The .458 Winchester Magnum & I : A Fair Assessment

[Major Khan]

Well written and informative. I remember looking at the compact little .458 cartridge as a boy, and wondering why they had decided upon a 2.5 inch case, at a time when they were offering the much longer .300 H&H and .375 H&H chamberings in their Mod 70's. Later, I owned a light push feed bolt in 458 and found the recoil intolerable. Despite it's diminutive size, it proved too much for me. Thanks for taking the time to write such a fine article.................Bill

It was always my dream to have a client come to India , for shikar ... Armed with a .300 Holland & Holland magnum caliber pre 64 Winchester Model 70 , Bill . Unfortunately , by the time my career had commenced ( 1961 ) ... You American gentle men had almost universally adopted the .300 Winchester magnum caliber .
What brand was your push feed .458 Winchester magnum caliber rifle ?

 

[Major Khan]

Thank you for writing this Major - it was written in your usual entertaining style and I thoroughly enjoyed it

And I also give you the utmost respect for giving the .458 it's props even though you had experienced some failures with it.

I can assure you that today there is no problem with the .458!
5000 ft/lbs is easily obtainable with it and it seems it has finally made good on it's promises

I have a Sambar hunt planned this weekend and I was planning on trying to blood my new Rem 700 .308 - however Major, after reading your excellent article I have decided that I'm using my .458 instead and any Sambar that I bag will be in your honour!

Thank you again for writing this.

Long live the .458!

Kindest regards,

Russ

Well , Russ ... I told you that some day I would let go of all of my grudges against the .458 Winchester magnum caliber . I would also personally like to thank you . It was your admiration of the .458 Winchester magnum ... Which partially inspired me to take another closer look at the .458 Winchester magnum and write this article about it . While conducting my research on the developments of the .458 Winchester magnum caliber in modern times ... I learnt far more than I have served , in this article . Thank you , Russ . You opened my eyes to the real reason behind the failings of the .458 Winchester magnum .

 

[Major Khan]

@Major Khan
My dear friend Ponton.
It is with great pleasure I have read your latest article. I have missed your writings.
I remember reading a story about Joyce Hornaday sitting around a campfire with a group of hunters who were discussing the 458 and the dismal performance of the Hornaday solid projectiles in it. These hunters didn't realise they were talking with Mr Hornaday and he didn't tell them who he was. That experience lead him to develop a better solid projectile to solve the problem.
I pray you are keeping well my friend.
Your humble reader and friend
Bob Nelson

My Dear Friend , Bob ... How could I stay away from writing a new article , for all of you ? I enjoy writing them , just as much as you enjoy reading them . May I ask what year this incident with Joyce Hornady had occurred ? It must have been EXTREMELY awkward to be sitting around that camp fire .
I am keeping really well , and am tending to my new property .
Yours sincerely ,
Your good friend,
Major Poton Khan ( Retired )

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My Dear Friend , Bob ... How could I stay away from writing a new article , for all of you ? I enjoy writing them , just as much as you enjoy reading them . May I ask what year this incident with Joyce Hornady had occurred ? It must have been EXTREMELY awkward to be sitting around that camp fire .
I am keeping really well , and am tending to my new property .
Yours sincerely ,
Your good friend,
Major Poton Khan ( Retired )

My dear friend.
I cannot remember what year it was but in the article he stated he sat and listened to them and asked questions on how they thought it could be improved and what they needed. He apparently didn't say who he was but took on board what they were saying as they had far more actual field use with the cartridge than he. From there he went on to develop a better solid for use in the 458.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@CoElkHunter I can't seem to keep the ammunition loaded for very long. The rifle song calls to me and I must go and appease the great thunder gods with smoke and fire. Unfortunately the rifle range at the house is closing. I hit a target of a different sort the other day and the match results are due to arrive in about 7 months. So no more loud noises around the house for a while. I'll have to join a local club and be annoyed by other shooters.
@Major Khan I thank you for the time you took to compose this. It was a most interesting story and I much enjoyed the pictures of the old ballistics tables. I used to memorize them as a kid. I was fascinated by the .458 and its imposing nature. However even as a young child I could see the greater potential in the .375. Please continue to stood the old campfires in our minds. All the best!

@Forrest Halley
Fear not young Mr Halley children will sleep thru most anything. It's not the noise the Lott makes that will be the problem. It will be the noise you make after the mother slaps you silly for making the noise will wake them.
Congratulations on a young one mate they are both a blessing and a curse as my father used to say as y ou will realise what your father went thru.
It is a magical moment holding your first child that nothing in the word can compare to. A 70 inch Kudu would pale into insignificance compared to your first born.
I pray that both you and the mother keep well and pass our congratulations on to Mrs Halley.
Bob

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Again Major Khan, thanks for such a fine article, well researched and thought out. I appreciate it- these are so very time consuming to put together. Hats off to you!

I have to agree with you. May the major live forever, and keep writing!

 

[flatwater bill]

Poton.............I actually had several 458's over the years, but the first (that recoiled so severely) was on a Howa 1500. It was almost given to me by a man named Ernie, who sported a pair of sunglasses on the overcast day he brought it to my home. Beneath these, as he explained the virtues of this rifle, I could see an ugly blue-red ring above his right eye.........Bill

 

[JLF]

Thanks Major Khan. It is very nice to be able to read your article about the .458 Winchester Magnum.
I remember that it was the first caliber of rifle that excited me, at that very young time, barely 18 years old, I stepped on an armory for the first time, from a neighboring city, to ask about a rifle in that caliber ... He said it was not a caliber for a beginner, and for hunting in my country ... which in time I saw that he is wrong ..
Thanks again for the article.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Poton.............I actually had several 458's over the years, but the first (that recoiled so severely) was on a Howa 1500. It was almost given to me by a man named Ernie, who sported a pair of sunglasses on the overcast day he brought it to my home. Beneath these, as he explained the virtues of this rifle, I could see an ugly blue-red ring above his right eye.........Bill

One time I zeroed my rifle on a bench, readjusted the aim, let the rifle but slip a little too low, and broke my nose. The recoil of the .458 Win is all I want to deal with.
Doug

 

[Major Khan]

Thanks Major Khan. It is very nice to be able to read your article about the .458 Winchester Magnum.
I remember that it was the first caliber of rifle that excited me, at that very young time, barely 18 years old, I stepped on an armory for the first time, from a neighboring city, to ask about a rifle in that caliber ... He said it was not a caliber for a beginner, and for hunting in my country ... which in time I saw that he is wrong ..
Thanks again for the article.

Why thank you so much for your kind words , JFL . I personally feel the exact same way about the .476 Westley Richards caliber . That 1 is capable of breaking both the shoulders of a 3000 pound male gaur bison .

 

[JLF]

Why thank you so much for your kind words , JFL . I personally feel the exact same way about the .476 Westley Richards caliber . That 1 is capable of breaking both the shoulders of a 3000 pound male gaur bison .

IIt's my dream ... a single-shot rifle in that caliber ...

 

[R.M.C.]

Excellent read as always Major!!

 

[Major Khan]

Excellent read as always Major!!

It is my utmost privilege that you are beginning to enjoy my articles so quickly , R. M. C .

 

[enysse]

Thanks for the article. I’m sure it took a lot of time to produce. I hope to take my .458 Win to Africa one day to find out what it really can do. I think a lot of the bad press is due to inferior gun power and bullets. But you are correct too that a bigger brass case was probably needed to produce the power and velocity needed for better knock down potential.

 

[Major Khan]

Thanks for the article. I’m sure it took a lot of time to produce. I hope to take my .458 Win to Africa one day to find out what it really can do. I think a lot of the bad press is due to inferior gun power and bullets. But you are correct too that a bigger brass case was probably needed to produce the power and velocity needed for better knock down potential.

Why thank you so much for your kind words, enysse .