BUSHMASTER'S BEST

The .450 Bushmaster, Reborn & Refreshed

- Mike Searson

.450 Bushmaster has an interesting history. It was first designed by the late Tim LeGendre of LeMag as the 45 Professional. He started .by cutting and trimming a .284 Winchester parent case in order to insert a 300-grain bullet. The idea was to use it in a dangerous game rifle in the form of an AR-10 or a bolt-action.

Bushmaster Firearms liked the round, and the idea behind it. They liked it so much they turned to Hornady to further develop the ammunition. During the process, Hornady shortened the case from 1.77 to 1.7 inches, with an overall length of 2.26 inches to allow it to be chambered in an AR-15 instead. Same idea, now in a much more common (and inexpensive) rifle. The round was renamed .450 Bushmaster.

WHY?

The round has become extremely popular in Midwestern and Eastern seaboard states where hunting with a bottleneck cartridge is prohibited (see CARNIVORE Issue 4). Upon first hearing these restrictions, you may think the absurd notion was most likely drafted by the usual gang of idiots who know little to nothing about hunting, shooting, or ballistics. However, the - land in these states is relatively flat with higher population concentrations. Regulators believe that means there's greater concern about an errant round traveling a long distance; big thumper bullets have more limited ranges. That's not as much of a problem in the western United States.

The .450 Bushmaster provides the power of a .45-70 Government cartridge in a modern sporting rifle platform. As an addendum to the previous paragraph, some states not only have limitations on straight-wall cartridges, but the case length itself can be called into question. So, the traditional 45-70 round may not pass muster, but this shorter round will.