[FrequentFlier]

A gun store in the town I live in was seized by the state to put in a traffic roundabout. Took their land - took it all - and gave them almost nothing. For several months before the store closed I had been eyeing a CZ 458 winchester mag, and in the last week I finally bought the thing out of a sense of nostalgia and loyalty to him as a customer.

Yesterday I fired it for the first time. What a hoot. I had expected to get really pounded, but my first handload of 350 grain bullet and 70 grains of H335 at 2100 fps was very easy to manage. The thunderous roar got everyones attention, and all down the line heads turned. It had the same effect that a 44 mag does when it goes off - a unique sound that makes people smile.

I fired 6 off hand, and got a very good group, then slipped in one at with 75 grains of H335, to get 2300 fps on the chrono. Different sound, a little sharper, and muzzle climbed a bit higher. Okay. Slipped in one with 80 grains of H335, and with my eyes shut, I squeezed it off. Sharper yet sound, and more recoil for sure, but not at all unpleasant. Each time I pulled the trigger I laughed like hell. It is a pure joy to shoot - a full meal deal -it has it all. This is one fun toy! Way more fun to shoot than my 375, which I find unpleasant. It may have something to do with the stcok design of the CZ and the pad. Quite a rifle - set trigger and everthing. I am in love. This one is going on my next moose triip fer sure.

 

[T.D.C.]

I watched a friend wit ha Win 70 in 458 WM nail a wood chuck at about 100 yds in an end to end shot. You might say he was overgunned but the results were spectacular. I doubt the wc had no idea what hit him. You are so right, there is no sound like it at the range. Be glad you reload, I don't know what the going price for a box of factory fodder is but it has to be in the $50 to 60 range for a box of 20.

 

[keithcandler]

Wait till you fire a factory 500g solid.....

the party's over, Pal! It is however Fun for the bystander to watch a full sized cinder block explode like a paint ball!

 

[varmintpopper]

Want to see something really spectacular,, set a 25 pound block of ice down range and in the bright sun,, then shoot it dead center with one of the big calibre guns ! "AMAZING"
LINDY

 

[Oleman]

Traffic roundabouts

They are not cost effective but that is what all those folks out there in the valley have been wanting.

Too bad I'll bet Don and his Dad weren't very happy. To bad to lose another real good little Mom and pop Sporting goods store.

 

[Catfish]

Those big bores aren`t really that much more expensive to shoot if you reload. If your just loading plinkers you can get by real cheap, I shoot a .411 and with cheap plated .410 bullets it really shoots pretty accurately and when you keep those 210 gr. bullets down around 2,200 fps. it has the recoil of a .222 and the sound of a cannon. Very few people will shoot it because of the sound, but the look on a persons face after he does shoot it is priceless, as they say " It really don`t kick does it. "

 

[TinMan]

Or, go lead.

Clean the copper out of the barrel real well, then load 405gr or 500gr hard cast lead bullets loaded down a bit with fast rifle powders and play like its artillery. The 500gr bullet is about the same size as a loaded 45ACP round. And Keith is right, cinder blocks and big rocks are a hoot.

 

[FrequentFlier]

Where do you live?

They are not cost effective but that is what all those folks out there in the valley have been wanting. Too bad I'll bet Don and his Dad weren't very happy. To bad to lose another real good little Mom and pop Sporting goods store.

It is truly sad, and it makes me angry beyopnd words. Sounds like you know the Stallman family. Where do you live Oleman? Have we met?
Cheers
FF

 

[Rem222Mag]

I shoot praire dogs with my 458. I use the 300 gr Hornady. I keep it for those that are under 100 yds and all you can see is their eyes above the mound. I just aim at the point where the mound and the ground meet. BOOM! Dead Dog! and most of the time no blood. Try it, you will LYAO!

Rem222Mag

 

[Alan in GA]

I've had a few of those Varmint rifles....

Walked into a favorite gun shop one day and there on the used rack was a NEW looking Ruger 77 in .458 Winchester. Figured I'd heard enough about what a .458 Win was "like" and decided to find out for myself. This one was the standard walnut, not the Circassian stocked model. I did not even know they were available for a few bucks less in the 'standard' walnut. Got a box of 500 solids,,Winchester brand amm with 13 factory new rounds and 7 empty cases. Whoever owned the rifle previously decided it was not for them after a total of 7 shots!
Well, I WRAPPED my hand and fingers around the barrel and forend tight enough to put finger prints INTO the steel worrying about the first shot. BOOM,,and I was still alive and well! It was a standing shot, and I KNEW I would not want to sight in this rifle on the bench with the 500s in factory loads! I took 2 small whitetail with that rifle, a Weaver steel [good old one!] K 2.5 mounted up top. Loaded Hornady 300s and 350s in it for lowered recoil and higher velocity. FUN gun,,except for carrying it. I think I found out what Dolly Parton experiences every day, at least on ONE shoulder- about 10 lbs of gun, scope, and ammo held by the Latigo sling on one shoulder. I think Dolly has two slings on two shoulders holding 'her' up, tho.
What was a lot of fun for me was making up PAPER PATCHED bullets for my .458WM. I did not mind the slow loading process. Slinging heavy GUM SOFT bullets was great fun, and ZERO leading in bore, unless a patch slipped off somehow. Forwhatever reason I sold the rifle,,usually what I need to do to 'afford' the next hot running want rifle.
Then I built a nice .458 x 2" American using a short action Ruger 77 Mark II. It was great fun also,,and a better carrying rifle if loads were kept to lighter [300-350gr] bullets. In bear country I thought the Hornady 350 gr, being a pretty tough jacketed bullet, would be ok 'bear medicine'.
Had a 45/70 NEF Handi Rifle that was fun too. More paper patched bullets and a deer or two.
Now all my rifles are .25 caliber or smaller. Had enough 'fun'.
Oh,,if you want to try paper patching, you do not have to buy special PP bullets or molds. The Speer 250 gr SWC swaged lead bullet is perfect for light bullet paper patching. Shot a nice 8 pt buck with this small bullet and got about as perfect a mushroom and penetration as you could ask for!
3rd bullet from left was recovered from buck after entering the rear of abdomen, travelling thru the intestines, lungs, exiting forward chest, and hitting and lodging in front leg against leg bone! First 3 bullets on left are the Speer 250SWC meant for pistols [0.452"] but patches up to about .458-.460" which is good. Also shown is a Hornady pistol bullet in .357" that was patched and sized back down to .358" for my .358 Winchester Ruger rifle I owned at the time,,my OTHER favorite big bore.

 

[FrequentFlier]

Alan
That is really interesting. What are the chief advantages of paper patching? Does it let you use softer lead without leading the bore? Can you drive to higher velocities than you could is you used a harder alloy bullet?
Thanks

 

[Alan in GA]

the book to read is,,,

by Paul Matthews,,,"The Paper Patched Bullet",,and there may be a second version.
Hard cast bullets don't expand well or it is an iffy thing. Dead soft paper patched bullets don't lead the bore,,actually polish the bore IF one doesn't come off which occasionally happens. A pure or close to pure lead bullet will expand almost like a piece of bubble gum on hot pavement. It has an affinity for itself [lead] and won't break apart.
I used to cast a lot of lead bullets when I was 'into' 44 mag revolvers. Paper patching solves a few of the problems inherent with hard cast lead. Both are fun, tho.

 

[Rocky Raab]

Paper patching is an interesting way to get rid of lead bullets that are too small or too soft for "regular" use. I haven't tried it myself, but read on another forum about using gummed, peel-off labels for this purpose. The poster there trims one end of a narrow label at 45 degrees, wraps it tightly around twice, and then cuts the end to match the first 45-degree cut. He lubes them with Lee soluble Case Lube or dips them in melted Johnson's Paste Wax with perfect results.

Gotta try that someday, maybe in my .30-30...

 

[Mortis]

A bit of a side note:

Paper patching is an interesting way to get rid of lead bullets that are too small or too soft for "regular" use. I haven't tried it myself, but read on another forum about using gummed, peel-off labels for this purpose. The poster there trims one end of a narrow label at 45 degrees, wraps it tightly around twice, and then cuts the end to match the first 45-degree cut. He lubes them with Lee soluble Case Lube or dips them in melted Johnson's Paste Wax with perfect results.

Gotta try that someday, maybe in my .30-30...

From time to time we get a call to make 'special nuts' for a steel company. These are made from 6061-T6 Hex in 5/8-11 and 3/4-10 thread. The interesting thing is the bolts they will be used on steel bolts. Steel and aluminum do not like each other. The aluminum tends to gauled up and the threads will rip out of them.

We dip them prior to shipment in Johnson's Liquid Floor Wax. Drain, dry, and ship. They do not gauled. And it checking them in house, the nuts will spin on without much drag where as before you'd be lucky to get the nut fully on the bolt.

Just a bit of technical insight here folks. But if you are having problems with some screwy stuff, wax it.

OK... enuff of the commerical break.... back to paper patch bullets.....

 

[Alan in GA]

"wax on,,wax off,,,wax on,,,,,,,"

I saw that in a movie one time!
I use Lee Sizing Lube [white stuff] that is pretty good for dry lubing things [when it dries].

 

[Rocky Raab]

That's because it's part carnauba wax. Johnson's Paste Wax is almost pure carnauba in an evaporating carrier. Melt some JPW, dip your bullets (or tumble them) and let them dry fully. They'll go from a thick, milky coat to a thin, hard, golden layer that resists flaking - and positively will not lead the bore.