Home › Browse Calibers › .460 Wby. Mag.
Common uses: Dangerous Game, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 500gr Weatherby Select Plus Round Nose Expanding (Rn-Ex) |
| Muzzle velocity | 2600 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 7507 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.287 |
| Case length | 73.8 mm |
| Overall length | 95.3 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 65000 PSI |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2600 | 7504 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2297 | 5854 | 0 |
| 200 | 2014 | 4504 | -5.1 |
| 300 | 1754 | 3416 | -18.9 |
| 400 | 1520 | 2565 | -44.1 |
| 500 | 1319 | 1932 | -84.3 |
At 1,000 yards, .460 Wby. Mag. (500gr at 2600 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 66.7 MOA / 19.4 MIL, retaining 867 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1754 | Supersonic | -18.9 | 6.0 | 1.75 |
| 400 | 1520 | Supersonic | -44.1 | 10.5 | 3.06 |
| 500 | 1319 | Transonic | -84.3 | 16.1 | 4.68 |
| 600 | 1161 | Transonic | -144.8 | 23.0 | 6.70 |
| 700 | 1050 | Subsonic | -230.9 | 31.5 | 9.16 |
| 800 | 974 | Subsonic | -348.4 | 41.6 | 12.10 |
| 900 | 915 | Subsonic | -502.8 | 53.4 | 15.52 |
| 1000 | 867 | Subsonic | -698.7 | 66.7 | 19.41 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .460 Weatherby Magnum is a specialized heavy-dangerous-game cartridge built for stopping the biggest, most dangerous animals at close range, where a 500-grain bullet driven to roughly 2,600 fps delivers well over 7,000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Its reputation rests on sheer power and deep penetration through heavy bone and thick hide, making it a genuine "stopping rifle" cartridge for elephant and Cape buffalo. The tradeoff is punishing recoil that few shooters can handle well, so accurate shot placement under pressure is difficult and the round demands practice and a properly stocked, well-braked rifle. It is overkill for anything short of the largest game and sees little use outside professional hunters, African safari work, and enthusiasts who want the most powerful belted magnum available. Ammunition and rifles are expensive and specialized, reinforcing its niche as a purpose-built tool rather than a general big-game cartridge.
Roy Weatherby developed the .460 Weatherby Magnum in the late 1950s by necking up his .378 Weatherby Magnum case to accept .458-caliber bullets, giving it the enormous powder capacity that defines the cartridge. It was conceived as a dangerous-game round for the largest African animals such as elephant, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceros. For decades it held the title of the most powerful commercially produced sporting cartridge, eclipsing the classic British Nitro Express rounds it was meant to rival.
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