The performance all the way around was very impressive. While it does not have the power of the .450 Marlin, the .444 Marlin is very similar ballistically to the .45-70, . Brands include Hornady, Lapua, Nosler, Remington, Silver State Armory, Nammo, Prvi Partizan, Winchester and mixed range fired.. For that matter, is there a need for the .444 in any gun version, even though they cost $550 MSRP and have a low street price around $400? Offers more power than any commercial lever gun cartridge except the .450 Marlin. Bryce M. Towsley Many of the loads out there are designed to be safe in the trapdoor Springfields that are still around. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use. As it concerns .350 Legend vs .450 Bushmaster, the smaller-caliber cartridge has a decided advantage. Velocity (200 yards): 1,515 feet per second. 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. Learn more . I'd also guess that, given similar shoulder fit, you couldn't tell the difference in recoil. 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. .451 Caliber projectiles The .450 Bushmaster is capable of using any .452-inch bullet, which opens a lot more doors for handloaders with the wide range of bullets on the marketincluding some outstanding choices from Barnes. The .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster use very similar sized bullets, as their names might suggest. Most gun makers and gun buyers were not interested in new rifles chambered for this underperforming cartridge. It has been used for everything from deer to Cape Buffalo, and remains popular among the bear guides to this day. 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. We could live with it, though wed have much preferred a softer pad. Windage adjustments, though not needed, were done by drifting. Velocity Tests and more! He was intrigued by the idea of the .450 Bushmaster cartridge but prefers hunting with a lever-action versus a bolt action rifle. Accuracy was all that anyone would want. My late Godfather Oren Mick DeCheck, my maternal great-uncleenjoyed a .444 Marlin as his deer/bear rifle, and my DadOl Grumpy Pantsstill reaches for his Browning 1886 centennial .45-70 Government, so both of these cartridges played a role in my shooting world. The quality of bluing on the Winchester was excellent, in spite of the slight metal-polishing problems. At 300 yards, drop is 15.8 and 18.8 respectively. Not only does it reduce the possibility of developing a flinch, but it also improves the ability of the average hunter to deliver an accurate follow-up shot. Match Grade Machine did extensive testing with different barrel lengths in some of our most popular cartridges. This one didnt work. It is on the wane and has long ago been supplanted by the resurgent 45-70. At introduction, it received a lot of fanfare but soon faded into, well, near oblivion. Based on that flaw, wed have to say Dont Buy it. Its significantly lighter recoil than the 450 Bushmaster or 12 Gauge. So I switched to the 450 bm and never regretted it and it comes with me everywhere. 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. Mag. This BB ammunition defines todays standard for the .45-70 for those rifles that can handle the pressure. The parent case is a modified 284 Winchester, it's simply cut to 1.695 and also utilizes a small rifle primer. Cooper was not only an icon of modern tactical applications; he was an serious hunter as well. You have entered an incorrect email address! Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Some companies, like Wild West in Alaska, do a bang-up business modifying existing lever rifles into whatever the mind of man can conceive. Also, a synthetic stock is available with Realtree XTRA camo finish. The higher velocity and energy of the .450 Marlin allows it to shoot a bit flatter than the .450 Bushmaster. The long belt certainly does not add strength, no matter what you might have read elsewhere. Lets look at the similarities, differences and applications of each. 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. We measured the .450 Marlins velocity at 2,045 fps with the 350-grain Hornady Flat-Point Interlock bullet. Out of the muzzle, the .450 Marlin packs another 886 ft-lbs over the .450 Bushmaster, a significant difference. At 150 yards the 444 drops 2.4 inches, whereas the Bushmaster drops about 2.9 inches. Both forend and wrist checkering had a darker finish than the rest of the wood, and it added to the looks of the rifle. That gives it an overall length of about 2.25 inches, so the length is close to the 450. After that instance I went to a big bore brush gun and never had such a problem since. Then somebody figured out that straight-walled rifle cartridges are just as safe as slugs. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55 compared to 2.26 on the Bushmaster. This was largely because of the slim forend wood. The new Marlin .450 cartridge is supposed to be a hot choice for all medium-to-big game hunting. 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. There were faint instances of dished-out holes in the receiver sides, where the buffing wheel went into the screw holes. The Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Cartridge With the Most Potential: .444 Marlin, The Best Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Ammo for AR-15 Style Rifles: .450 Bushmaster, The Best Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Ammo For Long Shots: .45-70 Government. Thats alright. bullets weighing 250 gr. 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. However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. 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. Out of the muzzle, the .250 Marlin is flying 25 ft/s faster than the .250 Bushmaster. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Straight-walled rifle cartridgesat least most of themare a lot more consistent. The 450 bushmaster in the Ruger is a fine rifle for the money . Like firearms themselves, there's a wide variety of opinions on what's the best gun. Save. 1, the .45-70 can be loaded to impressive performance. One recurring problem, however, was the guns poor ejection. It generates 21.34 ft-lbs of energy at 12.55 fps. You may have a perfect group going on your target only to find the next shot is off in another time zone. Bottles & 12-oz. Marlin 1895M .450 Marlin, $560. 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. Heres how they compare to each other. I was torn between a lever action 45-70 and a 450 bushmaster ar-15. 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. The newer .450 Marlin is also frequently compared with it. 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. 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. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. For reference, a 3" 20 gauge load rattles your cage at 30 ftlbs. We also got a Winchester Model 94AE chambered for the .444 Marlin. Ejecting the round, after a suitable wait, we found the primer soundly indented (see photo). Offers more range than any commercial lever gun cartridge except the .338 ME 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. The cartridges we tested include the 460 S&W Magnum, 444 Marlin, 450 Bushmaster, and 45-70 Government. If your pocketbook is tight or you dont appreciate your shoulder getting thumped, then I suppose there is. Reloading Brass. Perhaps the most notable in recent years has been the .350 Legend. 450 Marlin vs 45-70. Anybody who has done much range work with them knows that they are plagued with fliers. He is a gun owner and avid reloader from Colorado. A good solution is to install a proper recoil-reducing pad like the Pachmayr Decelerator. is even more expensive. 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. Advertising - Ours didnt. The .444 felt noticeably smoother in its action than the .450. The ported barrels of these rifles worked wonders to keep the muzzle down, but the rearward kick was still significant. Remington had a 265-grain load for a while but dropped it, leaving only the 240-grain factory load. vs. .300 WSM.223 Remington vs. .22-250 Remington. The Buffalo Bore .45-70 Magnum load will see the 405-grain jacketed bullet driven to a muzzle velocity of 2000 fps for a muzzle energy of just about 3,600 ft.-lbs. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -. Contributor Brad Fenson takes to the grill, to cook up some delicious venison burgers. Whether you are reloading for handgun, rifle, shotshell or muzzleloading we have what you need. 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. Also, moose, elk size game out to about 175 yards. If there is an apparent divide in .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend rifles its muzzle devices and barrel contour. For a while, nobody was making rifles in .45-70 and the cartridge seemed doomed. Ballistics are similar to hot 45-70 loads--which are often downloaded by major manufacturers because they need to be able to not blow up the older weaker guns. The ported barrels of these rifles worked wonders to keep the muzzle down, but the rearward kick was still significant. The U.S. Army adopted the new cartridge, which replaced the .50-70 cartridge it employed in 1866. The metal polishing and bluing on both Marlin rifles was superbly done, dead-flat sides with semi-glossy finish, sharp but not offensive corners, matted edges to the all-steel action, all of the metalwork just plain nice. Today, there is no shortage of them, though the old-timers have mostly died out. So when it comes to the .350 Legend vs .450 Bushmaster, is there any discernable advantage of hunting one or the other? BALLISTICS: Some straight-wall loads produce muzzle velocities of 2,200 to 2,400 fps, a . CVA Inc Scout TD .450 Bushmaster Single Shot Rifle w/ Stainless Barrel $429.99; Notify Me When Available; Brand: CVA Inc; Item Number: CR4830S However, the trigger pull was in desperate need of work. On the other hand, performance-wise, the dividing line is thin enough so it's difficult to tip fence-sitters one way or another. Re: 450 bushmaster vs 444 marlin. 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. 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. The only way to get near that with a Bushy is to load your own ammo. Marlin. Straight-wall rifles, being rifles, typically do not. The 44 Magnum and 45 Colt are 125 yard rifles. On my chronograph. Buy it. 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. 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. 444 Marlin VS 450 Bushmaster Which is Better. Most destructive to components. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to about 360 yards. Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. There were two large panels of checkering on the straight-hand grip. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10 compared to 1.70 on the .450 Bushmaster. Throw a moose in then I would lean to the .450 but realize that these lightweight .450 carbines kick like a .375 H&H. The new cartridge was named the .444 Marlin and was introduced along with the big bore Marlin model 444 rifle in 1964. 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. 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. 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 Marlin (10.957mmR) is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. Get Special Offers Delivered Right to Your Inbox. All rights reserved. The 450 Marlin duplicates the 45-70 in a modern rimless case that is a little shorter. Specifically, the 45-70 cartridge has an overall length of 2.55 and a 2.105 long case. 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. Theres just no need for a new cartridge in this same performance range. The original loading used a 250-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps from a. 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. (460 S&W Mag) 397118 45 Cal .452" 250 gr. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. SAAMI limits the MAP to 28,000 psi. Hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition is currently available from Buffalo Bore in three different bullet weights. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. We dug it out with a knife, reloaded two more, and again the second round failed to feed. Its big and powerful enough, and with good bullets, it may produce the best external ballistics of the bunch. 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. Utilizing a lighter bullet with a smaller powder charge, it can generally be said it produces less recoil. The .30-06 cartridge has a strong but not particularly sharp recoil. Like the .450, the .444 Marlin rifle was very well made. The slim forend had wrap-around checkering. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. A full-length 22-inch Marlin gave us only 2,064 with that load, so we doubt that youll ever see 2,100 fps out of the .450 Marlin. It didnt punch out groups as small as those with the Marlin .444, but it was accurate enough to take hunting. The idea used to develop the .450 Bushmaster was credited to Jeff Cooper. Archive - Both rifles had this exact same setup. Save my name and email to use for future comments. The result of this collaboration is the .450 Bushmaster. The 444 Marlin is a 200 yard rifle. I'm thinking of adding a 450 bushmaster. The cartridge, introduced in 2000 by Marlin for its own lever-action Model 1895M, was designed to provide +P performance of the 144-year-old government round in a more modern case capable of. But the .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend are chambered in very similar rifles, some from the same line with minuscule differences. But in my opinion, the sheer flexibility of the .45-70 Government in both rifles and ammunition gives it a definitive advantage. I dont think anybody can say anything against the quality of marlin lever actions. This straddled the bolt, but was much too far forward for proper use by our test personnel. 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). I disagree. GunnersDen.com ~ The Winchester, thought, had a superb ghost-ring aperture sight by Ashley, which we though would give it an advantage. 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. We fired one, and the second jammed coming out of the tubular magazine. Then the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle came along in 1972 and changed everything. The forests around here are always thick brushed with all sorts of not only leafy brush but full of little twig saplings and raspberry bushes and the like. The .450 Marlin and the .45-70 Government are not interchangeable, but are very . 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. This is pure conjecture, but the outcome is notthe .450 Marlin is pretty much a turkey, as we see it. At 100 yards, the .450 Marlin is moving 52 ft/s faster. They were solidly made of steel and walnut, and looked like they would hold together for a long time. The 450 Bushmaster is taking off and new ammo offerings keep popping up. But if you get behind the business end of a gun you dread to drop the hammer on, youre sandbagging your potential in the field. Mag..30-06 Springfield vs. .270 Winchester6.5 Creedmoor vs. 7mm-08 Remington8x57 Mauser vs. .318 Westley Richards.358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum.22-250 Remington vs. .220 Swift.270 Winchester vs. .270 WSM.26 Nosler vs. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum.458 Win. 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. 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. This was adjusted by means of a stepped elevating slide, a design as old as rifles and still functional today. All the calibers you mention are good hunting calibers. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. Both of these big bore cartridges are meant for a specific purpose: to bring down large game at very close ranges. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. The Bushmaster is based on a sawed-off .284 Winchester case. The .45-70 was developed for the army to be used in the trapdoor Springfield rifle. Whats going on? The .450 Marlin will offer you better ballistics across the board and a lighter rifle that is very dependable and easy to manage, while the semi-automatic platform appeals to many and gives a range of customizable options. 2.100 case length. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. The .450 Bushmaster was developed for big game hunting with modern rifles. Winchester Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. The resulting round boasts performance on par with the .45-70 Gov't but in a more compact configuration. Links to technical data and drawings for the newly SAAMI accepted Cartridge and Chamber designs not yet included in SAAMI Standards are listed below. The .444 Marlin, .450 Marlin, and .45/70 are rimmed straight-wall rifle cartridges that are most commonly chambered in lever guns such as the Winchester 1886 and Marlin 1895, though there are single-shot options like the Ruger No. In terms of maximum point-blank range, its only a 16-yard difference on a 14-inch target (roughly the size of a small deers vital zone). 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. 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. Setting aside the dubious qualities of the .450 Marlin cartridge, we noted the rifle that shot the rounds was well made. Not that it hurts to have a rifle chambered for one in your arsenal if you live big county out West. By and large, .450 Bushmaster rifles are outfitted with medium to heavy contour barrels, a function of its large bore. Their 265-grain Superformance load ramps up the muzzle velocity to 2400 fps with a BC of .189.