Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX FB – Ultimate Safari Load

Description

The Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX FB is the expanding softpoint in the Barnes Safari line for the original American dangerous game cartridge. An all copper Triple Shock X leaves the muzzle at roughly 2240 fps carrying about 5015 ft-lbs of energy. Nearly half an inch of copper arriving with that much behind it is about as much authority as a shoulder fired rifle delivers. Each box holds 20 rounds.

• Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX FB Overview
• 450 Grain TSX Flat Base Performance
• Why Hunters Choose 458 Winchester Magnum Ammo
• Specifications
• Range Notes For This All Copper Dangerous Game Bullet

Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX FB Overview

The projectile is machined from a solid copper billet with a deep hollow nose. Under the stress of a close range impact on heavy bone there is no lead core to separate and no jacket to strip away, which is the failure mode that made early 458 loads unpopular with professional hunters.

The nose peels back into four sharp copper petals that reach roughly double the original diameter and stay attached to the shank. On a 458 caliber bullet that is a very large frontal area, and weight retention stays close to 100 percent, so the bullet keeps driving after it opens.

450 Grain TSX Flat Base Performance

A 450 grain TSX flat base is the classic weight for the cartridge. Barnes runs it at 2240 fps, which is honest for the case rather than an optimistic figure from an overlong test barrel, and it is enough to reach the vitals on anything walking from any sensible angle.

A flat base is the correct choice. With a 0.369 ballistic coefficient this bullet was never meant for distance, and dangerous game shots are taken at tens of yards. Barnes also machines relief grooves into the bearing surface of the Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX projectile, which lowers pressure and cuts copper fouling.

Why Hunters Choose 458 Winchester Magnum Ammo

The 458 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1956 as the first American dangerous game cartridge that fit a standard length magnum action, and it remains the most widely chambered big bore in the world. Rifles are common and affordable compared to anything in the Nitro Express class, and ammunition is available on every continent that has dangerous game.

Early factory 458 Winchester Magnum ammo earned a poor reputation for velocity that fell short of the advertised figure and for bullets that failed on heavy bone. Modern loadings solved both problems. A monolithic copper bullet at an honestly rated 2240 fps behaves the way the cartridge was always supposed to.

Recoil is severe. A rifle in the ten pound class with a well fitted stock and a quality pad is essential, and practice from field positions matters far more than bench groups.

Specifications

Range Notes For This All Copper Dangerous Game Bullet

Zero with the exact load you intend to hunt. If you plan to load softs first and solids behind them, confirm that both print together at your zero distance, because individual rifles do not always agree with the factory pairing.

Feed test the full magazine before you travel. A flat nose copper bullet has a different profile than the round nose ammunition some older controlled round feed actions were regulated with, and a feeding problem is not something to discover in the field.

Copper needs velocity to open, and at 2240 fps the Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX expands reliably at every distance the cartridge is realistically used. Store the ammunition cool and dry, and inspect it after a long flight in a hold.

Lead Free Big Bore Safari Ammunition Availability

Hunters booked on a buffalo safari, guides working brown bear country, and anyone hunting where non toxic projectiles are required will get the most from this lead free big bore safari ammunition. Full factory ballistics for the Barnes VOR-TX 458 Win Mag 450gr TSX are published by Barnes Bullets.

Compare it with our Barnes VOR-TX Safari 416 Rem 400gr TSX, shop more rifle ammunition, or browse the full ammunition selection at MAG5 Firearms.