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That had to real "interesting" to fire in an indoor range.
Dirty Harry’s rifle - Winchester mod 70 - .458 Winchester Magnum
- Thread starter CLASSIC12
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I had a Herters 458 in early 70s. The Dirty Harry syndrome was going around and I sold it to a guy at work, with a 44mg. The full meal deal.
I've shoot several 458s of name brand manf. None could compare to the recoil of the Herters. It was cheapest one they made with about same stock of a 20g bolt action shotgun. It hurt.
I've shoot several 458s of name brand manf. None could compare to the recoil of the Herters. It was cheapest one they made with about same stock of a 20g bolt action shotgun. It hurt.
Spokes
Member
Years ago I had a safari grade Remington 700 in 458 Win Mag.. I shot factory and handholds out of it never scoped my 458 but put a scope on my 375 H&H Sako Safari..
458 bothered me 375 never really bothered me..I had a pre 64 Model70 in 338 Win Mag that bothered the hell out of me..
458 bothered me 375 never really bothered me..I had a pre 64 Model70 in 338 Win Mag that bothered the hell out of me..
Nice looking rifle. Just think, if Harry had used something like a .222 Remington, the movie would have ended right there.
Buick
Member
A fixed 2x or 3x would give you a long long eye relief and a wide wide field of view if you ever desire to try a scope.
I believe you! I have never fired any of the big doubles but in bolt-actions, the Model 70 .458 is certainly a legend in my mind. I read about people complaining how vicious the .378 Weatherby is and that seems rather a joke to me. I'd shoot ten .378s in preference to one .458 in a Model 70. Well, maybe five.
I've always wanted to try a .458 in a different rifle but everyone always seems to have a Model 70. Maybe another brand would not be quite so fierce. 
Congratulations on your Winchester. Nice rifle to add to a collection. For me, at least, not all that much fun to shoot.
LVSteve
Member
I have a Remington Model 1917 with a stock like that. Clearly the military saw no need to stain it to even things up and thankfully never did any of the intervening owners. It's one of my milsurp oddities.
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I never understood Callahan's choice of rifle. It made no sense.
But, the OP's rifle is gorgeous and I appreciate the collection.
But, the OP's rifle is gorgeous and I appreciate the collection.
Pig Hunter
Member
When I shot an 8 bore double rifle the owner told me to make sure I clenched my teeth a bit as a slack jaw might slam my teeth together and give me a concussion. Fired 1 round hit the target and quit while I was ahead!
I'd detach a retina shooting that.
Congrats on a very fine rifle. I've always liked big rifles. The one on the left below is a newer controlled feed Model 70 in .458. The one on the right is a 1949 M70 375 H&H, nicely restocked. The .375 wears a variable Leupold because it can easily reach out to 300+ yards. The .458, not so much. So it gets a forward mounted red dot - no scope bite and quicker than the irons for me. I can shoot the .375 all day. The limit with the .458 is about 10 rounds per session. The .375 is a very practical rifle, and I've killed lotsa game with it, mostly elk. The .458 isn't really very practical but it's fun and conjures up images of Africa and buffalo and elephants. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours. They really do grow on ya.
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Actually it makes perfect sense (Hollywood wise)... Dirty Harry had the most powerful handgun of the day, and the .458 Win Mag was one of the most powerful offering in a bolt action rifle at the time.
Congrats to the OP on his Dirty Harry weapon trifecta collection.
And now, for a bit of Dirty Harry trivia... the actor (Andrew Robinson) that played Scorpio, he went on to play one of the central characters on the Star Trek Deep Space Nine TV series.
You'd be hard pressed to identify him by appearance... as he was the Cardassian named "Garak", that ran the tailor shop on the DS9 station.
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Nice score, Classic12. I fired a .458 once but it the guy that owned it had 350 grain handloads, said they were loaded down a bit.
I owned a Ruger 77 in .300 Winchester when I was stationed in Alaska, but my cousin offered me his .375 H&H to use on a few hunts, I really like that caliber.
Classic12, I'd check the rubber on that recoil pad. The rubber on a 53 year old rifle can turn hard from age.
I had to put a new pad on an older Browning Superposed 12ga. as the original pad was as hard as concrete.
I owned a Ruger 77 in .300 Winchester when I was stationed in Alaska, but my cousin offered me his .375 H&H to use on a few hunts, I really like that caliber.
Classic12, I'd check the rubber on that recoil pad. The rubber on a 53 year old rifle can turn hard from age.
I had to put a new pad on an older Browning Superposed 12ga. as the original pad was as hard as concrete.
A little late to the party, but thanks to Classic12 for starting such a wonderful thread. The Dirty Harry references are fun.
Since my early teens I have dreamed of an African hunting safari. I never planned my finances well enough to afford it, but sometimes dreams are sufficient entertainment in life.
Until that day in 2009 when I walked into a high end gun shop in Salt Lake City to drop off a lovely LC Smith double 12 ga. I had just inherited. I was making sure it was good to shoot, and it was and is.
On one wall rifle rack was a gun that just jumped out at me--so different from anything else around it. The store owner had been a PH in Africa for a number of years, and when I showed interest in the rifle he really beamed.
Forty minutes later I was driving home with it, only $1300 poorer but with dreams of bagging a Cape Buff dancing in my head again. A dream now more possible before I age too much more.
This gun was custom built on order by a local gunsmith--Nighthowls--and it is beautifully done. Look at the laser engraving on the rear stock. And, its a .458 Lott.
I own a Barrett 95 .50 BMG which I can shoot about 15 rounds through before quitting. The recoil is not the stopping issue; it's the concussive back blast from the massive muzzle brake that limits the fun.
Likewise, this 'Buff gun has a very effective muzzle brake. I know PH's hate them, but I'm not in Africa (yet). I first shot some .458 WM through it and was surprised that the recoil seemed acceptable to me. I went through about 10 rounds of 500 grain solids.
I stepped up to the 458 Lott 500 grainers, and yup, there was a noticeable difference. I'd say about a 15% increase. I would never shoot this gun from any position other than standing. About 5 Lott rounds is my limit for enjoyment, but there is nothing like letting this boomer go at a watermelon at 50 yards with a Barnes TSX hollow point. It is hard to find a piece of watermelon bigger than a silver dollar.
For those interested, here is a link to Kentucky Ballistics, a channel with a guy who shoots all kinds of stuff with a 458 Lott. He put together 64" of gel and shot three solids through all of that and into a railroad-tie berm so deep he could not dig the bullet out. Approximately 5,600 FPE at the muzzle.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-48wftRyzCM&t=544s[/ame]
Since my early teens I have dreamed of an African hunting safari. I never planned my finances well enough to afford it, but sometimes dreams are sufficient entertainment in life.
Until that day in 2009 when I walked into a high end gun shop in Salt Lake City to drop off a lovely LC Smith double 12 ga. I had just inherited. I was making sure it was good to shoot, and it was and is.
On one wall rifle rack was a gun that just jumped out at me--so different from anything else around it. The store owner had been a PH in Africa for a number of years, and when I showed interest in the rifle he really beamed.
Forty minutes later I was driving home with it, only $1300 poorer but with dreams of bagging a Cape Buff dancing in my head again. A dream now more possible before I age too much more.
This gun was custom built on order by a local gunsmith--Nighthowls--and it is beautifully done. Look at the laser engraving on the rear stock. And, its a .458 Lott.
I own a Barrett 95 .50 BMG which I can shoot about 15 rounds through before quitting. The recoil is not the stopping issue; it's the concussive back blast from the massive muzzle brake that limits the fun.
Likewise, this 'Buff gun has a very effective muzzle brake. I know PH's hate them, but I'm not in Africa (yet). I first shot some .458 WM through it and was surprised that the recoil seemed acceptable to me. I went through about 10 rounds of 500 grain solids.
I stepped up to the 458 Lott 500 grainers, and yup, there was a noticeable difference. I'd say about a 15% increase. I would never shoot this gun from any position other than standing. About 5 Lott rounds is my limit for enjoyment, but there is nothing like letting this boomer go at a watermelon at 50 yards with a Barnes TSX hollow point. It is hard to find a piece of watermelon bigger than a silver dollar.
For those interested, here is a link to Kentucky Ballistics, a channel with a guy who shoots all kinds of stuff with a 458 Lott. He put together 64" of gel and shot three solids through all of that and into a railroad-tie berm so deep he could not dig the bullet out. Approximately 5,600 FPE at the muzzle.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-48wftRyzCM&t=544s[/ame]
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jtcarm
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Just make sure you don't shoot while sitting with your back against a hard surface.
I saw a guy do that at the range once. He cut loose with a .375 resting his back against a pillar of a concrete bench. We listened to him bellowing for a while.
I'm surprised the Weatherby had less perceived recoil. The MK V stock has quite a bit more drop than a Model 70. Maybe that big comb keeps it good.
I saw a guy do that at the range once. He cut loose with a .375 resting his back against a pillar of a concrete bench. We listened to him bellowing for a while.
I'm surprised the Weatherby had less perceived recoil. The MK V stock has quite a bit more drop than a Model 70. Maybe that big comb keeps it good.
Shortly after making that original post I had to go to the range with all three guns, and I made a video about it.
Shooting Dirty Harry's guns - YouTube
Shooting Dirty Harry's guns - YouTube
wetdog1911
Member
Reading in a BPCR publication on the .458 Win Mag was, it was basically a .45-110 or .45-140 (don't remember which), that had been belted and stuffed with smokeless powder.
Made sense, as the bullets are the same diameter (.458), and it is a straight walled case. A sxs photo of the 2 cartridges looked identical except for the belt on the Mag.
My 9# C. Sharps in .45-70 thumped me enough that I had zero interest in firing the .45-110/.45-140 and certainly not the .458 Win Mag.
No wonder some of those Buffalo guns weighed up to 16#.
Rob
Made sense, as the bullets are the same diameter (.458), and it is a straight walled case. A sxs photo of the 2 cartridges looked identical except for the belt on the Mag.
My 9# C. Sharps in .45-70 thumped me enough that I had zero interest in firing the .45-110/.45-140 and certainly not the .458 Win Mag.
No wonder some of those Buffalo guns weighed up to 16#.
Rob
poprivit
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