.458 Lott too much for North American Big game?

[Neophyte]

I’m thinking of adding a .416 Taylor to the 6.5 Creedmoor, .338WM, .375 Ruger battery.

There’s no such thing as too dead. Coues deer with a .416 Taylor should be interesting. It would make the .338WM and .416 Taylor a good two gun combo.

A .458 caliber on whitetail deer should be outstanding. 45-70 works well on those critters too.

 

[ldmay375]

I’m thinking of adding a .416 Taylor to the 6.5 Creedmoor, .338WM, .375 Ruger battery.

There’s no such thing as too dead. Coues deer with a .416 Taylor should be interesting. It would make the .338WM and .416 Taylor a good two gun combo.

A .458 caliber on whitetail deer should be outstanding. 45-70 works well on those critters too.

Heck yes. If have them, or want them, use them. As to the 416's, I am a big fan.
I like the 458's also. 45-70, 458 Winchester, and 458 Lott.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

so ive been hunting small and medium size game for years, and would like to make the jump to some bigger game animals( Moose, Bear, Nilgai, Buffalo).....

now i have rifles in damn near every caliber up to .375HH.....and i am more than confident .375 will take any game i plan on hunting.....but would i be better served with a .458 (or other .4xx caliber)? or would that be "too much" for anything in N.A.?

right now im leaning towards a CZ550 in .458

thanks for the help

If you want someone to talk you out of buying a new rifle, you've come to the wrong place. If you already have a .375 H&H, you most likely won't find any advantage in a .458 Lott. But...the .458 Lott is a hell of a boomer! Who wouldn't want one? Anyway, maybe you'll want to go and hunt an elephant one day and a Lott would be just the right rifle!

 

[rifletuner]

I hunt with large bore rifles in Australia the majority of the time. These are what I like to use just because I love the rifles and prefer to get out and use them at every opportunity. I generally use lighter for calibre bullets, but not always. People who have never tried using bigger bores seem to think the animal will disintegrate into tiny pieces, but thats far from the case.

I used my 450 Ackley (ballistically identical to the 458 Lott) to hunt wild pigs in northern Australia. I mostly loaded it with 400gn Woodleigh RNSN bullets, but did also use 500gn bullets after getting back from a Cape buffalo hunt just to use up the left over ammo.

My son does the same. As soon as we finished his 458 Win build, we developed a load using Barnes 300gn TTSX bullets and took it deer hunting.

 

[Northern Shooter]

My 458 WM works great on our local bear and moose, can't imagine the Lott would be any different.

 

[skydiver386]

I hunt with large bore rifles in Australia the majority of the time. These are what I like to use just because I love the rifles and prefer to get out and use them at every opportunity. I generally use lighter for calibre bullets, but not always. People who have never tried using bigger bores seem to think the animal will disintegrate into tiny pieces, but thats far from the case.

I used my 450 Ackley (ballistically identical to the 458 Lott) to hunt wild pigs in northern Australia. I mostly loaded it with 400gn Woodleigh RNSN bullets, but did also use 500gn bullets after getting back from a Cape buffalo hunt just to use up the left over ammo.

My son does the same. As soon as we finished his 458 Win build, we developed a load using Barnes 300gn TTSX bullets and took it deer hunting.

Nice looking critters there, but those beautiful rifles catch my eye just as much.

 

[Huvius]

If you reload, the 458 Lott or Windbag are perfect for just about every game animal in North America.
Think round balls at under 1000fps up to 500gr plus projectiles of every description at express velocities.
I used my Lott as a test mule for light 350gr cast and jacketed as well as cast heavies, paper patched and bullets I made from spent 45ACP brass as well as the usual DG bullets.
I sold that rifle - a stainless No.1 because values got high enough to let it go but I have a heavy barreled No.1 in 458WM (1976 model) which will fill that slot.

 

[rifletuner]

Nice looking critters there, but those beautiful rifles catch my eye just as much.

Thanks mate. Life's too short to hunt with an ugly rifle

 

[Gemsbok45]

That 458 Lott is a nice caliber. Why not. For years I carried the 416 Rem in a Model 70. Plenty big. Get around enough Elephants and that CZ 505 Gibbs made me feel better. Big bores are fun go have some!

 

[Rickmt]

If it’s legal,go for it! To each his own.

 

[dogcat1]

Shoot what you can handle and shoot it well.
The .458 Lott is fine if you can handle it. Good luck and I hope your dentist is on speed dial.