reduced load data for .458 Lott and .375 H&H?

[Brandon.Gleason]

Well, finished through my first 100 rounds (also read as $500) of .458 Lott factory ammo from Hornady. Along with saving a bit of money on practice ammo (trying to save up $8-10k for a Chapuis double in .470NE this year!), I am looking for some good reduced power practice loads to reload to get some more time behind the stock without pounding my shoulder in table fare suitable to be marketed as salisbury steak. I am totally new to reloading and just set up my brand new Lee press in the garage a few days ago.

Anyone have any pet practice load data for the .458 Lott (and .375 H&H for that matter!) that they would like to share with me to get me started off with? The only thing I have for these calibers so far are once fired brass and dies, so I'm open to any and all suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

Brandon

 

[Skyline]

You could always use lighter bullets for plinking. The other option is to shoot cast bullets and Lyman's reloading manual has very good reloading data for reduced loads with cast bullets.

I have never messed around with reduced loads much but I did shoot some cast loads in years gone buy in .416's and .458 Win. They were very mild recoil and allowed me to practice without using up my supply of bullets that are not always easy to get when you live a long ways from town.

 

[AkMike]

There's a dandy used 470 at GB now. 7K

Chapuis AGEX 470 Nitro Express : Other at GunBroker.com

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

There's a dandy used 470 at GB now. 7K

Chapuis AGEX 470 Nitro Express : Other at GunBroker.com

I know, don't tempt me!

All my expendable cash right now is allocated for my trip to Zim next July. Trying to rack up some extra OT to sock away towards the .470.

 

[AkMike]

A while back I read someones sig line that said," You can borrow money but you can't borrow time." It makes me wonder at time!

 

[Calhoun]

...Reduced loads - I don't have any real new reloading manuals but I found some reduced loads in my old Speer & Accurate arms. I have no reloading info on the 458 Lott but do have reduced loads for the 458 win mag if it helps you out.

375 h&h 255 gr lead - xmp 5744 - 34 -47 grs.
375 h&h 285 gr Grand Slam - sr 4759 31.0 -35.0 grs
458 win - all lead bullets:
375 gr - xmp 5744 - 46.8 - 52.o grs
400 gr xmp 5744 45.9 - 51.0 grs
455 gr xmp 5744 44.1 - 49.0 grs
500 grs xmp 5744 42.3 - 47.0 grs
400 gr speer fn - sr4759 26.0 - 30.0 grs

...I don't know how close the lott is to the 458 Win Mag
Never tried reduced loads in these DG calibers, I have messed around with both powders in 30/06, 308, 30/30 & some of the 7 mm calibers with great results. You may try looking up Accutate arms on the net & asking them. I have gotten a lot of good info from them!

 

[AkMike]

If you're anything like me you WILL NOT save a dime by shooting plinking or rediced loads.. Even casting is like this...

#1 reason is that you'll be shooting more.. Instead of shooting 50 full boogie loads at a sitting you'll be throwing a hundred down range.. No savings! Isn't it fun though!

 

[converse320]

There's some info on this in Terry Wieland's book Dangerous Game Rifles. Appendix 2 (or Addendix if you want it as the book has it) suggests using Accurate 5744, filling the case to the base of the seated bullet with 5744, then using a load of 40 percent of this. This allegedly produces velocities of 40-50 percent of full power loads. This is obviously aimed at lead bullets.
Great book by the way, go out and buy it, particularly if you plan trying out the above. I haven't tried it, but plan to.

 

[Ardent]

I used these loads for some Impala for .375 this April during my Cape Buffalo hunt, but of course use caution and I cannot say these will be safe in your gun. In my gun, these are very low pressure, very uniform, and very accurate loads.

270gr Barnes TSX seated to the top band, over 40.0grs of SR4759 (an excellent reduced load powder in .375 H&H). This throws the bullets out right at the 2,000fps mark or so from a typical barrel, I've also used the same powder at 38.0 grains with 300gr Hornady conventional lead core bullets with excellent results (took the wolf hybrid in my avatar photo with that load and my .375). I've experimented with a lot of powders in .375, and the best for milder loads hands down are SR4759, and H4895. With H4895, don't stray below 60 grains or you risk erratic ignition, but for a two-thirds of full house load, a milder H4895 load is an excellent choice. With 60.0 grains of H4895 and the 270gr Barnes TSX, I believe I'm getting around 2,400fps. Very reasonable on the shoulder. That load is a touch below published minimums if I remember correctly, so remember if you use something similar don't seat your bullet out far (you'll further drop pressure and increase case space).

The worst powder for recoil, and the best for velocity in the .375 H&H is H4350. If you want dinosaur hunting loads, that's your powder. Again, use all this info at your own risk as some of it is outside of published info slightly, it has proven excellent for me and every gun is unique.