444 marlin vs 450 bushmaster 444 marlin vs 450 bushmaster

The trajectory of most .450 factory ammo allows you to zero at about 200 yards and hold right on anywhere inside that. The 450 Marlin duplicates the 45-70 in a modern rimless case that is a little shorter. The 450 Marlin is rated at 43,500 psi compared to 28,000 psi for 45-70 Gov. The .444 Marlin (10.957mmR) is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. The trigger pull on the 444P was 4.3 pounds with prominent creep but very little overtravel. Powder Valley is your Reloading Superstore.. We are the largest provider of all brands of reloading brass because we offer great service and wholesale prices. The .450 Marlin and the .45-70 Government are not interchangeable, but are very . Based on the function of the gun we had, we would have to say Dont Buy the 444P. Then Hornady brought out two loads for the cartridge and things changed. That is not a problem, the 45-70 is way to much capacity for smokeless powder. Brands include Hornady, Lapua, Nosler, Remington, Silver State Armory, Nammo, Prvi Partizan, Winchester and mixed range fired.. Back to the wood. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. I have tested them and the results are not good. The slim forend had wrap-around checkering. Or more plainly speaking, youd dial a scope on a Bushmaster up .2-inch more than on the Legend when sighting in at 100 yards. His Thumper concept was a semi-auto rifle larger than .44-caliber, capable of taking big game out to 250 yards. There is something almost magical about big-bore lever guns; to me they represent big-game hunting at close quarters. Out of the muzzle, the .450 Marlin packs another 886 ft-lbs over the .450 Bushmaster, a significant difference. The current Hornady .450 Bushmaster load uses a 250-gr. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Not that it hurts to have a rifle chambered for one in your arsenal if you live big county out West. Anybody who has done much range work with them knows that they are plagued with fliers. The .444 felt noticeably smoother in its action than the .450. He is a gun owner and avid reloader from Colorado. As a participant in the Amazon Associates program and other affiliate services, I may earn a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on a link. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. All provide an increase in accuracythough there are some wonderfully accurate slug guns out therebut the trajectory of those . New Shooters Guide: What Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? The wood pores of the 444P were no better filled than on the other rifle. In the .450 Bushmaster's corner is Hornady 's 250-grain FTX load, which has a listed muzzle velocity of 2,200 fps, is topped with a flex-tip bullet and has a ballistic coefficient (BC) of .210. 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. We have no doubt that with a scope both of the Marlin rifles would average well under 2 inches at 100 yards, based on our iron-sight results. .45-70 is perfectly housed in short-barreled lever-action rifles like the Marlin Model 1895. It is on the wane and has long ago been supplanted by the resurgent 45-70. To totally avoid any problems with hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition, Wild West Guns announced a new cartridge, the .457 Magnum. 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. Our test .444 Marlin 444P was essentially a .444 Guide Gun, having the same ideas behind it as Marlins best-selling .45-70 version. In the past decade, state wildlife management agencies in the region have opened what were once shotgun-only deer grounds to rifles chambered for straight-wall cartridges. It served until the .30-40 Krag replaced it in 1892. 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. Velocity (200 yards): 1,515 feet per second. Also, moose, elk size game out to about 175 yards. of energy. At 150 yards the 444 drops 2.4 inches, whereas the Bushmaster drops about 2.9 inches. Disclaimer: Sportsman's Warehouse assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions of the information on this page. IC B2. The .450 Bushmaster thumper round launches .452-cal. While .308 can reach out accurately to 1,200 yards (if you're pretty good), 450 . You may have a perfect group going on your target only to find the next shot is off in another time zone. Recoil was manageable thanks to the soft pad, but the rifle had much greater muzzle flip than the ported Marlins. The 450 bushmaster in the Ruger is a fine rifle for the money . We measured the .450 Marlins velocity at 2,045 fps with the 350-grain Hornady Flat-Point Interlock bullet. If the ring had been nearer the eye, the front sight would have been forced into the center of the ring, and we would have gotten better accuracy. It in no way increases the amount you pay and helps us stay in business. There are a few single-shot rifles out there as well, but this cartridge needs a modern repeating rifle. Mag. The crux is terminal performance on game. Each cartridge has its own benefit and ultimately is your choice. 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; . However, if we found a gun which didnt have ejection problems like those we note below, wed upgrade that recommendation to a Conditional Buy for the pistol shooter who already owns .44 Magnums or Specials. 444 vs 450. The parent case is a modified 284 Winchester, it's simply cut to 1.695 and also utilizes a small rifle primer. If, instead, the case had been developed around a standard belted brass case, we feel consumers would ultimately be better served by the Marlin 1895M. There were two large panels of checkering on the straight-hand grip. Eliminate trailing, disputes over the game, keep the deer on your side of the fence. He was intrigued by the idea of the .450 Bushmaster cartridge but prefers hunting with a lever-action versus a bolt action rifle. The Bushmaster is based on a sawed-off .284 Winchester case. Bullet drop is an important factor for all calibers, but it can make a big difference for heavy, big bore bullets that are only meant to shoot in shorter ranges. The stock finish was very durable and hard, even though the pores were not fully filled. Thats alright. About half the time, the fired case didnt clear the rifle. 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? But, the numbers say it should be a great little deer cartridge if you dont get stupid with the distances. This one didnt work. Both rifles had this exact same setup. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry the guns prices at the time of the original review. Looking at this product line, youll be inclined to give the nod to the .444 Marlin, especially coupled with the Hornady Superformance load of the 265-grain InterLock at 2400 fps. So when it comes to the .350 Legend vs .450 Bushmaster, is there any discernable advantage of hunting one or the other? With a 150-yard zero, the Hornady load is 2.26 inches high at 100 yards, 5.73 inches low at 200 yards, and 15.71 inches low at 250 yards. Looking at the variety of ammunition available for the two, the .45-70 Government has the undeniable advantage in the number of choices, with nearly every manufacturer including the cartridge in their lineup, in some form or another. Both are suitable for nearly any big-game animal, save the African dangerous heavyweights, and both have fervent, passionate followers. Mag. Wild West was also the originator of the short, handy, powerful lever-rifle concept. By the way, if you are using ar-15, the scope for ar-15 is the good one you should had. At 300 yards, the .450 Marlin is still in the lead with another 404 ft-lbs of energy over the .450 Bushmaster. The original loading used a 250-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps from a 20-inch barrel. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55" compared to 2.26" on the Bushmaster. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10 compared to 1.70 on the .450 Bushmaster. Newly Accepted Cartridge and Chamber Designs. At the range, the first shot told us that the Marlin .450 was a powerful rifle. The 44 Magnum and 45 Colt are 125 yard rifles. The ported barrels of these rifles worked wonders to keep the muzzle down, but the rearward kick was still significant. I'm thinking of adding a 450 bushmaster. Windage adjustments, though not needed, were done by drifting. Its therefore important to keep in mind that we are comparing a 325 grain .450 Marlin against a 250 grain .450 Bushmaster--which are the commonly used bullet weights for each caliber. As soon as the cartridge's proprietary status was lifted we ordered a reamer and started building barrels. Whats going on? Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. If you are looking for a caliber that can do on the AR what the .450 Marlin does on the lever action, then the .450 Bushmaster is the answer to this hope, though it loses a bit of ballistics in making the switch. Again, there isnt a bright clear advantage when it comes to rifles chambered for cartridges. Winchester has also chambered their XPR line of bolt-action rifles for the cartridge, and other major gun manufacturers are producing rifles for it as well. I wouldn't fret over performance or availability in either case. Over the last few years, there have been a number of straight-walled cartridges to hit the market. But the .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend are chambered in very similar rifles, some from the same line with minuscule differences. 450 Bushmaster can be found on the shelves at most large outfitters but don't expect to . Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? A hard rubber buttpad doesnt help the shooter, it hinders him from getting the most out of the rifle. Heres a look at 10 of the most flexible long-range hunting cartridges. A straight-wall, .452-caliber cartridge with a rebated rim, it's capable of pushing a 250-grain bullet to 2,200 fps. The checkering was very well done, had a pleasing pattern, and it worked very well. SAAMI Accepts 30 Super Carry As New Standardized Cartridge, SHOT 2022: Federal Premium Announces 30 Super Carry Cartridge. Medium-bore lever rifles are made by Marlin and Winchester. I have had good luck with the Hornady 250-grain Flextip load. Match Grade Machine did extensive testing with different barrel lengths in some of our most popular cartridges. Wood-to-metal fit was truly outstanding on both Marlin rifles. It goes so far as, previously mentioned, manufacturers offering the same model rifle in both .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend. The idea took off, and now many of those states are allowing straight-walled cartridges to be used as deer hunting ammo. I'd also guess that, given similar shoulder fit, you couldn't tell the difference in recoil. Mag. A good solution is to install a proper recoil-reducing pad like the Pachmayr Decelerator. Get Special Offers Delivered Right to Your Inbox. 22 Nosler. For our very first shots with the .444 Marlin, we loaded two rounds. Cooper was not only an icon of modern tactical applications; he was an serious hunter as well. But this problem never happened again. Heres a detailed look at each step of the process. Many lever guns have limited accuracy past 150 yards, but the .450 BM is able to perform within MOA all the way to 200 and beyond. For 450 Bushmaster, AR 15 is always the best choice. Though we believe the .45-70 version is a much better bet, many riflemen who also own .44-caliber handguns will want to own the .444 Marlin, and its a pretty good rifle. We also had problems with the function of the .450 Marlin. 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. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. Mag. 45-70 Gov vs 450 Trajectory Even better, if you need a hot 45-caliber lever rifle you probably dont need that Trapdoor Springfield, so sell it. In factory loads for the 45-70 you have to mind what you are buying. 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. The .458 American was Frank Barness idea, developed decades ago. The higher velocity and energy of the .450 Marlin allows it to shoot a bit flatter than the .450 Bushmaster. Additionally, but not across the board, many are factory outfitted with muzzle brakes to help mitigate some of the angry mule in the cartridge-rifle combination. Because of its recoil, a .28 Nosler should generally only be shot out of heavier rifles, coupled with a brake or suppressor. Mag..404 Jeffery vs. .416 Rigby.243 Winchester vs. 6mm Creedmoor.300 PRC vs. .300 Win. Ammo: Elk, Deer And Everything Else, 5 Best AR-10 Options You Can Actually Afford (2023), 8 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options (2022), 10 Affordable Double-Barrel Shotgun Options (2022), Best AR-15 Options For Any Budget And Buyers Guide (2022), Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women (2022). The .444 shoots much flatter than most folks realize. As it concerns .350 Legend vs .450 Bushmaster, the smaller-caliber cartridge has a decided advantage. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -. We would not mention this but for the fact that another shooter across the country reported to us he felt the exact same thing on two different Marlins. Winchester, Hornady, Remington, and maybe a few others offer ammo, but the market is evolving so fast its tough to keep up. Its a great gun. 1.790 Case length. RENE reports 6 different versions of the American Rifle in 450 Bushmaster and now the GSR makes 7. 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. The case can also be handloaded to impressive figures in a suitable rifle, and there are some excellent bullets like the Swift A-Frame which will further enhance the performance of this old design, yet the classic cast-lead bullets at low velocities are still fun to shoot. However, some shooters like the extra margin of safety, and its there if desired. So youll have to buy your ammunition from the one-and-only maker, Hornady. Remington had a 265-grain load for a while but dropped it, leaving only the 240-grain factory load. You have entered an incorrect email address! They were solidly made of steel and walnut, and looked like they would hold together for a long time. The .450 Marlins additional energy will allow you to take larger game out to 200 yards, while the .450 Bushmaster should be used only for medium game at this distance. Our velocity charts are labeled with bullet weights and barrel lengths with velocities gathered. Best grouping was with Buffalo Bores 300-grain load, just over 3 inches at 50 yards. ; this is a formidable load in any rifle. These four are the most popular. However, we measured Buffalo Bores 350-grain .45-70 load at 2,058 from their Guide Gun (on a cold day, unlike the blazing heat in which we tested the .450 Marlin). This BB ammunition defines todays standard for the .45-70 for those rifles that can handle the pressure. or 260 gr. 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. | Cartridges like the .450 Bushmaster, .45-70 Govt. In Stock Only Rossi Wizard 223 Rem Single-Shot Rifle . That makes it a good option for recoil-sensitive shooters who must abide by tapered cartridge restrictions. Marlin Model 444P Our recommendation: Marlin ought to know by now how to make a flawless .444 Marlin. The checkering was fully functional. At 100 yards, that advantage is holding strong with the .450 Marlin showing an additional 701 ft-lbs of energy. 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. 450 a bit better with jacketed, 1" vs 1.5". Toward that end, we obtained a pair of nearly identical Marlins chambered for the .444 Marlin, the Model 444P, and .450 Marlin, the Model 1895M. 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. Marlin .450 Bushmaster Lever-Action in 2017 A few months back, we had Michigan hunter approach us to build him a precision Marlin lever-action rifle in .450 Bushmaster. By and large, .450 Bushmaster rifles are outfitted with medium to heavy contour barrels, a function of its large bore. This means Marlins, Ruger No. It utilized a standard belted-mag case of 2.0-inch length. 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. Another benefit the .450 has it that it is generally pretty accurate. Commercial cartridges are available for both rounds. GunnersDen.com ~ vs. .458 Lott7mm Rem. Sign up for Field & Streams newsletter to receive the latest and greatest gear reviews and expert hunting and fishing advice. I was torn between a lever action 45-70 and a 450 bushmaster ar-15. As it was, we liked the ring for its simplicity, but it was extremely vulnerable, sticking up in the breeze. Its the most powerful factory lever gun ever produced. 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 Bushmaster has gained more popularity, especially in regions (such as several Midwestern states) where this caliber is legal while bottlenecked cartridges are not. Some hunters like lever-action rifles for hunting, but they want more power than the .30-30 delivers, and so the medium-bore lever rifle cartridges were born. BALLISTICS: Some straight-wall loads produce muzzle velocities of 2,200 to 2,400 fps, a . Top Load: Buffalo Bore Heavy Bullet Weight: 220 grains Muzzle Velocity: 2,200 fps Muzzle Energy: 2,364 ft/lbs Almost forgotten, the .35 Remington is a favorite of hunters who chase black bears with. Does a belted case make sense for a lever rifle? When it comes to .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend, is there a clear winner? Mag. It drives a 350-grain bullet at 2,200 fps, about 150 fps faster than Buffalo Bores loads for that bullet weight in the .45-70. The rear buckhorn blade did a grand job of obscuring everything on both sides of the target, and shooters would be much better served with a flat-top rear sight, or an aperture. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. 2.215 Case length, .451 Caliber projectiles Marlin claims 2,100 fps out of a 350-grain bullet. The following ballistics tables show a side by side comparison of the 450 Marlin vs 450 Bushmaster based on bullet weight and performance metrics including velocity, energy, usage and recoil. As far as trajectory, both start to drop excessively at 200 yards, 7.58 inches on a scope zeroed for 100 yards in the .350s case and 8.96 in the .450s. Save big on firearms, accessories, tactical gear, clothing, and ammunition from now until March 29. The hunting world is big enough for both the .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend, and either will put meat on the table. 444 Marlin VS 450 Trajectory Overall, the 444 Marlin is a slightly flatter shooting cartridge than the 450 Bushmaster is. of muzzle energy, and that combo will handle any North American game animal. 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. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." It can be measured or computed empirically and has been for this recoil table. 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. The internet celebrity, who is a member of Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. The Buffalo Bore .45-70 load, same weight bullet, was faster than the .450 Marlin. The big difference here is the bullet diameter. These are two very similar calibers, and indeed both the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster are seeking to imitate the classic .45-70 Government for different purposes. At 100 yards bullet velocity slows to 1,835 and retains 1,868 pounds of energy. The walnut was very decent wood, nicer than that on the .450. However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. Use: Defense. 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. But in my opinion, the sheer flexibility of the .45-70 Government in both rifles and ammunition gives it a definitive advantage. The .45-70 was a very popular hunting cartridge, even before this straight-walled phenomenon started, but its held back by all of those old guns out there.