The 460 Weatherby Magnum was brought out by Roy Weatherby in 1958. Based on his 378 Weatherby Magnum case necked up to take a .458-inch bullet, Weatherby's purpose was twofold: Although his 378 already produced more energy than the 458 Winchester Magnum (1956), he wanted a definitively more powerful cartridge in his line. Secondly, the East African Professional Hunters Association ruled a minimum of .40-caliber for thick-skinned dangerous game, so regardless of energy his 378 Weatherby Magnum was no longer legal. With a 500-grain bullet at 2600 fps, the 460 Weatherby Magnum develops over 7500 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. It is the most powerful commercial rifle cartridge in the world. Not everyone can handle the recoil, but without question the 460 is devastatingly effective on very large game. Like all the Weatherby Magnums based on the 378 case, the 460 case is essentially a belted version of the 416 Rigby case, thus requires a large magnum action.
