DANGEROUS GAME 458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM SOLID MONO-METAL

“DANGEROUS GAME” 458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM
450 gr. SOLID Mono-Metal @ 2,200 fps / 4,835 ft-lbs
20-Round Box

BUFFALO BORE DANGEROUS GAME 458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM

ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

In my mind, true Dangerous Game cartridges need to be of large bullet diameter. I’ve killed a lot of game animals with many cartridges and I can say for a certainty, that if all else is equal, bullet diameter makes a huge difference in lethality.

458 diameter bullets, if constructed properly, are serious killers. In fact, you really do not need expanding bullets in 458. The bullet diameter alone, with flat nose solids, simply kills assuming sufficient penetration.

This 450 gr. flat nose solid is designed to penetrate many feet through muscle and bone on any mammal. It will not expand or deform and in my rifles, shoots very close to the same point of impact of our 450 gr. TSX load at 150 yards. Normally, I can get shorter lead-based bullets of 450 grs. to achieve around 2,200 fps in the 458 Winchester Magnum. This load generates 2,164 fps in my 18-inch barreled 458. I could have added a couple more grains of powder and compressed the crap out of it with the seated bullet to achieve 2,200 fps, but I do not care for the practice of heavily compressing powder charges with the bullet. This load is slightly compressed, but not heavily compressed.

My 18-inch rifle shoots this bullet slightly faster than my 22-inch rifle. Why? Please read this article “Velocity Versus Barrel Length.” My 18-inch rifle sports an old highly custom Marquart barrel as I had this rifle made over 30 years ago, for kicking around in Coastal Alaska. My 22-inch rifle is a factory Winchester and simply does not have as slick/fast a barrel.

The American gun industry has been duplicitous in claiming bullet velocities. It’s typical for ammo companies to use very long machine mounted test barrels to get very high velocities, but in the real world, with real firearms, you simply will not achieve those results. 23 years ago, Buffalo Bore started to publicly expose this practice and today we are starting to see a few ammo companies get honest with velocities by using real-world guns to generate published velocities. About 35 years ago, (long before I was Buffalo Bore Ammunition) I bought my first chronograph as I had a deep interest in ballistics. (this is being written in 03-2020) I was immediately stunned by how low ACTUAL velocities were, versus published velocities, when it comes to the big ammo companies’ products. When I started Buffalo Bore Ammunition, I chose not to be dishonest regarding published velocities.

➤2,141 fps -- Winchester, 22-inch
➤2,168 fps -- Custom made, 18-inch

Also, I am not a fan of the under-stabilization of 500 gr. bullets in the 458 Win. Mag. When shooting 500 gr. solids, the bullet will often fail to track straight in medium (read flesh and bone) because the 1-14 twist does not stabilize a bullet that heavy/long, well enough for it to maintain stabilization while busting through medium. Therefore the heaviest bullet we will feature in the 458 Win. Mag., is 450 grs., which is the way the cartridge should have been designed originally as 450 grs. of properly designed bullet, gets the job done with any dangerous African animal and the solids will penetrate/track very straight if they feature a flat nose and these do. A straight tracking 450 gr. solid, will far out-penetrate a 500 gr. solid that gets sideways inside the animal. Original bullets weighing 500 grs. were conceived as more of a marketing practice (WOW! 500 GRS! YIPEE) to the “heavier is better” crowd, than a practical terminal function and in the last couple decades, folks who hunt with the 458 Win. Mag. have learned that 450 gr. bullets penetrate more deeply AS A GENERAL RULE if all else is equal.

Shooters often say stupid things and I’ve heard several of them say that 2,100 fps with a 450 gr. bullet is just a glorified +P 45-70. Um, no! When I load this 450 gr. bullet in a 45-70 case, to max +P velocities, I barely get 1,750 fps……..which by the way, I would use in Africa on Cape Buffalo without hesitation, but I’d prefer 2,100fps if I had the option.

Our propellant selection has allowed us to keep pressures below SAAMI average max. This can become important if your barrel gets filled with rainwater or dust, etc., which raises pressures upon firing and you may find that pulling the trigger with rain in your barrel will raise pressures beyond the rifle design and reliable rifle function can be compromised……..not good when facing an animal that can stomp you into a pile of bloody flesh.

If you insist on using 500 gr. bullets in the 458, the 458 Lott will be the answer for you and we are making that ammo as well, with one 500 gr. TSX option. The Lott generates greater stability to the long/heavy 500 gr. bullet due to its higher velocity. (faster rotation of the bullet) Still, if I hunt Africa with the Lott, (and I’ll be doing that in 2022) I’ll be using 450 gr. bullets for my expanding loads and for my solids.

We are also making a 400 gr. TSX load for the mighty 458 Win. Mag. and Lott, for those that like the 458 for killing giant bears, elk, moose, etc.. The first six times I hunted AK Brown Bear, my guide used a 458 Win. Mag. with 350 gr. hand loaded Hornady bullets and swore by it over the 375 H&H hands down and he had killed many dozens of big bears in his life.

This is serious ammo for serious applications. Use it with confidence. Thank you.

 ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID - Exterior Ballistics Charts for several Muzzle Velocities

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Muzzle Velocity @ 2500 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 2400 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 2300 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 2200 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 2100 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 2000 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 1900 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

Muzzle Velocity @ 1800 fps for ITEM 458 Win Mag DG 450 SOLID

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