Just wondering if it is possible to use .451 caliber reloads in a .458 lott brass?
Also if so could I use a .45APC factory cartridge?

Anyone ever try this or is it crazy?:confused:

I would not try it myself...

You can try but I can already tell you accuracy will be terrible using an undersized .451 bullet in the .458 barrel of the Lott. I doubt you would even get the case to hold the bullet well enough to feed without it setting the bullet back into the case. In short, not a good idea. If you are looking for cheap shoots get hard cast bullets. They would be cheaper than .451 jacketed bullets anyway. And I have no idea what you mean by "use a .45 ACP factory cartridge?"

The .458 Lott is a true .458" and so you shouldn't use any bullets smaller than .458".

Welcome to the forum Joe. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

Yup that's a crazy idea. You should never fire anything but what is stamped on the barrel of your firearm.

No a 45 acp cartridge won't fit in the 458 lot chamber, nor will a .451 size bullet work loaded in brass and barrels designed for .458 diameter bullets.

Joe, the others are correct. If you open the action on your .458 Lott and drop a .45 ACP round in the chamber, you will see why you can't use it. It will fall down inside the chamber, like putting a 20 gauge shell in a 12 gauge shotgun. Potentially very dangerous and wouldn't work anyway.

Regarding the .451 bullets, there's no good reason to do this, as cast .458 bullets are available. That said, I have used cast .452 bullets in my .458 Win Mag, at low velocity, just as a plinker load. I happened to have some 300gr hard cast for my 45 Colt, so I used them with a light charge of pistol powder (do some research reduced loads before you try something like this) for about 1,000 fps. It worked OK for plinking, but you can expect plenty of leading in your barrel from doing this. Not much different than making up a round ball load.

Not sure but I think putting a lighter weight round such as the .45 acp to the case of a .458 lott might result in a bullet that fragments under the pressure from that level of power.

yeah,not reeeeeally sure if a 185gr pistol bullet is made to be driven at ~3800fps. What say ye ?? -----pruhdlr

yeah,not reeeeeally sure if a 185gr pistol bullet is made to be driven at ~3800fps. What say ye ?? -----pruhdlr

Varmint ammo! :D

I've used 158gr .38 caliber hollowpoint pistol bullets in my 35 Remington at 2,300 fps, they are very explosive and destructive. Kind of a similar situation, except they actually fit the bore closely, unlike the .451 vs .458 bore.

My Ruger #1H rechambered to Lott will shoot a 300gr at 3000fps. That's enough "red mist" for me.

Especially when I re-hollow point them with a drill and insert a Fed.215 primer,sittin' under a BB, covered over with wax.

I haven't been able to figure out if the primer detonates or not. This used to be my winter porcupine load. Yeeeeowza !! -----pruhdlr

I wonder if you could set a paper target up a foot or so away from a large tree trunk, shoot the trunk with one of those exploding loads of yours and then examine the paper for fragments or any evidence of the primer igniting. Then repeat with a non-exploding load with a new sheet of paper and compare the two. I'd be interested to know if the primers are igniting.

I wonder if they are igniting when the fired and still in the barrel. The acceleration may drive the BB into the primer enough to set if off.

Interesting concept anyway...but I would have been affraid to try it

I seat the primer down deep,put a healthy layer of wax over it and put the BB on the top after the wax hardens. Then seal the BB in with wax again.

Could be also that the wax contaminates the primer. I have shot spruce trees 4-5 inches in diameter with the primer load and without,there seems to be a little difference in the exit "hole".

Winter in Maine with nothing to do,the farmers and/or woodlot owners love you to take care of a few porky's. They do an awful lot of damage. -----pruhdlr