.458 Lott practice loads

[Dogleg]

Howdy,

I'm new to the forum, and have a quick question.

I've got a .458 Lott, a RCBS 82054 mold (500 grain flat nose, non gas-check) and among others a ton of 4759. Up until now all my centerfire rifle bullets have been gas-checked and water quenched.

Working with what I have, what are some suggested loads for a plinking and practice load?

[waco]

Welcome aboard Dogleg. Do you have access to any reloading manuals? The Lyman cast bullet handbooks are a wealth of knowledge. There is also plenty of info on the powder companies websites. Hope this helps.

[Dogleg]

That's the thing, my Lyman manual (3rd edition) doesn't list the Lott and my other manuals are sparse on cast bullet data.

[birddog]

Use the 45-70 data and a little dacron filler. Working with lite target loads and you should be fine.
Charlie

[LAGS]

Aren't Practice loads for a .458 Lott called a .458 Winchester ?

[Von Gruff]

I loaded a Lott with a 450gn cast bullet and 18.5gn Red Dot for about 1250fps and it was a nice accurate pig load.

[Dogleg]

Aren't Practice loads for a .458 Lott called a .458 Winchester ?


To a certain extent, but my Lyman manual doesn't show .458 with 4759 either. Besides that, I've converted the rifle to run on Accuracy International magazines and it does feed better with the long case.

I think I'll start with the 45/70 data.

[Dogleg]

The Red Dot looks promising. Was that with a gas-check or a plain base.

[94Doug]

Go back to 45 Lyman or earlier.....

Doug

[fouronesix]

The Lott is very close to the 45-110. Both the Lyman 48th and 49th have load data for the 45-110 with 4759.

How well that plain base bullet will do with smokeless is anyone's guess. I prefer GC'd bullets for smokeless even with reduced loads.

[Old Coot]

From my experience with the .458 Win I would say to try: 1. 300 gr. plain base with 40 to 50 gr. 2400 fill the case to just above the bullet base with COW (cream of wheat), 12 to 18 gr. of red Dot and any cast bullet that fits the throat- I sized mine .460 for best accuracy. I think you should start with 458 Win Data. If your book doestn't have enough pm me and I'll see what I can do. THe 300, and 350 gr Hornadys were always fun to shoot. Especially if you liked a 350 jacketed soft point going close to 2700 fps. That always impressed people.

I don't know about the Lott, but the Win had a throat that Marilyn Chambers would have envied. It was always best too seat the bullets as long as possible and make the cast a large in Dia. as possible..

If the bullets don't fit the throat they won't shoot for beans. Don't worry a lot about them (cast) having to squeeze down as they enter the barrel they will do it just fine.

Remember You have a rifle limited to about 2100 to 2250fps at top end. You don't need a real hard bullet. Air cooled clip on wheel weights or any alloy between 12 and 15 BHN should shoot just fine.
Brodie

[Dogleg]

I used the 350 grain Hornadys as a practice load when the rifle was still a .458 Win. I never bothered chronographing those, but the 350 grain TSX was strolling along at 2650 fps with the same load of H4198. I culled a lot of water buffalo with that load, mostly to get a break from the stiff 450 and 500 grain loads.

What I'm trying to do is get away from the buck or two bullets for practice. Keeping the recoil, or reducing it both have points in favor.

The manual that I'm looking at is the Lyman cast bullet handbook, which might explain why the data is a little sparse.

[fouronesix]

The current Lyman Reloading Handbooks, 48th and 49th editions, show data for the 45-110 in the pressure/velocity and recoil you're probably looking for using 4759 (and other suitable powders) in cast bullet weights of 405, 500 and 535 gr. The suggested starting loads yield about 1500-1600 fps mv. The 458 Lott and the 45-110 are so similar as to be equivalent with these loads.

[94Doug]

email me, I'll see what I can scan for you. I also have a pdf article with loads for the Lott including Round Ball loads.

Doug

[Dogleg]

The bullets are dropping at .460" and 530 grains.

[GBertolet]

I have had good luck in the .458 Win using 4759. My pet load is the RCBS 300 gr GC bullet cast from WW, (actualy weighs 320 gr w/gas check) with 35 gr 4759, giving 1620 fps. Recoil is quite tolerable and economical to shoot, as far as the .458 goes. For practical purposes you could use the same data in the Lott, achieving a similar result.

[Dogleg]

I wonder how much my heavier bullet will compensate for the larger case? I've loaded some at 25 grains and will see if they make out of the barrel. I can always move up. And hopefully find something that shoots along the way. Close range rapid fire offhand shooting doesnt require a high level of accuracy.

[Dogleg]

I was able to do a bit of shooting today, as I had a re-barrelled .300 to sight in and a quick pressure sequence with 4320 and 450 grain A-frames to run. The rifle has just recently been rechambered to the Lott and not fired since then. I'll not bother you will the details of the jacketed loads but it is going to be easy to get that shooting. No surprise there, it shot as a .458 Win too.

I had 6 each of 25, 30, and 35 grains of 4759 loaded. At 50 yards (I wanted to hit the paper) the 25s went 1", the 30s about 1 1/2 " strung horizontally. The 35 grain loads were all over the place, maybe 4".

More playing around at the 25 gr range should result in a plinking load. 35 grains had a bit of recoil, considerably more than a .300 but not much really. I think that to get a recoil simulating load I'll have to get a gas check bullet. The loads with 83 grains of IMR 4320 and 450 grain A-Frames were rather lively, but not much different than the hot-rodded .458s I've been shooting.

About 6 passes with a brass brush and Hoppes #9 and a couple patches cleaned the bore right out, leading isn't an issue.


Now, if I can figure out a way to make it kick more...........................

[Dogleg]

Unsized, tumble lubed and 25 grains of SR4759. I can maybe play with it a bit, but it should be a training/practice load as is.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c259/dogleg1/IMGP0089_zps9325d843.jpg (http://s29.photobucket.com/user/dogleg1/media/IMGP0089_zps9325d843.jpg.html)