Rifle · SAAMI
.458 Lott
Born from a near-death experience with a Cape buffalo.
- Caliber
- 0.4591″ · 11.66 mm
- Introduced
- 1971
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .375 H&H Magnum
- Primary use
- Dangerous Game, Big Game
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1971
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Jack Lott
- Manufacturer
- A-Square
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 110 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle Magnum
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 62,500 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 150 yd
- Max range
- 3550 yd
- Recoil
- 65–90 ft·lb
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .458 Lott. Parent case: .375 H&H Magnum.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 11.66 | 0.459 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 12.22 | 0.481 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 13.03 | 0.513 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 13.51 | 0.532 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | 13.51 | 0.532 | ✓ |
| Rim thickness | 1.27 | 0.050 | ✓ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 71.12 | 2.800 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 91.44 | 3.600 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .458 Lott is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
2 reloading powders listed for .458 Lott, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .458 Lott
Lineage
Blown out to .458, shortened to 2.800 in.
Connected reference
History
Jack Lott was knocked unconscious by a Cape buffalo after his .458 Winchester Magnum misfired from temperature-related powder compression. Upon recovering, he wildcatted a longer .458 case that solved the powder compression problem and delivered significantly more energy. Ruger commercialized it in 1992.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .458 Lott use?
- .458 Lott typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .458 Lott?
- .458 Lott uses a 0.4591″ (11.66 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .458 Lott still in production?
- .458 Lott is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .458 Lott used for?
- .458 Lott is primarily used for dangerous game, big game.
- What is .458 Lott based on?
- .458 Lott is derived from the .375 H&H Magnum case.
- What are the best powders for .458 Lott?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .458 Lott include Norma 201, Norma 202.
Sources & provenance
- Standard SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) — ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 – 2015 (Centerfire Rifle) — Velocity & Pressure / Cartridge & Chamber Drawings · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Standard C.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- Standard SAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawings archived
- Manufacturer Norma Ammunition — Norma African PH Woodleigh Soft Nose .458 Lott 550 gr (item 20111132) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — 458 Lott 500 gr DGX Bonded (item #82614) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Buffalo Bore Ammunition — Dangerous Game 458 Lott Barnes TSX — 450 gr. (2,350 fps) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Federal Premium — Safari Trophy Bonded Bear Claw 458 Lott (P458LT1) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Secondary Cartridges of the World, 11th ed. (Barnes), p.552, via Wikipedia: .458 Lott · parent_cartridge
- Secondary The .458 Lott: A Dedicated Cartridge for Dangerous Game — American Rifleman (NRA) · parent_cartridge
- Secondary .458 Lott — Load Data lab notes · parent_cartridge
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 36 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
