Hornady 458 Win Mag Superperformance Ammo Test

[PolymathPioneer]

I obtained ten rounds of Hornady 458 Win Mag 500 grain DGS superperformance ammuntion from a friend and with a different friend and his chronograph tested five rounds using a stock 458 win mag Winchester model 70 with a 24 inch barrel (to try and duplicate the barrel length of the Hornady claim basis). The resulting "at the muzzle" measurement duplicated the performance that Hornady claims, i.e. 2140 feet per second. Please note there is currently no 458 Lott superperformance ammunition offering however Hornady claims 2300 feet per second from their non-superperformance 458 Lott 500 grain DGS offering (currently have no 458 Lott so I couldn't test wife's 458 Lott CZ with my friend's chrono).

That is a 160 foot per second difference using a 24" barrel. Here are the Hornady links if anyone is interested:

458 Win Mag Superperformance ammunition: http://www.hornady.com/store/458-Win-500-gr-DGS-Superformance/

The Hornady 458 Lott DGS standard ammunition: http://www.hornady.com/store/458-Lott-500-gr-DGS/

Postscript: There is a saying in the semiconductor industry, which may be applicable here: "Process Always Beats Architecture". What this means is that if you make a process improvement (in the case of semiconductors getting more transistors onto a computer chip) it always results in a greater and less expensive performance increase compared to architectural changes (like putting more computer cpu cores in a microprocessor for example). Also note that process improvements take longer to develop than architectural improvements, which happen relatively quickly. The same may be true here. As ammunition manufacturing processes evolve (albeit more slowly, i.e. bullets, powders, primers and shells) they may ultimately beat architectural changes, which happen more quickly, i.e. more powder, bigger shells etc.

Hope this is food for debate.

Cheers.

 

[Mike1234567]

RE: "Food for debate"...

I'm hungry but I will not bite. However, I'll be peering through the window watching this feast (or vicious ravaging) from the outside.

 

[Loosedhorse]

there is currently no 458 Lott superperformance ammunition

And there never should be, at least not in 500 grain*. Getting a 500 grain bullet to 2150fps out of 22" barrel is all that has ever been or ever should be asked of the Lott. No reason I can think of to load it substantially hotter.

(Similar situation with the .416 Rigby. BIG cartridge, and it can be hot-rodded right into Weatherby Magnum territory...which defeats the purpose of the Rigby: to get its specified velocity at low pressure. No reason to heavy load it.)

As we all know, the .458 Win Mag has had borderline velocity issues. A little safe-pressure hot-rodding (to get the 2150 out if 22-inch barrel) would be welcome, IMHO. So it is disappointing to see that the Superformance load is 2140 out of a 24 inch barrel. That's only 50 fps more than what Federal lists (they don't list a specific barrel length, though). Would still be interesting to see what they could do with the Barnes (extra long) 500 gr TSX bullet, but they won't; they're not even loading their own GMX bullet in anything bigger than .338.

*Oh, for the .458 Lott: I think that the 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore SP (at 2050+) might be a slightly better first-shot bullet for buffalo than even the 500 TSX. Up to now, I've considered a 550 gr Weldcore at proper speed something that was only achievable in big-cartridge .458s, like the .450 Rigby (rimless) Magnum.

It would be nice to see what a Superformance .458 Lott load with a 550gr Weldcore would do. I tried loading that bullet in .458 Lott and couldn't get past 1950 fps. (Double Tap loads that bullet in Lott, which they list as just under 2200 out of a 25" barrel.)

 

[PolymathPioneer]

And there never should be, at least not in 500 grain*. Getting a 500 grain bullet to 2150fps out of 22" barrel is all that has ever been or ever should be asked of the Lott. No reason I can think of to load it substantially hotter.

(Similar situation with the .416 Rigby. BIG cartridge, and it can be hot-rodded right into Weatherby Magnum territory...which defeats the purpose of the Rigby: to get its specified velocity at low pressure. No reason to heavy load it.)

As we all know, the .458 Win Mag has had borderline velocity issues. A little safe-pressure hot-rodding (to get the 2150 out if 22-inch barrel) would be welcome, IMHO. So it is disappointing to see that the Superformance load is 2140 out of a 24 inch barrel. That's only 50 fps more than what Federal lists (they don't list a specific barrel length, though). Would still be interesting to see what they could do with the Barnes (extra long) 500 gr TSX bullet, but they won't; they're not even loading their own GMX bullet in anything bigger than .338.

*Oh, for the .458 Lott: I think that the 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore SP (at 2050+) might be a slightly better first-shot bullet for buffalo than even the 500 TSX. Up to now, I've considered a 550 gr Weldcore at proper speed something that was only achievable in big-cartridge .458s, like the .450 Rigby (rimless) Magnum.

It would be nice to see what a Superformance .458 Lott load with a 550gr Weldcore would do. I tried loading that bullet in .458 Lott and couldn't get past 1950 fps. (Double Tap loads that bullet in Lott, which they list as just under 2200 out of a 25" barrel.)

LH; Excellent response to my post! Thank you very much for your input. What's your opinion of the ASquare loading for both 458 win mag and 458 lott with their 465 grain monolithic solid. Finn and Boddington both seemed to like the load based on what I read that they both wrote in "Any Shot You Want". I have not tried the 465 load yet but I am going to get some from Art, possibly when he visits me later this year in Montana I'll ask him to bring some along.

 

[Loosedhorse]

While knowing their reputations, I have no experience either with A-Square ammo or with monolithic solids in any .458.