Springfield 1903 - 458 Winchester Magnum

[RCS]

Years ago my friend bought a Ruger No 1 single shot in 458 Win, always down-loaded it including lead bullets too.

He never fired a factory 458 cartridge.

Also fired another friends Ruger No 1 single shot in 375 H&H with reloads equal to factory loads and really liked
that rifle, Wish I could find the 100 yard target

[CINDERS]

Comparisons ~
Pic #1 L-R 458 Win Mag 500gn, 444 Marlin 265gn, 44 Mag 240gn.

Pic #2 L-R MkVII 303, 505 Gibbs, 460 Weatherby Mag, 444 Marlin.

I took a better pic of my Weatherby cartridges missing is the 30/378 and 220 Rocket I believe the 224WM is now also discontinued.

Pic #3 L-R (.22 rimfire scale) 460WM, 416WM, 378WM, 375WM, 340WM, 300WM, 7mm WM, 270WM, 257WM, 240WM, 224WM (.22Rimfire scale)

[Wineman]

I got a Marlin 1895 in 450 Marlin/Hornaday in a trade. The cartridge is interesting. It has wide "Magnum" belt and the performance of a "hot" 45-70. The belt keeps you from a loading in a Trapdoor Springfield (or 458 Win Mag). It does nothing more than a Ruger #1 or Marlin 1895 45-70 loading (or handloading) but it was Lawyer safe. Not a fun rifle to shoot, but if you had to hang out in Brown Bear country it would be a nice thing to have. Getting ammo could be tough (as could be +P 45-70), but since it kicked so hard, a couple of boxes should be plenty. The flex-tip bullets get you a bit more range, so a 200 yard rifle with the 325 grain was certainly possible. As said above, not a range rifle but as a big game taker, it would have been plenty. I traded it to a guy that loved lever actions.

Dave

[RCS]

Cinders, your photos of the cartridges really are high quality

RS

[Jim Tarleton]

The 458 Win Mag has more apparent recoil than any other rifle I know of, and I avoid them like the plague. When I wanted a big bore rifle, I built a 416 Rigby on a standard Mauser action just to prove I could do it (as Rigby did). Mine holds 3-rounds. It feeds and ejects flawlessly. I did make one error. I forgot to add the lead weights to attain a 10-lb weight. My 416 weighs 7 lbs, and it is a hoss to hold on to when fired. I have no sane use for it. I blame Gimp for egging me on. We dreamed of going on a Duga' Boy hunt. Sadly, it never happened. Now I use the rifle to amuse myself when the young bucks think their 12-gauge has a ton of recoil. No one but me has ever fired it more than once. The trigger guard does serve a vicious rap to the finger next to your trigger finger. Factory rounds are a tad expensive, but I keep a box of solids around just for grins. I handload cast bullets for most shooting. At 120grs of powder per round, it isn't cheap to shoot; but it will give you a sense of survival afterwards.

[rcathey]

I have no sane use for it.

That about sums it up for me too.
Your use of basically “you think that’s recoil?” Is about as close to a good purpose I’ll have as well.

Nothing wrong with having something just because you want, though!

[Jim Tarleton]

That about sums it up for me too.
Your use of basically “you think that’s recoil?” Is about as close to a good purpose I’ll have as well.

Nothing wrong with having something just because you want, though!

That thought process led me to buying one of the original Barrett 50 cals back in the early 90's. I also bought a can of Argentine 50 cal ammo. It was a clip fed bolt action model. I installed a $1000 Springfield scope on it, which lasted about ten rounds. I only shot it prone, and it would set me back about ten inches and blow off my shooting glasses and my hat (muzzle brake). That rifle spent ten years under the guest bedroom bed before I remembered I owned it and subsequently sold that butt kicking monster. I sold it for twice what I paid for it. That can of ammo was almost full when I sold it (paid $7/round). I got over the need for a 50cal pretty rickety tick. Like maybe the very first round? Weird how that works.

[browningautorifle]

I installed a $1000 Springfield scope on it, which lasted about ten rounds.

We installed a #32 scope from a #4 "T" Lee Enfield on a single shot AN M2 we put together up here decades ago and it did the same. Separated the lenses inside I guess. After using the M2 .50 cal, I couldn't get the need into me to shoot a shoulder controlled .50 cal...

[fjruple]

I have three .458 Wnchester Magnums. The first I had built a Interarms Whitworth X Mauser as a backup gun for bear hunting. The other two are a Ruger No. 1 single shot and a Colt Sauer. I generally load them down to .45-70 loadings to keep from being kick to death. LOL.

[Calif-Steve]

The US Army used to have .50 cal sniper rifles. So many guys developed detached retinas that the Army got rid of that gun and the whole notion of .50 rifles. Detached retina is not a joke and a sniper was done in the program with that condition. As best I know the .338 Mag is the sniper round in common use today.