458 Lott brass

[Jim Golden]

Reviving a slightly old one.....

So Hornady Belted Magnum Basic brass is easily available and about 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of .458 Lott brass. They are nearly identical. One pass through the full length resizing die and you've got Lott brass.

HOWEVER....for some reason, Jauques Lott shortened the case 0.005" from the .375 H&H. Lott brass is 2.80" long and the H&H is 2.85" long.

IF I resize the Belted Magnum Basic brass, it will be 5/1000" longer than the Lott. That might be an extra couple grains of powder.

So, should I, on my full custom rifle, chamber it so that the slightly longer case will chamber? I'm thinking "Yes."

But, when you/me/I do go to Africa, they'll want to see perfectly head stamped cartridges. Which aren't that expensive...I just bought a box of new Hornday brass and it was $80 for 50 cases.

I'm thinking chamber the rifle for the .005" longer case and throat the barrel for a 550gr's length and then add 1/2" of freebore to keep the pressures down. This all in a Winchester made Enfield Model 1917 action.

This is going to be a fun rifle

 

[Luvthunt]

I have a 458 Lott that was put together by Jack Lott and he may have claimed that he shortened the case and perhaps he did but the chamber and free bore in this rifle is about what you have stated to do. I believe the 458 Ackley was the full 2.85”
Stay in the 2250 range with a 500 gr bullet and anneal each time and 10+ times reloaded. Is not out of the possibility’s.

 

[Jim Golden]

I have a 458 Lott that was put together by Jack Lott and he may have claimed that he shortened the case and perhaps he did but the chamber and free bore in this rifle is about what you have stated to do. I believe the 458 Ackley was the full 2.85”
Stay in the 2250 range with a 500 gr bullet and anneal each time and 10+ times reloaded. Is not out of the possibility’s.

I mispoke above...it's 50/1000 longer, not 5/1000. 2.85" vs. 2.80". The .450 Watts was almost identical to the Lott but was 2.85". Since this posting, I tried to find some 550 Woodleigh's but couldn't...but a gent was kind enough to post the dimensions on here from his reloading manual for me. So, I seated a Hornady 500 out about 0.14" longer than normal to mimic a 550 in a resized Hornady Belted Basic Magnum case that is the full 2.85" and took it to my 'smith. So that's how we are chambering the barrel. I'm anxious to get this rifle built. It's going to be fun!