It has come to my attention that a gun-writer friend of mine has been invited to "guest-shoot" a removable magazine-fed, semi-auto, .458 Winchester being developed by an American manufacturer.


My initial thought was "What for?"

Your thoughts?

Gunsmith neighbor Bob Snapp made one by
rebarreling Browning 338 BAR,,Worked great
for bear hunting.Ed.

quote:

My initial thought was "What for?"

Why not?

quote:

Originally posted by hubel458:
Gunsmith neighbor Bob Snapp made one by
rebarreling Browning 338 BAR,,Worked great
for bear hunting.Ed.

There is a segment of sambar deer hunters over here that favor a 458 Win with a 400gn bullet. Several of them re-barreled BARs and were quite happy with the result. Personally I’ll stick with a bolt rifle, but to each his own.

quote:

My initial thought was "What for?"

Your thoughts?

If I were a PH guiding for dangerous game, and I saw reliable, hardy semi-auto 458 winchester, my curiosity would be peaked... Fast as a double and the magazine capacity of a bolt...

John

quote:

Originally posted by Big Bore Boar Hunter:

quote:

My initial thought was "What for?"

Your thoughts?

If I were a PH guiding for dangerous game, and I saw reliable, hardy semi-auto 458 winchester, my curiosity would be peaked... Fast as a double and the magazine capacity of a bolt...

John

And a big NO NO on the game fields of Africa. Alaska, should be no problem.

Hog Killer

Hence the big "reliable and hardy" clause. Some countries in Africa don't allow semi-autos. At any rate, I am sure that will be the market segment.

John

More power to 'em.

A 458 Socom would be fun. But it would not be appropriate for most of my hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by hubel458:
Gunsmith neighbor Bob Snapp made one by
rebarreling Browning 338 BAR,,Worked great
for bear hunting.Ed.

Didn't Jack Lott do the same thing quite a while back?

On a side note here is an interesting link.
http://www.gokart.net/shop-utopia/mccann/rifles/garand/garand.html

Don't see why it would be a big no no up here in Alaska. Kind of cool if it works perfectly.

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
A 458 Socom would be fun. But it would not be appropriate for most of my hunting.

Dan, would you realy use the semi-auto equivalent to a 45-70, to hunt with?

Hog Killer

quote:

Originally posted by Hog Killer:

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
A 458 Socom would be fun. But it would not be appropriate for most of my hunting.

Dan, would you realy use the semi-auto equivalent to a 45-70, to hunt with?

Hog Killer

Sure! If there were more jackrabbits around. Or perhaps for a javelina hunt.

The reason the 458 Socom does not work for me is that most of my game shooting tends to be either long range or close in for larger stuff. So a short range cartridge offering medium to low power levels just doesn't fit well.

But if I were hunting whitetails in Alabama, I would give the 458 Socom a try.

I'd rather have the BAR in a taylor, if not any of the AR rounds...

the taylor, at 2250, would be light recoiling and the same power as a 404...

sweet...

though we'd have to paint it flatblack, so the autoloader guys might could get suckered into shooting a rifle round that actually recoils!!

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by Tex21:

quote:

My initial thought was "What for?"

Why not?

There is absolutely no reason not to build a 458 Win Mag BAR, if that is what you want! I say, if it floats your boat, all aboard!

The reason I wouldn't want one is, I don't have a need for a 458 Win Mag simi-auto!

It isn't legal in any country in Africa,not only to hunt with, but to own, and in the USA it isn't needed!

The Brown bear is the only animal, in North America, that would be a real target for the 458 Win Mag, and in the country where the brown bear lives, a simi-auto is not the best choice in an action, because of worries over iceing up, and rain washing debree into the action, giveing the relaibility a questionable status.

In my opinion, the BAR barreled, and chambered for one of the Taylor .416, 375, makes far more sense, but those are wild-cats, and the BAR left as is factory chambered for 338 Win Mag would be far more usefull in North America, (as long as you stay out of Canada, where simi-autos are a no-no as well.) Have been told the last sentence is wrong, and that simi-autos are legal in Canada! Sorry about that! Still, I see ne need for a 458 Win Mag simi-auto for anything legal to hunt in Canada!

In the 338 Win Mag, the rifle can be used for everything from muledeer, to moose, and even Brown bear! For all parctical purposes, if you are one who hunts the USA, Canada, and Africa, then a bolt action 375H&H or 458 Win Mag makes a far more versatile rifle! All, only my opinion, and not binding on anyone other than myself!

Just thinking about a BIG BORE autoloader makes me smile.

I've heard about the Browning BAR conversions.
The link and pic below is of a medium bore Garand, but it makes me wonder if a BIG BORE could be done on that platform as well...

http://www.mccannindustries.com/rifles/garand/garand.html

Mac, Semi-auto hunting rifles such as the BARs are perfectly legal for hunting in Canada. In fact, you see quite a few BARs in 30-06, 308, 7mmRM and 338WM out there.

Vasa

You beat me to it, VASA...when guiding for moose, I used to often carry a Remingotn Model 740 Carbine in .30-06 as sort of a handy, little, utility gun. Perfectly legal. Amazing all the myths I still hear/read about Canada, mainly from folks who have never lived there...

I read about a gunsmith in alaska who was building M-14's in 458 win mag and M-1 Carbines in 44 mag so I would think one would be able to build something similar off of a garand action, my only worry would be the clip system to work with the larger case diameter. The rifles were made with bear guides in mind.

I can't for the life of me even remember what magazine the article was in, this was about 10 years ago.

Back in 60s I made Garand into a box mag
setup, with gas cylinder set back. If I'd of kept it it would of been a 458 with single
stack built into mag box..Used a BAR mag box.Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Vasa:
Mac, Semi-auto hunting rifles such as the BARs are perfectly legal for hunting in Canada. In fact, you see quite a few BARs in 30-06, 308, 7mmRM and 338WM out there.

Vasa

quote:

Alberta Canuck Posted 18 January 2006 11:00
You beat me to it, VASA...when guiding for moose, I used to often carry a Remingotn Model 740 Carbine in .30-06 as sort of a handy, little, utility gun. Perfectly legal. Amazing all the myths I still hear/read about Canada, mainly from folks who have never lived there...

Learn something new every day!
I've hunted a lot in Canada, but never had occasion to try to import a simi-auto into Canada, just always assumed it was illegal, and had no occasion to ask, one way or another! The only thing I've seen locals carry are bolt, and lever rifles. Sorry bout that!

I have no problem with anyone who wants one built or wants one to hunt with.

Of course Africa is out as it is a semi auto.

But think of the fun a redneck in Texas could have with that rig on a sounder of ferral hogs.


Heck I might just have to get on of them!