458 win mag Stevens/savage

[10 ring 100]

I have a 22 cal winchecter m 90 22 short s/n on bottom of recever block only will shoot Shorts, LR ,anL pistol grip stock s/n 674,***

 

[browningguy]

Here's my .458 setup, Charles Daly Mauser action, 24" Shaw heavy barrel, barrel band swivel, proper open sights and a Leupold 2-7 scope (only because I had one laying around).

I don't have my load data in the house but I shoot a Speer 350 gr. load at 1800 FPS and it's not bad at all.

 

[R.W.Dale]

You guys are looking at this all wrong.

This isn't a cheap too light 458 African game rifle.

It's a cheap light really accurate 45/70 with the POTENTIAL to be loaded beyond the ruger no1 loads.

 

[adcoch1]

Get a press and some dies and build a few 45-70 class loads, and take a friend (enemy) shooting. You shoot a light load, then hand him the rifle and a factory load. Then laugh at how much tougher than him you are! Just kidding, but some light loads would make that a fun close range rifle. The other posters are right though, take that scope off and use it on some other longer range rifle, or change out the barrel on this to a 7mm mag or something that NEEDS a range finding reticle. Use open sights or a 1-4x long eye relief scope and you should be in business with the 458. Just don't expect the stock to survive the 40 factory rounds you have without some serious luck on your side.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

Thanks for all of the advice. I got a Boyd's laminate stock for it, Williams peep sight, and necg barrel band for the front sight. Here is how it looks now.

How it shoots is the important thing. Recoil is fierce, but not unshootable. It feels about 1 1/2 times a 3" shotgun slug, but hits faster. I used some technique to shoot I read on chuck hawks, using the offhand to grip the stock tightly. I got a 2" group at 50 yards, standing and shooting with a sling. I believe the rifle is capable of better, but my ability to shoot it is the limiting factor. I put 8 factory loads through it before I was beginning to flinch, and it was actually kind of fun as I've never shot anything like it.

Reloading is going to be a necessity to keep shooting it due to the $5 a shot cost of factory ammo, but I am somewhat on the fence if I want to keep it long term, Before jumping all in. The three options I am looking at are rebarrel to 338 win mag, sell it and get something else, or reload for it with some 300 and 350 grain bullets and use as a 200 yard or closer gun. For now I may just keep it and shoot it some more, it is not everyday you can shoot a 458 win mag.

 

[LoonWulf]

It looks really nice actually. Im in the keep it and handload for it camp. That is if you think youll play with it down the road, if than sell it. Ive got a few guns that i dont use, but keep around just cause i enjoy shooting them from time to time.

That gun tho would be more useful than some of mine lol.

 

[458MinMag]

I had to join THR to comment on this thread. You should keep this gun since you are a reloader. I load my 458x1.8 with 300gr Barnes TSX at 2460fps with LilGun and it has moderate recoil. I download the 300gr Barnes TTSX to 2200 fps with H110 for my brother and it is very reasonable to shoot (and betters 450 Bushmaster performance). We haven't had a chance to take a deer with these yet, but both are less than 1.25MOA at 100yds out of two Savage rifles. You can achieve higher velocities out of your 458WM if you choose to.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

Thanks for all of the replies, I am going to keep the gun. It makes me wonder though, why does it seem like 45-70 is increasing in popularity while 458 win mag does not seem too popular?

 

[Dog Soldier]

There is nothing wrong with a .458 WCF. They work just fine on any big game. When hunting in Grizz country in Wyoming they are comforting. The beauty of heavy bullets is they do not have to blow big holes to harvest elk and deer. Yep, you can eat right up to the bullet hole.

 

[LoonWulf]

Not many people think of a 3 round .458 bolty as an option when they are thinking of a "bush", "bear defense", "fun" gun. Lever action .45-70s have a lock on the market, mostly because of perception, marketing, and no modest recoiling factory .458 loads.
I think that a equal length .458 bolty will be as handy, and as usefull as its .45-70 lever counterpart. With the ability to step up well beyond the .45-70 IF necessary or desired.

One real advantage levers have is they are easier to run from the shoulder, but ive found a full house .45-70 from a guide gun to require almost as much recovery time as the same round from a bolt action.

 

[Varminterror]

[W]hy does it seem like 45-70 is increasing in popularity while 458 win mag does not seem too popular?

I'd venture because the .45-70 is consider the King of the Levergun market, with the most power from a conventional, market-friendly cartridge readily found on the market. The .458 WM, on the other hand, typically requires an extra recoil lug, and will run MUCH higher power factor - meaning much greater recoil, and nobody really loves belted magnums.

I'm a huge fan of the .458WM, and I'm a firm believer most folks who claim the 458 is extreme on recoil have never actually fired one, or only did so from a bench, and certainly haven't had any instruction on how to fire large bore rifles. It uses a lot of powder and a lot of lead, the rifles are heavy and high recoiling, and the trajectory isn't great for even moderate ranges, but it's a heck of a hammer. For big bears, I favor a .416 over the 458, but I have an unabashed love affair with the .416's, so that might just be personal bias.

 

[natman]

I'm a firm believer most folks who claim the 458 is extreme on recoil have never actually fired one,

I have one, and while I don't know if I'd call the recoil "extreme", it's not for everybody. The good thing with 458 recoil it's more of a slow push than the swift jab you get with, say, a 300 Weatherby. Mind you, it's a BIG slow push but you can rock back with it. If you had the sense to fire it standing rather than from a bench.