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A local guns shop has a Ruger 77 Dangerous Game rifle in 458 Winchester Mag on the shelf in near perfect condition for $600.
How well does this rifle shoot cast loads?
I am considering loads in the standard 45-70 range since I know for a fact I can't handle full power loads for that cartridge.
The best way to determine how it shoots cast is buy that rifle and run at that price!
Which Ruger,
Ruger #1, or a #77 ??
Model 77
I edited the original post to reflect this.
in today's market along with all the flooded market of plastic stocks, plastic bottoms, plastic magazine wells; then ANY rifle of real wood and real steel is worth any price north of $600.
I had one of those 77 in 458 in the 80's. It would shoot clover leafs at a hundred yards. After head aches and nose bleeds I traded it back to the dealer for a 77 in .338 win mag. It was more tolerable mag-na -porte and restocked in a Brown
Precision stock. That was my Colorado rifle! Wish I was young and still shooting it!
Buy it quick. It will be a sweet cast shooter and gravitas out the wazoo! $600 is a steal for that rifle.
I have known quite a few guys who fired cast bullets in the .458 magnum rifles. So that isn't a problem. You can also load up light rounds so the recoil isn't hard then.
My buddy hunts deer with a Ruger in 458 Lott. Load accordingly.
I have a Mauser 98 in 458 WM and have found it very pleasant and accurate with cast. Loads used to date are RCBS 300gr with 30gr 2400 powder, 500gr Lee with 20 gr Unique and 400 gr RCBS 460 gr CBE with same load, all shot under inch and a half at 100 mtrs. I found that Magnum primers were not needed and in some cases were detrimental to accuracy. I found 48gr of H4198 behind a 460gr as much as my shoulder could take with comfort. Regards Stephen.
Its a good price but I don't think you will enjoy shooting it. Something like that in my opinion needs jacketed bullets. I would look for something else that you will actually enjoy shooting instead of punishing yourself.Quote:
Originally Posted by tazman
It needs what the owner wants to shoot in it. Obviously that isn't optimizing the cartridge but, so what.
Got a Ruger NO1 in 458 Lott ........ download it a bit. kicks like a mule but shoots good at 50 yards, its open sights, I like my eyes .....LOL. 600 cant go wrong
I like to think of those heavy bolt actions as "engine block" killers.:bigsmyl2:
I have always wanted a .458Mag to shoot black powder loads. It would be like a .45-90 in a bolt gun.
I'd like it a big heavier with a longer barrel though :)
I usually loaded mine down to .45-70 levels.
With Rugers, you may want to check if it was a model where the bolt locks when on safety, or not. I had a .338 WM that didn't, and found when in rough brushy terrain, the bolt could be pulled open with a branch. Got rid of it because of that.
Lee 340 FP over Unique or Red Dot and shoot all day. It's a heavy gun so it won't kick as bad as a light 45-70.
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The SAAMI throat for the .458 is a terrible design for accuracy with light bullets. It is very long and is a very slight taper.
I took my .458 Win Mag, Ruger #1 and opened it up to .458 Lott. Fantastic. Changed the recoil pad and installed a mercury recoil dampener. I hated it before modification, but now it's almost a ***** cat. $600 for a #77 - I'd go for it without thought.
depending on what you want to do with it if recoil is a problem weight or a recoil reducer and new pad can be ordered. Stocks can be swapped for a better desighn that handles reoil better. A load in the 45-70 black powder range (1100-1200 fps) would take a lot of game and be reasonable at that rifles factory weight. A little weight added to bring it to 12 lbs -13 lbs would reduce the felt recoil even more. I would go for the rifle and lay with it some at the price asked it would be a investment and bring more if you decided to sell.