deer loads in 458wm

brybenn

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I have some 300 gr Hornady hollow points I'd like to load in 458wm for deer. Problem is I only have load data for 2500+ fps. Does anyone have published data to fill the case and get 1800-2000 fps?
 
There is no difference between deer loads and cape buffalo loads. Don't trust the dirty little white-asses bastards. 500 grains at 2150 is the only way to go.

But if you insist, try anywhere from 68-71 grains of IMR3031. 68 came from my Hornady book and 71 came from Speer. Both 350gr bullets.
 
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Not sure if you are going to find a powder that will fill the 458 case and only give you 1800 to 2000 fps, however I have used 300 and 350 gr bullets in a couple 458's with 60 grs of IMR 3031 with a small tuft of polyester fibre. on top of the powder to fill the case. You can find the polyester fibre in pet shops for use in aquarium filters or in a sewing store where the polyester is sold to stuff pillows etc. Found this info in an old Gun Digest. Not sure if the polyester is blown out or consumed or some of both but there is NO residue left in the barrel. Ignition is consistant. Even worked on a whitetail. Hope that helps.
 
Not sure if you are going to find a powder that will fill the 458 case and only give you 1800 to 2000 fps, however I have used 300 and 350 gr bullets in a couple 458's with 60 grs of IMR 3031 with a small tuft of polyester fibre. on top of the powder to fill the case. You can find the polyester fibre in pet shops for use in aquarium filters or in a sewing store where the polyester is sold to stuff pillows etc. Found this info in an old Gun Digest. Not sure if the polyester is blown out or consumed or some of both but there is NO residue left in the barrel. Ignition is consistant. Even worked on a whitetail. Hope that helps.


Shouldn't be hard. Trailboss or other pistol powder will work. Heck guys are shooting 308's at 900fps. Just have to think outside the box. I had 223's at 1200fps and 30-06 at 1300fps.
 
Use 450 Marlin Max Loads with 4198. They will give you about 2000 fps and there's no need for a filler.

4198 can work in the 458 WM over a broad range - from "Powder Puff" to "Full House".

I always assume that the person asking does not have a Chronograph and that's too bad, because you really need to experiment with your own gun. All we can do is estimate.
 
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I do have a chronograph. My current load is 72 gr H4895 under a 400 gr woodliegh for 2450 fps and 70 gr h4895 under a 500 gr soft woodliegh for a shade more than 2200 fps. I'm sure I could kill a deer with these loads no doubt but i've been invited to hunt whitetails in a centerfire zone and I'd like to use my 458. I have a few boxes of these hollow points but I think theyed come apart at above 2500 fps? My manuals only show a few powders for the 300 gr weight. I'm sure some older manual may list more. I've thought about the creme of wheat approach but don't know where to start
 
I have some 300 gr Hornady hollow points I'd like to load in 458wm for deer. Problem is I only have load data for 2500+ fps. Does anyone have published data to fill the case and get 1800-2000 fps?
I used 350gr Hornady FLPT bullets on a buck at about 20yds. Small hole in fist sized hole out and turned the innards into jello. He still got up and ran for about 80yds! I agree with BigUglyman that the bigger bullet at a slower velocity is better. Haven't tried a reduced load for the 350gr so I can't comment.
 
I do have a chronograph. My current load is 72 gr H4895 under a 400 gr woodliegh for 2450 fps and 70 gr h4895 under a 500 gr soft woodliegh for a shade more than 2200 fps. I'm sure I could kill a deer with these loads no doubt but i've been invited to hunt whitetails in a centerfire zone and I'd like to use my 458. I have a few boxes of these hollow points but I think theyed come apart at above 2500 fps? My manuals only show a few powders for the 300 gr weight. I'm sure some older manual may list more. I've thought about the creme of wheat approach but don't know where to start

I'd say you're set then!

With that 300 gr bullet I'd start at 50.0 grs with IMR4198 or H4198. If you don't have 4198, with H4895 you could start at the same 50.0 grs. H4895 is suitable for reduced loads, but my personal experience has been that the faster 4198's were more consistent.
 
Thanks. My original goal was to build a 458 socom or 458x2" as a lighter alternative. I won't have it in time by this fall that's for sure. I'll see what kind of groups I can get with these lil hollow points. I have some time to play
 
I have a few boxes of these hollow points but I think theyed come apart at above 2500 fps? My manuals only show a few powders for the 300 gr weight

I shoot 300 gr hollowpoints from my 458 at 2500...2700 fps. I shoot into a box of wet newspaper. Sometimes the jacket will seperate from the core, sometimes not. I am getting about a foot of penetration. I happened to find a box of 300 gr partitions at a gun show and bought them. With them I get about a foot and a half penetration in wet newspaper. I wouldn't hesitate to take either bullet after deer or moose.
 
Good to know. I just assumed by the size of the cavity and amount of exposed lead they'd come apart when pushed that fast.

They might. Some of mine did but most didn't. Give the box of wet newsprint a try. You will know more afterward.

I just picked up a copy of Handloader and there is an article about reduced loads with Trail Boss. You fill a case with powder up to the line where the base of the bullet would be, weigh it and start with a load that is 70% of the base line load. See if you can pick up the magazine and get it straight from him instead of second hand from me.
 
While I don't have an abundance of experience shooting deer with the .458 Win Mag, I do have a considerable amount of experience with deer & different .458 bullets from it's little brother, the 45-70 (basically a .458 Socom. with a lot smaller rim).

The only experience I have with the .458 Mag and a deer was a mature mule doe that a buddy of mine shot using my Win Mag. He "wanted to see what it would do on an end to end shot" so borrowed my rifle. He did get a shot he required for his test...the shot was at about 125 yrds with a 400 gr Speer JFP at 2000 fps. The slug entered the throat and traveled the full length of the body cavity, ripping both lungs and one lobe of the liver, gut shot the critter from diaphragm to hip bone, glanced off the hip bone and excited the animal. The "good"-- animal died on the spot--the bad- messiest gut job I ever had the misfortune to have to "help out" on.

Now for the other side of the coin...the slow and pleasant to shoot side... I have shot several deer with .458 slugs from the 350 gr HP jac. to 350 gr hard cast up to 450 gr hard cast, the closest shot was 40-50 yrds- the longest was 245 paces, all with the slugs under 1400 fps.(some as slow as 1100). Every deer was a side to side "through the ribs" shot. The end results on every one of these deer was they were dead in 3 or 4 jumps. The other commonality with every deer I have shot with the 45-70 is that I have yet to recover a slug from a body, even the 245 yrd shot was a thru & thru.

The main thing I have learned is that, no matter the weight, big slow slugs kill just as efficiently as big fast slugs... the other thing is absolutely all shots will be side to side...no more "gut shot" cleaning for me.
 
They might. Some of mine did but most didn't. Give the box of wet newsprint a try. You will know more afterward.

I just picked up a copy of Handloader and there is an article about reduced loads with Trail Boss. You fill a case with powder up to the line where the base of the bullet would be, weigh it and start with a load that is 70% of the base line load. See if you can pick up the magazine and get it straight from him instead of second hand from me.

I ran out last night and grabbed the hand loader magazine. They haven't updated yet it's an older copy from April. I'll keep an eye out for the new one
 
While I don't have an abundance of experience shooting deer with the .458 Win Mag, I do have a considerable amount of experience with deer & different .458 bullets from it's little brother, the 45-70 (basically a .458 Socom. with a lot smaller rim).

The only experience I have with the .458 Mag and a deer was a mature mule doe that a buddy of mine shot using my Win Mag. He "wanted to see what it would do on an end to end shot" so borrowed my rifle. He did get a shot he required for his test...the shot was at about 125 yrds with a 400 gr Speer JFP at 2000 fps. The slug entered the throat and traveled the full length of the body cavity, ripping both lungs and one lobe of the liver, gut shot the critter from diaphragm to hip bone, glanced off the hip bone and excited the animal. The "good"-- animal died on the spot--the bad- messiest gut job I ever had the misfortune to have to "help out" on.

Now for the other side of the coin...the slow and pleasant to shoot side... I have shot several deer with .458 slugs from the 350 gr HP jac. to 350 gr hard cast up to 450 gr hard cast, the closest shot was 40-50 yrds- the longest was 245 paces, all with the slugs under 1400 fps.(some as slow as 1100). Every deer was a side to side "through the ribs" shot. The end results on every one of these deer was they were dead in 3 or 4 jumps. The other commonality with every deer I have shot with the 45-70 is that I have yet to recover a slug from a body, even the 245 yrd shot was a thru & thru.

The main thing I have learned is that, no matter the weight, big slow slugs kill just as efficiently as big fast slugs... the other thing is absolutely all shots will be side to side...no more "gut shot" cleaning for me.

I did that with a big buck last season in black powder. He was walking right toward me but headed down the ravine. Normally I always let them get as close as I can but I thought I'd shoot him while he was on the high ground. I shot him center in the chest. Got the heart but had a similar pass thru. The 50 Cal slug stopped about 1/4" shy of the hide in the back leg. Buck ran 90 yards down the ravine anyway.

A Lot of buffalo fell to the 45/70. I have no problem using old classic guns throwing big chunks of lead
 
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