Like New Ruger #1 in .458 Lott

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Stainz

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I did a silly trade... I let go of my old friend, a SRH in .454 Casull, to get a very pretty #1... in .458 Lott! The box of Hornady's following this guy around is dated '03 - and half full. At most it has launched ten rounds... probably less since it is a month or so from a collector's hands. I know of three fellows who shot it, myself not included (At 56, I don't want to meet paramedics at the range!). I thought it would be neat on a wall - next to a stuffed tree-rat, perhaps. Or, some .458 Less rounds, perhaps.

I thought about reloading some new Hornady brass with their 500gr FMJ/RN bullets, a la the boxed rounds I have - but, loaded to .45-70 Govt levels (~1100 fps). My Dillon 550 has done yeoman service in pistol ammo, but it won't take this cigar, although the .458 Win Mag would work. The new Lott brass and bullets run <$70/50, with a pair of Hornady dies ~$25, so it won't be too bad considering the $60-$80 cost for a box of twenty loaded Hornady's. I've had two .45-70's over the years, so I could 'enjoy' it at that level. Ideas or suggestions here would be appreciated.

I know, this round is a dangerous animal load... and, as I don't hunt now, well, except for a parking space at the mall, I really have no 'need' for it. Of course, 'need' doesn't explain why I have any firearms. And, to think.... I got rid of the .454 due to my carpal tunnel problems... with this I could dissociate my shoulder, skeletal parts, and experience retinal detachment. Maybe I need another trade...

Stainz
 
Get some cast bullets...

And make some .45-70 loads, using Accurate XMP-5744, or something along those lines. Otherwise, you'll be reporting about your flinching problem in short order. ;)

Congrats on your No1, though!
 
A call to Ruger has an owner's manual 'on the way'... and revealed this newbie was made in March of this year. No Ruger .458 Lott chambering could be too old... it has only been a few years since Ruger & Hornady commercialized this round. I have found reloading supplies and parts/dies for my 550B, too. Now I need some lite .458 Win Mag & .458 Lott loads... suggestions? I am still wondering what I am doing with this thing... it sure is pretty... perhaps it will be wall art!

Stainz
 
The .458 Lott chambering seems to make a lot of sense, if you want/need a big bore in a rimmed magnum case. There was a good article on the Ruger M77, I think, in this chambering in American Rifleman within the past year or two. IIRC, you can still fire .458 Win Mag in it, but you have the additional flexibility of the Lott cartridge.

You must get, what, a full box of 20 reloaded before it's time to open another can of powder??? :D
 
there is probably a very good reason why it only had 10 rounds through it. it recoils like crazy. I have shot 375 & 458 #1's and they definitely not fun
 
I love the 458 Lott.

You can get 458 brass for $.55-60 each, so I don't ever use 458 Win Mag. That is more of a emergency capability than feature IMHO. I'd buy a cheap Lee single stage press to load these on.

My fun loads use the 405 grain Remington 45-70 bullet. They run 15-20 cents delivered. The powder is any medium fast rifle powder I happen to have on hand (60-80 grains depending on powder) and a CCI 250 primer. The secret is to crimp the bullet in the groove ahead of the cannelures. Seating the bullet thus will reduce the capacity of the 458 lott to 458 Winchester levels and reduce the powder required. This load will get you 2175-2375fps, a slightly sore shoulder (but no flinch) and expolsive results downrange. Plus, at less than $.40 a shot, it's cheap.
This combo is for range/varmit/fun use, not edible game and certainly not for anything over 150 pounds or so. This bullet is a bomb at this velocity and will make a mess of anything it hits.

If you'd specifics I'll compile the data and send it to you.


David
 
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I made up some wonderful "wussy" loads using IMR SR-4759 powder in my .375 H&H. I believe it to be formulated to test what .50 BMG does at distance (low velocity). A very high volume/mass podwer, it it made to fill large cases with a small weight of podwer. My .375 H&H loads are 225 gr @ 1850 fps. about the same as a .375 Win.
 
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