Bolt Action 458 Lott

The problem with the Win mag is that there is a long history of under performing factory ammo. While it is good when hand loaded with certain powders not all countries, especially in Africa, have easy access to these powders. The .458 win will do the job but it is hard to see a downside for the Lott or Ackley versions since they simply add more versatility in ammo and reloading options.

I had a new FN made Winchester 70 in 375 which was too heavy for a 375 in my opinion so I sold it. However I think the same gun in .458 would be great to convert to a Lott. Very smooth feeding. In fact I was going to do just that until I stumbled onto a .450 Rigby and ended up with that instead.
 
I realize the WM is quite similar ballistically to the Lott but you can get more out of the Lott if you want it IMO. I'm a guy that gets a gun and caliber because that's what I want, not because there may be a ballistic twin or superior out there. Eventually I'll buy or build that one also, lol
 
Hi, Just a few comments:

bunny, the original 458 Win Mag loads too often got people killed, due to very low/extremely low velocities caused by clumped powder in the case under the hot African sun. Dr Don Heath is quoted by Walt Bodie (African Perspective: African Hunter Volume 14, Number 6) where he refers to various people having been killed while using the 458 Win Mag, by mainly elephant, including Alister Travers 1989. Dr Heath checked the velocity of 458 Winchester ammo manufactured by Winchester, and recorded velocities for the 500gr bullets as low as 680ft/s. Of the box of 20 thirteen did exceed 2100ft/s. In the same article tests with several brands of factory ammo, in rifles with 22 - 24" barrels, factory ammo loaded with the standard 500gr bullet only produced around 2000 - 2040ft/s, even though it was advertised as ammo doing 2260ft/s.

Kaleh01, Prophet Rivers has a very good looking 458 Win mag Ruger rifle on consignment for a very low price of $1650. As indicated by c-fbmi above, these cannot be opened up to shoot
458 Lott, as the action is only made to accept cases as long as the 30-06 and 300 Win Mag cartridge. However, the 458 Lott RSM (Ruger Safari Magnum) even accepts the longer 416 Rigby. Armco has a 416 Rigby RSM for sale, but it is more expensive than a new CZ550. Their 458 Lott which was priced at over $3000, is sold. I have owned and still own two of these RSM and think they are the best affordable quality dangerous Game rifles on the market, if you can find one. They do not hold as much ammo as the 602, but are very smooth and reliable, and the safety works in the normal way.

Good luck with the search for your dream DGR !
 
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It is, lol. I might be talking myself into one as well though, haha.
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I've been known to do that on occasion. Are you talking yourself into it for buffalo or elephant?
 
I have a 416 ruger that I absolutely love and will take for my first buffalo next year, so the 458 would be mainly for coyotes or if I one day go for an elephant :)
 
Dogleg said:
Out of curiousity, what bullets have you decided on for your .416?
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Running 400 gr tsx in hornady brass with 68 gr of TAC and a fed. magnum primer, it's ridiculously accurate for my first DGR. The hornady SP's in factory ammo don't feed reliably in my gun or two others I know when I shot a box for the brass. Nice work there hornady...
 
kaleh01 said:
Running 400 gr tsx in hornady brass with 68 gr of TAC and a fed. magnum primer, it's ridiculously accurate for my first DGR. The hornady SP's in factory ammo don't feed reliably in my gun or two others I know when I shot a box for the brass. Nice work there hornady...
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If the Hornadys that don't feed are the DGXs, consider that a stroke of good luck. They are pure junk as a buffalo bullet. Your TSXs are very good.
 
The DGS I would never consider, shot them at targets and into sand and other mediums and was never impressed with them. The tsx to me, a newb to the big 5 world, is the best choice for an expanding bullet.
 
I wouldn't go straight to best, but they are very good.(Deciding on "best" could start a war) I had some dodgy performance with the same bullet in a .416 Rigby but that was likely due to the slower rifling twist of the Rigby. Your Ruger wouldn't be affected by that. I like A-frames myself, but am going to play with a few others on a buffalo cull next summer. Golden opportunity to learn something.

There's a lot of very good softs, and many that don't make the grade. I don't use any solids on buffalo anymore.
 
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