, and the bullet at . However, as no mainline ammunition manufacturer provides sub- .458 Winchester ammunition this is a choice for those who load their own ammunition or have access to custom-loaded ammunition. Sporting usage The .458 Winchester Magnum was designed for use against heavy thick skinned African game species such as elephant, rhinoceros and African Cape buffalo. The exceptional sectional density of the bullet combined with a muzzle velocity of between provides the cartridge adequate penetration on these dangerous game species. Rifles produced for this cartridge usually weighed under . The combination of these factors helped the .458 Winchester Magnum become the most popular dangerous game cartridge on the African continent. Unlike the more powerful .460 Weatherby Magnum the .458 Winchester Magnum is not considered overly powerful for the larger felids such as lion or leopard in Africa. However, bullet selection is important for these felids as they are not considered thick skinned species with the largest of the lions weighing under . These species require bullets that open quickly upon impact, such as A-Square's Lion load. While the .458 Winchester Magnum is considered over powered for North American game species, the cartridge has found use for the hunting of large bears such as the polar and Alaskan brown bear and American bison. A few guides in Alaska and Canada carry rifles chambered in this cartridge to provide a defense against these largest bear species for themselves and their clients. The number one cartridge of professional guides in Alaska for Great Bears is the .338 Winchester Magnum. As almost all dangerous game hunting is conducted at short ranges with most shootings occurring well within a distance of , the .458 was not designed as a long range hunting cartridge. Its effective hunting range against large dangerous game is considered less than . Ammunition Since the .458 Winchester Magnum was intended as a dangerous game hunting cartridge, almost all ammunition manufactured for the cartridge is manufactured for these game species. Bullets used to load the .458 Winchester Magnum by ammunition manufacturers generally range between . Winchester currently offers ammunition in the traditional Soft Point and the new Nosler Partition and Nosler Solid. The Winchester loading has a muzzle velocity of and muzzle energy of . Winchester's X4581 ammunition, which has a muzzle velocity of , is rated for CXP3 (large, non-dangerous) game species. Hornady offers what they call a