The case is belted, the belt being longer than normal belted magnum brass, though the same diameter. We dug it out with a knife, reloaded two more, and again the second round failed to feed. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10" compared to 1.70" on the .450 Bushmaster. ; this is a formidable load in any rifle. The Winchester 1886 is back in several iterations, the Henry lineup includes the .45-70 and even Marlin saw fit to offer its Model 1895 Guide Gun in .45-70. Still, one wonders: Is there a need for a .444 Guide Gun, the 444P? This cartridge was held back for years by the lack of good factory loaded ammo. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. This is pure conjecture, but the outcome is notthe .450 Marlin is pretty much a turkey, as we see it. With the good loads out there for the .45-70, and with Wild Wests .457 Magnum available, we see no need for the .450 Marlin. Heres how they compare to each other. The checkering was fully functional. Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. This straddled the bolt, but was much too far forward for proper use by our test personnel. 12 Gauge 1". Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Specifically, the hot .45-70 Buffalo Bore (BB) ammunition gave a 405-grain bullet the astounding velocity of 1,900 fps, compared to 1,200 fps with the ordinary loading of that bullet by Remington. Since the topic is hunting, weve selected two respected hunting rounds in common weights for calibers and with similar style bullets to side-by-side the cartridges. The .450 Bushmaster cartridge was developed using a modified .284 Winchester case with a rebated rim. Bryce M. Towsley Dont knock the 450 Marlin round. Then it had a distinct hitch to a solid stop, then a hard pull of 5 pounds followed by lots of overtravelnot the sort of action we look for in rifle triggers. Comparatively, a 250 grain projectile chambered in .450 Bushmaster has a muzzle velocity of 2,200 feet per second with a muzzle energy of 2,686 feet pounds. vs. .340 Wby. The U.S. Army adopted the new cartridge, which replaced the .50-70 cartridge it employed in 1866. Your rifle is your most important hunting tool, and knowing how to properly clean and store it when hunting season comes to a close is critical in keeping it in tip-top shape. vs. .300 WSM.223 Remington vs. .22-250 Remington. Now I wont dissuade anyone from getting involved with reloading ammunition. This cartridge is useless, and it may have caused a host of ejection problems in our test gun. 1 and Winchester's 1885. . How can a bit of brass added to a cartridge case make up for the exact same amount of steel removed from the chamber that holds it? from a 20" barrel for 2,686 ft.-lbs. Based on that flaw, wed have to say Dont Buy it. The .450 Marlin has ballistics almost identical to magnum .45-70 Government ammunition and the cartridge fires the same weight bullet approximately 600fps faster than lower pressure .45-70 ammo intended for use in the Trapdoor Springfield. Wild West was also the originator of the short, handy, powerful lever-rifle concept. Depending on the weight of the gun, recoil for the 450 varies between 15 and 20 ftlbs. I have worked pretty extensively with this cartridge on the range with three different rifles, and I have talked with a bunch of other gun guys who have been shooting the 350 Legend. Then Hornady brought out two loads for the cartridge and things changed. The idea used to develop the .450 Bushmaster was credited to Jeff Cooper. The two most popular flavors are the .45-70 and .450 Marlin cartridges, both of . I have used the cartridge with the 275-grain Barnes bullet designed for the .460 S&W to take a truckload of hogs and an Asian water buffalo. The .30-06 cartridge has a strong but not particularly sharp recoil. A behemoth by any standard, the large-bore rifle cartridge has been the go-to for many if not most hunters around the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie up to this point. Buffalo Bore also loads three different weights of bullets in the .444 Marlin, and they give much better performance than ordinary .444 loads, and do so safely. Save. Dont Buy. The cartridge has a cavernous case capacity designed to work with black powder of the era, and it used large-diameter bullets to compensate for the low velocity produced by that propellant. In contrast, Marlin had another idea entirely with the companys new .450 Marlin, though we dont know why the company didnt just chamber an existing lever rifle for Wild Wests better cartridge idea. I'm thinking of adding a 450 bushmaster. But if you find a sample that doesnt exhibit the problem and you have zillions of .44 pistol bullets you want to shoot in it, then wed give it a Conditional Buy. 450 Bushmaster can be found on the shelves at most large outfitters but don't expect to . 450 Bushmaster was the first big round to come out for bolt action and AR-style rifles, It opened up possibilities for hunters where shotguns and straight-walled cartridge. Brass case webs on rimmed cases, like the .45-70 or .444 Marlin, are more than strong enough for whatever pressure the stout Marlin action can take. A 44 mag has 11 ftlbs. Both forend and wrist checkering had a darker finish than the rest of the wood, and it added to the looks of the rifle. The .450 Marlin is just a bit bigger, with a bullet diameter of .458 compared to the .450 Bushmasters .452. For that matter, is there a need for the .444 in any gun version, even though they cost $550 MSRP and have a low street price around $400? 450 a bit better with jacketed, 1" vs 1.5". SAAMI limits the MAP to 28,000 psi. Marlins introduction of the Guide Gun didnt acknowledge Wild West Guns, so perhaps the reason for Marlins new cartridge stems from a desire to avoid copying Wild West yet again. With a 150-yard zero, the bullet is 1.66 inches high at 100 yards, 4.37 inches low at 200 yards, and 11.9 inches low at 250 yards. SAAMI Accepts 30 Super Carry As New Standardized Cartridge, SHOT 2022: Federal Premium Announces 30 Super Carry Cartridge. Our test .444 Marlin 444P was essentially a .444 Guide Gun, having the same ideas behind it as Marlins best-selling .45-70 version. from a 1.70 long cartridge case at velocities over 2000 fps. Back in January we tested this superb rifle along with the similar Marlin Guide Gun, both in .45-70. The checkering was very well done, had a pleasing pattern, and it worked very well. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. In our tests, the gun was not as smooth as the .444, had less power than you can get out of a good .45-70 load, offered not a lot more power than you can get out of good .444 Marlin loads, and in short didnt offer us anything at all that we wanted. 444 Marlin VS 450 Trajectory Overall, the 444 Marlin is a slightly flatter shooting cartridge than the 450 Bushmaster is. Use: Defense. We learned the recoil pad, though firm, was almost adequate. Contact Us - Many of the loads out there are designed to be safe in the trapdoor Springfields that are still around. In the late 19th century, the .45-70 would have been viewed as an average-diameter cartridge, as the small bores like the .30-06 and 7x57mm Mauser would take some time to gain ground as the all-around military/hunting bore diameters. Our shooting was hampered by the trigger and by the huge ghost-ring rear sight. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you havent heard yet, be advised that millions of gun owners may soon be classified as felons if a new Bureau of Alcohol, Big-Bore Lever-Action Hunting Guns: Pass On Marlins New .450, SIG Sauer P365XL Spectre P365V001 9mm Luger, Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro HCP9379BOSP 9mm Luger, SHOT 2023: Savage Arms Introduces 1911 Government Model Pistols, 5 Best 9mm Pistols for Concealed Carry in 2023, New Shooters Guide: The Best Gun For Home Defense Isnt a. . The 450 bushmaster in the Ruger is a fine rifle for the money . So whats best, 450 Bushmaster Vs 350 Legend. While there are hundreds of rifle cartridges suitable for deer hunting, when we add that straight-walled factor into the equation the list grows much shorter. New Shooters Guide: You Have Your Concealed Carry Permit Should You Carry. Who needs more than 1 shot? Four REASONS I WAS THINKING OF A 450 BUSHMASTER 20"UPPER 1.WAY LESS FELT RECOIL THAN A 12 GAUGE THANKS TO THE AR15 BUFFER TUBE DESIGN . Brands include Frontier, Hornady, Lapua and Prvi Partizan. With a 2.260-inch Maximum Overall Cartridge Length, it fits well in the AR-15 platform. of energy. Offers more range than any commercial lever gun cartridge except the .338 ME Out of the muzzle, the .450 Marlin packs another 886 ft-lbs over the .450 Bushmaster, a significant difference. .429 Caliber projectiles 450 Bushmaster 044176 Cartridge. Reloading Brass. By logging into your account, you agree to our. It's my night hog rifle - 4x12-50 L VXR . Your 450 will pick it up from there and range from 350 grains to over 500 grains. The .450 Bushmaster was designed to work in an AR-15, but its also available in bolt-action rifles from Ruger, Mossberg, and others. Straight-walled rifle cartridgesat least most of themare a lot more consistent. The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. Hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition is currently available from Buffalo Bore in three different bullet weights. The .450 Bushmaster has a SAAMI Mean Average Pressure (MAP) of 38,500 psi. The checkering was fully functional, well done, and attractive. What about the need for an idiot-proof cartridge in the first place? vs. .300 Wby. Model: Bushmaster 450 Bullet Size: 250 grains Bullet Diameter: .452 inches Shell Case Length: 1.7 inches Energy (per 200 yards): 1,274 foot-pounds Velocity (per 200 yards): 1,515 feet per second Muzzle Energy: 2,686 foot-pounds Muzzle Velocity: 2,200 feet per second CLICK FOR BEST PRICE 45-70 Brand: U.S. Army's Springfield Armory Elsewhere, we noticed an anomaly between the two Marlins. I have an H&R 444 with the 16tw barrel - loaded some 240gr. Please know that we only recommend products we trust and have used ourselves. Though the .45-70 Government cartridge has been in production since 1873, there was a time when a new rifle chambered in that cartridge just wasnt offered. Links to technical data and drawings for the newly SAAMI accepted Cartridge and Chamber designs not yet included in SAAMI Standards are listed below. Setting aside the dubious qualities of the .450 Marlin cartridge, we noted the rifle that shot the rounds was well made. About half the time, the fired case didnt clear the rifle. 450 Bushmaster 500 S&W Magnum 6.5 Creedmoor . And the .450 marlin used in its capacity for large game is exceptional. You have entered an incorrect email address! The front sight was a gold-faced bead on a ramp underneath a protective hood. This is where the differences end, as the 45 70 and 450 are more similar than they are different. The Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Cartridge With the Most Potential: .444 Marlin, The Best Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Ammo for AR-15 Style Rifles: .450 Bushmaster, The Best Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Ammo For Long Shots: .45-70 Government. The cartridges we tested include the 460 S&W Magnum, 444 Marlin, 450 Bushmaster, and 45-70 Government. All provide an increase in accuracythough there are some wonderfully accurate slug guns out therebut the trajectory of those . The .444 shoots much flatter than most folks realize. Sign up for Field & Streams newsletter to receive the latest and greatest gear reviews and expert hunting and fishing advice. I wouldn't fret over performance or availability in either case. The concept of the fast, short, powerful lever-action rifle is probably best exemplified by the Co-Pilot, from Wild West Guns of Anchorage, Alaska. With a 150-yard zero, the Hornady 265-grain Flextip ammo is 1.55 inches high at 100 yards, 4.08 inches low at 200 yards and 11.16 inches low at 250 yards. One recurring problem, however, was the guns poor ejection. It goes so far as, previously mentioned, manufacturers offering the same model rifle in both .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend. Its a great gun. At the muzzle they are basically the same, .308 Win has around 2700 ft.lbf and 450 Bushmaster has just a few pounds under that. This was adjusted by means of a stepped elevating slide, a design as old as rifles and still functional today. All Marlins. Cooper was not only an icon of modern tactical applications; he was an serious hunter as well. Mag. Mag..375 Ruger vs. .375 H&H Magnum7mm-08 Remington vs. .280 Remington .280 Remington vs. .280 Ackley Improved 7mm vs. .30 Caliber6.5 Weatherby RPM vs. 6.5 PRC.338 Win. Mag. Their 265-grain Superformance load ramps up the muzzle velocity to 2400 fps with a BC of .189. Generally the 444 uses bullets in the range of 240 grains through 300 grains. Specifically, the 45-70 cartridge has an overall length of 2.55 and a 2.105 long case. Our only complaint, a mild one, is wed like to see a wood finish that fills the pores more completely while still letting the wood figure come through. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. Its the most powerful factory lever gun ever produced. The walnut was very decent wood, nicer than that on the .450. The .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster use very similar sized bullets, as their names might suggest. But in all honesty, it isnt for everyonebe it due to tight quarters or time constraints. RENE reports 6 different versions of the American Rifle in 450 Bushmaster and now the GSR makes 7. Big bore cartridges in particular can make lever action rifles a great choice for a bear defense gun. The .450 Bushmaster was designed to operate in AR-15 platform rifles and is capable of delivering considerably more close-range punch than the 5.56 NATO. A straight-wall, .452-caliber cartridge with a rebated rim, it's capable of pushing a 250-grain bullet to 2,200 fps. At 300 yards, drop is 15.8 and 18.8 respectively. However, the .444 owner can reload using many pistol bullets available for the .44 Magnum or .44 Special handguns, and that might be a factor in favor of the .444 over the .45-70 with its 0.458-inch bore size. The .450 Marlin is a relatively new cartridge designed as a challenge to the classic .45-70 Government, but did not offer enough of an improvement for most hunters to justify making the switch. Although we strive to provide the most accurate information as we can the information contained in this page is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. .45-70 is perfectly housed in short-barreled lever-action rifles like the Marlin Model 1895. The .450 Marlin was designed as a competitor to the .45-70 Government, so its ballistics are highly similar. Mag. 22 Nosler. With a 150-yard zero, the Winchester 160-grain Power Max factory load is 1.92 inches high at 100 yards, 5.05 inches low at 200 yards, and 13.92 inches low at 250 yards. First of all, theres no need for it. You may have a perfect group going on your target only to find the next shot is off in another time zone. Probably. Its significantly lighter recoil than the 450 Bushmaster or 12 Gauge. This Marlin, as weve come to expect from Marlins (especially the new breed with real rifling grooves) laid em in there as well as we could hold with iron sights. At 150 yards the 444 drops 2.4 inches, whereas the Bushmaster drops about 2.9 inches. Yes, the .444 Marlin is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding . Ultimately, the biggest factor in choosing between these two cartridges will be what type of rifle you wish to use. The .450 Bushmaster cartridge was developed using a modified .284 Winchester case with a rebated rim. In fact, with hot Buffalo Bore loads, the performance of the .444 Marlin would be ballistically better than ordinary loads in the .45-70 Guide Gun. For $404, wed give it a Buy rating, being a better deal than the $550 Marlin. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55" compared to 2.26" on the Bushmaster. Bottles & 12-oz. Utilizing a lighter bullet with a smaller powder charge, it can generally be said it produces less recoil. FTX bullet with a factory advertised muzzle velocity of 2,200 f.p.s. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. (45-70 Govt) The action was slick, about as good as the .444 Marlin. That said, I have both in rifles. The 450 would do better, but, is it needed on deer? Its a very useful tool for me and I now phased out my 308s and just use my 450 for everything now. Problem solved. View Details at Brownells. However, with Buffalo Bores good .45-70 loads, the Guide Gun would do anything anyone would want from a medium- to big-bore lever gun, vastly exceeding the maximum performance of the .444, and with lots of space to decrease performance as needed, even down to sub-444 levels. And, outside a flash hider on an AR, dont usually come with a muzzle device standard. Deer, hog, black bear size game. Being bracketed by the proven .444 Marlin and .45-70, the belted .450 Marlin doesnt fill a lever-gun niche any better than the other cartridges. The .444 Marlin is on par with the 45 Bushmaster at around 2300 ft/s for a 250 grain bullet, but is easily outdone by the 45 Raptor For either cartridge reloading is the route to go if you're able. But for overall practicality, straight-wall cartridges are a topic for the good folks around the Great Lakes region. Then, later in our testing, we again encountered this failure to feed, and not just from the last round in the magazine. I'd also guess that, given similar shoulder fit, you couldn't tell the difference in recoil. The forests around here are always thick brushed with all sorts of not only leafy brush but full of little twig saplings and raspberry bushes and the like. Velocity from the 450 will be slightly lower due to the heavier weight bullets thus more of a rainbow trajectory but will give better stopping power on BIG game and more . The 450/460 have proven to be , accuracy wise, about equal with boolits. Ballistics are similar to hot 45-70 loads--which are often downloaded by major manufacturers because they need to be able to not blow up the older weaker guns. Factory ammo must be safe to use in them, so the .45-70 rarely reaches its full potential. Pick the. Bushmaster asked Hornady to produce the .45 Professional, but Hornady wanted to shorten the cartridge case to accommodate their .452-inch, 250-grain pointed SST Flex-Tip bullet. If all you shoot are the Remington 240 grain loads they are pitiful. Wood-to-metal fit was truly outstanding on both Marlin rifles. The rifle was fitted with a Pachmayr Decelerator stock but had no ports. Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. All rights reserved. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. Again, there isnt a bright clear advantage when it comes to rifles chambered for cartridges. There were two large panels of checkering on the straight-hand grip. It might be a little too much for whitetails - it would be perfect on elk and moose. 5,270. Learn how your comment data is processed. Designed and developed by Winchester, the 350 Legend is the first new introduction to the market aimed specifically at straight-walled hunting regulations. We tried a different brand of ammunition and the rifle worked fine for awhile. The metal polishing and bluing on both Marlin rifles was superbly done, dead-flat sides with semi-glossy finish, sharp but not offensive corners, matted edges to the all-steel action, all of the metalwork just plain nice. Of course, with the shorter barrels on the AR-15 and some other rifles, the muzzle velocity is lower, which changes all the other numbers. The buttpad was a ventilated hard rubber pad. GunnersDen.com ~ The second shot told us that something was drastically wrong somewhere. It retains 1,000 ft-lbs of energy to just past 140 yards. While the 450 Marlin is definetly a more powerful cartridge the 444 certainly aint no slouch. The Ashley was drift-adjustable using opposing screws, though we could see no easy way to adjust it for elevation. 450 Bushmaster Ammo; 450 Marlin Ammo; 450 Nitro Express Ammo; 450 Rigby Ammo; 450/400 Nitro Express Ammo; 454 Casull Ammo; 458 Lott Ammo; 458 SOCOM Ammo; 458 Winchester Magnum Ammo; . By and large, .450 Bushmaster rifles are outfitted with medium to heavy contour barrels, a function of its large bore. The .450 Bushmaster is designed to be used in standard M16s and AR-15s, using modified magazines and upper receiver assemblies. Its great skill and potentially one of the best hobbies youll ever pick up. They track closely in weight, thus when chambered Legend tend to be more pleasurable to shoot. It had a plain but serviceable checkered walnut stock with trestle-style buttpad made of black rubberized iron. Why dont manufacturers get the word here? That makes it a good option for recoil-sensitive shooters who must abide by tapered cartridge restrictions. Eliminate trailing, disputes over the game, keep the deer on your side of the fence. The 45-70 never done much for me, but if you like them then so be it. Or more other on Scopes & Sights Resource for other rifle. Velocity (200 yards): 1,515 feet per second. He is a gun owner and avid reloader from Colorado. Why wouldnt they be in similar rifles? So I switched to the 450 bm and never regretted it and it comes with me everywhere. Recoil was manageable thanks to the soft pad, but the rifle had much greater muzzle flip than the ported Marlins. For instance, Ruger chambers its American Ranch rifle for both cartridges, with few differences between the two. The .444 felt noticeably smoother in its action than the .450. Its a belted case, not the usual rimmed type one normally finds in lever rifles. But does it deserve the attention? The two Marlins had ported 18-inchers. The .444 Marlin is essentially a deer rifle that can be used on black bear. The new Marlin .450 cartridge is supposed to be a hot choice for all medium-to-big game hunting. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. 444 vs 450. We can, however, see the beauty of an aperture sight, and desperately wanted one on both of the Marlins, such as the excellent ghost-ring Ashley or the even better fully adjustable version from Wild West with its protective ears. Winchester Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. On the other hand, performance-wise, the dividing line is thin enough so it's difficult to tip fence-sitters one way or another. BALLISTICS: Some straight-wall loads produce muzzle velocities of 2,200 to 2,400 fps, a . For reference, a 3" 20 gauge load rattles your cage at 30 ftlbs. The higher velocity and energy of the .450 Marlin allows it to shoot a bit flatter than the .450 Bushmaster. Different states hunting laws are slightly different and are subject to change so we included case lengths for each for you to use as a guide if they are legal for your hunt or not. If it had been a rimmed case, sales and longevity would be higher still. It generates 21.34 ft-lbs of energy at 12.55 fps.
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