Buffalo hunting with a .458 Win Mag

[AZDAVE]

True but a little weight in the buttstock and forend would help.

Looking forward to hearing how your Bradshaw shoots!

 

[hoytcanon]

Have a HR Buffalo Classic that I opened up to a 45/100, Have just been shoot plinking 405gr loads. Might need to push it up into the 458 WM level loads.

Kiss your hinge pin good-bye.

 

[AZDAVE]

@hoytcanon When I do the bolt thrust calculations the 45/100 even loaded to 458WM pressures come to less than the 500S&W that are built on the same actions. so I am not concerned about the hinge pin.

 

[hoytcanon]

@hoytcanon When I do the bolt thrust calculations the 45/100 even loaded to 458WM pressures come to less than the 500S&W that are built on the same actions. so I am not concerned about the hinge pin.

Except, my friend, I have done a couple dozen H&R SB2 frames in high pressure, high thrust cartridges, via rebores and stubs and I have bent MANY, MANY hinge pins... so as I said, good luck with that

 

[AZDAVE]

@hoytcanon Thank you for the information. I haven't bent one yet but my number of SB2 frames is only a couple.. I will watch for that problem to raise its ugly head.

When you replaced the pin did you use one from H&R or make one?

 

[hoytcanon]

@hoytcanon Thank you for the information. I haven't bent one yet but my number of SB2 frames is only a couple.. I will watch for that problem to raise its ugly head.

When you replaced the pin did you use one from H&R or make one?

I had a machinist friend make me a batch of pins... and I used them. I went through an H&R phase... they are fun and inexpensive to work on... I did many switch barrel sets, ie.
.44 RM/.30/30/20 gauge
.444/.35 Whelen/12 gauge
7.62X57/.303 British/.410
And a whole host of others... most of them in custom stock sets.

 

[Sarg]

I had a machinist friend make me a batch of pins... and I used them. I went through an H&R phase... they are fun and inexpensive to work on... I did many switch barrel sets, ie.
.44 RM/.30/30/20 gauge
.444/.35 Whelen/12 gauge
7.62X57/.303 British/.410
And a whole host of others... most of them in custom stock sets.View attachment 724647View attachment 724648

I have a lot also & went through even more back in the day, made one in .500NE 3 1/4in, at slightly less weight than in 45/70, full nitro loads were like being in a Train Crash every shot !

Do you have any spare stock sets you can send to NZ, my only nice one was the Cinnamon laminate but it went with the .500NE ?

 

[AZDAVE]

Nice looking stuff there!

If I bend one looks like I will need to fire up the lathe.

 

[hoytcanon]

I have a lot also & went through even more back in the day, made one in .500NE 3 1/4in, at slightly less weight than in 45/70, full nitro loads were like being in a Train Crash every shot !

Do you have any spare stock sets you can send to NZ, my only nice one was the Cinnamon laminate but it went with the .500NE ?

I probably have some walnut blanks left in the shop... you will need to sand and finish with TruOil (or similar), but they will be bolt-on ready.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

480 grain Woodleigh.

 

[Bugger]

I’m wondering if a concern might be over-penetration. I’d hate to accidentally draw blood and maybe kill another.

 

[tarbe]

I’m wondering if a concern might be over-penetration. I’d hate to accidentally draw blood and maybe kill another.

Always a concern when hunting a herd animal.

 

[hoytcanon]

I have and use a .458 WM Ruger M77 Mark II... for NA, I load the Barnes Original 400 SSP, for African DG, the Barnes 450 TSX. I also plink for fun with the Hornady 350 RN... although they would do a good job on deer and black bears too.

 

[50Gunner]

According to the Hammer bullet guys I was the first hunter out to test the 458 cal 404gr Hammer bullet on Cape Buffalo, my then load ran 2540 fps in a Model 70 Winchester built on a 375 H&H classic New Haven action, load COL was 3.585 inch.

Cape Buffalo was on the list, when we arrived early October 2022 the PH pulled me aside, put his hand on my forearm, looked me dead in the eyes and said, "If he sees us first, he will charge!"

My Wife was along with us so I appreciated the heads up for many reasons, I then asked why this buffalo was so rank, he told me he's no longer breeding so not with the herds, even the old Dugga boys don't like him, he's a loner and looking for trouble, very dangerous he went on to tell me a hunter in early April of that year had taken a long range hail mary shot at a massive running Blue Wildebeest bull, he missed, but they heard the familiar sound of his 416 and 400gr bullet hitting meat off in the distance.

They looked for days, never found one drop of blood, this bull wore that bullet for a full six months and I guess got more pissed off by the day, on day five of hunting him we saw a treetop shaking violently off in the distant thorns, the PH said, "That's Him!"

Great, we had the wind and began our stalk, at 30 yards I could not only see the bulls anger as he trashed that tree, I could feel it, kind of like knowing you are in the immediate presence of death and destruction.

I raised the 458 WM and loosed a 404gr Hammer bullet dead center in his right shoulder, that great bull collapsed, we hurried over and gave him an insurance shot, it was over.

The 404gr Hammer bullet shank exited the off shoulder, the petals themselves made it through hide, near shoulder, ribcage, vitals, then on to bury themselves in the offside ribcage, that's great performance.

At the skinning shed we all saw that great bull had been hit in the brisket by the previous hail mary hunter, the bullet ranged under the hide from the brisket and lodged in that bull's right flank, as can be imagined, yes, safe bet he was madder with every step, he is a magnificent buffalo that I was more than blessed to get to hunt and end his suffering.

 

[M70375!]

What I learned in this forum....

You will die.....for sure...no matter what bullet you chose.... your bullets will bounce of the buffalos skin, and the cape buffalo will eat you for breakfast.



HWL

buffalo don't eat meat

 

[M70375!]

No, no, no...not even close.
Let me answer this in the proper AH way.

Why would you use a 458WM in a bolt action rifle when it has a belted cartridge?
What are you crazy or just have a death wish?

You need a proper Buffalo cartridge that is rimless, like the 416Rigby, 404Jeffery or 505Gibbs.
Otherwise yes, you will end up as Buffalo breakfast.

And don't even get me started on going DG hunting with a rifle that doesn't have CRF...

Please explain your dislike for the belted cartridge in a bolt gun, I've been using them for many years and never a problem. I would not hesitate to use a 458 Win mag in a CRF bolt gun for buffalo

 

[BeeMaa]

Please explain your dislike for the belted cartridge in a bolt gun, I've been using them for many years and never a problem. I would not hesitate to use a 458 Win mag in a CRF bolt gun for buffalo

This was written in jest. Although there are detractors when it comes to belted cartridges because of the potential of that belt catching and causing a problem when chambering or extraction.

After all, I hunt DG with a straight pull action that’s push-feed! I have zero room to throw rocks from my glass house. Especially since it’s a 375H&H.

 

[TOBY458]

Please explain your dislike for the belted cartridge in a bolt gun, I've been using them for many years and never a problem. I would not hesitate to use a 458 Win mag in a CRF bolt gun for buffalo

It’s a joke. Brought on my many many many similar comments made about the 458WM over the years on this forum.

 

[Riflecrank]

50Gunner was indeed the first to take a cape buffalo with the 404-gr/.458 Hammer (Stone Hammer nee Shock Hammer).
Hyde Hunter was second.
Both used .458 WIN MAG rifles.
Both were pass-through shoulder shots and the buffalo died promptly from one Hammer blow.
Congratulations to both.
It took three years to get an Alaskan brown bear flattened by one Hammer blow with the same bullet from a .458 WIN MAG.
Thanks to 1dirthawker, see his write-up here in the "Hunting Reports USA & Canada" forum, thread titled "Brown Bears, Deer & King Crab."

Thread 'USA: Brown Bears, Deer & King Crab'

Oct 25, 2025

So, another fall bear hunting season. I ended up on a flight to Sand Point Alaska with several of my bear guiding buddies. One of the big attractions for me on this hunting trip is spending time with good friends AND being able to hunt North Americas largest predator.

After meeting the clients in Sand point, we took them to a shooting range and checked the sights on the rifles. Only one hunter needed to tweak his scope and then it was off to the boat. We 4 guides, 4 clients and the 3 boat crew members boarded the MV SPIRIT a 65’ vessel, owned and operated by Capt Ross Hodek, of...

• 1dirthawker
• Replies: 32
• Forum: Hunting reports USA & Canada

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No bullet retrieved there either.
Amazing.
I was able to stop one of those bullets in a 1500-pound water buffalo cow (yummy) by shooting diagonally from left mid ribs into left neck/shoulder juncture. She staggered a few steps and dropped. Yes I have necropsy results, and finally a recovered 404-gr Stone Hammer.

I am very proud of having hornswoggled Hammer bullets into making that bullet by simply scaling up their 270-gr/.375 Shock Hammer into .458 caliber.
I am also very proud of the three hunters mentioned above for proving the bullet before I could.
Here is the bullet:

Here is 50Gunner's October 2022 safari bag with that bullet:

The line blanked out was a dinosaur he bagged with his twin to TR's big stick, 500/450 NE H&H Royal DR, very close serial number, so as not to confuse the bag.

Here is the buffalo from a video still screenshot:

The rifle above is called Hammerella, and she belongs to me now.
In fact, she was used to take the water buffalo cow in my May 2025 grocery shopping trip.
Thanks to 50Gunner for allowing himself to be hornswoggled out of Hammerella.

And here is that .416-caliber bullet that 50Gunner found in the cranky cape buffalo:

Sort of looks like a Seal-Tite Band patented by CEB ? Am I wrong ?
Not to cast aspersions on CEB, for the preferred solid for the .458 WIN MAG is the 400-gr CEB Safari Solid with 0.700" nose projection forward of the first driving band:

2500 fps with the 400-grain CEB Safari Solid shown above in the .458 WIN MAG at 3.350" COL is easy.
Thanks to Michael458 for getting CEB to make that bullet. His final tweak was from .600" NP to 0.700" NP, and then I quit pestering him. Perfection.