Good day all. I own two rifles in this caliber, one in a Winchester super grade and the other is a number #1. It seems to me that the 458 is a bit of a novelty Rifle here in North America, but for me, these two rifles are regularly shot and hunted with. I have taken one elk, one moose and several deer with my 458’s. The #1 fits me slightly better so I hunt with it more than the bolt gun. That being said, these rifles are utilized more at the range than the field. In my experience this cartridge and these rifles are not a picky eaters when it comes to reloading. I do load the 500 gn projectiles, but most of my loading is with the 350gn class rounds. In my opinion, loading the 350 gn stuff, with my powder charge size, makes it kind of a 45/70 on drugs. I don’t
Know why, but all of my larger caliber rifles (458 win, 416 Rig, 505 Gibb, etc) and loads are very accurate and are not fussy at all when it comes to components. I find recoil very manageable, kind of like a big heavy push than a snap, but I think recoil is subjective and depends on a lot of variables. You will have to determine felt recoil for yourself. I don’t consider the 458 cartridge to be versatile. Yes it will do what you need anywhere in Canada, but a 300 WM or better yet, the 338 WM would fill that category better ( again, my opinion, not open to public debate!).
Have fun with it and please PM me if you would like to discuss load recipes and expected velocities etc.
Cory