For me, nostalgia has no place when hunting dangerous game, not when it comes to bullet choice. That is merely a game for amateurs. But good luck on those endeavors, and you will always have a professional there to sort out the mess you make. Hopefully no one gets hurt playing that game.
Guys, it seems that there are concerns about compressed loads? Compressed loads are not a bad thing. Fact is, they are more preferable actually. Paneilson, while Varget will work in 458 Win, there are several powders that will do a better job for you. IMR 8208, TAC, XTerminator, AA 2230... will take a 450 #13, 450 North Fork, or other monos to 2250-2300 fps at safe pressures. I ran 75/Varget to 2200 at 55000 and stopped as it would not equal other powders without getting too much pressure with 450s. AA 2230 would hit the 2250-2260 mark at the same pressure.....
Do not be afraid of compressed loads. In a bolt gun the bottom round tends to be pushed in the case (indeed increasing pressures) from recoil of the top two or three grounds fired. A proper powder chosen, and compressed, with lighter crimp solves that issue. Compressed loads are more efficient, and consistent as well. Some of the slower powders you can compress to the point of "Bulging the Case" and never run into a pressure issue. Of course you don't want to bulge the cases, as they won't chamber....... RL 15 in 458 Winchester, you cannot get enough powder under a 450-500 to ever run into any pressure issues, you will bulge the case first. RL 15 varies quite a bit not only Lot to Lot, but even can to can...... Most recent RL 15 that I have here is a waste of time in 458 Win. RL 15 I have had in the past was a number one powder in 458 Win and Lott.......... But it was heavy compressed, and if not careful would indeed bulge the case and not chamber.
In the case of 416 Rem, you can easy run 400s to 2350-2400 fps with RL 15 and IMR 4064 and stay under 61000 PSI......... Most twist rates in 416 are actually too slow to "terminally stabilize" most 400 solids, to fully stabilize even properly designed 400 solids you need 1:12 twist rates in 416. Fortunately it is very simple to drop weight to 350-370 in the slower twist rates at 1:16 and terminally stabilize the bullet for straight line penetration, at least a properly designed solid with 65%-70% meplat for caliber. In ALL cases, the 350-370 proper designed solids will out penetrate, out perform, lesser designs at 400....... Same as with the 450 to 500 comparison in 458 caliber..............
Not so hard to impress elephant, lion, hippo, leopard, but when it comes to ole buff, he ain't impressed much, even with the best of bullets. Many a buff will take a good hit with a decent bullet, run 30-40 yards and pile up stone cold. Every so often however you will run into that one ole buff that will fight you until that last drop of blood leaves him, and that last breath leaves him. He will soak up bullets like a sponge. You hit him hard, you hit him with the very best you got, and you hit him again and again until the problem is solved, and even then you best pay the insurance, cause if he has a drop of blood left, a single breath left, he can and sometimes will fight right to that point.
Regardless of how you choose, good luck in your endeavors.....
Michael
. mind you i was looking at the rifles in the background as i have been looking at the springfield website and like the look of the M1A socom 16.........just wondering if any of those might be one? i got a price from the dealer here and it was £2095 delivered here....a bit over $3200 for the black stock version, camo is more and a wait list. oh well a bit more expensive than over there.......
