458WM black powder/substitute

[trauma1]

With the current shortage of smokeless powder it seems to make sense to load some black powder/substitute in the 458 behemoth. I found 1 thread with some general info but nothing real specific. I am looking at a 405gr bullit with Triple Seven since it is easier to clean. Does anyone have a volume measurement for this powder in the 458WM cartridge? Or just load it full and seat it? Also what primer - regular or magnum. thanks in advance

[Noah Mercy]

I've not had very good results with Triple Seven in cartridges, and I've tried it in several calibers of pistols, and my 45-70 rifle. Accuracy was mediocre when compared to the same gun/bullet/lube combos using real black powder (or smokeless), and cleaning was slower and more laborious than with real BP. Also, I have had several split cases and a couple of my revolvers bind up after only a cylinder full of TS loads. I can shoot hundreds of rounds of real black through these same firearms with no cleaning, but the fouling from the TS is- at least in the drier climates- more prone to create a hard residue. I tried using black-powder cleaning and lubing methods, different boolit lubes, smokeless products, over-powder wads...none of it relieved the issues. I actually had to put lube over the mouths of the cylinders a'la a cap 'n ball revolver to get through a Cowboy Action Shooting match one time. I've had okay results with TS in frontstuffers, but I gave up on it in cartridges quite a while ago. I've started playing with American Pioneer Powder in cartridges, and it has solved the fouling problems, but accuracy still isn't as good as with "charcoal".

If you do go with Triple Seven, do not "crush" the powder. Loading a sufficient quantity so that the bullet rests on the powder is proper with this propellent. I recommend magnum primers for more uniform ignition...I had some weird delays using standard primers with this stuff. If you want to use a wad over the powder, make sure it doesn't add a significant amount of compression to the powder. Oh, and keep a Gatorade bottle half full of water with a dash of dish soap next to you on the bench to toss your fired brass in.

[Grapeshot]

With the current shortage of smokeless powder it seems to make sense to load some black powder/substitute in the 458 behemoth. I found 1 thread with some general info but nothing real specific. I am looking at a 405gr bullit with Triple Seven since it is easier to clean. Does anyone have a volume measurement for this powder in the 458WM cartridge? Or just load it full and seat it? Also what primer - regular or magnum. thanks in advance

Paul Matthews wrote in one of his articles about using Black Powder and Pyrodex with the .458 Win Mag. I wish I could find that article so I could post it here.

[Nobade]

Just treat it like a 45-90 with a really long throat.

-Nobade