Hi Guys,

I thought That I would like to share the following with you:

As an owner of a Remington Model 700 Safari in 458 WM, I traditionally used the 450 - 500grn weight projectiles for backing-up clients and for hunting. Needless to say the trips to the dentist and chiropractor always followed after a session on the range

Two years ago, I was introduced to Cutting Edge's range of projectiles and as usual started experimenting with these. ( once again I don't like to conventional and like to try everything on the market).

To cut a looong story short, I started playing around with the 250grn Lever Raptor. With no load data available (in South Africa) and limited propellant's, I eventually landed up with a descent load using a handgun powder. Due to the shortness of the bullet and a SG factor of about 8.5 I included the use of the Talon Tip supplied with the 300grn ESP Raptors. This reduced the SG factor to a more acceptable 5.8.

C.O.L settled on 82.89mm(3.263") Fill Ratio of 90%(no more compressed loads!!!) 80grns of Somchem S265.

So off to the range. Mouth guard in place, protective pads on the shoulder we started burning some powder. What a surprise we got. Recoil was very acceptable, (as a matter of fact I could remove the mouth guard) and the Chrony spit out velocity figures of 2890 - 2898 - 2888 and 2901 on the first 4 shots. Grouping at 75 meters - well they where cutting each other. With a respectable 4190ft/pounds energy.

With the above figures we calculated that we would have enough velocity left(1700ft/s)for the Raptor to shed it's blades at 208 meters.

I have unfortunately not been able to test the theory over these distances on game, but have successfully used this load on distances of up to 120m on smaller game species like impala and warthog.

I hope to give some feedback shortly on ranges up to the 200m mark.

I have to say that the .243Win is currently a bit under utilized as the the old 458 is now used for almost anything.

Welcome to Accurate Reloading! Lots of great information here.

I have loaded CEB 230 grain in my 375 H&H. I get right at 3000 FPS. I haven't killed anything with it yet, hope to soon.

Good luck with your work with the 458 Win Mag. Sounds like an interesting combination.

I'm always interested in peoples experiments.

Have to say something though. If you are being sent to the dentist and chiropractor after every range session with a .458 Win you are doing something seriously wrong. I'm currently shooting 50 a day in preparation for a hunting/culling trip and no-one ever got me mixed up with Superman. Not even my mother, wife or kids. Not even myself when I was still drinking.

A friend of mine ends up spitting blood when-ever he shoots a shotgun or rifle with iron sights. He's left eye dominant and cranks his whole face over the stock to shoot with the wrong eye. Could this be a possibility?

I get right at 2750 FPS with 270 gr pills with my .375H&H. I shoot bullets in the .400 BC range. Does that sound familiar from a ballistic stand point?

Think .30-06 with 180 gr bullets. My furthest big game shot with that .375 load combination was 443 yards on a big bodied 5x5 elk. It killed him real dead.

I've got a new .375H&H with a 25" barrel and I am sending 250 gr TTSX bullets , S.D. of 404 out the muzzle at 2880 on average. That is getting real close to original .300 H&H numbers. I am going to put a good long range scope on it and play with it to 1,000 yards. But it's more of matter of knowing where to hold at range than bullet performance because these bullet from these calibers are pretty much going to do their job on any and all North American game at any range you can hit them at.

CEBJunky.......

Warm and hardy welcome to AR.............

Once again, we really enjoyed our visit with you when we were in Pretoria and very much look forward to more visits in the future.........

I will defer long range to those better suited for it than I am... Long Range to me is 50 yards...


Can't see any further than that anyway!! HEH.................

Regardless of range, I have seen and I have taken enough animals from 338-.500 caliber to have come to the realization some years ago that Caliber makes a big difference, and combine that with one of these Raptors, then you really have a new game..... While the Raptors do indeed enhance the ability to inflict trauma in any and all calibers, even .224 caliber, there is nothing like hitting them with big bores. No more chasing critters.......

I have said it since the invent of the .416 caliber 225 Raptor..... Whether I am shooting pigs or impala right on up, there is just no reason I can ever fathom going to the field with anything less than 416 caliber, with that bullet. This also gives one the option of larger heavier animals, with larger heavier bullets if desired, or in some cases required......... I have this tiny little 18 inch 416 B&M, Ultimate stock, weighs in at 6.5 lbs no scope, add a # for scope. Running the 225 at 2900 fps, there is no thin skinned animal on the planet that will carry that bullet anywhere......... With the added ability to go up with bullet weight for the heavies.

Why go with less..........?????

458 exactly the same scenario.... with the two 250 gr Lever Raptor and Socom bullets......

Long Range? Well I have a good friend, recently borrowed my 458 Super Short and some 250 Socoms tipped loaded to only 2600 fps. He was shooting 400 yards and hitting 8 inch steel plates, 100% of the time with only 2 feet holdover according to him..... Is that far enough?

LOL...............

Hi Stan...... Long time no hear................ Hope all is well! How goes the elephants?....

Michael

Hi Michael.

All is well and hope the same with you. I am working on part one of my hunting report "A hundred days for a hundred-pounder". Elephant with Hunting with Felix Marnewecke of Camelthorn Safari, Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Namibia 2014, which I went in last April. It is almost completed. I will be leaving again for a second safari tomorrow night for part two.

Guess what rifle I am using for all these trips? Your .500 MDM of course.

Thanks Michael for a great calibre.

Stan


Hope all members would enjoy my report.

Stan..........

That is incredible, I very much would like to see, or have a copy of your reports.........

quote:

Guess what rifle I am using for all these trips? Your .500 MDM of course.

Thanks Michael for a great calibre.

No thanks needed, or required........ I am very honored that you have chosen the 500 MDM for
your great adventures.........

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
...

quote:

Guess what rifle I am using for all these trips? Your .500 MDM of course.

Thanks Michael for a great calibre.

No thanks needed, or required........ I am very honored that you have chosen the 500 MDM for
your great adventures.........

Michael

Yeah, I hear good things about that calibre

Hi Michael458......

Thanks once again for your visit and very kind report on us.

Thanks to all the other members for your warm welcome. I hope that I can also contribute with some useful info.

Dogleg....

Fortunately it is not as bad as it sounds. Chasing the 500grn's down range while sitting at a bench does get a bit uncomfortable.
Have a fab day.

Well my 416 Taylor is accurate enough If it would be so with a lighter for higher velocity more stream lined bullet.

I think it would be very capable of longer shots.

quote:

Originally posted by CEBJunKy:


Dogleg....

Fortunately it is not as bad as it sounds. Chasing the 500grn's down range while sitting at a bench does get a bit uncomfortable.
Have a fab day.

The bench shooting can get a little pushy with a big bore but isn't insurmountable. Luckily they do tend toward being easy to develope loads for. The CEBs have been very good in this regard.

As chance would have it I've also got a CEB project on the go. Mine is shooting .458 420 Raptors against 450
A-Frames, Partitions, and lighter than traditional TSXs on a water buffalo cull. Whatever happens, happens. I got high hopes for the CEBs, but I already know what I can expect from the A-Frames. Time will tell, it won't be much longer.

Shooting 570g TSX bullets out of my 500 Jeffery at 2300 fps. I sight in dead on at 25 yards, 2 1/2" high at 100 and it's dead on again at 175 yards. Point blank range (less than 3" high or low) is about 200 yards. It still has 4300 ft/lbs of energy at 200 yards. Plenty for the cow elk I got with it at 225 yards two years ago ...

Sounds like my .458's trajectory with 450s. The big bores don't get enough credit with their normal loads.