Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 450 Bushmaster 16" Barrel VS .460 S&W Encore 20" Barrel

For you folks who hunt with either one of the 450 Bushmaster or .460 S&W rifle, which one do you like the best for deer and bear hunting? How is the recoil in the 20" Encore .460 S&W rifle?

The nice thing about the .460 S&W is you can shoot the .460, .454 and the 45 Colt out of it.

I hunt with a 45 Raptor (a rimless 460 S&W), so have spent some time on this subject. From talking with people who have chronographed the Bushmaster, the .460 will get you an extra 150 to maybe 200fps more velocity.

The problem is that if you do not handload, the 460 S&W factory ammo is loaded with bullets designed to perform best when fired from an 8" barrel. When fired from a 20" tube, they can really blow big holes.

The 250 gr Hornady FTX was designed for Bushmaster velocities and is what Hornady loads in their factory ammo. It is also the bullet I use in my Raptor.

There is certainly a difference in the rifles you will probably use for the two cartridges, which is probably a bigger issue than the cartridge choice. All other things being equal, I would go with the .460 S&W if you handload, and the Bushmaster if you don't.

405wcf

I had read on the 45 Raptor, but the brass is real hard to come by. Been really thinking of the .460 as a barrel costs $400 vs $700 for a 450 upper, plus you can shoot 460, .454 and 45 Colt out of the same barrel for Plinking. Thanks for your input!

I love my 460 S&W 20in Encore barrel. I shoot the 200 gr FTX and it chronies at 2810 fps. Deer don't take a step after being hit. It's a great little package with a thump. The 275 gr Barnes will put anything down in NA.

If you decide to go with the .460 i have 2 sealed cases on Winchester 260gr dual bonds i will make you a great deal on.

I recently sold my 20" 460 S&W Encore barrel. Accuracy was very good, about 1.5" at 100 yards. I was using handloads with the 200 gr. Hornady FTX at around 2850 FPS. Never shot a deer with it, but nearly cut a coyote in half at 30 yards.

My encore setup with this barrel weighed around 7-3/4 lbs, recoil was brisk, but not too bad if range sessions were limited. I could get through 20 rds no problem off the bench. However, any more than that and my shoulder started to get "tired". Comparatively, this barrel is right on the heels of a .338 Win Mag (200 gr. @ 3000fps), in a lighter rifle.

Then we get to the part that I couldn't tolerate, and that was the muzzle blast...holy crap! Shooting this rifle within an enclosed box blind made my ears ring for several hours afterword. After that experience, I had to wear plugs or muffs while hunting, which was inconvenient.

That being said, I've owned a 450 bushmaster in an AR style rifle before. Way more than enough power for deer, but I would choose the 460 due to bullet choices and the fact that hunting with an AR style rifle is awkward and unconformable when compared to an old school bolt gun or single shot.