michael458
AH fanatic
Back in the middle of April my Accountant informed me he was headed to Africa for buffalo July 1. He also decided he wanted to take me up on a long time offer of using one of my rifles, namely a 458 B&M. Of course I said yes.
He brought out a rifle he had purchased a couple of years ago, a Weatherby that had been converted to 458 Lott, and 3 boxes of crap Hornady ammo. Rifle topped with a 1.5X5 Swarovski and Tally rings. Rifle was not as bad as I had invisioned, plastic stock, relatively heavy, looks like maybe 22-24 inch barrel. I just put the thing in the rack to do something with later, probably list it on GunBroker.
Next, big decision, Which 458 B&M am I going to let him borrow? I did not care too much for my 18 inch Bastogne going off in someone else’s hands. Nor my Snow Alaskan, which would have to be completely done over, another stock, scope, sight in, the works, as it is set up for lighter 250 Socom and Ultimate Snow stock for Alaskan work……. Hmmmmmmm?????
Looking around, I found a 20 inch gun, blued. Pulled it out, had some rust spots on it, been in the rack for well over 10 years, if not longer, has not been touched. Come to learn, this was the #2 458 B&M built. Twenty inch barrel, forward T’SOB mount, and very old original Accurate Innovations stocks from when AI was owned by the group in South Dakota. Laser engraved, and looked like a piece of plywood! Yes, this might just be the perfect gun to loan out. Ran some CEB 450 Solids through it to check magazine feed and retention, it was perfect. But the stock was too bland, ugly, to send anywhere with anyone…… I decided to ask Wes to remove the laser engraving, and get it hand checkered………Lucky for me, Wes was able to put a rush on it.
By Mid May Wes returned the totally refinished stock, complete now with standard hand checkering. I wish, and probably do somewhere, have some old photos of this stick of plywood. When I opened the box from Wes, I was quite sure he had made a serious mistake, and sent another stock, this one was fantastic, gorgeous and took me by total surprise…….. It is now worthy of going to the field. I could not believe it….. Still don’t………..
With the forward mount, it makes it difficult to get a set of irons on the gun. In the past, I have mounted this XS Ghost ring forward, and you can’t believe how good it works, how fast it is. Looks a little funny, and definitely not conventional, but its stupid just how good this works….. I sighted it in, and as poor as my eyes are, the bead covers completely 2.5 inches at 25 yards, I was able to shoot 5 rounds in 1.75 inches at 25 yards…… That will do, I can’t see any better than that, in fact, I can’t see that good…………
The blue finish has suffered a good bit over the years. This gun was built and I started shooting it in May 2007. The last data I have on it being fired was March 2008. I guess its been sitting in the rack since then.
I took the POS Swaro off the POS Weatherby 458 Lott and hoped to use it on the 458 B&M. After a couple of hours, and 50 rounds fired trying to keep two rounds together at 50 yards, I gave up on the Swaro Trash. Sorry Swaro fans, it is what it is, end of story, not my first rodeo with these. I mounted a nice 1X4 Nikon African Monarch, and in 10 rounds fired total the rifle was ready to go to Zimbabwe.
Remounted the POS scope on the POS gun, and returned everything to my Accountant when he picked up the 458 B&M. Very happy that junk is gone. About like having a 375 caliber rifle in my room, well, maybe not that bad.
I loaded up 40 rounds of Ammo for him, 420 Raptors at 2360 fps and 450 #13 Solids at 2320 fps for his first buffalo.........
Yesterday He text me a photo of his successful hunt........................
I am told 1 420 Raptor frontal chest shot (did not get how far but assume less than 50 yards). 25 yards and the bull was down for the count. Autopsy showed the heart was blown and lungs were shredded, this is what a Raptor does..........
He tried to buy the rifle before leaving, but I refused to sell. I am quite sure he will want to buy on return, but the rifle is not for sale..........But he can use it anytime he wants and can treat it as his when needed.................
New Life for an older forgotten rifle.....................
He brought out a rifle he had purchased a couple of years ago, a Weatherby that had been converted to 458 Lott, and 3 boxes of crap Hornady ammo. Rifle topped with a 1.5X5 Swarovski and Tally rings. Rifle was not as bad as I had invisioned, plastic stock, relatively heavy, looks like maybe 22-24 inch barrel. I just put the thing in the rack to do something with later, probably list it on GunBroker.
Next, big decision, Which 458 B&M am I going to let him borrow? I did not care too much for my 18 inch Bastogne going off in someone else’s hands. Nor my Snow Alaskan, which would have to be completely done over, another stock, scope, sight in, the works, as it is set up for lighter 250 Socom and Ultimate Snow stock for Alaskan work……. Hmmmmmmm?????
Looking around, I found a 20 inch gun, blued. Pulled it out, had some rust spots on it, been in the rack for well over 10 years, if not longer, has not been touched. Come to learn, this was the #2 458 B&M built. Twenty inch barrel, forward T’SOB mount, and very old original Accurate Innovations stocks from when AI was owned by the group in South Dakota. Laser engraved, and looked like a piece of plywood! Yes, this might just be the perfect gun to loan out. Ran some CEB 450 Solids through it to check magazine feed and retention, it was perfect. But the stock was too bland, ugly, to send anywhere with anyone…… I decided to ask Wes to remove the laser engraving, and get it hand checkered………Lucky for me, Wes was able to put a rush on it.
By Mid May Wes returned the totally refinished stock, complete now with standard hand checkering. I wish, and probably do somewhere, have some old photos of this stick of plywood. When I opened the box from Wes, I was quite sure he had made a serious mistake, and sent another stock, this one was fantastic, gorgeous and took me by total surprise…….. It is now worthy of going to the field. I could not believe it….. Still don’t………..
With the forward mount, it makes it difficult to get a set of irons on the gun. In the past, I have mounted this XS Ghost ring forward, and you can’t believe how good it works, how fast it is. Looks a little funny, and definitely not conventional, but its stupid just how good this works….. I sighted it in, and as poor as my eyes are, the bead covers completely 2.5 inches at 25 yards, I was able to shoot 5 rounds in 1.75 inches at 25 yards…… That will do, I can’t see any better than that, in fact, I can’t see that good…………
The blue finish has suffered a good bit over the years. This gun was built and I started shooting it in May 2007. The last data I have on it being fired was March 2008. I guess its been sitting in the rack since then.
I took the POS Swaro off the POS Weatherby 458 Lott and hoped to use it on the 458 B&M. After a couple of hours, and 50 rounds fired trying to keep two rounds together at 50 yards, I gave up on the Swaro Trash. Sorry Swaro fans, it is what it is, end of story, not my first rodeo with these. I mounted a nice 1X4 Nikon African Monarch, and in 10 rounds fired total the rifle was ready to go to Zimbabwe.
Remounted the POS scope on the POS gun, and returned everything to my Accountant when he picked up the 458 B&M. Very happy that junk is gone. About like having a 375 caliber rifle in my room, well, maybe not that bad.
I loaded up 40 rounds of Ammo for him, 420 Raptors at 2360 fps and 450 #13 Solids at 2320 fps for his first buffalo.........
Yesterday He text me a photo of his successful hunt........................
I am told 1 420 Raptor frontal chest shot (did not get how far but assume less than 50 yards). 25 yards and the bull was down for the count. Autopsy showed the heart was blown and lungs were shredded, this is what a Raptor does..........
He tried to buy the rifle before leaving, but I refused to sell. I am quite sure he will want to buy on return, but the rifle is not for sale..........But he can use it anytime he wants and can treat it as his when needed.................
New Life for an older forgotten rifle.....................
