calling all socom-ers!

[devious169]

Since the powers to be in the great state of Indiana say that we cannot use most standard rifles calibers to harvest tender, tasty ,four legged animals. I am planning on building a 458 socom. I've been eyeing a Wilson combat barrel, comp, bolt carrier group, gas block/ tube combo. I've got a ucwrg upper and lower combo I'm planning on sending out to have the ejection port opened up and ceracoated. Any one have any hands on experience with building, feeding or reloading the beast? Any downfalls with the socom setup? Any confirmed kills? All in all ,any bit of info would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[easy]

Lots of good info here - Not again.......! Feral Hog Control in East Texas - THR

It's a hog killing thread but the OP uses a 458 with great success.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I've deer hunted with the .458 the last four years and it's become my go to rig here in my woods where the longest shots I get are within 100 yards and there's plenty of brush. I've alternated between handloaded 300gr jhps and 405gr cast. The best accuracy has been with my 300s but I like casting my own so use the 405s a lot. Every kill has been pretty much dead within 50 yards with a couple DRT. If you don't get a clear broadside heart/lung shot you will destroy a lot of meat...

Oh, and you still can use your higher caliber rifle to harvest squirrel and rabbit and pig if you want ;-)

 

[M67]

Any reason why you'd get a 458 over a 450 Bushmaster/Thumper where you can buy much cheaper factory ammo and if you wanted to reload .452 bullets are cheaper than .458s?

 

[indiucky]

Any reason why you'd get a 458 over a 450 Bushmaster/Thumper where you can buy much cheaper factory ammo and if you wanted to reload .452 bullets are cheaper than .458s?

Because it goes to "8"????

 

[Reagan40]

I love my .458 socoms. I have an AR and a bolt action. Check out www.458socomforums.com - Index. Lots of good info there. I researched for quite a while. Don't buy the WILSON. Buy from Tromix Lead Delivery Systems - Online. The quality is great and they have everything in stock. Tropic is owned by the guy who originally figured out how to make the 458 socom work in an AR. He has worked with the developer of the round since the beginning. Great company and great service.

 

[devious169]

Any reason why you'd get a 458 over a 450 Bushmaster/Thumper where you can buy much cheaper factory ammo and if you wanted to reload .452 bullets are cheaper than .458s?

I've been thinking about a big bore ar for sometime now and 458 keeps grabbing my attention. As for the price of components, it doesn't matter. If you enjoy reloading and shooting, how can you put a price on your enjoyment . As for the calibers themselves , go big or go home right?

 

[devious169]

Because it goes to "8"????

Not only that but it has to be cooler than the bushy , it's got that whole special operations and command behind the 8

 

[jwh20]

I purchased a complete upper in .458 SOCOM from Rock River Arms and am 100% pleased with it. #1 complaint is that brass is still hard to come by and quite expensive. But bullets are common enough. They are only expensive because they are usually large and contain a lot of lead.

Somewhere in the Ammunition & Reloading topic area I posted a write up of my .458 SOCOM reloading experience.

I've not had it out deer hunting but it's deadly against targets and watermelons. I did some shots at 100 yds. and some others at 150 yds. and I have no doubt you could drop a deer cold with no problems. My scope wouldn't adjust far enough for 200 yds. since it was a 5.56 scope but I'm sure with a compatible optic you could make a 200 yd. shot as well.

Overall, I really like the .458 SOCOM!

 

[Reagan40]

Two weeks from today, I will be on my way up to Canada for a bear hunt. I will be using my .458 so com bolt action. Needless to say, I am excited. I am also very confident the .458 will do the job. When I built my first, components and parts were very hard to find. Now, the gun parts are not bad at all. I usually go to Shop Shooting Supplies | Reloading | Gunsmithing | Hunting gear ? MidwayUSA and just click to have them notify me when the brass is available. It sometimes takes a month or two for it to get in stock. Then I jump on it and order what I need. Bullet options are plentiful. It is an easy round to reload. I really enjoy shooting it. It also just had a certain appeal over the .450 bushmaster. I've been lucky enough to exchange a few emails with Marty, the guy that developed the .458 socom round. He is a good guy, and was very helpful. You won't be disappointed.

 

[jwh20]

Canada for a bear hunt, eh? Sounds like fun! Looking forward to seeing the results.

 

[M67]

I've been thinking about a big bore ar for sometime now and 458 keeps grabbing my attention. As for the price of components, it doesn't matter. If you enjoy reloading and shooting, how can you put a price on your enjoyment . As for the calibers themselves , go big or go home right?

Price on enjoyment corresponds with time of shooting, more shooting time, more enjoyment, more shooting time, more cost. 458 Socom and 450 Bushmaster really aren't guns that the normal person will shoot 1000 rounds a year though, but it would be nice to take them out.

After looking into it, I was surprised that 458 Socom brass was cheaper than 450 Bushmaster (Starline-458, Hornady-450).

Primer cost is the same.

Dies, 450 wins by a little, Hornady-450, Redding-458

Powders are similiar, Lil gun, 1680 (which means 5744 would probably work too), 4198, 4227, etc. so that's a tie.

Really the only difference is cost of the bullet. Lot of "inexpensive" .452 bullets compared to .458, not to say some with the same price don't exist, but you have more options with the .452 in that regard.

Factory ammo is a plus, just incase your reloads get lost, a lot more stores will probably have 450 Bushmaster over Socom, but that's a "what if" scenario.

Looking into is .458 isn't as expensive to reload as I thought it was, price has probably came down as popularity/more companies making components have increased.

I don't know if you can go subsonic with a .450, but I've heard subsonic 458 and it was pretty damn awesome. So that might be a plus if you want to go suppressed or not.


If you're truly going big, might as well do 50 Beowulf

 

[AmmoManAaron]

Price on enjoyment corresponds with time of shooting, more shooting time, more enjoyment, more shooting time, more cost. 458 Socom and 450 Bushmaster really aren't guns that the normal person will shoot 1000 rounds a year though, but it would be nice to take them out.

After looking into it, I was surprised that 458 Socom brass was cheaper than 450 Bushmaster (Starline-458, Hornady-450).

Primer cost is the same.

Dies, 450 wins by a little, Hornady-450, Redding-458

Powders are similiar, Lil gun, 1680 (which means 5744 would probably work too), 4198, 4227, etc. so that's a tie.

Really the only difference is cost of the bullet. Lot of "inexpensive" .452 bullets compared to .458, not to say some with the same price don't exist, but you have more options with the .452 in that regard.

Factory ammo is a plus, just incase your reloads get lost, a lot more stores will probably have 450 Bushmaster over Socom, but that's a "what if" scenario.

Looking into is .458 isn't as expensive to reload as I thought it was, price has probably came down as popularity/more companies making components have increased.

I don't know if you can go subsonic with a .450, but I've heard subsonic 458 and it was pretty damn awesome. So that might be a plus if you want to go suppressed or not.


If you're truly going big, might as well do 50 Beowulf

All good points and they are the same conclusions that I came to as well, but the deciding factor for me was that there is a much wider selection of bullets available in .458 vs. .452 and the SOCOM can take a LOT heavier bullet than the Bushmaster. The heavier bullets hit harder, you can do subsonic, and you can do cast without as many leading issues by using slow, heavy bullets. I'm sure you could overcome leading in the Bushmaster too, but it would take a bit more work and harder bullets because of the higher velocities needed to get the gun to cycle. Interestingly, a friend has the .450 Bushmaster and the ONE reason he went with it over the SOCOM was that he could get carbide dies for the Bushmaster, but not the SOCOM (he really hates lubing cases!).

The one reason I decided against the Beowulf was because of the very limited bullet selection available at the time...I guess it has gotten a little better, but it will never be anywhere near what is available in .458.

Oh, and the .458 SOCOM magazine situation is a LOT better than either the Bushmaster or the Beowulf. Just take a standard GI 5.56 magazine and switch out the follower - it's really that easy!

 

[ZbornacSVT]

Oh, and the .458 SOCOM magazine situation is a LOT better than either the Bushmaster or the Beowulf. Just take a standard GI 5.56 magazine and switch out the follower - it's really that easy!

Don't even need to switch the follower.

 

[M67]

Oh, and the .458 SOCOM magazine situation is a LOT better than either the Bushmaster or the Beowulf. Just take a standard GI 5.56 magazine and switch out the follower - it's really that easy!

450 Bushmaster mags are easy to make. I've seen some of Remington's genius when making mags for them and it's horrible. Couple friends of mine have .450s, so I converted some mags for them. Easy peasy

 

[AmmoManAaron]

450 Bushmaster mags are easy to make. I've seen some of Remington's genius when making mags for them and it's horrible. Couple friends of mine have .450s, so I converted some mags for them. Easy peasy

I did not know that, what all is involved in converting them?

 

[M67]

I did not know that, what all is involved in converting them?

Lancer mag, singe shot follower, and hitting the follower on a belt grinder at the right places.

USGI mags would work too. Never did a PMAG because I'd had to grind the ridge in the front of the mag off

 

[slowmo]

I agree with ordering 458 parts from Tromix. PMAGs didn't feed the best. I had really good luck with the Lancer 20 rounders unmodified. The other minor issue I ran into was the size of the gas block. I had to do a small amount of filing to get it to fit under my troy freefloat handguard without touching.

I put mine together right before deer season last year. Dropped on the spot with a solid heart/lung shot.

 

[Hop]

The older PMags work great. The ones with the small V at the front. Just angle that down slightly with a file and it'll feed 300 grain hollow points as fast as you can cycle the trigger.

 

[mrunnebo]

I have a 50 Beowulf and love it. Ammo is not that expensive. 350gr Hornady XTP about $30 per box of 20. Thats $1.50/rd. I reload though and bullet selection for .50 is abundant. It kills deer like none other.