and 410 gr woodleigh's at 2500 fps versus my lott with 80 gr odf slightly faster powder and 500 gr woodleigh's at 2300 fps recoil wise