458 WSM (winchester short magnum)

The 458 WSM is an amazing achievement in the industry. When designing our product line, this was number 2 on our list. A few months into it, we found a simple post online from the late John Noveske. He was starting to fireform brass for this caliber and had a die set made. Pretty neat to rub shoulders with a legend.

We wanted the caliber to be versatile, that is our goal for all of the WSMs. What if we could take the super and subsonic concepts of 300 Blackout and apply it here like we did with 338 FEDERAL. We almost bit off more than we could chew.

First we wanted a lighter ammo that would mimic 45-70. Up from there would be loads that equaled and surpassed it's taller brother, the 458 WIN MAG. Lastly, we wanted an insanely heavy subsonic. For what, we really don't know. It was just a great idea and we ran with it. Every time we or anyone else pulls the trigger on this bad boy, a huge smile appears on all faces.

This could be considered the ultimate brush gun. When this thing goes off, there may not be any brush left. Available in AR and bolt action, it is a stout round, but can be tamed with a suppressor. When shooting 150 yards or less, the 458 WSM with 400gr+ bullets is great for All Bears and the African Big 5. When shooting 200 yards or less with lighter bullets, the 458 WSM is great for medium to large game.

Guides, Outfitters, and Professional Hunters, this would be a dream backup gun for you!

We have properly headstamped brass for this and our ammo is usually cheaper than all other 458 Magnums. We offer a reload program that will essentially makes this $70 a box to shoot. WELL WORTH IT!

We offer Die Sets and Brass at a great price. Load data is complimentary to those who purchase this wonderful caliber. We have made this the most powerful AR sending that 350gr Speer over 2650FPS. We do not sell that load but will share the data that did it.

Here are the numbers from our XBH-700 Safari with a 20" Barrel. MER stands for Maximum Effective Range. This is the distance to where a particular bullet has the minimum speed to perform properly.

(Loads can vary 25 FPS depending on climate and elevation)  

Bullet                           Speed          Energy              MER            

350gr Speer               2565 FPS     5100 FT LBS     200 yds

400gr WDLEE PP    2325 FPS     4800 FT LBS    150  yds

480gr WDLEE RN    2170 FPS     5000 FT LBS    150  yds

480gr WDLEE SLD  2140 FPS     4885 FT LBS    150  yds

725gr MAKER SUB   1060 FPS      1750 FT LBS    100 yds