This means theres precious little need for the .444 in our book. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. 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. At 300 yards, the .450 Marlin is still in the lead with another 404 ft-lbs of energy over the .450 Bushmaster. 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? 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. The 450 Marlin duplicates the 45-70 in a modern rimless case that is a little shorter. 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. This straddled the bolt, but was much too far forward for proper use by our test personnel. 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 .450 Bushmaster was designed by the Hornady Manufacturing Company for Bushmaster Firearms International when the latter wanted a .45 caliber cartridge that would work through the short AR-15 action. Ejecting the round, after a suitable wait, we found the primer soundly indented (see photo). Hornadys 325-grain Flextip ammo has a muzzle velocity of 2050 fps and the bullet has a BC of .230. .450 Bushmaster Buffalo Cartridge Co. . It is on the wane and has long ago been supplanted by the resurgent 45-70. from a 20" barrel for 2,686 ft.-lbs. Its at the lower weight limit for maximum loads in the .444, and even with a muzzle brake we dont believe a shorter version would be all that good an idea. Both are suitable for nearly any big-game animal, save the African dangerous heavyweights, and both have fervent, passionate followers. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Remington Model 700 American Hunter Rifle Project, .450 Nitro Express vs. .470 Nitro Express, .358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum, .25-06 Remington vs. .257 Weatherby Magnum, Head to Head: .308 Winchester vs. 7mm-08 Remington, Head to Head: .500 Jeffery vs. .505 Gibbs, Head to Head: .22-250 Remington vs. .204 Ruger, Head to Head: .303 British vs. 8x57 Mauser, Head to Head: 6.5 Creedmoor vs. .260 Remington, NRA Women | Understanding Sectional Density (SD), 10 Most Versatile Long-Range Hunting Cartridges | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Fiocchi USA Appoints David Blenker As New CEO After Anthony Acitellis Retirement | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, U.S. Air Force Pistol Team: My Start, And A Daring Trip | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, How to Properly Clean and Store Your Rifle After Hunting Season, X-Vision Optics Launches Thermal Impact Scope, First Look: Blocker Outdoors Finisher Accessories, 10 Most Versatile Long-Range Hunting Cartridges, X-Vision Optics Launches Thermal Impact Scope | An Official Journal Of The NRA, New For 2023: Smith & Wesson M&P FPC | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Launching 2023: KelTec R50 Rifle | NRA Family, New For 2023: Glock 47 MOS | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Savage Arms 110 PCS | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Davidson's Winchester Model 1895 Texas Ranger's Edition | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Product Preview: Holosun SCS-MOS Green | An Official Journal Of The NRA, 3 Self Defense Myths That Just Won't Go Away | NRA Family, How to Properly Clean and Store Your Rifle After Hunting Season | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Shotgunning 101: The Perfect Gun Mount | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Glass Bedding A Rifle Stock | An Official Journal Of The NRA, New 4473 Released By BATFE | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Member's Hunt: Road Trip | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Springfield Launches New Online Shopping Experience | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Preview: Sarco, Inc. 2nd Amendment Pint Glass | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Behind the Bullet: .17 HMR | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Riton Optics Celebrates 10th Anniversary | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Top 4 Ways to Carry a Binocular | NRA Family, Preview: Mission First Tactical 24-oz. Though certainly designed for black powder, the .45-70 Government survived the transition to smokeless powder, though the chosen firearm will certainly dictate the pressure levels to which the cartridge can be loaded. Best grouping was with Buffalo Bores 300-grain load, just over 3 inches at 50 yards. It had a red cast in direct sunlight and was very attractive. 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. Both of these big bore cartridges are meant for a specific purpose: to bring down large game at very close ranges. Match Grade Machine did extensive testing with different barrel lengths in some of our most popular cartridges. It generates 21.34 ft-lbs of energy at 12.55 fps. I have two .444's and a .450. Based on that flaw, wed have to say Dont Buy it. The 450 Bushmaster was developed for use in AR-15 rifles. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. .45-70 is perfectly housed in short-barreled lever-action rifles like the Marlin Model 1895. It didnt do this with any of the other loads. Is the any advantage. Brands include Frontier, Hornady, Lapua and Prvi Partizan. A straight-wall, .452-caliber cartridge with a rebated rim, it's capable of pushing a 250-grain bullet to 2,200 fps. It has been used for everything from deer to Cape Buffalo, and remains popular among the bear guides to this day. I've shot a couple whitetails now shooting through 1" saplings and when the bullet hits the deer it just destroys them. 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 it is, we feel this odd belted design will only speed the demise of this rifle/cartridge combination, because it doesnt make the least bit of sense to us. By the way, if you are using ar-15, the scope for ar-15 is the good one you should had. Big bore cartridges in particular can make lever action rifles a great choice for a bear defense gun. There is a difference between the two, and the edge goes to the .350 Legend, but it doesnt have such an overwhelming advantage to say its hands-down better. The .450 Bushmaster cartridge was developed using a modified .284 Winchester case with a rebated rim. Muzzle Energy: 2,686 foot-pounds. Those ballistic tips expand way to fast for deer size game when backed by high amounts of kinetic energy. Here are four places to start, By Today, there is no shortage of them, though the old-timers have mostly died out. I have had good luck with the Hornady 250-grain Flextip load. High-Dollar .22 LR Pistols: Pardini Is Our Pick As Best Buy. 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 . What about the need for an idiot-proof cartridge in the first place? I'm thinking of adding a 450 bushmaster. The slim forend had wrap-around checkering. 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. They also have the .50 Alaskan, which drives a 450-grain bullet at a claimed 2,050 fpsif you want still more power. Plenty of fanfare and spilled ink has greeted the latest and greatest do-all deer medicine. the 450 marlin, the 444, 38-55, 375 win, 375 super mag, 445 super, & the 357 maximum will all ruin a deer's day at 200 yds. 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. With the hammer block there is the possibility of forgetting to press the little button before the shot, and thus losing the shot at the game animal. A talk on straight-wall cartridges is, for the most part, a regional discussion. Still, the clip each moves at this range is more than adequate to ensure satisfactory penetration, proper bullet expansion (if you are using such a projectile) and an ethical kill. Why, you ask, would a company do this? Shop for ammo available in all calibers for sale online from Guns.com. Copyright 2023Sportsman's Warehouse. Summary: Factory ammo is not a great choice for rifle length barrels, hand loading gives better performance. 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. Certainly, some pride themselves in how much recoil they can endure. It might be a little too much for whitetails - it would be perfect on elk and moose. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to about 360 yards. 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. Col. Jeff Cooperthe widely acknowledged expert who brought self-defense firearm training to civilians by establishing what would become Gunsite Academywas a big proponent of .44-bore or larger guns for their one-shot-stop potential. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Its an interesting and unique addition and most are mighty fun to shoot. All provide an increase in accuracythough there are some wonderfully accurate slug guns out therebut the trajectory of those . I use a 450 bushmaster ar-15 as my big bore brush gun for my up close and personal bear hunting and coming across a deer 25 yards away through the bushes. 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. 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. While the 450 Marlin is definetly a more powerful cartridge the 444 certainly aint no slouch. (444 Marlin) 397117 45 Cal .452" 200 gr. or 260 gr. is even more expensive. Ive used a Remington 1100 with a slug barrel on it before that but had problems getting out to the 100-150 yard mark accurately. This BB ammunition defines todays standard for the .45-70 for those rifles that can handle the pressure. The performance all the way around was very impressive. Marlin claims 2,100 fps out of a 350-grain bullet. Commercial cartridges are available for both rounds. But does it deserve the attention? Whats going on? (The .450 Marlin, by the way, is a ringer for the .458 American except for that longer belt. Shoot it enough and know what to expect and it shouldnt prove prohibitive, except to the most recoil shy. The trajectory of most .450 factory ammo allows you to zero at about 200 yards and hold right on anywhere inside that. The new cartridge was named the .444 Marlin and was introduced along with the big bore Marlin model 444 rifle in 1964. Blocker Outdoors Finisher gloves, headcovers and other accessories are available in Mossy Oak Bottomland and Mossy Oak Obsession NWTF camouflage patterns to match various turkey hunting terrain. If all you shoot are the Remington 240 grain loads they are pitiful. 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. You have entered an incorrect email address! For our very first shots with the .444 Marlin, we loaded two rounds. 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 walnut was very decent wood, nicer than that on the .450. Will it put a deer down faster. This cartridge is useless, and it may have caused a host of ejection problems in our test gun. This advantage expands a bit as we cross more distance. Terms of Service - A small point perhaps, but the action bottom at the balance point was squared on the Winchester, but nicely rounded on the Marlins, and that made the Marlin easier to carry. 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. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The Bushmaster got a major boost thanks to revised big game hunting laws in states like Michigan, Ohio and Indiana that allowed the use of straight-wall cartridges. The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. Rifle Type Rifle type is the major difference between the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster. and .444 Marlin provide enough accuracy (and their bullets retain enough energy) to confidently reach out across a cut cornfield and make a 200-yard shot. However, some shooters like the extra margin of safety, and its there if desired. The wood pores of the 444P were no better filled than on the other rifle. Straight-wall rifles, being rifles, typically do not. This was adjusted by means of a stepped elevating slide, a design as old as rifles and still functional today. While .308 can reach out accurately to 1,200 yards (if you're pretty good), 450 . This is where the differences end, as the 45 70 and 450 are more similar than they are different. The .450 Marlin and the .45-70 Government are not interchangeable, but are very . The wood at the rear of the receiver was much smaller in spots than the steel. 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. These four are the most popular. 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. For the .350 Legend, the ammo of choice is Winchesters 150-grain Deer Season XP, with a listed muzzle velocity of 2,325 fps and a BC of .223. Federal Fusion 450 Bushmaster 260gr is a bonded soft point ammo designed specifically for hunting. At 100 yards bullet velocity slows to 1,835 and retains 1,868 pounds of energy. 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. BALLISTICS: Some straight-wall loads produce muzzle velocities of 2,200 to 2,400 fps, a . 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. 1.690 case length, .458 Caliber projectiles Cooper was not only an icon of modern tactical applications; he was an serious hunter as well. I'd also guess that, given similar shoulder fit, you couldn't tell the difference in recoil. Bryce M. Towsley The two most popular flavors are the .45-70 and .450 Marlin cartridges, both of . Newly Accepted Cartridge and Chamber Designs. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10" compared to 1.70" on the .450 Bushmaster. Few rifle calibers carry as much tradition as the .444 Marlin, which originally hit the scene as a way to give lever-action rifles more of a punch around the ammunition manufacturers stopped commercially producing .45-70-caliber rifles in the 1960s. The Marlins rear sight was a spring-loaded buckhorn with U-notch. The internet celebrity, who is a member of Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. It also told us that the brake did a lot of good, even though it was noisy. The front sight was a gold-faced bead on a ramp underneath a protective hood. 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. Born in 1873, .45-70 Govt. His Thumper concept was a semi-auto rifle larger than .44-caliber, capable of taking big game out to 250 yards. Its big and powerful enough, and with good bullets, it may produce the best external ballistics of the bunch. 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. Winchester Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. Using this web site acknowledges your agreement to the. We tried a different brand of ammunition and the rifle worked fine for awhile. 350 Legend's 8.52 ft lbs recoil energy is less than the 30-30's 9.64 ft lbs and the 243 Win's 10.38 ft lbs. Its a very useful tool for me and I now phased out my 308s and just use my 450 for everything now. 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. We didnt make an effort to eject slowly or quickly, just operated the lever in a normal manner. By logging into your account, you agree to our. The decision may now be influenced by availability of both rifles and ammunition, with the breakup of the parent company which owned Marlin (thankfully Marlin has been purchased by Ruger). Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. 450/460 same boolit dia, the 458 socom is bigger (45-70 sized boolits). The Wild West version ($100) has steel wings to protect it, and would a better aperture choice. Well analyze the performance of these calibers across a variety of factors to help you decide which is best for your hunting needs. With a 150-yard zero, the Hornady ammo is 1.54 inches high at 100 yards, 4.68 inches low at 200 yards and 8.49 inches low at 250 yards. That makes it a good option for recoil-sensitive shooters who must abide by tapered cartridge restrictions. We hesitate to recommend this gun because of our rifles probably temporary, but very real, feeding problem that needed to be fixed. 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. Thats fine and dandy. Its been the hot ticket in town over the past few years, and new rifle and deer hunting ammo introductions are happening pretty fast. Its great skill and potentially one of the best hobbies youll ever pick up. 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. Both rifles had this exact same setup. Hornady has included both cartridges in their excellent LeveRevolution line, with the .444 Marlin loaded with a 265-grain FTX bullet at 2325 fps, and the .45-70 Government loaded with a 250-grain FTX at 2025 fps. 460 has more horsepower, as runs at higher pressures than the 450. To fill the void, Marlin Firearms teamed up with Remington to develop a cartridge which would see the light of day in 1964: the .444 Marlin. As the official military long-arm cartridge from 1873 to 1893when the .30-40 Krag kindled the American love affair with .30-caliber cartridgesthe .45-70 Government was used in both shoulder-fired rifles and the Gatling guns, but like so many military cartridges, it also quickly gained a following among sportsman. The 1895M was fitted with barrel-mounted iron sights, though it was also drilled and tapped for scope mounting. Contributor Brad Fenson takes to the grill, to cook up some delicious venison burgers. 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). 2. For $404, wed give it a Buy rating, being a better deal than the $550 Marlin. 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. 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. It costs less than the Marlins and delivered excellent quality and adequate accuracy for a big-game rifle. This means that it is still a niche cartridge offered by just a few manufacturers, and you might struggle to find it on the shelves of your local ammunition store. 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. Mag. Gun Tests Recommends Marlin 444P .444 Marlin, $550. Archive - There are lots of old Springfield rifles around, but its a weak design, and it cant stand a lot of pressure. The resulting round boasts performance on par with the .45-70 Gov't but in a more compact configuration. The original loading used a 250-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps from a 20-inch barrel. Wed like to see Marlin spend its efforts making great rifles perfectly, rather than expending energy on useless new projects like the .450 Marlin. These cartridges shoot a bit flatter than slugs and, on average, are more accurate and not anywhere near as squirrely. All of it is excellent ammunition, and it is packaged in clearly marked boxes as to what it is, and in which rifles it can be safely used. 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. Who needs more than 1 shot? It is just basically a souped-up 45-70 with stronger brass and a belt to make sure it is not confused with a 45-70. A good aperture sight would be lighter, just as fast, and nearly as effective in most conditions as a scope, assuming the shooter has reasonably good eyesight. But this problem never happened again. Privacy Statement - Often overlooked, much to the detriment of the hunter, is how much kick theyll endure from a particular rifle-cartridge combination. The .444 felt noticeably smoother in its action than the .450. The Buffalo Bore .45-70 load, same weight bullet, was faster than the .450 Marlin. Shotgun slugs require a series of small miracles to happen for them to perform well. Some companies, like Wild West in Alaska, do a bang-up business modifying existing lever rifles into whatever the mind of man can conceive. .451 Caliber projectiles Check out the ballistics chart below for more information. The rimmed .457 case is longer than the .45-70 but otherwise similar, its extra length keeping it out of chambers where it doesnt belong. On the other hand, the .450 Bushmaster is primarily intended for use on the semi-automatic AR platform, while it can also be chambered in bolt action rifles. The Marlins, Winchester, Brownings and Henrys all handle those big-bore cartridges well, and among them the .444 Marlin and .45-70 Government are a pair of undeniable classics. Also, the steel-to-steel fit wasnt quite as good as Marlins, nor was the metal polishing. At 100 yards, the .450 Marlin is moving 52 ft/s faster. You have to understand though I live within walking distance of the northern end of the white mountain national forest and the hills around here often get above 4000 feet in elevation. We reserve the right to correct pricing errors. While the .450 Marlin can be used in bolt action rifles, it is most commonly found in lever action rifles. It served until the .30-40 Krag replaced it in 1892. Right now, hunters can find the .350 Legend chambered in semi-auto AR-type rifles and bolt guns. The Hornady Flextip bullet has a BC of .225 and a muzzle velocity of 2325 fps. 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. The crux is terminal performance on game. RENE reports 6 different versions of the American Rifle in 450 Bushmaster and now the GSR makes 7. Formally known as the .45-70-405relating caliber-powder charge-bullet weight specificationsthe cartridge was commercially known as the .45-70 Government, and that 405-grain lead bullet travelled at a muzzle velocity of just about 1400 fps, though a heavier 500-grain bullet was soon employed. Ever perceptive, the market has responded by expanding this somewhat forgotten corner of the firearms world. I have a very accurate marlin with the 1/20 twist. The .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster use very similar sized bullets, as their names might suggest. The 450 Bushmaster is taking off and new ammo offerings keep popping up. Marlin .450 Model 1895M Our recommendation: Dont Buy the $560 Marlin .450 Model 1895M. All the calibers you mention are good hunting calibers. We are the largest provider of all brands of Rifle Ammo because we offer great service and wholesale prices. One sure way to cut through some of the tall grass is measure it against an established cartridge thats already proven its worth. 450 Bushmaster can be found on the shelves at most large outfitters but don't expect to . The 2 deer ive gotten with it they made it less than 25 yards. We've got you covered.7x57mm Mauser vs. .280 Remington.300 Win. Remington had a 265-grain load for a while but dropped it, leaving only the 240-grain factory load. The hunting world is big enough for both the .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend, and either will put meat on the table. 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. But the .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend are chambered in very similar rifles, some from the same line with minuscule differences. Powder Valley is your Ammunition Superstore . Obviously, many rifleman have voted yes, because Marlin has sold many, many .444s. The round didnt go off. It was so far from the eye it was easy to see the front bead in just about any position within the ghost ring. The .444 Marlin was available in a svelte Marlin lever-action riflethe Model 444 and proved to be a thumper on big game from whitetails to moose and bear, though like the .45-70, the range was limited by the low velocity and bullet profiles. The Winchester had a 20-inch barrel. 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. 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. Dont knock the 450 Marlin round. So youll have to buy your ammunition from the one-and-only maker, Hornady. Windage adjustments, though not needed, were done by drifting. That gives it an overall length of about 2.25 inches, so the length is close to the 450. It had a very long first stage, which wasnt a problem. Based on the function of the gun we had, we would have to say Dont Buy the 444P. Year-round, you can find ammo at less than 50 per round, which isnt 5.56 NATO cheap, but is thrifty. The result of this collaboration is the .450 Bushmaster. Its a belted case, not the usual rimmed type one normally finds in lever rifles. 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. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. The .450 Bushmaster is designed to be used in standard M16s and AR-15s, using modified magazines and upper receiver assemblies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The .45-70 is far more versatile, and ammo is made by many companies. Those unaccustomed to hard-kicking rifles will find either the .444 or the .450 a bit much on the shoulder until they get used to it.