Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .450 Bushmaster in Savage Wolverine?

Has anyone shot the .450 BM in the Savage rifles? Or even the Ruger version.

The Iowa deer season just ended and we had a couple of sighting of big bucks just outside the comfortable range of the .45/70 lever gun and Savage 20 ga. slug gun we were using. We saw the bucks at about 175 yards and just didn't feel comfortable at that range. I have shot out to 125 yards with the slug gun and Marlin but got to thinking that the .450 BM, on a bolt gun, with a bit more scope might be used out to 200 yards or a touch more.

Not against buying a new rifle, but the .450 won't do anything your .45-70 will already do at 200 yds and beyond.

I have a left hand Ruger Ranch in 450 BM. I handload the Barnes 250 grain T-EZ bullets (and Remington versions of the same) at about 2400 fps. They can even be pushed to about 2500. I have also loaded the 200 grain Barnes at 2850 fps, but prefer the 250s.

The Hornady factory ammo sucks. The bullets are crap. There are countless bad reports of bullet failure with that load this year. The 450 is the most popular cartridge in Michigan now, not just in the restricted gun area either, so it gets lots of use. And the Hornady loads are what dealers mostly stock. Hopefully that will change next year. Some are getting into handloading just because of this.

In the Marlin, the 45-70 can be loaded quite hot, but the bullets are flat and cool off pretty quickly.

In my Marlin, I shoot the 250 grain Barnes flat TSX at about 2550 fps. I wouldn't have any problem shooting 175 yards with that if sighted in for that range. That load shoots incredible in my 1895 SBL at 100 yards.

Not so much about the cartridge but about the platform. My .45/70 is a older micro groove Marlin with a Leupold 1x4 heavy duplex scope, which is ok for the intended use. But between the basic accuracy and the scope itself, I don't feel comfortable with shots much more than 150 yards max.

I have a RAR in 450 BM and 200 yds is easy shooting.

KenMI is deadnuts on:

405wcf

Got the Ruger american in 450. Great gun extremely accurate. Recoil is a bit obnoxious. Sims does make a recoil that makes a world of difference. Have not used it on game. I am leery of any of the larger caliber hornady FTX bullets. Too many terrible experiences using hornady slugs with the same bullets.

I have the Ruger American Ranch. The gun is light and handy. Very handy. I find the recoil quite reasonable and that is with or without the brake. The brake works. I only shot factory ammo. No problem bench resting. I will sometimes use the brake when I have my ears on. I average 1.5 inch 5 (five) shot groups at 100 yards. I did notice a very slight drop in accuracy with the brake, call it 2 inch groups. Your average shooter will never see it. Nothing of any consequence. I was curious about the lock nut/brake mount. Not so precise? I removed the brake to protect my hearing. I did fire one shot, with brake and without ear muffs. INSANE! The Ruger is a low cost gun. A real bargain. It will not run with better guns from Europe or Japan. I read of problem with the rotary magazine in the normal rifle rounds. The 450 is rebated and has a single stack with no issues for me.

Some one mentioned the 45/70. These are somewhat similar in power but totally different. About as different as any two rounds could be. The available guns are different. In 45/70 it is levers and single shots. Mostly heavy guns. The 450 is semi auto and lighter bolt actions. The 450 is loaded to the max. The 45/70 is low pressure with capacity to load up too blow holes through anything. Different bullets, pistol vs rifle bullets.

Interesting comment on the FTX bullets. That Is the load I was shooting. Those bullets maybe best in the 454? I am thinking with a big heavy blunt nose slug, might as well shoot 44mag. The FTX is aero dynamic to push out to 200. I have not killed anything yet with mine. I guess, truth be told, it was more fun and curiosity that motivated the purchase. I did not expect much and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a cool little gun.

What bullet do people like? Is there a good factory load?

I have not shot it yet. But Remington offers a load with their accutip bullet. Again same as used in slug ammo. It is a bonded plastic tipped bullet. Has a great reputation for accuracy and performance.

The FTX is fine for deer. But keep it off bone and heavy muscle. I would not take anything other than a perfect broadside shot through the ribs. Jacket of the FTX is very thin and the bullet expands very violently upon impact. Every deer I took with the FTX or seen taken with the FTX would have the majority of the jacket within the first inch or two of the entrance hole. Some had nearly the whole jacket stuck in the hide of the entrance. This out of slugs at a slower muzzle velocity than the 450 and at typical hunting distances.

For the best performance a Barnes would be the way to go. Unfortunately they don't offer factory ammo. Have heard of some people loading Barnes tipped muzzleloader bullets in the 450. Have not tried it. But have used the same bullets in my muzzleloader at similar velocities. Without a doubt this would be the way to go for the 450. Amazing accuracy and no question performance regardless of shot placement. If the bullet can transect the vitals it will regardless of what it has to go through first.

Savage, Ruger or one of many AR-15's really no bad one's.....your choice....

Bullets are a different....

Best bullet for deer in the 450 Bushmaster....Cutting Edge Bullets 160 gr. flat Base Copper Raptor....https://cuttingedgebullets.com/452-160gr-flat-base-raptor

I have been using it for 4 years most deer DRT one 185 lb. dress buck shot at 183 yards ran 30 yards.
In a AR-15 20" barrel 2668 fps at 15'
In a 18" Savage 16 2930 fps at 15'
Sighted in 2" high at 100 yards is 2" low at 200 yards 7" low at 250 yards 16" at 300 yards....this is not calculated...shot off a bench....

Black Butterfly Ammo factory loads CEB 160 gr. "Screamer" to safe AR-15 pressure 2775 fps.....https://www.blackbutterflyammunition.com/pages/450-bushmaster-160-gr-flat-base-raptor-screamer

Remington 450 BM ammo is junk have yet to see or hear better than 2" groups at 100 yards....https://www.remington.com/ammunition/centerfire-rifle/premier-accutip-450-bushmaster

A properly constructed "Non-Conventional" mono-metal bullet that is lighter in weight compared to a "Conventional" cup-core bullet is going to preform better. You can get higher velocity = flatter trajectory less hold over at longer ranges, less recoil.
A copper or brass bullet will weigh around 35% less than the same profile of a copper-lead bullet. A CEB 160 gr. Raptor and a Hornady 250gr. are very close to the same length. Also a copper or brass "Non-Conventional" bullet has no limit on the velocity it can be shot. Every cup-core bullet has a velocity limit, we all know what happen pushing one too fast or to close of impact.

Hornady 450 BM 250 gr. FXT is a very poor bullet to shoot deer with....short range it comes apart you need to avoid bone...long range poor expansion you need to put it on bone...

I have shot 1000's of bullets in "wet paper media" in every caliber from .17"-.50" to test penetration and expansion. There's not 1 cup-core bullet made today I would shoot a game animal with, varmints I have no problem.

Just change out scopes to something like a vortex 2x7 crossfire, or diamondback with the BDC. I believe it gives you aiming points out to about 250 yards.

My experience with the Hornady FTX 325g in 450 marlin and the similar 250 g muzzleloader bullet at (2000fps) is that if you hit bone up close they will lose some weight, otherwise they should work well with heart/lung shots with pass through penetration and apparent expansion from 40-100 yards (2 cow elk, two mule deer bucks). Further out beyond 175 yards expansion may be limited, at least on deer, but it does poke a .45 caliber hole in two sides of the animal that leaves a good blood trail.

"My experience with the Hornady FTX 325g in 450 marlin...."

harrierwood,

There may be a world of difference between Hornady's .452" FTX and their .458" FTX bullets.

A presumption on my part, as I have no experience with either of these bullets.

But based on what others have said regarding the .452" FTX that Hornady uses in their 450 Bushmaster ammo.


Jerry

Mine is on an AR platform and I have killed my largest buck with mine at around 175 yards. I had a complete pass thru. Buck went around 40 yards after the shot. He bled like a grim reaper hit him. This buck was close to 300 pounds.