cast in a 458 Win.

[beefan]

I recently ran across a Ruger #1 in 458 Win. Magnum, nice wood and I had to have it. My old shoulder needs a mild load. I've tried one load-a 385 gr. roundnose & TrailBoss; it key holes like crazy. Anyone have a suggestion and a source for decent boolits? Thanks

[tazman]

What I used to use for a light load in that rifle was a Lee 340 grain boolit sized .002 over groove diameter, loaded with IMR 3031 to about 45-70 velocities. I put a cotton ball between the powder and the boolit to keep the powder against the primer. They shot well to 100 yards. This was 35 years ago and I no longer have records beyond my memories of those loads.

[curator]

I am loading a .461" diameter plain base over 25 grains of SR4759, and dacron filler to keep the powder at the primer end of the case. Accuracy is very good and recoil is reasonable (mild) My Ruger No1 would have cast bullets key hole (and lead like crazy) if less than .460" even though the groove diameter is .458" Lead shot in the butt stock screw mortice provides a bit more weight to counter recoil.

[MarkP]

I am using the 405 gr Lee FN with 14.0 gr of Red dot.

[Bill*B]

My Winchester Model 70 likes these:

Lyman Postell #457132 bullet, about 515 grains when cast with my scrap alloy, loaded over 17.5 grains of Alliant Steel shotgun powder (please weigh it, as it measures poorly) for 1080 fps - or 22.0 grains of #2400 for 1220 fps. I use magnum primers, and like to fill the excess airspace with a biodegradable packing peanut. Accurate and pleasant to shoot.

[Old Coot]

Size your bullets as large as will chamber. Most .458W. chambers are cut long and loose. 460 to 463 is not unreasonable, and seat the bullets as far out as possible, because it was cut for a 500gr. bullet.
You can even paper patch 45 colt bullets up to size and use them over a charge of red dot or BE.
Probably the oddest thing I tried was 45 colt remco shot caps, two of them, over 12gr. of Unique in an unsized case. It patterned out fairly well to 25 yds. Brodie