45 Nosler wildcat

[1972RedNeck]

Has anyone necked a Nosler cartridge up to 458? Thinking you could equal a 458 Lott in a 30-06 length action with a standard magnum bolt face...

 

[PerH]

Since based off .404 J , it would be similar to .460 Guns&Ammo , but updated specs

 

[Nevada Mike]

Isn''t the 450 African a 404 necked up to .45 caliber?

 

[1972RedNeck]

Isn''t the 450 African a 404 necked up to .45 caliber?

I have no idea

 

[PerH]

Yes it’s off a slightly shortened and improved .404 case , the African one is . And it can cut a .458 win chamber quite easy also .


And .460 G&A of which St Cooper ‘ Baby and his Kimber Crusher was chambered in them also .

 

[1972RedNeck]

Yes it’s off a slightly shortened and improved .404 case , the African one is . And it can cut a .458 win chamber quite easy also .


And .460 G&A of which St Cooper ‘ Baby and his Kimber Crusher was chambered in them also .

Still requires a magnum length action? 45 Nosler would fit an 06 action...

 

[PerH]

Thread 'Wanted Die Set For The 458 African Cartridge'

Feb 12, 2024

Looking for a set of dies - this is somewhat confusing but this is the cartridge based on the 404 J case. Thank you for any help with this.

• SkullKeeper
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Classifieds

• 

Here is one post from last year about the African and with its measures also

 

[Riflecrank]

I have a .458/.416 Ruger wildcat done to clean up a "ringed chamber" on a Whitworth .458 WIN MAG with standard 3.4" magazine/action length.
Nice cartridge with a shoulder better than a 400 Whelen,
which is a totally functional shoulder.

Great advantage is no barrel setback and you get the remnant SAAMI .458 WIN MAG throat beyond 2.580" from breech face.
It will beat a SAAMI .458 Lott performance for sure.

No rebated rim on my wildcat.
Anybody else tried a .458/.416 Ruger ?

But it does require new Mauser bottom metal to get 3 down in mag box. Sunny Hill drop box is 3.47" inside length.
Not so if using a Ruger Hawkeye for .416 Ruger or .375 Ruger to start with,
and Alaska Arms makes drop floor plates for 4 + 1 in those.

Just run a .375 Ruger or .416 Ruger
finish reamer with proper pilot into the .458 WIN MAG chamber,
.375 Ruger head space gages used.

Handloading die set is so far by me just using .416 Ruger dies and a separate neck expander, and a make-do roll crimp with a .458 SOCOM that works like a charm,
just barely.

A LEE Factory Crimp die made for it is all I need.
But a complete custom handloading set would save some working of neck brass and decrease need for annealing.

 

[Riflecrank]

Video linked by PerH above,
Host said the 460 G&A was pushing 400-gr bullets down the barrel.
Such a "Heavy Rifle" for Africa not using 500-gr bullets ?
Did he misspeak or were he and Colonel Cooper ahead of their time ?

 

[Riflecrank]

I thought I might have once visited Gunsmoke Guns in Denver.
I googled it.
Long since closed.
Host of video above lost his FFL in 2012.
He then used "straw FFLs" to do background checks and close the deals.
Eventually he went to prison in 2018 for doing that, and evading taxes on over a million bucks of income.
Col. Cooper must have done some situps and pushups in his grave over that.

Another sad thing was having to turn this factory Whitworth .458 WIN MAG into a .458 WIN Ruger:

 

[Riflecrank]

Don't like the awkward naming of that wildcat ?
Call it the .458 PRC: