458 Win Mag for deer and bear

[Riflecrank]

 

[Riflecrank]

 

[Fryeguy]

I experimented with the 300 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet in a reduced .458 load... I HIGHLY recommend you NOT use that one for hunting... I shot a late season WT doe with it and the bullet completely came apart and made a mess, with shrapnel going everywhere, excessive meat loss.View attachment 702014

I agree with your experience 100%!!! I used the nosler 300 ballistic tips in a savage ML, speeds around 1800-1900fps. I happened to shoot a black bear that dressed 364# (the day after I shot it) It turned into a long evening. Bullets did NOT penetrate well at all. I did spine it first shot thank goodness, but bears are tough. I hit him 3-4 times from treestand, with shots being 100-125 yards. Once he was out of sight, I had to get down and follow up, and I found him dragging himself into the worst hollow ever 175 yards away. One last shot quartering away behind the shoulder finally got lungs and heart, and he didn’t take another step. I think the additional yardage and slowing bullet down even more helped it too. First and Last time I ever used that bullet. Will never use it again, ever. It was definitely made for 458Socom cartridge. I think I gave the others I had left away. So please don’t use them. I never had a minute of trouble with the hornady 300 bullets. I plan on using the HP interlock and the 350RN myself some this fall in my 458WM

 

[jnmullins]

@Riflecrank, what powder are you using with those 300gr Barnes? That looks like it would really be effective on deer and hogs.

 

[Muskox]

View attachment 706545

Sexy stuff that!

 

[Muskox]

This is all the flavors of 10.3mm (.413) bullets I have for the two Swiss Cartridges I shoot.

10,3x68 RWS and 10,3x60R.

The 2nd one from the left is a RWS HIT 200 Gain. The factory rounds look a lot like the 458 Barnes X bullets you have loaded.

 

[Riflecrank]

Oops.
I meant to say 71.0 grains of H4198.
Gave 2638 fps Mv with 300-gr/.458 TTSX-BT in a 25" barrel.
W-W brass and F-215 primer, 3.390" COL.

78.0 grains H4198 with the stubbier 300-gr TSX-FB did just over 2800fps MV and accurate in same 25" barrel, COL 3.330", W-W brass, F-215 primer.

Stay tuned for some 24" and 20" velocities with 300-gr TTSX-BT and H4198.
That bullet is a more reliable expander at low impact velocities, according to Michael458's testing,
and no top-end impact velocity worries, like with that 300-gr Nosler blower-upper-exploding-pancaker.

Then scope adjusted to zero at 100 yards:

Hoping to flatten the trajectory and reduce wind drift with higher MV.
But above load is like a hot-loaded .375 H&H as far as oomph.
Graf & Sons was having a sale on those bullets recently .
Been a while since I tried them, got some more to go for .375 WBY MAG OOMPH this time,
instead of .375 H&H oomph.

 

[Riflecrank]

Drop tube and bullet sitting on mildly compressed charge of H4198 with a LEE Factory Crimp,
next time with the TTSX-BT 300-grainer.
H4198 likes mild compression with 250-gr to 300-gr bullets in the .458 WIN MAG.

 

[Muskox]

What is recoil like with the 300 Grain Barnes X? I bet it is a pussy cat like a 300 Winchester or so.

 

[Mountaineer]

I shoot mine laying prone with the 300 grain bullets.

 

[Riflecrank]

What is recoil like with the 300 Grain Barnes X? I bet it is a pussy cat like a 300 Winchester or so.

Subjectively it kicks about half as hard as a 500-grainer at 2150 fps in the same weight rifle.
Shootable from prone.
Run the numbers for a 10-pound rifle and you get.
300-grainer: 40.2 ft-lbs recoil energy @ 16.08 fps recoil velocity
500-grainer: 63.0 ft-lbs @ 20.1 fps

Corrected image for that sweet 300-gr load:

 

[Riflecrank]

Even kinder to the shoulder:

Shooting it at 3000 fps instead of 2700 fps gains you only about 50 yards down range,
poor BC.
I would stick with the 65.0 grains of AA-5744, zeroed at 208 yards it is only 2.98" high at 100 yards:

No top-end limit on impact velocity, don't know about the low-end impact velocity for expansion for the Monoflex.
The 300-gr/.458 TTSX BT is a "known known" for me, thanks to Michael458.
Maybe he has tested the 250-gr/.458 also.
If so, that would be an "unknown known" for me.