Well, about two years ago, I bought a 460. I did it because, even at 60 years old, I could remember the impression it left on me, back when I was 16. I had memorized a complete caliber book of muzzle energies, bullet weights and velocities. I would read through it every couple weeks or so, and at the end, the 460 was at the top, even making the 458 Winchester Magnum a lowly second. It is an approved, “whale cartridge”, although what kind of no-good would ever want to kill a whale, I don’t know?!
A couple of well-known hunters have said that it’s performance is suspect, because it has too much speed for the size of bullet. Others counter that newer bullet designs have taken care of that problem. But that didn’t matter to me, because my intended purpose was, upon my surmise, to leave it to my two cousins, with a note for them to employ it shooting salamanders at our camp pond. It’s kind of the same hunting as shooting whales, I guess, but salamanders don’t conjure up the same feelings of endearment.
Anyway, the bequest would be a humerous upgrade from the Dasies we carried, as kids. I did end up selling it, though; I knew it was ridiculous. My cousins would just end up complaining about the cost of ammo.
I did shoot at 257 Weatherby Magnum for about 15 years. My father was a handyman for a wealthy coal mine owner, and the man gave it to my dad, as a gift. It was truly fabulous; it was a terror on groundhogs and whitetails. Easy to reload, it had absolutely wicked looking cartridges, that I’d steel- wool up to a gleaming finish. The bullets matched the overall exotic appearance of the rifle. It absolutely shamed all the 760 Remington Gamemasters on the gun racks at deer camp. That customized Mark V just spoke to a proud 16-year-old kid and more than a few envious uncles and interlopers, waiting out the night.
