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. 450 a bit better with jacketed, 1" vs 1.5". Out of the muzzle, the .250 Marlin is flying 25 ft/s faster than the .250 Bushmaster. Contributor Brad Fenson takes to the grill, to cook up some delicious venison burgers. The choice between these calibers for many will come down to a choice between rifle platforms. I have had good luck with the Hornady 250-grain Flextip load. The U.S. Army adopted the new cartridge, which replaced the .50-70 cartridge it employed in 1866. Then somebody figured out that straight-walled rifle cartridges are just as safe as slugs. However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. By comparison, a 250-grain .450 Bushmaster factory load generates 22.99 foot-pounds of recoil, and a full-power 12-gauge slug generates 45 foot-pounds. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55" compared to 2.26" on the Bushmaster. If you want a powerful lever-action .45-caliber rifle, you probably know what youre doing. Wild West was also the originator of the short, handy, powerful lever-rifle concept. We didnt make an effort to eject slowly or quickly, just operated the lever in a normal manner. 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. Right now, hunters can find the .350 Legend chambered in semi-auto AR-type rifles and bolt guns. That said, I have both in rifles. 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. .451 Caliber projectiles Often overlooked, much to the detriment of the hunter, is how much kick theyll endure from a particular rifle-cartridge combination. That gives it an overall length of about 2.25 inches, so the length is close to the 450. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. This comparative cartridge information puts the performance of the new .450 Marlin in context, especially when the shooter considers how a slightly less powerful round, the well-known .444 Marlin, shoots. Then the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle came along in 1972 and changed everything. The muzzle velocity is 2200 fps, and the bullet carries a BC of .210. We dug it out with a knife, reloaded two more, and again the second round failed to feed. (444 Marlin) 397117 45 Cal .452" 200 gr. The .450 Bushmaster has a SAAMI Mean Average Pressure (MAP) of 38,500 psi. Mag. CVA Inc Scout V2 .444 Marlin Single Shot Rifle with Stainless Barrel and Dead-On Mount $349.99; Brand: CVA Inc; Item Number: CR4913S-NB; Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 500SW Mag Katahdin Carbine This website contains many older reviews. The checkering was fully functional. Even despite this weight difference, the .250 Marlin manages to maintain a small advantage in velocity over the .450 Bushmaster. Shoot it enough and know what to expect and it shouldnt prove prohibitive, except to the most recoil shy. Or more other on Scopes & Sights Resource for other rifle. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10" compared to 1.70" on the .450 Bushmaster. This was adjusted by means of a stepped elevating slide, a design as old as rifles and still functional today. Terms of Service - 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. Rubber meet road, because if there is anyone point in .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend battle where one wins out, its here. The Winchester had a 20-inch barrel. 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. Reloading Brass. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. SAAMI Accepts 30 Super Carry As New Standardized Cartridge, SHOT 2022: Federal Premium Announces 30 Super Carry Cartridge. This advantage expands a bit as we cross more distance. Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms LLC developed the .45 Professional cartridge based on that criteria and licensed it to Bushmaster Firearms International for production and distribution. We believe the development time used up by Marlin on that rifle could have been spent promoting the grand versatility of the .45-70 Guide Gun, letting folks know that it can handle good stout loads like those from Buffalo Bore, and making the Guide Gun exactly the way it should be, with an aperture rear sight right from the factory, softer recoil pad, and the slickest possible action. Marlins inletting has been quite good in all examples of the companys rifles weve seen. Both are straight walled cartridges, but the 45-70 has a longer overall length, a longer case length, and a larger diameter case than the 450 Bushmaster. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. For all the .450 Bushmasters assets, economic shooting isnt one of them. So when it comes to the .350 Legend vs .450 Bushmaster, is there any discernable advantage of hunting one or the other? The most common cartridges now are the .444 Marlin, the .45-70, and the new .450 Marlin. Remington had a 265-grain load for a while but dropped it, leaving only the 240-grain factory load. 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. We could live with it, though wed have much preferred a softer pad. of muzzle energy, and that combo will handle any North American game animal. Deer, hog, black bear size game. 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. We hesitate to recommend this gun because of our rifles probably temporary, but very real, feeding problem that needed to be fixed. The big difference here is the bullet diameter. That makes it a good option for recoil-sensitive shooters who must abide by tapered cartridge restrictions. We reserve the right to correct pricing errors. The .444 Marlin is essentially a deer rifle that can be used on black bear. is more comparable to the .350 Legend, but you're losing power and velocity. 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. Dont knock the .450 marlin. Unless one lives in a state that requires a straight wall for hunting, then there is not much use for either unless it is to say you got one. This fall will be the first deer season with this cartridge available to the public so we dont have a lot of information on performance on game yet. Rifle type is the major difference between the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster. (45-70 Govt) In Ohio, can use 45-70 and 458 win. I have tested them and the results are not good. Contact Us - It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to about 360 yards. Marlin 1895 (.450 Marlin) My uncle carried a .45-70 when he guided brown bear hunters, and several times stopped charging bears with it at close range. The checkering was fully functional, well done, and attractive. Medium-bore lever rifles are made by Marlin and Winchester. So whats best, 450 Bushmaster Vs 350 Legend. 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. 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. from a 1.70 long cartridge case at velocities over 2000 fps. 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. The .30-06 cartridge has a strong but not particularly sharp recoil. Theres just no need for a new cartridge in this same performance range. 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. Eliminate trailing, disputes over the game, keep the deer on your side of the fence. Straight-wall rifles, being rifles, typically do not. Mag. We also used the data gathered to suggest optimum barrel lengths for each cartridge to help decide which was best. GunnersDen.com ~ Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. A 44 mag has 11 ftlbs. 1s, new Winchester 1886s, and the like. Today, there is no shortage of them, though the old-timers have mostly died out. Bushmaster also requested a name change to .450 Bushmaster, to which LeGendre agreed. 450 Marlin vs 45-70. These drawings will be incorporated during the next revision of the relevant SAAMI Standard. 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 Bryce M. Towsley Its the most powerful factory lever gun ever produced. Its significantly lighter recoil than the 450 Bushmaster or 12 Gauge. 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. On the other hand, the Legend is available with thinner sporter contour barrels. 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. A talk on straight-wall cartridges is, for the most part, a regional discussion. The .45-70 is far more versatile, and ammo is made by many companies. 12 Gauge 1". The Marlins rear sight was a spring-loaded buckhorn with U-notch. The new Marlin .450 cartridge is supposed to be a hot choice for all medium-to-big game hunting. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. 1, the .45-70 can be loaded to impressive performance. Our shooting was hampered by the trigger and by the huge ghost-ring rear sight. Then Hornady brought out two loads for the cartridge and things changed. Check out the ballistics chart below for more information. Who needs more than 1 shot? A hard rubber buttpad doesnt help the shooter, it hinders him from getting the most out of the rifle. At the range, the first shot told us that the Marlin .450 was a powerful rifle. Thats the exact opposite of whats in vogue with modern rifle cartridges today. Sounds impressive. It's my night hog rifle - 4x12-50 L VXR . Utilizing a lighter bullet with a smaller powder charge, it can generally be said it produces less recoil. Item # 454 Casull 044588 460 S&W Mag 044722 480 Ruger/475 Linebaugh 044174 500 S&W Mag 044702 Sure-Loc Lock Rings . 2. It had a very long first stage, which wasnt a problem. Wed like to see Marlin spend its efforts making great rifles perfectly, rather than expending energy on useless new projects like the .450 Marlin. or 260 gr. The newer .450 Marlin is also frequently compared with it. This was largely because of the slim forend wood. There were no aluminum or plastic parts visible, though close inspection showed the magazine follower to be orange polymer. Problem solved. At reasonable straight-wall cartridge hunting distances, for both velocity and trajectory, there is no real out-and-out winner between .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend. 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 . Straight-walled rifle cartridgesat least most of themare a lot more consistent. We tried a different brand of ammunition and the rifle worked fine for awhile. The .444 Marlin has the advantage of using the jacketed and cast bullets for the .44 Magnum, making it a rather flexible design for the handloader. The idea took off, and now many of those states are allowing straight-walled cartridges to be used as deer hunting ammo. As soon as the cartridge's proprietary status was lifted we ordered a reamer and started building barrels. Its been the hot ticket in town over the past few years, and new rifle and deer hunting ammo introductions are happening pretty fast. Absolutely, it depends on what rifle you usemore exactly its weightas to how many foot-pounds of energy will jolt into your shoulder. Yes, this includes the mighty .444 and .45-70, as well as the .338 ME and its bolt action analog, the venerable .30-06. (Well cover the .35 Remington or .356 Winchester another day.) The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. We also got a Winchester Model 94AE chambered for the .444 Marlin. What about the need for an idiot-proof cartridge in the first place? Maybe the 450 Bushmaster is the next big thing? Whether you are reloading for handgun, rifle, shotshell or muzzleloading we have what you need. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? Which of these big cartridges makes the better choice for the prospective lever gun buyer? Since its inception in 1964, however, many hunters . On the other hand, performance-wise, the dividing line is thin enough so it's difficult to tip fence-sitters one way or another. 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. Here are four places to start, By I have a very accurate marlin with the 1/20 twist. Out of the muzzle, the .450 Marlin is flying 175 ft/s faster than the .45-70 Government. Follow along to see exactly how. The Wild West aperture rear sight costs $100 for Marlins, or $120 for Winchesters. The 350 Legend is also designed to work in AR-15 style rifles. Were not sure, but we would guess that Wild West, in Alaska, had a lock on the idea. While the .450 Marlin can be used in bolt action rifles, it is most commonly found in lever action rifles. The .444 Marlin has a smaller frontal diameter, and bullets of equal weight will possess a higher Sectional Density than those .458-inch diameter bullets, and should offer better penetration. Its a great gun. We assume a clump of grease or a small burr slowed down the firing pin just enough to prevent firing. 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. Winchester Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. 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. 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. I dont think anybody can say anything against the quality of marlin lever actions. The case should come out every time, no matter how the lever is operated. The big difference is that .308 Winchester keeps at least 1,000 ft.lbf out to about 600 yards, 450 Bushmaster loses it by 300 yards. The inletting was nowhere near as good as on the Marlins. If you also shoot a Trapdoor Springfield or any other kind of weak-actioned rifle that takes the .45-70, it makes sense that you should not mix up your ammunition. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. I have two .444's and a .450. Year-round, you can find ammo at less than 50 per round, which isnt 5.56 NATO cheap, but is thrifty. The 265 Hornady flat point bullet is THE bullet for the .444, The Hornady SuperPerformance ammo is very accurate in my .444 and the bullet performs great. I have not shot any of the "leverultion ammo" in any of mine, so have no comment there. The long belt certainly does not add strength, no matter what you might have read elsewhere. With a 2.260-inch Maximum Overall Cartridge Length, it fits well in the AR-15 platform.