My cases and dies arrived from Grafs today and I am off to see my Smith this Saturday (If he can fit me in).

Now a while back there was some talk here of 2.80" Lotts and 2.85" Lotts. I have Hornady brass, my calipers are in the shed and it's raining here so I have not measured them. Can I get a 2.85" chamber using Hornady Brass ??

What is best and why ??

Just to add I meausured the Hornady Brass (2 pieces) and it came out at 2.78" & 2.79" will this stop me from getting a 2.85" chamber ??

Some one on another Lott Loads thread mentioned a long throat for less pressure should I request that ??

Thanks Folks.

Regards PC.

[ 08-14-2003, 01:40: Message edited by: PC ]

Hey PC ,who or where is Grafs. I will have to start looking for cases and dies as well soon. I was about to ask about different length reamers as well before you posted.

CR500,

Grafs is an internet reloading sight in Mexico.

www.grafs.com (I think thats correct)

They are excellent to deal with and as long as your order is not over $100US you will not need the paper work.

I paid $221.00AUS for a set of Hornady .458 Lott dies and 150 correctly headstamped .458 Lott cases.

Iw ant a 2.85" chamber if thats what people reccomend.

pc,

If you get the 450 watts chamber (2.850), then you won't have to trim your cases! If the rifle is based on a cz550, then you can probably take advantage of the extra length for a wee bit more powder capacity. If your rifle is based on a mauser 98, then you may not be able to use the extra length because of magazine box size.

Either way, only a lot of chronographing will detect the difference.

500,

I think that my Hornady .458 Lott Brass looks to be 2.80" I will measure this morning however. Would that be an issue ??

Rifle will be on z cz 550 .458 winnie

[ 08-14-2003, 00:32: Message edited by: PC ]

PC,I have a new Ruger77M in 458Lott the first production run..Shoots well and I am having it pillar bedded and a Pacymayr 990 decelerator pad installed...The Barnes book shows the Lott to be no more then 2.800 and trim them to 2.790 so they will fireform to the chamber...

I just loaded 50 rounds to those specifications.

Mike

I have no experience with the Lott (yet) but would I be right in saying that the 2.850" reamer would be better , so that if you get some cases which are a little longer,or you have to borrow some rounds during a hunt ,then they will fit. Is this right or??? I was also thinking of asking for a chamber with less freebore as velocity will be high enough for anything I need, and less bullet jump will be better for when I use lighter 300-350 gn bullets for non dangerous game hunting?

It would be good if some of the forum gun smiths would chime in on this.

I mean what are the advatges and disadvantages of going for either the 2.80" or 2.85" reamer ??

My chamber was originally 2.8"

I used it that way for a year or two and then the gunsmith who made my gun( John Ricks) called and said I need to redo the chamber to 2.85 so that the longer versions of the Lott case will also fit easily. Seems the folks at PMC in South Africa make their brass 2.85". This information about PMC ammo came out only well after my gun was in use, it was not the original design. He felt this improvement was important in the event I fall short on Ammo and find only PMC brand while working in RSA. The 2.85 length would not have fit properly or at all.

I gave him back the rifle and it's made to the 2.85 length now. I see ZERO difference in the way my rifle shoots going from 2.80 to 2.85 with the same ammo.

I say go to the 2.85 size. With it you can handle anything you find. With the 2.80 its not gonna use the 2.85 brass. With no difference in performance or any detrimental function why not just go to the longer chamber from the start?

[ 08-14-2003, 20:56: Message edited by: JJHACK ]

I always used the 2.80 chamber, but today if I was to build a Lott I would go with the new African 458, the 458-3" and get that extra bit of velocity or less pressure...It appears to me to be the ultimate 458 and no need to cut off brass...buy cylindrical brass from Huntington and load er up it appears.

Ray,

that would be good mate but I already have $221.00 invested in cases and dies and my smith already has a Lott reamer.

If only you had mentioned this a few weeks ago

PC and others,
Just a thought but are the dies an issue? If you go with the 2.850 length will there be an incompatabilility problem with the Hornady dies??

PC great news on the dies and brass! Checked the Australian Customs website yesterday and reloading components are a restricted item, be careful and beg forgiveness not permission!!
Cheers...
Con

[ 08-15-2003, 02:34: Message edited by: Con ]

Yes we must keep track of all those .458 Lott cases and brass

so by rights I should not have been allowed to get thme in

If any Aussies here need any hard to get dtuff I suggest they get onto grafs and get it while the goings good. I will certainly be ordering a few more .458 Lott cases in the next few weeks.