Forums.NitroExpress.com

The .450 Marlin or .458 2" would be good rounds. The nice aspect of the .458 2", also called the .458 American, is that any standard magnum brass can be used, whereas the .450 Marlin requires Hornady brass only.
; Either will drive a 400gr. at 2,175fps, 350 at 2,260fps;
; The best all round North American bullet for these rounds, in a normal standard-type bullet is the 350 Speer. With it's .060"+ jacket, it'll penetrate, but still expand. Probably second best, is the double cannelured RN 350 gr. Hornady. I drove the thinner jacketed 350 Hornady (earlier version) starting at 2,260fps, at a striking range of 100yards, through the frontal skull of a bull moose, lengthwise thorugh it's tiny brain, smashed 3 vertebrae and exited the back of his neck - total penetration prior to exit was close to 3 feet. That was from a .458 2".
; The .450 Marlin will do about the same. I suggest a bit longer leade, maybe 1/4" longer than normal for a Lever gun, which has virtually none.
; Easy shooting loads will run around 2,100fps for 400's and 2,200fps for 350's at around 43,000PSI.
; They are both excellent rounds. I've driven 510gr. Softs and solids to 2,060fps from a 22" barreled .458 2" with excellent accuracy, but with more recoil than I liked. Also, it drove 560gr. Cast bullets to 1,850fps for a camp-load for bear. Of course, the 350gr. loads would have sufficed.
; The 400gr. original style Barnes spitzer w/.032" jacket was a good shooter in my rifle, as was the 350gr. Barnes "X". Apparently the 350gr. TSX is now out and at full power loads, makes a flat enough trajectory for shooting to my max. range of 300yards on big game. It still has plenty of power for that use.
; At the muzzle, the .458 2" or .450 Marlin will run from 4,000 to 4,800FPE depending on bullets and powders used, if those numbers are important to you.
; My .458 2"'s have been on a Mauser 98 as well as M70 Winchester - McGowen and Shilen barrels.
; I liked it so much, I bought my onw reamer. I've had one since 1976 - 15,000 rounds through the first, but only about 1,000 out of the second so far.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

Post Extras