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Posted: 9/6/2026 9:59:29 AM EDT
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I'm thinking about getting back into deer hunting with a gun and from my research the .458 SOCOM is legal to use in Iowa. Was originally going to get a 450 BM but it seems likes the 458 SOCOM has less feeding issues and you can reliably use a standard 30rd aluminum or Lancer mag with just a follower change? Am I wrong in these thoughts? Seems like the only negative is ammo availability and cost but this would be an extremely low round count gun so if I had a couple hundred rounds at all times and it cost $2-3/rd it wouldn't be the end of the world. Thoughts were a Tromix built with 12" LW barrel, adjustable GB and pair it with a direct thread Hybrid 46. I'd pair this with an SBR lower and top it with a Trijicon TR24 1-4. Don't know if I'd have the can right away so I would just start with the A2 style FH. Ranges used would be 200yds and in but more than likely sub 100yds. |
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The Socoms will still run without the follower change . It does slick them up good and provides a bit more piece of mind though. I have the 375socom and it has always run great with or without the center feed follower . The feed lips and case diameter keep it centered regardless . |
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Nothing wrong with either as long as you buy quality parts. Tromix is legit. I've had zero issues with my faxon big gunner 450 bushmaster bolt and barrel combo, so i'd personally also trust them again. I'd think wilson combat is also worthy of trust. As posted above, there's no need to switch folowers for the 458. Only thing you may want to consider that i didn't see mentioned is hunting out of state where a straight wall is required. Otherwise, seems like you've got it pretty well thought out. |
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No need for an adjustable gas block. Supers and subs will work perfectly with a standard gas block if it has the correct gas port, which a TROMIX will have. No need for modified follower either. I use unmodified Lancers* in all of mine, supers and subs, 6.75” to 28”. 500 gr. and 410 gr. subs are easy to shoot out to 100-125 yards and if you want to stretch it to 200 yards, a 250 gr. bullet at 2100-2200 fps will make the trip without an excessive mid range trajectory. The only mags that don’t work well with the .458 S is the MagPul Pmag if the COAL is full length 2.250” because of the rib in the front of the mag. * I do cut a half moon cut in the front of the mag but it really is just to make removing unfired rounds easier. If shooting a very wide meplat bullet, the half moon cut does aid feeding but not with standard JHP, semi spitzer, or round nose bullets. |
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Originally Posted By Big-Bore: No need for an adjustable gas block. Supers and subs will work perfectly with a standard gas block if it has the correct gas port, which a TROMIX will have. No need for modified follower either. I use unmodified Lancers* in all of mine, supers and subs, 6.75” to 28”. 500 gr. and 410 gr. subs are easy to shoot out to 100-125 yards and if you want to stretch it to 200 yards, a 250 gr. bullet at 2100-2200 fps will make the trip without an excessive mid range trajectory. The only mags that don’t work well with the .458 S is the MagPul Pmag if the COAL is full length 2.250” because of the rib in the front of the mag. * I do cut a half moon cut in the front of the mag but it really is just to make removing unfired rounds easier. If shooting a very wide meplat bullet, the half moon cut does aid feeding but not with standard JHP, semi spitzer, or round nose bullets. Good info. I'd rather not have an adjustable gas block, only mentioned it because the description on the Tromix website said to get one if you plan on shooting supers suppressed. Other than maybe the first season this would be suppressed 100% of the time. |
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Originally Posted By HobbitHunter: Nothing wrong with either as long as you buy quality parts. Tromix is legit. I've had zero issues with my faxon big gunner 450 bushmaster bolt and barrel combo, so i'd personally also trust them again. I'd think wilson combat is also worthy of trust. As posted above, there's no need to switch folowers for the 458. Only thing you may want to consider that i didn't see mentioned is hunting out of state where a straight wall is required. Otherwise, seems like you've got it pretty well thought out. Only other state I'd even consider gun hunting in would be Kansas and you can use everything there. |
| I sort of misspoke. When I said one doesn’t need an adjustable gas block when shooting supers and subs, I was not taking into account you mentioned shooting suppressed. I know nothing about shooting suppressed, yet. I do shoot quite a bit of supers and subs through the same rifle and have never needed an adjustable gas block, but if one puts a suppressor in the mix, disregard what I said and go by what Tony said about needing an adjustable gas block. |
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Beware speaking with a sharp tongue as you are apt to cut your own throat.
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Originally Posted By DoubleARon: Discussion on gas blocks and shooting suppressed here. I would be shooting more supers suppressed than subs so I would need the adjustable block. |
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Do it! I like mine, so much fun! Hybrid46 also. Attached File Attached File |
OK, see you later, Redcoat…
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Originally Posted By Intune: Do it! I like mine, so much fun! Hybrid46 also. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174758/IMG_0018_jpeg-3824128.JPGhttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174758/1A9D61B3-74A4-48AF-9078-3C0940AD2DA6_jpe-3824129.JPG Looks good. |
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Originally Posted By Urimaginaryfrnd: Of the new AR-15 cartridges 400 Legend is the most promising. Um, new?? So first rounds of .458 SOCOM were fired in 2001... hardly new. And it is now registered with CIP, the European version of SAAMI, so no longer proprietary - anyone who wants the reamer dimension can get them off the CIP website... or contact JGS or Manson Precision as they have the PROPER reamer dimensions. Ammo is loaded by several companies, mag compatibility is generally good and bullet options range from as low as 86 grain (those might not be available any longer) to 600 gr in the AR and higher in other platforms (I've got 750 to 900 grainers sitting here...) For straight wall states... can't help you there... |
Be careful when the boss asks "Have you ever been to ...?"
"You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this (ARFCOM) pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back into its depths".
"You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this (ARFCOM) pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back into its depths".
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Originally Posted By MartytW: Um, new?? So first rounds of .458 SOCOM were fired in 2001... hardly new. And it is now registered with CIP, the European version of SAAMI, so no longer proprietary - anyone who wants the reamer dimension can get them off the CIP website... or contact JGS or Manson Precision as they have the PROPER reamer dimensions. Ammo is loaded by several companies, mag compatibility is generally good and bullet options range from as low as 86 grain (those might not be available any longer) to 600 gr in the AR and higher in other platforms (I've got 750 to 900 grainers sitting here...) For straight wall states... can't help you there... |
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Originally Posted By gunner76: Good info. I'd rather not have an adjustable gas block, only mentioned it because the description on the Tromix website said to get one if you plan on shooting supers suppressed. Other than maybe the first season this would be suppressed 100% of the time. I have a 12" barrel with the pistol length gas and use a 46 Hybrid suppressor. I shoot everything from 300gr supers to 500gr subs and the only mod I needed was changing to a H3 buffer. |
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Originally Posted By FE427TP: @MartytW have you ever experimented with a 416 Socom? Never did a .416 version, I always felt that the bullet selection was not really suitable - most of those bullets are for hard hitters like the .416 Rigby and a SOCOM variant would not have enough velocity to make the bullets expand. It would be more or less relegated to subsonics and the 458 version then has more flavors and higher bullet weights. If I wanted to do a 416, I would defer to JD Jones and his #2 Whisper series - his #1 series is based on the .221 Fireball case and includes the most well-known one, the .300 Whisper. The #2 series are based on the 7 BR case and include a 416 version, which would be a good option out of the larger platform. Somebody claims to have come up with a .338 version, however, JD had developed his version almost 40 years ago already.... it would be nice if people would acknowledge that he was the progenitor of all these 'new' cartridges... I did find an interesting barrel in the shop recently, it appears to be a 40 cal version of the SOCOM, I believe that might have been for a special customer. But no reamer or dies, likely those were all part of the package and sent along with the barrel. Tony Rumore of Tromix did a 475 version dubbed .475 Tremor and a 375 version. |
Be careful when the boss asks "Have you ever been to ...?"
"You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this (ARFCOM) pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back into its depths".
"You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this (ARFCOM) pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back into its depths".
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Tony did a .400 (10mm) SOCOM and I have a 16” one. It’s really an interesting round and performs very well with 200 gr muzzle loader bullets, sans sabot of course and .400 XTP bullets hold up surprisingly well at 2400-2500 fps velocities. However, the .375 SOCOM has much better downrange performance out to 300 yards and the .458 throws heavier bullets for more smackdown with subs. And, there are few really heavy .400 bullets like there are for the .458. But in regards to a .416 SOCOM…. I am a huge fan of the .416 RIGBY and I wanted a .416 SOCOM so bad I could taste it. But there are really no bullets that work at .416 SOCOM velocities. I ran every .416 bullet I could find through QuickLoad and much to my dismay, a .416 caliber SOCOM was really a bad, if not downright stupid, idea. It just doesn’t work. |
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Originally Posted By Hellion-Productions: I wish the .429 SOCOM had gained some traction. Such is life. Best, JBR I was reading the above and was just thinking a .429 socom would be sweet . * Bear Creek Ballistics has a nice little 225gr spitzter solid . |
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Originally Posted By Hellion-Productions: I wish the .429 SOCOM had gained some traction. Such is life. Best, JBR I'd then use that other case that is very similar (Beerwurst or something like that  ), and neck it to .429. It has a bit of a ring to it, a 44mm case necked to .44 cal... I have all of that drawn up with proposed load data and even have a .44 cal blank laying here... The longer case to squeeze as much out of the design as possible. Bullet Loaded / COL (inches) / Powder Used / Velocity (fps) / Energy (ft-lb) 180 gr XTP / 2.000 / Lil’Gun / 2475 / 2440 200 gr XTP / 2.031 / Lil’ Gun / 2340 / 2430 240 gr JHC / 2.120 / VV N120 / 2140 / 2430 265 gr FTX / 2.255 / VV N120 / 1990 / 2320 300 gr XTP / 2.215 / Acc 2015 / 1940 / 2510 |
Be careful when the boss asks "Have you ever been to ...?"
"You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this (ARFCOM) pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back into its depths".
"You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this (ARFCOM) pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back into its depths".
|
Since we seem to be going down memory lane, let’s not forget the 338 SOCOM, 358 SOCOM, previously mentioned 375, 40, 44, and 458 SOCOM as well as the 475 SOCOM, also known as the 475 Tremor. The 475 Tremor is a real hoot. While there are not many jacketed bullets available since the .480 Ruger died, there are enough and the Tremor does just fine with wide meplat hard cast bullets. All are darned good rounds. While there was a 500 SOCOM, I don’t think it got much traction since the case was shorter than the 50B and didn’t really do anything the 50B didn’t do. There may have been a few done but I never heard much about it other than doing a bunch of QL calculations. Too bad the .500 Phantom died. Now THAT was a great round. 300 to 900 gr bullets and could be done in AR and LR platforms. |
Join the N.R.A.
Beware speaking with a sharp tongue as you are apt to cut your own throat.
My name is John Wick, you killed my puppy, prepare to die.
Beware speaking with a sharp tongue as you are apt to cut your own throat.
My name is John Wick, you killed my puppy, prepare to die.
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