Unexpected Score from Cabelas!

[yorketransport]

I rolled through Cabelas this morning to grab a set of reloading dies and I walked out with an interesting find. They had just put out an Arnold Arms Stainless Hunter 2000 in 458 Arnold. It's built on a Rem 700, not his Apollo action. Stainless steel, nice pepper laminate stock, trigger felt good, and it's in an odd caliber. It seems like a decent find. The price? $650!


The original price on the tag was a touch over $1000. I wouldn't have anything to do with it for that price but $650 is a fair price for a stainless action and bottom metal in a nice laminate stock. So it came home with and I figured I would give it a full tear down and see what I ended up with.

It's an Ultra Mag length action and the lugs were lapped to easily make 85-90% contact. The extractor has been converted to an M 16 style. The action was bedded into the stock (very well done) and the bottom metal fits beautifully. The trigger is actually a Jewel that I adjusted to right about 3#.

The only issue I've found is that one of the rear scope base screws was stripped out. I just drilled and tapped them all to take 8x40 screws.

Now I just need to get some info on the 458 Arnold! It's based off of a belted case, I'm just not sure what the specifics are. If I can get any info I'll try shooting it. If not, this is turning into a donor action for something even more obscure!

Andrew

[NW-GSP]

Make sure you post info when you  find out more about the caliber, it have never heard of it but that is a sweet looking rifle!

[yorketransport]

I've been playing around with different cases (all of them empty piece of brass) trying to gauge the chamber. So far the only pieces of brass which will chamber are 7mm Rem mag, 300 Win Mag, and 375 H&H. A 458 Win Mag case won't chamber, so the 458 Arnold case must be shorter than the 458 Win Mag.

I'll probably just need to break down and do a chamber cast or track down a reamer print.

Andrew

[mountainman]

It is based of the .416 Rem Mag case opened up, if its the standrd Arnold.. With the 500 gr pills, it falls squarely between the Lott and the 460 Weatherby. Definetly more efficient than the Weatherby tho! If it is the Arnold 458 short, it is a 458 Win, shortened to 2.30" I assume with a long action, it is the former..
 Great find!!

[Biggerhammer]

Awesome score! You know how they come and go. You ever think to sell it on down the road. I'LL TAKE IT.

[yorketransport]

It is based of the .416 Rem Mag case opened up, if its the standrd Arnold.. With the 500 gr pills, it falls squarely between the Lott and the 460 Weatherby. Definetly more efficient than the Weatherby tho! If it is the Arnold 458 short, it is a 458 Win, shortened to 2.30" I assume with a long action, it is the former..
 Great find!!

I'd be willing to bet that this is the short version. A full length 458 Win Mag case won't chamber. Maybe I'll try trimming one down to 2.3 and see if that works. Thanks for the info!

Awesome score! You know how they come and go. You ever think to sell it on down the road. I'LL TAKE IT.

I think I may have an ideal for this action if the 458 doesn't work out. I think you can guess what it is.

Andrew

[mountainman]

Let me know if you want any info once you find out. i have some data on both, and Doug is a close freind, if you have any questions!
 

[yorketransport]

Looks like it's the full length version. My 458 brass was bulged just past the belt, that's why it didn't chamber. 

If it's based off the 416 rem mag, wouldn't that make it essentially a 458 Lott case?  Just trying to figure out if I can use 458 lott dies or if I need to have some made.

[Biggerhammer]

It would be way closer to .458 Lott than it would be to .460 Weatherby.

[mountainman]

In the Arnold short, but the standard runs at 2450 with a 500 grain bullet. The lott is at 2300 fps, the Weatherby is at 2600. Thats pretty much in the middle. Now handloads will sway those numbers either way. But am not here to argue, just giving info...

[yorketransport]

Whatever performance it gives I need to get this thing up and running! Now to find some 416 rem mag brass and a set of dies! Sounds like it time for a midway order.   

[Biggerhammer]

The 416 Remington Magnum shoots a 500gr bullet at 2450. Neck it up to .458 without any changes to the parent case dimension and it's going to be slower than 2450 given the bearing surface of the larger .458 bullet. Now if the case dimensions are changed when it comes to the .458 Arnold as in slightly improved shoulder or less body tapper upon fire forming, it may come close to the .416/500gr velocities. 

Let us know when you run a 500 over the chrony!

[yorketransport]

Well I found some 416 Rem Mag brass, now I just need to figure out what dies will work. If it's a 416 necked up to 458, that would pretty much match the Lott. I may just try a set of 458 Lott dies and see how those work.

Now to get my hands on some of the 300gr TTSX and maybe something in the 500+ grain range.

[Biggerhammer]

The Lott dies will work to neck it up, if the case fire formed case dimensions are just a necked up 416, with no other changes. As in shoulder position or less body tapper. You will be good to go neck sizing after that, may even get the pleasure of a shoulder bump here and there. That's a cool rifle/chambering.

[yorketransport]

If it has a shoulder, it's more of a ghost shoulder than anything. The chamber looks pretty straight walled. I'll get the brass and dies here in a few days.