458. Winchester for Deer

You could make your deer sausage right there in the field.

Try to line them up at least four deep for greater efficiency.
Great HOGZILLA round, I'm sure.

It's a .458. It's already "expanded"

Why would anyone one earth want to hunt deer with a "dangerous game" rifle. That's seriously over doing it by a long way. It's intended use is thick skinned large bone mass animals that generally aint real friendly. Will it expand? Yeah when it hits a tree after shooting plum through the deer. Thats when you can expect it to expand.
Get a deer rifle, they are cheaper than most all rifles chambered in dangerous game calibers, and the ammo will be cheaper too. That large round was never intended for deer hunting. One good comparrison to keep in mind, shoot a bicycle with a 120MM Abrams tank... it'd get the jobe done, but wow, really? just hope the bicycle was parked against a serious backstop... LOL.

I can't remember offhand where, but I've read in several places that you can load .458 bullets designed for the .45/70 to .45/70 velocities in the .458 Win Mag and do fine. I seem to remember at least one person mentioning use of a filler in the case since it had a fair amount less powder in it.

There are at least a few people around who consider the .458 Win Mag to be the ultimate 'do-it-all' cartridge, when reloaded to the necessary levels. Think cast bullets and velocities around 1300 fps.

I have, and do use a .458 Winchester on all kinds of thin skinned game. We used to have a sizable group that did a big bore hunt here every year and the minimum caliber was .375 H&H.

I don't have my load book in front of me but I was running a 350gr. FP designed for the 45-70 at about 2300 fps I believe. Worked a charm on deer and pigs. For what it's worth that's almost exactly the same load I usually run in my Browning 1885 45-70.

And hunt with what you want, ignore everyone else.

Why not. It sounds great to me, and I don't think I would worry too much about expansion if I were you.

Considering the bullet is already 45 cal which is as big as most smaller bullets are going to expand to, I don't even see why expansion is an issue. Not to mention big and slow is liable to cause less meat damage. I finally got my 416 Rigby sorted out just this past weekend, and next year I'll be taking it out. Unfortunately this year is pretty much over.

to be honest it will cause less meat damge that a 25-06 270 ect

^
what he said...
I used mine with a 500 gr cast bullet, loaded light, for fun. (think of a bolt-action 45-70) Fun to use it and it's a great conversation piece. I will never get to Africa to hunt elephant, but I can sure hunt deer every year. No expansion necessary... and the big white front sight combined with the rear v-leaf, makes a great brush gun combo..

I have two such rifles and while I have not shot any deer with them, I did kill a blackbear with one. If you handload, the 458 can be loaded to duplicate the 45-70 at any level. So if you would hunt deer with your Marlin 1895, its the same difference with a 458 and the right load. In my case it was a 300 gr HP at about 1700 fps.

dirtnap405 said:

Anybody use a 458. winchester for deer, would I get any expansion? Thanks

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Why would you want too, when a .22 cal. will kill a deer...............

big n fat right through the shoulders should make some nice big through holes for blood trails

You should get a 444 Marlin instead. They're the best. At everything. All the time. It's true; several people on THR said so. Repeatedly.

overkill is better than under kill. If you have the gun already use it.

It should work quite nicely. A .45 colt bullet of hard cast semi-wadcutter penetrates really well without expansion and, when properly placed, will kill deer dead and quickly. As an added bonus, you won't get a log of blood shot ruined meat.

Use bullets like that or you can use bullets like we use in the 45-70. In that old round, I've used 300 gr JHP's (by Remington) on deer and hogs. They WILL let the air out of them post-haste.

You don't need to use full house solids like you are elephant hunting. Easier on you, the gun and still deadly on deer, hogs and even bigger game if you wish.

Heck yeah, your .458 if fine for deer with the right loads. Good luck, have fun and good eating.

I shot a deer once with a medium strength 458 handload using, IIRC, a 350 grain Hornady RN. Judging by the exit wound I'd say it expanded nicely, but I don't know for sure because it had no problem whatsoever passing completely through the deer and sailing into the far yonder. The deer was DRT.

Why would you want to use a .22 when a Chevrolet can kill a deer? Come to think of it, why hunt deer when you can buy beef in the store?

Why not, I've used .50 Beowulf and 45/70 on deer. I don't see what's so bad about .458 Win.

You should get a 444 Marlin instead. They're the best. At everything. All the time. It's true; several people on THR said so. Repeatedly.

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I've never said that, but it doesn't mean I don't agree with it

Why would anyone one earth want to hunt deer with a "dangerous game" rifle. That's seriously over doing it by a long way.

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Most everyone in midwestern states uses a 12 shotgun with slugs. Hundreds of thousands of deer taken every year. Typical is a 12 gauge with sabots. A 12 gauge sabot weighs maybe 480 grains and is going about 1,900 fps muzzle velocity. So, it's different from a .458 how??? Most guys are hunting with a DG firearm, they just don't realize it.

My S-I-L shot a doe last year with my .458 SOCOM. To say it worked exceptionally well would be an understatement. IIRC it was a 350 grain Speer Hot Core. Expansion was perfect. DRT.

I'd agreed with the part about doing more damage with a .25-06 or 30-06. Even a hard cast LSWC would most likely work great. I'm real fond of exit holes. Lets 'em leak faster and any tracking easier.