Should I bother reloading the .458?

Hueco · April 12, 2000, 04:40 PM

I am trying to decide if I should start reloading for my .458. I wouldn't load but maybe a box a month. I would like to gain some versatility, and it would simplify ammo-buying a ton. I am looking at the RCBS Master kit. What are your thoughts?

Hueco

SKR · April 12, 2000, 05:29 PM

Well, interesting question...

My .458 is what I call my "up too close and way to personal gun". Factory ammo for the .458 can get a little tough on the pocket book, and if you are going to shoot 240 rounds a year, as you indicated, it would make sense to reload.

I reload for mine...not for any increase in performance, and the accuracy is just fine with factory loads. I just enjoy reloading. Oh yes, and I enjoy shooting...

McChainsaw · April 12, 2000, 07:06 PM

You will have the empty brass, What are you going to do with them otherwise.

HankL · April 12, 2000, 07:07 PM

Hueco, You owe it to yourself to start reloading for this rifle! You owe it to all of the folks who are considering getting into reloading to follow you through the process.
I mean all of this as a compliment as I thought the process of purchasing the rifle being detailed here was great.
GO FOR IT
You can't go wrong with RCBS

zot · April 12, 2000, 07:51 PM

Lee 500 gr. gas checked bullet with a reduced
load would be a money saver and also give you more shooting experience,I've seen loads
in Speer reloading manual #12 that are 45/70
ballistics. buy brass and make any load ya want for half the price of store bought.

dundee · April 13, 2000, 10:37 PM

If you can get a copy of the 1994 handloader digest by DBI BOOKS, INC it has a nice article on loading the 458 by Ray Ordorica.
In the article Ray describes his experence in Alaska. He liked the 300 and 350 gr. Barnes X-bullets in the 458.

Hueco · April 14, 2000, 09:25 PM

I am going to to one day next week and talk to the fellas at the gunshop about it...I really want to reload! Thanks for the input guys, always appreciate it!

Hueco

Hueco · April 18, 2000, 11:15 AM

Ok, I am probably stupid for asking this, but here goes.... If I were to go the Dillon route, what all would I need from them to get up and running with everythign I need without cutting any corners at all?

Hueco

mcshot · April 18, 2000, 10:26 PM

I had a .458 #1 and enjoyed reload using 305 Gr. 45-70 bullets. Superior accuracy and less brutal then factory loads.
Also I believe Winchester has discontinued .458 ammo.
Which I still had the pretty beast.

------------------
"Keep shootin till they quit floppin"
The Wife 2/2000

Paul B. · April 19, 2000, 12:59 AM

Hueco. You really don't need a Dillon to reload .458's. At least not until you plan to load 500 rounds or so at a time.
McShot is right. Winchester has discontinued the .458 Mag. However, Federal and Remington still make it.
Winchester discontinued about 7 different cartridges a while back. I E-mailed them complaining, and they said that the rounds in question would be made on a "seasonal basis". Their words. I got lucky and found 240 rounds of .358 Win. and 12 boxes of 7x57 ammo. Bought 'em all. I'm still looking for .458 brass though to make up ammo for a .375x338 Mag wildcat I play with. It is easier to neck .458's down to .375 than to neck the .338's up.

Anyway, that's the situation with Winchester.
Paul B.

Hueco · April 19, 2000, 08:24 AM

Paul, your wildcat, it doesn't use the full-length 375 H&H case? What kind of performance do you get out of it? I have always been fascinated with wildcats, and would LOVE to chamber my #1 to any number of them. How hard would it be to reload for wildcats? It that any more complicated than standards? What type of extra equipment would I need? Well, looking at costs, I think the RCBS Master would do me wonderfully!

Hueco

MADISON · April 19, 2000, 09:19 AM

Before he died of an Anurism, a friend of mine loaded 70 grains of IMR 4895 behind a 500 grain bullett. It was comfortable to shoot, OFF HAND.

Paul B. · April 19, 2000, 01:58 PM

Hueco. My wildcat is relatively simple. Take a .338 Winchester magnum case and open the neck to .375. It will duplicate the .375 H&H in a standard length action with no strain. Recoil also seems to be less. My #1 Ruger weighs 9 pounds in .375 H&H. The .375x338 weighs 7.5 pounds, built on a Ruger 77 Mk I action with 22 inch barrel, and in a Ramline synthetic stock. I think that because it uses less powder than the H&H, and the give of the synthetic stock, felt recoil is less.
I find that necking .458 brass down to .375 is a bit easier than necking .338 mag. brss up. I've even necked up 7 MM Rem. Mag. brass up to .375, as an experiment. If you anneal the necks on those, they will work reasonably well.
There is some information on the round in Ackely's HANDBOOK FOR SHOOTERS AND RELOADERS VOL II, under the name .375x338 Chatfield-Taylor (.375 Belted Newton) on page 212. IMR 4064, 4895, and 4320 seem to be the best powders, so far. Huntington's has the dies. They're special order at about $87.00 plus shipping and handling. (www.huntingtons.com)
If you decide to go that route, give me a holler by E-mail and I'll walk you through it.
Paul B.

Hueco · April 19, 2000, 04:45 PM

Thanks Paul! I'll probably get another box of factory .458, use it all, then really consider hard about reloading. We'll see...

Hueco

Hueco · April 30, 2000, 05:33 PM

Just to let you all know, tomorrow night I am going to pick up the equipment. I am finally gonna get going and serious! Any final thoughts?

Hueco

Unkel Gilbey · May 7, 2000, 09:30 AM

Hueco,

Just to let you know.

Had a friend that owned a nice Sako 30.06, treated it like a baby, cleaning it reverently, etc. Would only shoot factory ammo, and the premium loads through it. I asked him why? There are literally hundreds of loads out there for the 30.06 that would truely open up a world of possibilites for that weapon, and yet his answer was still the same. His reasoning was that "Reloads were too dirty" and that he only shot roughly a box every other month through the weapon.

The fact that he owned several pistols that he would shoot hundreds of rounds a month through had no bearing on the argument (as far as he was concerned) Also, nothing that I could say to him would change his mind about reloads. This was really a shame, as I think that he was really missing out, and his myopic view that 'Reloads were dirty' was one that I could never change.

Talking with the people here will show you that your .458 can be turned into a really versatile weapon through reloading. You really owe it to yourself to get started - and to talk with the folks here - we're over 5000 strong now! With that kind of database, you should be rolling with that weapon in no time!

Good Luck!

Unkel Gilbey

Glamdring · May 7, 2000, 03:53 PM

Some "lite" bullets for the 458 besides X bullets. Try Speer's 400 SP and the Nosler 300 grain partion. Both of those are designed for 45-70 vel levels.

Hueco · May 7, 2000, 08:02 PM

I bought all the shop had (everything but the press and the primers). I hope to get the press in sometime this week, and the primers next week. I bought Hornady 350 FPHP. Theu should do the trick nicely for getting me started. I'll be using 81 grains of H335 powder with CCI large mag primers all in Federal Premium brass. ...can't wait!!

Hueco

April 12, 2000, 04:40 PM	#1
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	I am trying to decide if I should start reloading for my .458. I wouldn't load but maybe a box a month. I would like to gain some versatility, and it would simplify ammo-buying a ton. I am looking at the RCBS Master kit. What are your thoughts? Hueco

April 12, 2000, 05:29 PM	#2
SKR Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 68	Well, interesting question... My .458 is what I call my "up too close and way to personal gun". Factory ammo for the .458 can get a little tough on the pocket book, and if you are going to shoot 240 rounds a year, as you indicated, it would make sense to reload. I reload for mine...not for any increase in performance, and the accuracy is just fine with factory loads. I just enjoy reloading. Oh yes, and I enjoy shooting...

April 12, 2000, 07:06 PM	#3
McChainsaw Member Join Date: April 1, 2000 Posts: 22	You will have the empty brass, What are you going to do with them otherwise.

April 12, 2000, 07:07 PM	#4
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	Hueco, You owe it to yourself to start reloading for this rifle! You owe it to all of the folks who are considering getting into reloading to follow you through the process. I mean all of this as a compliment as I thought the process of purchasing the rifle being detailed here was great. GO FOR IT You can't go wrong with RCBS

April 12, 2000, 07:51 PM	#5
zot Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 1999 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 566	Lee 500 gr. gas checked bullet with a reduced load would be a money saver and also give you more shooting experience,I've seen loads in Speer reloading manual #12 that are 45/70 ballistics. buy brass and make any load ya want for half the price of store bought.

April 13, 2000, 10:37 PM	#6
dundee Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1998 Location: mytown,mi,usa Posts: 162	If you can get a copy of the 1994 handloader digest by DBI BOOKS, INC it has a nice article on loading the 458 by Ray Ordorica. In the article Ray describes his experence in Alaska. He liked the 300 and 350 gr. Barnes X-bullets in the 458.

April 14, 2000, 09:25 PM	#7
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	I am going to to one day next week and talk to the fellas at the gunshop about it...I really want to reload! Thanks for the input guys, always appreciate it! Hueco

April 18, 2000, 11:15 AM	#8
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	Ok, I am probably stupid for asking this, but here goes.... If I were to go the Dillon route, what all would I need from them to get up and running with everythign I need without cutting any corners at all? Hueco

April 18, 2000, 10:26 PM	#9
mcshot Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 1999 Location: Over da bridge, Mi Posts: 754	I had a .458 #1 and enjoyed reload using 305 Gr. 45-70 bullets. Superior accuracy and less brutal then factory loads. Also I believe Winchester has discontinued .458 ammo. Which I still had the pretty beast. ------------------ "Keep shootin till they quit floppin" The Wife 2/2000

April 19, 2000, 12:59 AM	#10
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Hueco. You really don't need a Dillon to reload .458's. At least not until you plan to load 500 rounds or so at a time. McShot is right. Winchester has discontinued the .458 Mag. However, Federal and Remington still make it. Winchester discontinued about 7 different cartridges a while back. I E-mailed them complaining, and they said that the rounds in question would be made on a "seasonal basis". Their words. I got lucky and found 240 rounds of .358 Win. and 12 boxes of 7x57 ammo. Bought 'em all. I'm still looking for .458 brass though to make up ammo for a .375x338 Mag wildcat I play with. It is easier to neck .458's down to .375 than to neck the .338's up. Anyway, that's the situation with Winchester. Paul B.

April 19, 2000, 08:24 AM	#11
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	Paul, your wildcat, it doesn't use the full-length 375 H&H case? What kind of performance do you get out of it? I have always been fascinated with wildcats, and would LOVE to chamber my #1 to any number of them. How hard would it be to reload for wildcats? It that any more complicated than standards? What type of extra equipment would I need? Well, looking at costs, I think the RCBS Master would do me wonderfully! Hueco

April 19, 2000, 09:19 AM	#12
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Before he died of an Anurism, a friend of mine loaded 70 grains of IMR 4895 behind a 500 grain bullett. It was comfortable to shoot, OFF HAND.

April 19, 2000, 01:58 PM	#13
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Hueco. My wildcat is relatively simple. Take a .338 Winchester magnum case and open the neck to .375. It will duplicate the .375 H&H in a standard length action with no strain. Recoil also seems to be less. My #1 Ruger weighs 9 pounds in .375 H&H. The .375x338 weighs 7.5 pounds, built on a Ruger 77 Mk I action with 22 inch barrel, and in a Ramline synthetic stock. I think that because it uses less powder than the H&H, and the give of the synthetic stock, felt recoil is less. I find that necking .458 brass down to .375 is a bit easier than necking .338 mag. brss up. I've even necked up 7 MM Rem. Mag. brass up to .375, as an experiment. If you anneal the necks on those, they will work reasonably well. There is some information on the round in Ackely's HANDBOOK FOR SHOOTERS AND RELOADERS VOL II, under the name .375x338 Chatfield-Taylor (.375 Belted Newton) on page 212. IMR 4064, 4895, and 4320 seem to be the best powders, so far. Huntington's has the dies. They're special order at about $87.00 plus shipping and handling. (www.huntingtons.com) If you decide to go that route, give me a holler by E-mail and I'll walk you through it. Paul B.

April 19, 2000, 04:45 PM	#14
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	Thanks Paul! I'll probably get another box of factory .458, use it all, then really consider hard about reloading. We'll see... Hueco

April 30, 2000, 05:33 PM	#15
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	Just to let you all know, tomorrow night I am going to pick up the equipment. I am finally gonna get going and serious! Any final thoughts? Hueco

May 7, 2000, 09:30 AM	#16
Unkel Gilbey Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 1999 Location: Danby, Vermont Posts: 349	Hueco, Just to let you know. Had a friend that owned a nice Sako 30.06, treated it like a baby, cleaning it reverently, etc. Would only shoot factory ammo, and the premium loads through it. I asked him why? There are literally hundreds of loads out there for the 30.06 that would truely open up a world of possibilites for that weapon, and yet his answer was still the same. His reasoning was that "Reloads were too dirty" and that he only shot roughly a box every other month through the weapon. The fact that he owned several pistols that he would shoot hundreds of rounds a month through had no bearing on the argument (as far as he was concerned) Also, nothing that I could say to him would change his mind about reloads. This was really a shame, as I think that he was really missing out, and his myopic view that 'Reloads were dirty' was one that I could never change. Talking with the people here will show you that your .458 can be turned into a really versatile weapon through reloading. You really owe it to yourself to get started - and to talk with the folks here - we're over 5000 strong now! With that kind of database, you should be rolling with that weapon in no time! Good Luck! Unkel Gilbey

May 7, 2000, 03:53 PM	#17
Glamdring Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 1,388	Some "lite" bullets for the 458 besides X bullets. Try Speer's 400 SP and the Nosler 300 grain partion. Both of those are designed for 45-70 vel levels.

May 7, 2000, 08:02 PM	#18
Hueco Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 1999 Posts: 561	I bought all the shop had (everything but the press and the primers). I hope to get the press in sometime this week, and the primers next week. I bought Hornady 350 FPHP. Theu should do the trick nicely for getting me started. I'll be using 81 grains of H335 powder with CCI large mag primers all in Federal Premium brass. ...can't wait!! Hueco