.458 win Mag hunting/guiding stories

[PeteG]

Heard somewhere that for every friend you take hunting, it staves off a year of aging.

Hmm... I wonder what I can do about that...

 

[K-man]

Heard somewhere that for every friend you take hunting, it staves off a year of aging.

Well we need to take each other hunting a couple of times each year, we might make a hundred years young.....

 

[PeteG]

That’s the copper solid after it’s been through a bag of sand and gravel then rebounded off a piece of conveyor belt.
Widest point at the front is 0.6” and the narrowest point is 0.525”
Haven’t weighed it yet.

 

[BenKK]

PeteG, what kind of projectile is that? Is the narrowest part of the expansion 0.525”?

 

[PeteG]

PeteG, what kind of projectile is that? Is the narrowest part of the expansion 0.525”?

It’s a South African make.
Peregrine. This is the vrg 2 copper solid.

I use the vrg1 brass solid and vrg3 copper expanding in my 416rigby as well as the 87gr vrg4 in 243win.
No complaints at all with them.

 

[JPbowhunter]

It’s a South African make.
Peregrine. This is the vrg 2 copper solid.

I use the vrg1 brass solid and vrg3 copper expanding in my 416rigby as well as the 87gr vrg4 in 243win.
No complaints at all with them.

Heard nothing but good things about them
Don't believe they're available in Australia

 

[CoElkHunter]

Nothing wrong with that approach! I bought dies and some factory ammo to test, and so far my actual .458WM is just a Mauser action and some Wiebe bottom metal!

Still don't have the rifle yet, but I bought some 350gr Speer Hot Cor SP and am about to buy some Speer 400gr Flat Soft Points. I haven't found a good price on 500gr yet. Anyways, I thought I would work up some practice loads and try stuff out WHEN I get the rifle. Any suggestions on powder? I see Reloader 7 works well? I've got a lot of W748, that I reloaded .308 and .22-250 with and the reloading tables say it will work with 500 gr bullets, but I don't know about the lesser weight bullets? Thanks!

 

[CBH Australia]

Back to the OP, hunting stories?
Ive had my .458WM for around 7 years, my African obsession about forty years, and hunting more in the last 10 more than I had done previously, well its all pending money, time and access.
I was at a mates property and another shooter offered me a shot from his .375H&H. I was eager to accept. I fired the one shot and was offered another but thought it would be right to decline due to cost. Any way we spoke some about big bores and he had an affiliation with a gun-shop at that time.
I got back in touch with him and he suggested I buy a Pondoro Taylor book on African rifles and cartridges. I did but I'm not a big reader more likely to read, research on the net.
What's in the net? gun shops and usedguns.com and specials.
So I found a new .458 win mag CZ550 on clearance, never to b repeated! So I put it on Lay by. I finally had an Elephant gun! really buff and big cats hold more attraction than elephant
Well I set about buying up cases and projectiles, scope, expensive mounts etc it uses AR2206H like many other rifle cartridges so I hade that. I loaded some 300gn projectiles not knowing what to think. I took it out and had some fun with it. my wife reckons I was smiling , my mate on the property was cackling, he loved to see others have a good time, he was happy to sit by and have a beer. Sadly that was his demise.
I then read all the pros and cons of the .458wm and why the Lott came along and how modern powders have overcome the shortcomings that were recorded or percieved. Well it wasn't getting used much and I started reading something on Africa, big game who knows. I started thinking about technique, hunting styles and what I was seeing on you tube. why do the African hunters carry Guns on their shoulder etc. Like I was on one hand trying to lighten my .308 for regular walks and hunts but then thinking what If I hunt Africa?
So I started carrying my Big Bore! I carried it on my shoulder and its not so bad, I held it by the barrel as seen on TV, I carried it maybe 5km at a time.
So one of my first hunts was a little different I was following the creek up stream on a place I have access and walk on regularly from my work place. I got a little way up and heard someone singing and having a good old time. they sounded like they were by them selves but it seemed a little odd as the hunters I know of would be on the side I was on. I would possibly have heard from the neighbour if he had someone on too as my work residence is very near our boundary. well it may be one of the weirdest things I've heard in the bush, I actually felt a little uneasy as with the idea of one person partying up out there had me wonder who , what and why?
I felt unsure thinking they were likely drunk or on something else so I turned back. Expecting they were on the other side I doubt I would have encountered them but it all seemed strange.
I persisted, I continued to carry my elephant gun into the bush where I did finally get a chance to despatch a small/medium pig at 50m, off hand. I hit a little high but it took its toll. The pig was down and expired quickly. I was impressed at the size of the exit wound, not surprising really given what it will penetrate. So that's my only successful hunt with the .458wm. I used the opportunity to get pics on my phone and send to my son who had bought me a Croc leather cartridge holder.
I did consider having it chambered to Lott, having rails opened up buy gunsmith and all sorts of things. but what I did is I bought a .375H&H online and started this journey over. I collect it next week.
And I will hunt Africa, soon, 7 months and counting. Due to budget I'm doing a PG cull hunt and hiring a rifle, I will still have my safari rifle should I need it but if anyone wants to buy a .458wm in Australia, Genuinely under 100 rounds.
I believe it is still considered a great stopping calibre but I'm the hunter not the back up. I like DRT and hope I can do my part well.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Back to the OP, hunting stories?
Ive had my .458WM for around 7 years, my African obsession about forty years, and hunting more in the last 10 more than I had done previously, well its all pending money, time and access.
I was at a mates property and another shooter offered me a shot from his .375H&H. I was eager to accept. I fired the one shot and was offered another but thought it would be right to decline due to cost. Any way we spoke some about big bores and he had an affiliation with a gun-shop at that time.
I got back in touch with him and he suggested I buy a Pondoro Taylor book on African rifles and cartridges. I did but I'm not a big reader more likely to read, research on the net.
What's in the net? gun shops and usedguns.com and specials.
So I found a new .458 win mag CZ550 on clearance, never to b repeated! So I put it on Lay by. I finally had an Elephant gun! really buff and big cats hold more attraction than elephant
Well I set about buying up cases and projectiles, scope, expensive mounts etc it uses AR2206H like many other rifle cartridges so I hade that. I loaded some 300gn projectiles not knowing what to think. I took it out and had some fun with it. my wife reckons I was smiling , my mate on the property was cackling, he loved to see others have a good time, he was happy to sit by and have a beer. Sadly that was his demise.
I then read all the pros and cons of the .458wm and why the Lott came along and how modern powders have overcome the shortcomings that were recorded or percieved. Well it wasn't getting used much and I started reading something on Africa, big game who knows. I started thinking about technique, hunting styles and what I was seeing on you tube. why do the African hunters carry Guns on their shoulder etc. Like I was on one hand trying to lighten my .308 for regular walks and hunts but then thinking what If I hunt Africa?
So I started carrying my Big Bore! I carried it on my shoulder and its not so bad, I held it by the barrel as seen on TV, I carried it maybe 5km at a time.
So one of my first hunts was a little different I was following the creek up stream on a place I have access and walk on regularly from my work place. I got a little way up and heard someone singing and having a good old time. they sounded like they were by them selves but it seemed a little odd as the hunters I know of would be on the side I was on. I would possibly have heard from the neighbour if he had someone on too as my work residence is very near our boundary. well it may be one of the weirdest things I've heard in the bush, I actually felt a little uneasy as with the idea of one person partying up out there had me wonder who , what and why?
I felt unsure thinking they were likely drunk or on something else so I turned back. Expecting they were on the other side I doubt I would have encountered them but it all seemed strange.
I persisted, I continued to carry my elephant gun into the bush where I did finally get a chance to despatch a small/medium pig at 50m, off hand. I hit a little high but it took its toll. The pig was down and expired quickly. I was impressed at the size of the exit wound, not surprising really given what it will penetrate. So that's my only successful hunt with the .458wm. I used the opportunity to get pics on my phone and send to my son who had bought me a Croc leather cartridge holder.
I did consider having it chambered to Lott, having rails opened up buy gunsmith and all sorts of things. but what I did is I bought a .375H&H online and started this journey over. I collect it next week.
And I will hunt Africa, soon, 7 months and counting. Due to budget I'm doing a PG cull hunt and hiring a rifle, I will still have my safari rifle should I need it but if anyone wants to buy a .458wm in Australia, Genuinely under 100 rounds.
I believe it is still considered a great stopping calibre but I'm the hunter not the back up. I like DRT and hope I can do my part well.

I really LOVE this! I too have always wanted a .458WM. I've hunted with my .270 for deer and antelope and my .338WM for elk here in Colorado and Wyoming for the last 29 years. But, I've always dreamt of hunting in Africa. So, a few months ago, a local gun store had a .375 Interarms Whitworth Safari for sale. I looked at it (almost like new) and procrastinated for two months, but finally bought it. Big bores don't seem to be a hot sell item here, so it had been available for awhile. Anyway, I've only shot it half a dozen times so far (the weather has been bad) , but the recoil is mild like my .338WM. So, I'm now looking for a .458WM. I've bought some cases and bullets on sale, and need the dies and maybe some powder. But, when I get to Africa, I'm taking the .375 and .458. I probably wouldn't NEED to take either as my .338 would be fine for PG, but these are two of the African hunting legend calibers, so why not? For ME, it's not about the game trophies so much as it would be the experience and history of an African game hunt.

 

[CBH Australia]

CoElkHunter,
I met an Aussie hunter and his trophies. About 52 trophies I think he had from 26 trips to Africa.
All plains game. he was not into the Big Cats he said. I'm fascinated by DG but settled for a management hunt on PG. I still think it will be a great experience.
He only ever used a .270 and .338 for these trips.
I considered .338 but trying to stop my interest getting outside of my budget I wanted a true DG safari rifle.
All the talk of taking 2 rifles in forums has me wanting to re-chamber the .458wm to a Lott at least that puts a bigger gap between chambering's and hopefully performance. But I really should sell it.

 

[CoElkHunter]

CoElkHunter,
I met an Aussie hunter and his trophies. About 52 trophies I think he had from 26 trips to Africa.
All plains game. he was not into the Big Cats he said. I'm fascinated by DG but settled for a management hunt on PG. I still think it will be a great experience.
He only ever used a .270 and .338 for these trips.
I considered .338 but trying to stop my interest getting outside of my budget I wanted a true DG safari rifle.
All the talk of taking 2 rifles in forums has me wanting to re-chamber the .458wm to a Lott at least that puts a bigger gap between chambering's and hopefully performance. But I really should sell it.

Yes, the Lott is a lot more cartridge, but the reloading brass and cartridges seems to be more expensive and harder to find? As far as DG, the Cape buffalo is the only animal I would hunt there if I have the opportunity. I believe the .458WM would work on buffalo? But, I know one person who has taken three buffalo with his .375 h and h with no problems.

 

[TOBY458]

I had this 458 WM arrive today. Winchester 70 Safari Express. It won't be going with me to Africa this year, but it may take a big Bison next year.