Author Topic: Any 458 plinkers? (Read 2790 times)

timothy · « **on:** April 30, 2008, 06:43:22 AM »

It sounds rediculous I know and I'm not a big game hunter, but I am a handloader and I really like those big CZ's and Rugers. Are those big guns any fun to just shoot for recreation? I shoot tin cans with a 44mag all the time and enjoy it so I'm wondering if anyone shoots those big rifles just for the fun of it.

corbanzo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2008, 07:08:00 AM »

Sure they can make plinkers... if you love recoil. I personally have never hunted with my CZ550 in .458... I mean, I have been out hiking with it, where if the chance presented itself, I would have taken an animal... but I have not been on a hunt since I've had it that it has been my weapon of choice.

It is still pretty expensive to plink with. But after the initial expense.. you can do pretty well. Once fired brass for the lott costs about 40 cents a case on the bottom end of the spectrum. Brand spankin new stuff usually runs a dollar. Powder is expensive... because you can use between 60 and 90 grains of powder depending on the load. So your powder measure drops quick. The most I have loaded up in the lott was 30 cartridges at once.... and it was devastating to watch that thing go through powder. As of lately, I have started using lead through mine to save some bucks. Still end up being 40 or 50 cents a bullet when you are talking 400 grains of lead, and I only shoot GC bullets in the lott. I also shoot the 350grn hornady sp, which is a little less than 50 cents a piece.

So if you say that brass is already taken care of.... You are still gonna be spending 60-75 cents a shot minimum. Now the question is, is it worth 75 cents a shot to have a .458 to plink with?

You bet your ass it is!

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2008, 08:52:39 AM »

had a no 1 that i shot the hell out of. I thought it was a hoot.

hubel458 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2008, 08:25:52 PM »

You can have a blast with 350 gr bullets in 458Win.
And good for deer and hogs also. About 80 gr of
WW748, and you do ok.Ed

Dictator · « **Reply #4 on:** May 01, 2008, 09:22:44 AM »

Quote from: timothy on April 30, 2008, 06:43:22 AM

It sounds rediculous I know and I'm not a big game hunter, but I am a handloader and I really like those big CZ's and Rugers. Are those big guns any fun to just shoot for recreation? I shoot tin cans with a 44mag all the time and enjoy it so I'm wondering if anyone shoots those big rifles just for the fun of it.

Absolutley Tim,
I shoot & plink with cast bullets in my 375 & 600's more than my 22's.

StrawHat · « **Reply #5 on:** May 02, 2008, 06:36:59 AM »

I used to own a M98 that had been reworked into a 458 Magnum.

Fun for me was loading it with black powder and 500 grain bullets or sometimes 300 grain bullets.

I referred to it as my 45-90 Belted Express Rifle. I had a riot with it.

Plinking, hunting, any kind of shooting, it was great.

jro45 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2008, 07:21:05 AM »

I have a 375 H&H, 416 Rem, & 458 Lott. I shoot the 416 The most out of the three of them.

BBF · « **Reply #7 on:** May 19, 2008, 10:25:55 AM »

Looking at the 3rd Edition Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook I find 4 bullets listed for the 458 Win Mag

292 gr, 385 gr, 482 gr, 552 gr.
The last two are Gas Check bullets.

Powders listed go from Unique to IMR 4064

Example for the 385 gr bullet shows a min of 18.0 gr Unique to give you 1315 fps
max of 22.0 gr Unique 1510 fps

I don't think you can't get much cheaper shooting a African cartridge then that.

Tencubed · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2008, 01:41:59 PM »

Don't recall doing much gopher hunting with any of the belted big bores but don't see why you couldn't. We load reduced loads for training shooters to handle the bigger guns when friends want to learn about them. Good place to start is with a 45-70, lot's of bullet weights and loads listed in many manuals and yes, they are a hoot to shoot when just out bustin rocks.

Cast bullets under 1500 FPS and unique or 2400 powder as mentioned keeps the cost under control in the 45-70. Don't know about the Lott.

Mike

B2crawler · « **Reply #9 on:** June 01, 2008, 11:08:21 AM »

I've got a .460 Weatherby and don't shoot it at all.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2008, 11:35:45 AM »

Quote from: Tencubed on May 31, 2008, 01:41:59 PM

Good place to start is with a 45-70, lot's of bullet weights and loads listed in many manuals and yes, they are a hoot to shoot when just out bustin rocks.
Mike

Back in days gone by, I'm talkin' another time in history, before yuppies and hippies and when beatnicks were the weirdest people in existence and only jazz musicians were reefer heads. When all girls were virginal until their wedding night and no decent person ever broke one of the Commandments. A time before I had a driver's license... I used to shoot rats at the town dump with a 1873 TD Springfield. I'd shoot any factory load I could find (and afford) and my own loads (ever hear of a nutcracker?). The actual loads escape me... probably denial, but I seem to remember them involving misc. shotgun powders and any number of different projectiles reported to be 45 caliber. Large bore plinking is (and was) fun!

Tencubed · « **Reply #11 on:** June 01, 2008, 03:47:27 PM »

Quote from: AtlLaw on June 01, 2008, 11:35:45 AM

Quote from: Tencubed on May 31, 2008, 01:41:59 PM
Good place to start is with a 45-70, lot's of bullet weights and loads listed in many manuals and yes, they are a hoot to shoot when just out bustin rocks.
Mike

Back in days gone by, I'm talkin' another time in history, before yuppies and hippies and when beatnicks were the weirdest people in existence and only jazz musicians were reefer heads. When all girls were virginal until their wedding night and no decent person ever broke one of the Commandments. A time before I had a driver's license... I used to shoot rats at the town dump with a 1873 TD Springfield. I'd shoot any factory load I could find (and afford) and my own loads (ever hear of a nutcracker?). The actual loads escape me... probably denial, but I seem to remember them involving misc. shotgun powders and any number of different projectiles reported to be 45 caliber. Large bore plinking is (and was) fun!

Ah yes, the bygone days of punching the primer out with a punch and small hammer, seating the new one with the nutcracker, dumping in a measure of "powder de jour", often surplus 4831, the original BLC or (do I remember correctly) Dram Bulk Shotgun that came in the 6 pound tin barrel with the little screw off lid. Slugs cast from old sewer pipe lead or bearing babbet recovered at the local machine shop. Genuine bees wax from the local bee man and a little unsalted lard to thin it slightly for lube and you were good to go. Neck sizing was optional and accuracy was marginal. My trapdoor was newer than yours, 1876.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #12 on:** June 02, 2008, 10:05:16 AM »

Quote from: Tencubed on June 01, 2008, 03:47:27 PM

Ah yes, the bygone days

stop stop! you're makin' me get all teary-eyed with nostalgia! <snif>

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 04, 2008, 04:23:21 PM »

I shoot a lot of 350gr Speer bullets out of my 458 Lott @ 2760fps. accuracy is good and cheaper to shoot.

DAG460 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 06, 2008, 07:20:11 PM »

I notice a lot of you like to plink with heavy weight bullets. They are fun but if any of you go back as far as I do maybe you will remember the old collarbutton bullets. They were used in shooting galleries and for pest. You can still get one from Western bullet Co. on line. It is for .458 rifles and only weigh 150 grains. They can even provide load data and only $9.00 a box of 100. They are light, fast, no recoil and a lot of fun.

DAG

Tencubed · « **Reply #15 on:** June 11, 2008, 05:23:30 PM »

Just got back from a several day trip riding quads and looking at deer. No shooting allowed in the park but got in a little practice at the farm.

DAG460 thanks for the source for those collorbutton slugs. I've seen pictures of them a couple of times but never used any. Going to have to give them a try. Wonder if a guy could stack a few of them for a real mean buckshot load?

Mike

DAG460 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 12, 2008, 04:00:33 PM »

Tencubed

They are a pointed bullet so you may be able to stack two of them bases together. They are also a little longer than they look in the drawing on the web site. I don't know if the center trunk of the bullet on the bottom of the stack would hold up to the pressure of pushing the one on top. The center of the bullet is not very thick. The powder gasses would be pushing 300 grains instead of 150. You could have some fun starting out slow and working up and see what the patterns look like on paper. They may fly straight or if they crush a little they may tumble. There is only one way to find out.

DAG

BBF · « **Reply #17 on:** June 13, 2008, 03:31:12 AM »

That website or the Western Bullet Co is not working. I did see other post on a different website saying the Co. closed up

DAG460 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 13, 2008, 07:36:41 AM »

45-70 Govt.

Try this web site. http://www.westernbullet.com/index.htm It should get you there. My son lives in the town they are located in and he picks up the bullets for me at the factory. I will give him a call and see if he knows if they are still in business.

DAG

Tencubed · « **Reply #19 on:** June 13, 2008, 11:05:26 AM »

I just googled "Western Bullet Co" and the site came right up no problem.

May have to put a felt wad between the two buttons to ease the shock. Don't know what such a load would be good for, kind of like the buck and ball loads I sometimes make up.

Mike

BBF · « **Reply #20 on:** June 15, 2008, 10:25:52 AM »

Thanks for the info on the Western Bullet Co. Always looking for fun stuff to shoot.

just tried that link above and it didn't work for me

jebb45 · « **Reply #21 on:** July 05, 2008, 09:37:55 AM »

I too have used my 86 Browning-45/70, and my Ruger 77-458 WM to shoot Prairie Dogs many a time......they work quite well. Never had any complaints about either one. I have used every weight of bullet and round ball I could find or cast, and they are all fun and Great practice.....One can never get to much practice, and have all kinds of fun doing all the shootin'.......

Ranger J · « **Reply #22 on:** July 08, 2008, 12:39:17 PM »

45/70, 300 gr OT, 14 gr Trail Boss, plink, plink,plink!

RJ

oscar1975 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 09, 2008, 06:58:22 AM »

Quote from: timothy on April 30, 2008, 06:43:22 AM

It sounds rediculous I know and I'm not a big game hunter, but I am a handloader and I really like those big CZ's and Rugers. Are those big guns any fun to just shoot for recreation? I shoot tin cans with a 44mag all the time and enjoy it so I'm wondering if anyone shoots those big rifles just for the fun of it.

Hello Timothy; clear that it is a joy, I have a rifle from 375 H & H Magnum and my thought is to buy another 458 in caliber Lott, a pleasure to have them. So I feel completely identified with you.

Regards,

Oscar.

Slam-Fire · « **Reply #24 on:** August 09, 2008, 09:01:12 AM »

Ruger No. 1 in .458 Win. Mag. another Ruger No. 1 in 45-70.

I load the Win Mag 74 gr. 4895 and 500 gr. Hornady or Speer. For "plinking" -- and mostly what it's about is ten rounds and I'm done.

Recoil on a 30-06 is nominally 20 ft. lbs.

Recoil on a 45-70 is nominally about 40 ft. lbs.

.458 Win Mag recoil w/ 500 gr. bullet runs about 65 ft. lbs.

oscar1975 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 09, 2008, 10:57:26 AM »

A gentle caress to the shoulder. I have opted for the 458 Lott, a little harder to regress.

Oscar.

S.B. · « **Reply #26 on:** August 09, 2008, 02:42:02 PM »

Not a plinker yet but, thinking of getting one of the newer Remington 798s in .458?
Steve