450 Bushmaster

[huntnfish]

Anyone out the have a 450 Bushmaster? I first heard about it watching a video on YouTube. The ballistics are very similar to a 45-70 and it sounds like it was developed for states that allow a straight walled rifle cartridge in shotgun zones such as Iowa and Michigan. I am looking at it to take hog hunting and maybe use deer hunting in the woods. Accurate out to 200-250 and should hit like a ton of bricks. This round is available right now in a bolt gun and an AR-15. 

[PRO-V]

My son built one in AR platform. I shot it a couple times. It's a thumper but I doubt I would use it beyond 200yds. 45-70 I believe is more powerful and a little more range. I think that's what he took his deer with this last fall. Knocked it right down. Should be a great hog and bear round.

[leech~~]

Is there any meat left with that cannon?   

[PRO-V]

Yup, just lung shoot them.

[BIGFISH.JZ]

Here is what 'Whitetails Unlimited' said about the 450 bushmaster after 30 field testers tried it...  .. "This rifle/round would also be great for feral hogs, or any game within 200 yards"  Availability of 450 ammo is the only thing that would concern me. My dad uses a 444 marlin for deer and bear. I believe the 450 has 2/3 the knockdown power of that round. I've never seen a deer that was 'too dead'.

[T55 Skunk]

I think it's a great gun for any thing you want to hunt in the US  in that 200 yard range. I have shot Hogs and a big cow elk. All dropped with one shot, The hog was a 100 yard shot and a little over 200 pounds, The elk was about a 40 yard shot. A good friend also took a bear with the 450 and dropped it right over the bait. I wish it was legal in the MN. slug zone......

[huntnfish]

On 11/1/2019 at 10:07 PM, T55 Skunk said:

I think it's a great gun for any thing you want to hunt in the US  in that 200 yard range. I have shot Hogs and a big cow elk. All dropped with one shot, The hog was a 100 yard shot and a little over 200 pounds, The elk was about a 40 yard shot. A good friend also took a bear with the 450 and dropped it right over the bait. I wish it was legal in the MN. slug zone......

I contacted the MN DNR regarding the possibility of a straight walled rifle cartridge becoming legal in the shotgun zones and they stated that it’s a possibility but it’s not a decision the DNR makes. The legislature needs to make that change. If you are interested in this being changed make sure you contact your legislators and the DNR and maybe something it can be changed in the future. 

[PRO-V]

I think the shotgun zone is the only place I would choose to use it. Early reports of the 350 Legend are even better. Otherwise I can't find a good reason to use it in the northwoods over other calibers. I've shot my last 30 or so whitetails with a .257 Roberts with 110gr Accubonds from 40 to 265 yards. None of them went over 30 yards.

[huntnfish]

6 hours ago, PRO-V said:

I think the shotgun zone is the only place I would choose to use it. Early reports of the 350 Legend are even better. Otherwise I can't find a good reason to use it in the northwoods over other calibers. I've shot my last 30 or so whitetails with a .257 Roberts with 110gr Accubonds from 40 to 265 yards. None of them went over 30 yards.

I agree about it probably only being beneficial in the shotgun zone. I don’t normally hunt the shotgun zones but it would be nice to have the option. Plus it would help me justify to the wife that I can use my pig gun for deer also. 

[huntnfish]

I stopped into the fleet store today and noticed more ammo for the 450. Hornady has a few different flavors, Federal has some in their Fusion line, and Remington has some. The Federal and Hornady American whitetail were lead soft point like the other calibers in those lines. Hornady has 2 different boxes that were tipped bullets and I didn’t check the Remington. 

 

If you hunt the slug zones or have friends that do be sure to spread the word that there’s a possibility in the future to not be stuck using shotguns if they contact the DNR or their legislators. 

[leech~~]

I think the Slug only zone has to do with the distance it can travel and still have a lot of energy as compared to a 12G.  Passed a 100 yards a 12G dies big time. The 450 still has 1255 FPS at 300 yards way past the 12G.  They don't want you shooting the next farmer's cow down the road! 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by leech~~

[huntnfish]

I feel like that’s the big misconception with the reason for these zones being shotgun only according to the DNR. I was told by the DNR that when they set this up as shotgun only

 the reason for having shotgun only was the worry about over harvesting of rifles were allowed. You can use a muzzleloader shooting the same bullets as the 450 and even pistols shooting rifle caliber bullets and it’s legal in the shotgun zone.