Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Is the 450 Marlin dead?

I was kicking around the idea of building a 450 Marlin in a Ruger M77 bolt gun for a handy little bear gun. Looking at availability of brass doesn’t look too promising. E.R. Shaw makes barrels and can fit and tune the rifle but the brass is key as you can’t make the brass from anything else. Thinking a 458X2” American might be a better option for such a project as they are pretty much the same.

You can't cut down .458 WinMag brass for it? Is the belt dimension different, or something?

Mine sure kills stuff dead! There’s a decent amount of Hornady brass in a couple local shops here. Been on the shelf for quite a while. If you decide to go with the build, pm me, and I can hook you up with the brass.

Well, after looking in a Hornady manual I see what you already know: The belt is longer on the .450 Marlin.

In that case, couldn't one get a barrel chambered in .450 Marlin, and then simply take some off the breech face in order to shorten that distance? Then, you could use cut-down .458 WinMag cases. Right?

I like my BLR .450 Marlin and still think its the best lever rifle available today.....Hb

I still shoot mine quite a bit.

Here in Ohio the ammo is readily available, likely due to our straight walled case law for deer hunting.

Just curious....what's wrong with the 450 Bushmaster? No brass issues with the .450 Bushmaster, in fact I've hears the cartridge is becoming the Michigan state flower.

I got a buddy that has a Ruger American in 450 Bushmaster, it is very accurate but it reeks of cheapness .......Hb

Get a Marlin .45-70. You can it to 450 Marlin velocities and a bit more. Components are plentiful, too, and if there are any rifles more fun than a Marlin or Winchester lever, I don't know what it is.

Knocked a 6x6 bull elk down with mine at 213 lasered yards. It was standing still when shot and didn't move. Was getting ready to take a second shot when it fell over sideways.

It's been dead. I used to have two of them when they were relevant and you could find ammo and brass. I got out of them and am glad I did.

I like my Marlin in 450. I've shot three bears with it and I've got enough brass to last the rest of my life. If I was getting a new punkin' roller, however, I'd go with a 45-70 or one of the choices mentioned.

It was DOA.

You're better off with the 458x2" American. You'll never run out of brass and the load data available is for bolts. Finding data for the 450 in bolts is not as easy, since you could run much higher pressure.

"I was kicking around the idea of building a 450 Marlin in a Ruger M77 bolt gun for a handy little bear gun."


If using .452 bullets does not deter you (and the 200 to 250 grain weight range-for jacketed spitzer bullets), then here's a 450 Bushmaster on the Ruger Hawkeye, stainless.

The Barnes bullet sounds to be the best for game that I have read (No personal experience with the cartridge... Yet).

The short and handy Ruger American Ranch is a lot less money... got a couple (in other calibers, they shoot good, but are not as classy as a Hawkeye).

Starline has the brass.

Not as potent as the 450 Marlin.

I think 'Randy's' is the only place that has the 450 in the Hawkeye and the Ranch in stainless.

Jerry

Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye;
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/795329382

Ruger Ranch Stainless;
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/792194557

Unless you need it to be in a short action I would just use a 458 win mag. Otherwise, if your a handloader I’d prob just do a 458x2. Matt made his brass off of 300 win mag brass and it worked fine. I loaded for it. If you want a 458, a 20-21” win mag isn’t a bad thing. After shooting big bores all my life I am just accepting they are a $hitty way to get results

Yeah I gave up on them too after owning a bunch over the years. As Stick says they're a heavy series of concessions.

Yes. But, then you end up with the 458X2” American which is a wildcat that was designed by Barnes some time ago. The 450 Marlin was based off this cartridge to duplicate it’s and the performance of top end 45-70 loads. The Marlin is 2.10” in case length and has the thicker/longer belt. The difference in the belt was intended to keep folks from chambering it into other standard magnum rifles and firing it. I had a 450 Marlin before in a guide gun but sold it. The round performed well but I care how the lever racked my knuckles every time I shot it.

Well 450 Marlin ammo is available. So you could just stock up arms either shoot it all for the brass, or pull the bullets. Hornady will likely make occasional runs of it. Just have to be Johnny on the spot when it's on the shelf. Or search classified forums around the web.

Another thing to consider is that the chamber is going to be cut for short blunt bullets. This may limit what you can load.

That may just be the best option. A plain old fashioned Marlin 1895 lever gun. I know there are aftermarket “big loop” levers. $80 in Brownells. Maybe I’ll save my short action bolt for a 338 Federal or 358 Winchester. At least I could always use 308 brass ran over a tapered expander plug for loading.