Best rifle for 458 WM?

[Markis]

It kicks but you can down load it with cast bullets and its pretty dern accurate. Or it is in my Ruger 77 in 458 WM.

 

[colorado]

Interarms/Whitworth rifles have M98-type CRF actions, classic lines, express sights, and run from $750-$1500 on the used market. Not sure how the chamber is cut as far as throat length…

This is mine in .458

View attachment 640314


Ed Z

Beautiful rifle!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Please read this article by Finn Aagaard.

In short, yes. Different .458 Winchester Magnum rifles have different throat lengths which make it more or less difficult to achieve a higher velocity. Longer throats make it difficult to achieve higher velocities. Shorter throats make it easier.

The Winchester Model 70 has a long throat which makes it difficult to achieve above 2090 FPS with most .458 Winchester Magnum ammunition. The 22" barrels of the post '64 Model 70 rifles only made matters worse.

The best rifles ever made for the .458 Winchester Magnum, were:
A) The Mannlicher Schoenauer (only 77 made in this caliber)
B) The BSA Majestic (only 257 made in this caliber)

They had very short throats and permitted velocities above 2100 FPS to be easily achieved. In the case of the BSA Majestic, this was impressively accomplished with barrels that were only 20" long (minus those beastly muzzle brakes).

Now, the advantage of the long throat in the Winchester Model 70... is that this makes it better for conversions to .458 Lott.

 

[Zinz]

Beautiful rifle!

Many thanks. It’s really kinda plain, but I like the lines.

I have a Whitworth in .375 with a fairly nice piece of lumber

 

[Flipper Dude]

 

[CZDiesel]

Please read this article by Finn Aagaard.
View attachment 641248
In short, yes. Different .458 Winchester Magnum rifles have different throat lengths which make it more or less difficult to achieve a higher velocity. Longer throats make it difficult to achieve higher velocities. Shorter throats make it easier.

The Winchester Model 70 has a long throat which makes it difficult to achieve above 2090 FPS with most .458 Winchester Magnum ammunition. The 22" barrels of the post '64 Model 70 rifles only made matters worse.

The best rifles ever made for the .458 Winchester Magnum, were:
A) The Mannlicher Schoenauer (only 77 made in this caliber)
B) The BSA Majestic (only 257 made in this caliber)

They had very short throats and permitted velocities above 2100 FPS to be easily achieved. In the case of the BSA Majestic, this was impressively accomplished with barrels that were only 20" long (minus those beastly muzzle brakes).

Now, the advantage of the long throat in the Winchester Model 70... is that this makes it better for conversions to .458 Lott.

My Custom Shop M-70 has a 22” bbl and has no problem hitting 2100ftps? DGS does 2170 on average!
No need for a Lott unless you are a PH and I’d put my Winchester against any BSA or Mannlicher in fit, finish, and function any day! I’d actually bet on it against them!
And yes I’ve both seen and held those two and they are fine rifles! They just are not a Winchester Custom Shop rifle!

 

[ldmay375]

The Winchester Custom Shop produced some fine looking rifles.

Regarding the 458 Winchester and Finn, he also wrote in The A-Square Handloading And Rifle Manual.
Part of his commentary on the 458 Winchester:


"On the other hand, for over 10 years I used a .458 for elephant hunting, for backing up clients, and for following sick, dangerous game into the pucker brush, without suffering any failures attributable to the cartridge. For me it always did what one would expect of a 500-grain .45-caliber bullet starting out at 2000 fps - it tended to put big, bloody holes all or most of the way through any animal. That is with the solids. The first soft-noses were a bit fragile. They were great for lion, but expanded too quickly to always give the requisite penetration on buffalo. Otherwise the round served me very well. I liked the fact that its recoil was moderate enough to be quite controllable, even in a light, portable, fast-handling rifle like my 9-pound Westley Richards or my Winchester M-70 with aperture sights. (Almost everyone who has tried my .458 has remarked, "Hey, that was nowhere near as bad as I expected!") I also like the fact that ammunition was always available, as every professional hunter had a locker-full of the stuff that his clients had left with him."

 

[BeeMaa]

If you plan on being a traveling hunter, it would be wise to consider a Blaser R8 in 458WM or 458 LOTT. With the LOTT giving you the option of shooting either cartridge.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Interarms/Whitworth rifles have M98-type CRF actions, classic lines, express sights, and run from $750-$1500 on the used market. Not sure how the chamber is cut as far as throat length…

This is mine in .458

View attachment 640314


Ed Z

I have one too. Don't intend to sell it, ever.

 

[HWL]

I've read in here before where the Win Mag fans like rifles with certain dimensions in the action to accommodate seating bullets long then clean up the throats to then emulate the Lott

Do not do that.....
The .458 Win-Mag is a powerfull cartridge and the bullet has to be crimped at the crimping groove firmly.
To seat out the bullet for more powder space is the key for malfunction.
Bullet in your magazine will move under recoil.
You do not want to meet the buffalo with lousy assembled cartridges like that.

HWL

 

[Axle2010]

Do not do that.....
The .458 Win-Mag is a powerfull cartridge and the bullet has to be crimped at the crimping groove firmly.
To seat out the bullet for more powder space is the key for malfunction.
Bullet in your magazine will move under recoil.
You do not want to meet the buffalo with lousy assembled cartridges like that.

HWL

Thanks for that i didn't think about the crimp

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Do not do that.....
The .458 Win-Mag is a powerfull cartridge and the bullet has to be crimped at the crimping groove firmly.
To seat out the bullet for more powder space is the key for malfunction.
Bullet in your magazine will move under recoil.
You do not want to meet the buffalo with lousy assembled cartridges like that.

HWL

Hmmm,

1. During recoil inertia keeps cartridges in place as the magazine and rifle moves rearward.
2. The magazine may slam into the face of the bullets (projectiles).
3. This may push the bullet into the cartridge case, or could flatted a soft point of the bullet.
4. That would reduce case capacity.
5. All else being the same, reduced case capacity will INCREASE peak chamber pressure.
6. Increased pressure may but not always increase muzzle velocity.
7. The fired bullet will NOT have reduced velocity.
8. The bolt may stick and action not open easily, a rubber mallet may be necessary.

I wondered about my reloaded cartridges having their bullets moving into the case during recoil.
Do I need to crimp the bullets?
I conduct tests whenever I load a new batch of ammo.

1. I first measured the overall length (OAL) of all my cartridges.
2. I loaded my magazine with 4 rounds and inserted one more into the chamber (total 5 cartridges in rifle).
3. I fired 4 cartridges, leaving one unfired cartridge in the magazine.
4. I loaded 3 cartridges above the unfired cartridge.
5. I fired 4 rounds and left the one unfired round.
6. I removed the unfired round from the magazine.
7. Then, I measured the OLA of the unfired round.
8. I have NOT discovered any change in OAL in tests conducted for .375 H&H, .416 Remington and Taylor, and .458 Win and

I've conducted the above type test for:

• Cartridges with bullets crimped with Lee Factroy Crimp Die
• Cartridges with bullets uncrimped.

I am not saying it could not happen, but for the ammunition I have loaded (reloaded), shot, and measured, I have not discovered any change in OAL.

As little as $7 in the USA will buy one a cheap digital caliper.

Amazon.com : digital calipers 6 inch

 

[mdwest]

Similar results when testing my 376, 416, 45-70 and others…

I’ve never found a bullet to move during recoil…

So I don’t bother crimping in any caliber…

 

[SGW]

I have a M70 458 win New Haven in a box that has only been shot maybe 10 times. If you’re interested PM sir.

 

[cash_tx]

I have one too. Don't intend to sell it, ever.

I'm blessed to have two of these as well. Likewise, I intend to never sell them; rather I intend to pass one down to each of my daughters.