458 Socom Double

[rtyler8140]

So I've been trying to get some meat for the freezer since bow season back in October. I've seen a handful of deer, but never could get a good shot. Season is quickly winding down here in Virginia (Jan 1), so I was running out of time. It's been unseasonably warm the last few days so I wasn't sure I would be able to get it done. Today was forecast to be the coldest day of the week with lows in the 40's and highs in the 50's. I decided to try and get into my blind a little earlier than normal hoping to catch them moving early while it was still cool. As I drove up to the land that I hunt, there were 3 does standing in the gravel road going away from where I hunt. I was happy to see they were on their feet, but nervous these may be the only deer in the area and they were going the wrong way! I pulled into the driveway and got all my things together to start working my way to the blind. It had just hit legal light when I started walking to my blind. As I worked my way around a building, I saw a nice doe grazing in the field with her head down. I was able to drop down and work up a few more yards to a good comfortable spot to sit. She was broadside and about 75-80 yards. As I got the scope on her she picked her head up and promptly turned face on to me. Having no cover, I knew that she had made me. I felt good with how my gun is shooting so I decided to put one right through the brisket. She immediately turned and bolted with her tail straight up. I was second guessing whether I had made a good shot as she bound behind the overgrown coral in the field, quickly going out of my sight. I took a few minutes to settle down and find my brass (that stuff isn't cheap)! I worked my way down to the field where I had shot her and began looking for any sign of blood. I found a nice tuft of hair, so I knew I had hit her. It was then that I heard her jump up behind the coral. I slowly worked my way around the coral and as I turned the corner I saw her laying on the ground. Turns out she had only made it about 20 yards before she expired. What I initially thought was her jumping up was a second deer. That doe was still their at the end of the coral perfectly broadside at 25-30 yards. I quickly got the rifle shouldered and put one right behind the her shoulder. She took off running and then I heard a crash about 30 yards away in some thick brush. The whole ordeal happened so quick, I was dumbfounded. What a blessing and a relief to be able to put some meat in the freezer!

For those who are curious, it is a BCA 458 socom upper. Boolit is the Arsenal 460-430 cast with 50/50 clip on and stick on wheel weights, water quenched and powder coated. Sized to .4595 with the nose sized to .452 so it will chamber properly, pushed by 31.0g Reloader 7 (probably around 1400fps based on software prediction).

The two does:
https://i.ibb.co/VwpR6Nn/PXL-20211227-122655583.jpg (https://ibb.co/km6jZyb)

First doe shot through the brisket (got the bottom of the heart)
https://i.ibb.co/m86RYVt/PXL-20211227-130038626.jpg (https://ibb.co/cLDypSt)

Exit on the doe shot through the brisket (went clear through her)
https://i.ibb.co/qNBRmcv/PXL-20211227-124516919.jpg (https://ibb.co/Pcx51Pd)

Second doe, heart shot
https://i.ibb.co/3TFzkcS/PXL-20211227-131826944.jpg (https://ibb.co/VLCm3TM)

Entrance on the second doe shot broadside
https://i.ibb.co/r3sS8Vz/PXL-20211227-173039880.jpg (https://ibb.co/7Q45MqZ)

Exit on the second doe shot broadside
https://i.ibb.co/7pL8CFk/PXL-20211227-173057047.jpg (https://ibb.co/fNLBF7D)

The boolit
https://i.ibb.co/1zs8sdC/PXL-20211227-202740512.jpg (https://ibb.co/J3x5xyY)

5 shot group when the above boolit/load while doing load development
https://i.ibb.co/DzzKQgK/Screenshot-20211227-155043.png (https://ibb.co/sbb3qJ3)

[Mk42gunner]

Perseverance pays off, sometimes. Glad to read your writeup, but now the work starts for you.

I will admit when I read the title, I thought "Who in the world would build a double rifle in .458 Socom?"

Robert

[missionary5155]

Good afternoon and a double Congratulations !!
The caliber .45 will get the Job done ! Well done Two corn crunchers in just a few minutes is a great blessing !
Thank you for the fine photos and write up.
We have a 450 Bushy and look forward to a day we can use it on white tails.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

That will be some good eating. Nice clean kills too.

[ChristopherO]

Excellent write up of your successful hunt, along with all the particulars that make a great story to follow. All the technical information on your boolit, alloy, load data, speculative velocity is perfect schooling for anyone on the fence concerning cast boolits and hunting.

I had a thread from a few months ago titled Cast Boolits Effects on Game, or something like that, in which I highlighted my years of experience using lead projectiles verses Jacketed bullets. I have read numerous 'stories' of fellas expounding on the dangerous game stopping abilities of the 45/70 using basically blackpowder load velocities and a 405 grain bullet/boolit. You just killed two thin skinned prey animals, not pumped up on adrenaline, with the exact duplicate of the venerable 45/70 BP loading, and they both ran a bit before expiring. Both hearts turned to jelly, to boot. (Fine shooting, BTW) That is what I expect to happen every time I pull the trigger on my 1895 Cowboy with 420 WFN GC boolits leaving the bore at nearly 1,700 fps. Most of the time they do run, on occasion they fall DRT, but there is usually an extenuating circumstance that causes this exception to the rule, such as the CNS is severed with a spinal hit. As you just added to the heaps of proof, these lead pills kill exceptionally well and are satisfying to use, as well. Yet, they aren't a miniature nuclear explosion that causes instant extermination at the twitch of every trigger pull. A short blood trail adds to the enjoyment of the whole experience, eh?

Again, well done and a hearty thank you for the write up and pictures. Congratulations on the meat supply.

[RugerFan]

Very nice. I took 2 deer last fall with my .458 SOCOM as well (but not on the same day lol). Those big WFN cast pills kill very efficiently.


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[Shooter Mcgun]

How are you sizing the nose down? I have a 350 grain NOE mold for 45-70 and I’m having to seat my 458 socom rounds to 1.980 overall length to get them to chamber properly. If I’m able to size the nose down some to load to full cartridge length then that would be a massive help.

[rtyler8140]

How are you sizing the nose down? I have a 350 grain NOE mold for 45-70 and I’m having to seat my 458 socom rounds to 1.980 overall length to get them to chamber properly. If I’m able to size the nose down some to load to full cartridge length then that would be a massive help.

I use Lee push through sizers. First pass takes it to .4595, then I switch to my .452 sizer. I made a mark on the push rod so I know where to stop. I push the boolit in just far enough to size the nose down, the I use a push rod and a c clamp to push it back down so only the nose is sized. It's a bit tedious, but it gets the job done.