300gr Nosler .458 Lott

[njc110381]

Hi guys. Has anyone used this cartridge/bullet combination for plains game? I'm also looking to load it down a bit to shoot deer with here in the UK. It's a fairly decent bullet in the smaller calibres but I've only ever used it in 6, 6.5 and 7mm. 300gr is light for a .458.

If not, do you have any other reasonably light bullet suggestions for that use? I've asked my supplier about Barnes but they are on back order and I can't get them.

 

[Lbarr265]

Hi guys. Has anyone used this cartridge/bullet combination for plains game? I'm also looking to load it down a bit to shoot deer with here in the UK. It's a fairly decent bullet in the smaller calibres but I've only ever used it in 6, 6.5 and 7mm. 300gr is light for a .458.

If not, do you have any other reasonably light bullet suggestions for that use? I've asked my supplier about Barnes but they are on back order and I can't get them.

I’d estimate 2500+FPS. Nosler claims their partitions are designed for up to unlimited velocity but they certainly do come apart at high velocities. I’d recommend down loading it significant before trying it on game. Are you trying to replicate the 45-70?

My armchair quarterback opinion is it’s probably fine for plains game with thin skin, the back portion of the partition should retain enough wt to penetrate alright but not great.

 

[tarbe]

The 300gr Partition has been long gone, so I assume you are talking about the 300gr Ballistic Tip?

I did some penetration "tests" on a large black bear with the 300gr BT. Impact velocity was 1,800 fps and the bullets would not give a pass through on the chest.

For deer, they are fine I would imagine. But anything tough and over 300 pounds I would go with a tougher and/or heavier bullet. Especially if you up the impact velocity!

 

[njc110381]

It is the Ballistic Tip I was referring to. Feedback on the bear is what I suspected, thanks for confirming it!

I do intend to load it down, but to what degree depends on bullet performance. Because I'm taking the round away from it's design purpose a little I think it's easier to work with what's available rather than try to make what's available do what I need. The only spec I have is I need more than 2450fps if I can (Scottish deer law requires that no matter what the energy), and I want to make the energy as low as possible. The 300gr Barnes would have been ideal, or maybe the 350gr, but I can't get them.

 

[Luvthunt]

Well,I use a 300 gr Sierra in my 45-70 at 2150 FPS should not be a problem to load up to 2450 in the Lott. They open up on Whitetails at 2150.

 

[njc110381]

Well,I use a 300 gr Sierra in my 45-70 at 2150 FPS should not be a problem to load up to 2450 in the Lott. They open up on Whitetails at 2150.

Thanks. My concern with the .45-70 bullets is that they may not cope with the increased velocity? That said, if the bullet does fail on my small deer it's more likely to cut them in half than it is to not be humane. I'd rather not lose meat but I'd rather that than lose the animal.

I think I have some 300gr Sierra here somewhere already. Are they hollow point?

 

[Luvthunt]

Yes, hollow point.

 

[njc110381]

Yes, hollow point.

I had a rummage about, that is what I have. I'll give them a go if the police let me use it for game here - sometimes big calibres are restricted to range use and taking abroad so I wouldn't be allowed expanding ammunition for it if that's the case. It's a silly rule but we're a very tightly populated country so I kind of get the basis of it. We all have a dumb firearms law somewhere in the legislation, Britain just happens to have loads of them!

I've sent in lots of paperwork. Evidence of the Lott not being a big deal. It sheds energy pretty fast so public safety isn't in question - my .338 Win Mag far outguns it after a couple of hundred yards due to the much increased BC of the bullet. And I plan to load it down to hot .45-70 levels for our deer anyway, I have both those calibres already cleared to shoot what I want, where I want as long as I have the land owner's permission.

We'll see. I'm not expecting a straight yes. I may even get a straight refusal, at which point I will try to compromise with a smaller .4 of some kind. It's all silly, but unfortunately it's what I have to work with and there's little I can do to change that.

 

[Luvthunt]

Your post stated 300 gr, so I did not mention before that I load 350 gr Hornadys with IMR 4198 to about 2300 for practice of rapid cycling.
They come FP and RN. Never shot anything but paper with them, but they should handle a higher vel better.

 

[njc110381]

The 350gr Interlock is another I've looked at. Again, I've had good experiences with those in smaller calibres. Interestingly the BC of the FP is higher than the RN, I would have expected it to be the other way around?

All these bullets look great to get used to the rifle with. Lots of time out shooting smaller game is just what's needed I think. They're cheap too, so I can afford to get through a lot of them and not worry about cost.

 

[bruce moulds]

can you get 300 or 350 gn northforks there?
they might have the best of both worlds.
bruce.

 

[Red Leg]

I can understand wanting to use a .458 on a buffalo. I am not sure that I get trying to turn it into a .375 with a 300 gr bullet. On the other hand, a 300 gr .375 will handle PG as far as any PH will be comfortable a client shooting, and it will lethally, and very accurately, drill a buffalo. The Lott is a fairly specialized thumper. And as we have discussed on a previous thread, I can't conceive of a real world advantage in trying to create a radically different light weight load for plains game in that caliber. If I were bringing a Lott on a general game hunt (DG and PG), I'd bring two rifles. If I wanted to do it with a single caliber, my preference, by a large margin, would be a .375 with 300 gr bullets. My second choice would be a .416 with a 400 gr bullet. The only data on such a light bullet I could find was a 325 gr Hornady with a BC of .230. .230! That is about like shooting an ashtray. In comparison, a 270 gr .375 provides a BC of .480. I don't care how big the muzzle is, you still have to penetrate game and carry velocity.

Such a load would likely work as a 150-175 yard deer load, but ...... I guess I am all about proportion when it comes to game animals. For me deer start around 6 mm and end around 7.62.

I suppose it could be a practice load for punching paper, but I am a strong believer in becoming comfortable with a rifle as it was meant to be used. Sure, use cheaper bullets. But, I never download one. You'll develop muscle memory cycling that rifle at one level and are almost guaranteed to be startled in the field when you need to recover from that first shot RIGHT NOW to deal with something angry, hairy, hostile, and inbound..

 

[IvW]

I can understand wanting to use a .458 on a buffalo. I am not sure that I get trying to turn it into a .375 with a 300 gr bullet. On the other hand, a 300 gr .375 will handle PG as far as any PH will be comfortable a client shooting, and it will lethally, and very accurately, drill a buffalo. The Lott is a fairly specialized thumper. And as we have discussed on a previous thread, I can't conceive of a real world advantage in trying to create a radically different light weight load for plains game in that caliber. If I were bringing a Lott on a general game hunt (DG and PG), I'd bring two rifles. If I wanted to do it with a single caliber, my preference, by a large margin, would be a .375 with 300 gr bullets. My second choice would be a .416 with a 400 gr bullet. The only data on such a light bullet I could find was a 325 gr Hornady with a BC of .230. .230! That is about like shooting an ashtray. In comparison, a 270 gr .375 provides a BC of .480. I don't care how big the muzzle is, you still have to penetrate game and carry velocity.

Such a load would likely work as a 150-175 yard deer load, but ...... I guess I am all about proportion when it comes to game animals. For me deer start around 6 mm and end around 7.62.

I suppose it could be a practice load for punching paper, but I am a strong believer in becoming comfortable with a rifle as it was meant to be used. Sure, use cheaper bullets. But, I never download one. You'll develop muscle memory cycling that rifle at one level and are almost guaranteed to be startled in the field when you need to recover from that first shot RIGHT NOW to deal with something angry, hairy, hostile, and inbound..

Very sound advice. A 458 Lott is not a PG caliber...it is a specialized DG cartridge.

I can see someone arriving with a 458 Lott with two different loads trying to make it dual purpose and I can see the disaster unfold....

If it is one rifle for both PG and DG it needs to be able to do both with ONE load.

Calibers that fit this bill would be .375 by far the best choice followed by 404 Jeff or 416 but not 458 Lott.

Just my opinion and Red Leg has given very sound advice....

 

[njc110381]

It's all part of my idea of not starting out with something huge but building up. I get what you're saying and completely agree, but it's also been said that not everyone can shoot a rifle like the Lott well. I truly believe that jumping straight in with a flat out 480 or 500gr bullet with no previous big calibre experience will probably make me flinch. The end goal by the time I go on a proper hunt is to use full loads all the time, but I'd like to build up to that. Building up in field conditions is better than building up just at the range.

When I started shooting I thought a 6.5x55 had stout recoil. I then got a .375H&H and that was trouble when it came to having my mate load it for me (or not). When the gun was cycled but the cartridge held in the mag I was snatching the shot, so I down loaded it and worked it up slowly until I was happy with it running as hot as I could safely get it. If it worked for the .375 when I was younger it will work for the Lott now. I want to start with heavy .45-70 grade loads and see how they feel. Every time I get completely happy I'll increase the charge, up the bullet weight etc. A slow progress to my end goal is fine, slow and steady wins the race.

I don't ever plan to do a plains game hunt with it, but there are a lot of folk here who may have never shot a deer. They've shot plains game and my question is adapted to that so it makes sense to them but also tells me what I want to know. Initially it was an idea but you guys have cleared that up for me and I'm fine with that. I have a 7STW I can take as a second gun if needed. Maybe something will step out that I can take a shot on when I'm there and I'll shoot it though? It would be good to understand the ballistics well enough to do that but when I finally do end up facing a buff it's not going to be with a .375H&H. I want to be one of those people who turns up with his Lott and shoots it like he's been using it his whole life because I will get as much satisfaction out of mastering the calibre properly as I will from the hunt.

Who knows, I may not like the Lott and decide to change to a .416 before I make it to Africa? Shooting for me is as much an appreciation of the firearms as it is shooting the target or the animal. Bottom line is I want to try a Lott, and I want to shoot as many animals with it as I can within it's abilities. I have all the time in the world to achieve that goal and then move the goal posts to another calibre. That's almost a certainty - I've had dozens of rifles since I started.

 

[IvW]

You need a 404 Jeff....

 

[njc110381]

You need a 404 Jeff....

Trust you to suggest the calibre I barely ever see in an affordable rifle!