After the accuracy testing, the more precise, higher-magnification scope will be replaced with either a 3X or 4X ACOG or a red dot for faster target acquisition. The 458 Socom has come a long way since its adoption in the early 2000s by members of special operations, thus the name Socom (special operations command). Dies ordered from Hornady have not yet arrived. The .50 AE and .499 LWR were ruled out because in 2000 only two bullets were offered in .501 diameter, both developed as pistol bullets for the .50 AE and not heavy enough for the subsonic suppressed role. I'm anxious to work up reloads, but you can't hotrod AR loads. Over the chronograph, velocity 15 feet from the muzzle measured 1,927 fps with a deviation of 18 fps — very consistent performance — and it showed on the target. They must be loaded to a narrow pressure. As is often the case with government requests, about halfway through the trials, the higher brass decided the emerging dust-up in Asia would be a close quarter affair, and it might be better to abandon the bulkier, heavier .30 caliber and move to a smaller, lighter, faster round. That puts it squarely in the territory of the modern .45-70 or .450 Marlin, and it will do anything those rounds will do. A standard 20-round 5.56mm NATO magazine can hold seven .458 SOCOM rounds and a standard 30-round 5.56mm NATO magazine can hold ten .458 SOCOM rounds. It was shown as effective in terms of ballistics, firing a 500 grain bullet subsonically, but not ideally suited for its role due to the size and weight of the platform. Hornady’s FTX – The spire point and overall design of this bullet offer greater range and terminal ballistics. A small game rifle has to be very accurate -- close enough is not an option. Read some of his stories about black bear hunting. A lot. .458 SOCOM: 300 grains/2,000 fps (claimed)/2,665 ft.lbs..45-70: 300 grain/1,800 fps/2,158 ft.lbs..450 Marlin: 350 grain/2,100 fps/3,425 ft.lbs. The recent rush of short and super-short cases that followed the .300 RUM are a perfect example of this, as are the .444 Marlin, .338 Federal along with many others. All rights reserved. The.458 HAM’R Ultimate Hunter Rifle Occasionally they hit a home run, and the likes of the .22-250, .257 Roberts, 6.5x284, or .224 TTH are born. A variety of loads are available in the 250 to 600-grain range. The Ultimate … Looks like the .458 SOCOM shooting the 300gr Barnes TTSX zeroed at 100 will be about 13.5 inches low at 200 and dropping fast after that. Thoughts of AR-15s automatically lean towards their most familiar load, the versatile.223, and the expansion to .204, 6.8, .30 Remington AR, and the like have given it solid deer and antelope hunting credentials. That is extraordinary accuracy from an unmodified semi-auto rifle. They put out a request for a set of specs they want, and arsenals and commercial manufacturers go into high gear until the round is created. For hunting medium to large game, bullets in the 250 grain– 400 grain weight range possess devastating killing power. The Government bought it, Colt bought the design rights from ArmaLite, and AR-15s wearing a Colt logo tromped the rice paddies of Vietnam for years, going on to become the primary military firearm to this day. As of now, they only offer a 16-inch chrome barrel with a flash hider (good to protect the crown, even if you're not concerned about flash), and no front sight. Maybe they have a magic trigger finger. The exact number varies with … From breaking locking lugs to … This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Keenly priced. The .458 SOCOM (11.63×40mm) is a moderately large round designed for a specialized upper receiver that can be mounted on any AR-15 pattern lower receiver. The 458 SOCOM can manage 140 to 600 gr bullets, which means that it’s more powerful. During the development phase, various other cartridges were considered and proposed to the project sponsor, but rejected as not meeting all the requirements. There are multiple bullet weights and grains when it comes to the 458 SOCOM. Michael Nelson. Marty ter Weeme, founder of a company called Teppo Jutsu, L.L.C., went to work. Prompted by the lack of power offered by the 5.56 NATO cartridge used in the M4 carbine and the M16 rifle, the .458 SOCOM came about from informal discussion of members of the special operations command, specifically Task Force Ranger's experience that multiple shots were required to incapacitate members of the opposing force in Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent. The AR craze has brought us several cartridges that are designed to work with the standard .223-length case and drop deer in... Read an account about a wolf hunt in the wilds of Ontario -- at temperatures as low as 25 below zero. That's not the way things are in the real world. As the acronym implies (Special Operations Command), members of special operations units were unhappy with the 5.56 rounds ability to bring down the enemy quickly and with as few shots as possible in combat while using platforms such as the M4 and M16.After deliberations and experimentation, the .458 SOCOM came to be in the early 2000’s. The Coast Guard uses them to put big holes in bad boats, but for hunters, bullets in the 250 to 350-grain range will be the most useful. The rising popularity of the AR-15 and its rapid move to the dark timber has generated a need for that kind of muscle in the AR. Short cases moving heavy projectiles at moderate velocities are usually capable of excellent accuracy, but this is exceptional. It's a very easy case to load for, as long as your dies don't push the minimal shoulder back. Both Starline and CorBon assure me that supplies should increase by the time this goes to press. Expect groups no larger than 1.5″ at 100 yards and effective terminal ballistics. See on Tromix - $250.00. The cartridge is available in Wilston Combat's WC-12 AR-style platform. Velocity is where the 458 starts to show its decrease in performance. Bill Wilson developed the HAM'R to ensure full expansion of the bullets at longer ranges. The .50 AE rim diameter was reduced from .514 inch to .473 inch for compatibility with other platforms, primarily bolt-action rifles. A lot of powder room was left in that case. Other loads for reloaders are available from the Teppo Jutsu Web site, and a lively reloading discussion is always underway at the .458 SOCOM Forum. The.458 SOCOM (which stands for Special Operations Command, by the way) can handle bullets ranging 140 to 600-grains. Back in the late '50s, the military decided to replace the venerable Garand. In short, a short, fat case (1.575) with a very small rebated rim (.473), minimal taper, and a slight shoulder. Magpul – AR-15 30rd Pmag Gen M2 Moe Magazine 223/5.56. I am not surprised. There’s no dearth of .458 bullets up to 500 grains for reloading thanks to the 458’s faster twist rate but hard-copy data is a bit skimpy. Both Remington and Winchester produce bulk bullets in .458. Source. Whatever your preference, bullets won't be a problem, nor will the large pistol primers this case uses. Focusing specifically on SBR’s 458 SOCOM selection, we see Buddy offers a range of 458 cartridges in subsonic and supersonic designs. Even the lightest.458 SOCOM round is more than three times heavier than the M855 round. The 458 SOCOM was designed for a very specific purpose. Good shooters will no doubt stretch that a lot, with high BC bullets, but big game is way different than steel gongs. 5 458 SOCOM Barrel & Bolt Combo – … Remage barrel nut not included. Since the SOCOM 458 is the heavier bullet compared to the Winchester 308, it is more likely to claim that the former has more bullet drop and arch when shot in long-range shooting games. The .223 magazine only hold three rounds of .458, making it legal for hunting where magazines are limited to five rounds or less. That sent all the competitors who were bidding for the lucrative new rifle contract back to the drawing board. They are fine cartridges that get the job done, but they both require that the rifle be modified. Quantity in stock: No items available Weight: 0.75 lbs Our price: $ 18.50 … Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.458_SOCOM&oldid=994431253, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles needing additional references from August 2010, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 December 2020, at 18:07. Parts need to be changed to make them function. Corbon factory loads with what appears to be a 300-grain Sierra FBHP were the only loads I had available. You want to unleash the full potential of the .458 SOCOM round. It's an odd set of dimensions, but, as we will see, an extremely clever design for its purpose. Then, of course, you have the "wildcatters" who take everything out there and neck it up and down just to see what happens. Research had indicated that a short belted cartridge called the .458 × 1.5" Barnes had been adopted for use in suppressed bolt-action rifles for use in SE Asia during the Vietnam War. Then, there are the guys in lab jackets at the commercial plants who try to bring out new commercial cartridges with a little more oomph and, hopefully, sales appeal. Any other recommendations regarding the 458(triggers, upgraded lower parts, mags, etc) is also appreciated. © Copyright 2020 Military.com. Brass typically ships either same or next day with an estimated arrival time of 2-3 days. A gun lover since young, served the country for the last 20 years. TO 458 SOCOM Steinel offers a few distinct loads for 458 SOCOM enthusiasts. In 2000 a sledgehammer cartridge that would launch 250- to 600-grain .45 caliber bullets from a standard size AR-15 with a proper barrel and chamber was born — enter the .458 SOCOM. Now, your .223 AR has morphed from a varmint getter to a full-fledged deer-, bear- and elk-stopper by simply changing the upper — no new FFL transfer required. Thanks. [2] In 2009, Barnes developed a new bullet specifically for use in the .458 SOCOM, the 300 grain Tipped Triple Shock X, also known as the TTSX or TAC-X. That is more than 300 fps greater than the .458 SOCOM shooting the same cartridge. Low recoil – maximized velocity. The one component that is currently in short supply is cases. That's the where and why of the super-heavy 450-, 500- and 600-grain bullets. The standard hard plate, more than adequate for the .223, is a real meat grinder with the .458. Just get a .458 upper available from Rock River Arms, Teppo Jutsu, or other custom builders, get loaded ammo from SBR Ammunition, Corbon, or Reeds and go. Added bonus: our load often achieves sub-MOA accuracy. The mighty .458 Winchester Magnum only bumps 2,100 fps with the 300-grainers. I say "claimed" with the .458 SOCOM, because that's what the designer's say in their sales hype, but other sources say it's more like 1,750 to 1,800 fps, or, about the same as the .45-70. My test rifle is a Rock River A4 upper and lower, flat top receiver with a 3-9 scope mounted on medium rings. .458 socom Posted by Josh Murphy on Sep 13th 2020 I love the rifle it functions perfectly I wish it had a thread protector or a simple muzzle brake and the shipping took longer than expected but during the pandemic I should have expected as much over all Im pleased with my purchase [citation needed] Marty ter Weeme of Teppo Jutsu designed the cartridge in 2000 and Tony Rumore of Tromix was contracted to build the first .458 SOCOM rifle in February 2001. On the other hand, the Bushmaster is designed to have less power potential of about 250 grains, not even a match for SOCOM’s 600-grain bullet. Big, heavy bullets moving at moderate velocities are proven game-stoppers when a fast stop is the vital objective. ArmaLite engineers simply took their .308 AR-10, made it smaller, chambered and timed it for a new, hot .22 based on a blown-out .222 called the .22 Special, later named the .223, and resubmitted it as the AR-15. You can make a fatter case work, but you can't be very much longer. While the differences between them (450 Bushmaster vs 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf) are relatively large in a few areas, they’re all good choices for a wide range of hunting tasks. The website dedicated to the .458SOCOM, where load data and other info also available. Pulling the bullet showed a powder charge of 29.2 grains of a flake powder that filled the case to about 2⁄3 capacity. The .308, .223, 7mm Mauser, and venerable .30-06 were all created this way. A bit on the results before I go on. Durability. All Gun Parts and Range Gear; Pistol Parts . No more. The more grains they consume, the more the speed drops. A few hunters offer some tips for camouflage for all seasons and hunting... Want to minimize the wear and tear on your wheels when you're out on the hunt? The project sponsor set forth a number of specific requirements namely that the cartridge had to fit in the M4 carbine and be capable of firing heavy-for-caliber projectiles at subsonic velocity using suppressors. No one will argue the effectiveness of those cartridges on deer, but for bear, elk, and moose, the job had to be left to its bigger, heavier brother, the AR10 — where the mega rounds are found. The end result is a bit of an odd-looking case, but one that accomplishes all the goals. They range from 250 grains to 600 grains. a common use The 458 SOCOM cartridge offers the practical ballistics of the legendary.45-70 in a modern AR platform rifle and is capable of firing 250 to 600 grain.458 caliber bullets in a lightweight, controllable package. The shoulder of the HAM'R cartridge is .40 inch forward of the SOCOM. The 300-grain (19 g) round offers a supersonic muzzle velocity of 1,900 ft/s (580 m/s) and 2,405 ft⋅lbf (3,261 J), similar to a light .45-70 but with a much smaller case. If you're like me you soon get pretty suspicious of gun writers who seem to get sub 1-inch, 100-yard groups from everything they shoot. The ,458 SOCOM round performs best with barrels 16’ or longer. Range. With those weights, you don't have enough powder capacity in the .458. .458 SOCOM * Polished * Range Brass - 25 count. A wide diversity of powders have also proven accurate in the SOCOM from Hodgdon's Lil Gun to 4198. Because of the small size of the AR-15 action and receiver area, and the timing of the bolt cycle rate, you can't really use cartridges much longer in overall length than the .223 (a max of 2.26 inches OL). The .458 SOCOM (11.63×40mm) is a moderately large round designed for a specialized upper receiver that can be mounted on any AR-15 pattern lower receiver. 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