Michael S. Jackson
New member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 7
This is my first post - just joined. There certainly must be a few of you out there who own a .458 Lott. I would be interested to hear your opinions on hunting Southern Buffalo with this cartridge - bullet type, grain weight, velocity, etc. Also, have you ever loaded the round down using a 300 - 350 grain bullet for plains game (same applies: bullet type, grain eight, velocity, etc.). Any advice on how best the shoot one of these rifles? Sticks? Scope?
For full disclosure, I own one and am taking this rifle to Africa for the second time this Fall. I have yet to take any animal with the .458 Lott but will hopefully get a buffalo and a bush buck (maybe more?). I have fired 450 - 500 grains Barnes TSX bullets for a year and a half, approximately 900 - 1,000 rounds, in practice and can shoot fairly well from sticks (4" groups at 100 yards). I have loaded some Cutting Edge solids that print to the same point of impact as my Barnes (my PH says to stick with the Barnes only and not use solids). I have also loaded Hornady 350 grain (not bonded) bullets for plains game; these print 3" higher than the Barnes at 100 yards.
Shooting from sticks (tripod) is difficult because I cannot hold the sticks with my off hand and must keep it firmly grasping the forestock because of recoil. I place the sling underneath the rifle so it won't get tangled up in the sticks if I need to shoot off-hand quickly (also allows the rifle to recoil straight rearward). The best advice I can give for these heavy rifles is to NOT squeeze the trigger... PRESS it smoothly and don't anticipate recoil. Let the rifle slam your shoulder - you'll live. You might not if you screw up that first shot...
As for other shooting poistions, sitting is easy for me and I can do it very well with this rifle. However, kneeling with my off elbow slightly ahead of my off knee (so the point of my elbow won't roll around on my knee) is more difficult than using sticks.
I am using a Leupold Vari-x 6 Firedot scope in 1x-6x with a 30mm tube mounted with quick release rings. I've been very happy with this set-up. Last year, upon arriving in Mozambique, my PH tacked a target at 60 yards for me to check my scope after the flights. I put a Barnes TSX dead center in the middle of the 1" bullseye. As I said, I practice a lot (my right eye retina was starting to detach at one point!).
Thoughts?
For full disclosure, I own one and am taking this rifle to Africa for the second time this Fall. I have yet to take any animal with the .458 Lott but will hopefully get a buffalo and a bush buck (maybe more?). I have fired 450 - 500 grains Barnes TSX bullets for a year and a half, approximately 900 - 1,000 rounds, in practice and can shoot fairly well from sticks (4" groups at 100 yards). I have loaded some Cutting Edge solids that print to the same point of impact as my Barnes (my PH says to stick with the Barnes only and not use solids). I have also loaded Hornady 350 grain (not bonded) bullets for plains game; these print 3" higher than the Barnes at 100 yards.
Shooting from sticks (tripod) is difficult because I cannot hold the sticks with my off hand and must keep it firmly grasping the forestock because of recoil. I place the sling underneath the rifle so it won't get tangled up in the sticks if I need to shoot off-hand quickly (also allows the rifle to recoil straight rearward). The best advice I can give for these heavy rifles is to NOT squeeze the trigger... PRESS it smoothly and don't anticipate recoil. Let the rifle slam your shoulder - you'll live. You might not if you screw up that first shot...
As for other shooting poistions, sitting is easy for me and I can do it very well with this rifle. However, kneeling with my off elbow slightly ahead of my off knee (so the point of my elbow won't roll around on my knee) is more difficult than using sticks.
I am using a Leupold Vari-x 6 Firedot scope in 1x-6x with a 30mm tube mounted with quick release rings. I've been very happy with this set-up. Last year, upon arriving in Mozambique, my PH tacked a target at 60 yards for me to check my scope after the flights. I put a Barnes TSX dead center in the middle of the 1" bullseye. As I said, I practice a lot (my right eye retina was starting to detach at one point!).
Thoughts?