460 Weatherby kick?

I think a 460 WBY, even with a good muzzle brake is going to kick the bejeesus out of you. It has 8,000 ponds of muzzle energy with max loads and it is no wimp gun. Just make sure you have a good pad and a good brake. Also, you might want to look into a mercury recoil reducer for the butt stock along with the other measures you take. Now, having said that, I think the 460, if you can manage it, is the king monkey of rifles. It is about the most powerful dangerous game cartridge made.

As for scopes, I think any of the top of the line major brands will hold up. It's not like you're going to shoot 400-500 rounds a year out of the thing. It's one of those rifles you shoot just enough to get used to and proficient with and not sit at the bench trying to tweek the load. Also, one majore necessity with it if you use a scope is a scope with a LONG eye relief, unless you just enjoy being decorated with the famed Weatherby Eyebrow tatto.

Around 15 years ago, after sitting unfired in the display case for over 2 decades, curiousity got the best of my cousin, who borrowed his dad's .460 WM and went to the range with his best friend. Cousin was 6'-4"/220 and friend was 5'-10"/190. The first Nitro Express shot shut down the firing line - about like a .50 BMG does these days. The friend shot once and had enough. My cousin shot one more time and called it quits. Both were sore and moderately bruised. My uncle was not pleased.

The .460 Weatherby is one I declined to shoot again after the first trigger pull from the bench. I have shot a number of 3" slugs. The gun I fired did not have a brake. I'm not sure how to quantify each but I would say the 460 has noticeable more thump, on both ends.

Also, one majore necessity with it if you use a scope is a scope with a LONG eye relief, unless you just enjoy being decorated with the famed Weatherby Eyebrow tatto.

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I've seen someone get whacked by the scope of a 460, didn't look fun.

How bad can it be?
I say go for it.

About like Steven Segal kickin' the snot out of you! If you only shoot it once, you'll remember it !!

Click here: http://williamsgunsight.com/gunsmith_service_michigan.htm

Go 90% down the page to the WILLIAMS GUIDE SERIES BRAKE. The tables tells you FP of energy in recoil for several, including the .460 Wea Mag.

Now, I have never fired a .460 Wea Mag, but I did sight-in a gentleman's .378 Wea Mag. He brought the rifle to the range, and sat down. He fired two rounds getting rolled back pretty good. The third round, swear to God, the third round rolled the fella right off the bench! He asked me to sight it in. I used the last 17 rounds. Beastly, just beastly. I was used to firing .300 Wea Mags, .338 Win Mags, 12 gauge 3" slugs, etc. You wanna fire a .460 Wea Mag?!


Geno

WHY? What do you need it for?

As far as DG cartridges go, what's wrong with .338 Lapua? or .300 RUM or something along those likes like .458 WM.

How bad can it be? Somebody takes a 2 by 4 end and jams it into your shoulder joint at nearly 100 ft-lbs of energy, but only 24 fps.

Seriously, use a PAST recoil pad that fits over your shoulder. By distributing the
recoil over a larger area it's bareable.

Or, you can get the same effect by using a 9 pound rifle, with a 600 grain bullet at 2150 fps, in .510 Van Horn. Recoil Energy of 98 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 26 fps.

Here is the .510 Van Horn vaporizing some water jugs.


Makes a .458 Lott feel tame:


I'm not THAT fat. That gut is a .500 Ruger Maximum;-)

I am 6' 4" 200# and bought a .416 Rigby from a guy with half a box of shells. Took it shooting with my 3 sons, still have 4 rounds left! And thats a .416, nuf said.

Prosser said:

Here is the .510 Van Horn vaporizing some water jugs.

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Awesome! I want one now...

To the OP: I've never fired a beast like that, but reading the experiences above I see alot of people shooting things from the bench. Bench shooting is about the worst for generating felt recoil. Maybe borrow a lead sled to sight it in from a stable platform, then shoot from standing so your body can roll with the recoil.

I left my .458 Win Mag with the PH in Africa in 1977. Even tho I hunted Alaska I knew a .375 or .338 or .358 Norma was plenty. I had the Nitro Express bug and during the middle 80s had enough $ to buy a nice old 1930s Cogswell & Harrison .470 NE. It was about like an 8 pound 12 gauge 3" Mag with it's 9 pound weight. I became afraid to split the stock and ruin my investment ; I doubled my $$ before the crash of 2008 on it. I still have an early Weatherby .378 and it is one nasty mother! A .375H&H is down right pleasant compared to that cannon! BTW I still use my 8 pound Brown Precision .375H&H which seems to have similar recoil to .300 Weatherby with no brake but less sharp. Last time to Africa I took a .375 H&H and a .270 WSM . This combo seemed ideal for anything I could afford to hunt. If I was culling elephants ect. I would use a .416 or a .458 Lott .
BTW the few times I have shot a .460 Weatherby it was an unpleasant experience and worse than a .600 Nitro IMHO.

ummm... I feel a severe case of scope eye coming on...

.460? Be. Afraid. Very. Afraid.

Never shot one from a bench but I did shoot one from the standing position. I'm on the smaller side, 5'8" and 170. The 460 sent me back 2 steps but was managable. I later shot a 378 Weatherby and THAT bad boy HURT. The 460 was a VERY hard push, sort of, but the 378 just jabbed the bejesus out of me. The 460 was alot like shooting the old Ithica single barrel 10 gauge, with a little more umph on the shoulder. The 378? BAD JUJU!!!!

I've fired a 460 from the bench, (it had a brake) and i didn't think it was all that bad, and i HATE recoil. Would i buy one? NO, would i fire another one? Sure, i even sighten in one for a guy. (that had no business owning one!)

DM

I found the .460 Weatherby a satisfying gun to shoot................ I shot it one time and I was satisfied...!!!!

BTW, it was from a bench (dumb) and no muzzle break...

I since have owned some heavy kickers.. I do not shoot them from a bench, I shoot them standing with a rest, or setting cross legged with a loose back and shoulder, a FIRM plant of the weapon into the shoulder, and allow your body to rock back and your lower back rock and absorb the recoil.

It would be like someone dropping the rifle off a 3 story building and you catching it with your shoulder. Also any muzzle brake on that gun is gonna be freakin loud! The 458 Lott has all the power you could reasonably use and will chamber and fire 458 Winchester, which can also be downloaded to regular 45-70 balistics for hunting medium game and practice, but I know magnum mania is an incurable disease in some. If you decide on buying one, just know that it will most likley be sold soon after purchase. The only people that I believe would require such a gun are profesional hunters in africa where they might have to shoot through rhinos.

snake284 said:

It is about the most powerful dangerous game cartridge made.

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Not even close, the .577Tyrannosaur bests it handily, as does the .700NE and .600NE and that is just in the terms of energy (momentum, TKO, and the like being of much greater importance in a DG cartridge). That said, it isn't a powderpuff either.

I doubt recoil would be horribly severe with a brake, but undoubtedly worse than a 12Ga. with slug. Additionally I believe that a muzzle brake is a infliction to be avoided at all cost on a hunting rifle...hearing protection is absolutely mandatory and the blast is disorienting and uncomfortable. Personally I don't see point, if you want something for very large, dangerous game, I would go with something slower but larger caliber...something like the .500NE double makes for a great stopping rifle according to prominent PHs. Even a .458Lott in a Mauser type action would be my preference over a .460Wby in a Weatherby rifle due to reliability as well as controllability (for all practical purposes it is likely just good, perhaps better because the Wby may push solids too fast to retain their shape and promote penetration in a straight path).

Edit: As far as the scope, a standard Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x20mm would likely be fine, though NF, S&B, & Swaro also make outstanding (but costly) optics well suited to heavy recoiling, DG rifles. FWIW a heavy reticle is best for fast target acquisition, I prefer a heavy No. 4 (better view whilst maintaining a clear/quick point of aim).

there are lots of videos on youtube of people shooting them. There's one of a rather slight woman and a 15 year old kid shooting one on the first page of results... I don't think it's really a big deal if you are seriously considering one.

Detached retinas come to mind.

How much does it weigh and how good is the brake? My 50 bmg loads have another 5000+ ft/lbs of energy over the 460's mear 8000 ft/lbs and my rifle has less recoil than a lever action 45-70 using "hot" loads.

Another thing to remember is that pro guides hate muzzle brakes. They are usually standing close enough to you to get the full effect of the blast. They have to, It's their job to back you up and make sure you return home safe and sound.They cherish their hearing and eyesight just as much as you do,ever more so as their lives depend on it.