Experience has shown that a 480-510 grain bullet in .458-.475 caliber achieves ideal penetration at velocities of around 2150 fps (655 mps). The only advantage of cartridges such as the .460 WM is that they have that much residual velocity at over 100 yards distance. However, shooting dangerous game at longer distances is not recommended because (1) the chances of wounding the animal, rather than killing outright are greatly increased ("Get as close as you can, and then get ten feet closer") and (2) the vicious recoil generated by the cartridge makes precise aiming, even by the most hardened shooter, difficult, thus negating any advantage realized by a flatter trajectory. In other words, the shooter is punishing himself unnecessarily for no realizable gain.

From a personal standpoint, I have found that increasing the diameter of the bullet, while retaining the velocity in the 2150 range, is more effective against thick skinned game, for which the .460 was evidently designed. A 570 grain .510 bullet at 2150 or a 750 grain .577 bullet at 2050 fps. (625 mps) may not have the putative energy value of the .460, but it is far less likely to expend the energy uselessly by shooting completely through the animal. In addition, excessive penetration adds the problem of unintentional wounding another animal standing on the far side of the animal intentionally shot at, especially in the case of broadside shots.

The .460 Weatherby Magnum, in my opinion, is simply the Weatherby postulation that greater velocity is always better reduced to absurdity.