For some reason, the .450 wasnt as smooth as the .444 we shot. Winchester Model 94AE Big Bore Our recommendation: We liked the Winchester .444 Marlin. 2. But in all honesty, it isnt for everyonebe it due to tight quarters or time constraints. Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. Please know that we only recommend products we trust and have used ourselves. We learned the recoil pad, though firm, was almost adequate. So whats best, 450 Bushmaster Vs 350 Legend. The 444 Marlin is a 200 yard rifle. Elsewhere, we noticed an anomaly between the two Marlins. But does it deserve the attention? Its great skill and potentially one of the best hobbies youll ever pick up. All provide an increase in accuracythough there are some wonderfully accurate slug guns out therebut the trajectory of those . GunnersDen.com ~ Who needs more than 1 shot? 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. Of course, with the shorter barrels on the AR-15 and some other rifles, the muzzle velocity is lower, which changes all the other numbers. It was easy to cycle the .444 from the shoulder, but, unfortunately, the rifle prevented that nearly half the time. 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. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. (444 Marlin) 397117 45 Cal .452" 200 gr. Ever perceptive, the market has responded by expanding this somewhat forgotten corner of the firearms world. 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. However, the primer was apparently not struck soundly enough. Today, there is no shortage of them, though the old-timers have mostly died out. Marlins inletting has been quite good in all examples of the companys rifles weve seen. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. 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The wood pores of the 444P were no better filled than on the other rifle. 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. It goes so far as, previously mentioned, manufacturers offering the same model rifle in both .450 Bushmaster and .350 Legend. Often overlooked, much to the detriment of the hunter, is how much kick theyll endure from a particular rifle-cartridge combination. At 100 yards, that advantage is holding strong with the .450 Marlin showing an additional 701 ft-lbs of energy. At 300 yards, drop is 15.8 and 18.8 respectively. In days past these included the .348, various wildcats on that theme like the .450 Alaskan, the .45-70, and numerous blackpowder-era cartridges modernized with smokeless powder. At 150 yards the 444 drops 2.4 inches, whereas the Bushmaster drops about 2.9 inches. 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. High-Dollar .22 LR Pistols: Pardini Is Our Pick As Best Buy. Muzzle Energy: 2,686 foot-pounds. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. bullets weighing 250 gr. This advantage expands a bit as we cross more distance. Also, moose, elk size game out to about 175 yards. 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. (The .450 Marlin, by the way, is a ringer for the .458 American except for that longer belt. You can find more information on our site under the Velocity/Info tab labeled Velocity Testing. 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. I am currently building a bolt action .444 Marlin that I am expecting good things from this fall. Rifle Type Rifle type is the major difference between the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster. Most gun makers and gun buyers were not interested in new rifles chambered for this underperforming cartridge. It was so far from the eye it was easy to see the front bead in just about any position within the ghost ring. At the range the Winchester was flawless in function. Both of these big bore cartridges are meant for a specific purpose: to bring down large game at very close ranges. At 100 yards bullet velocity slows to 1,835 and retains 1,868 pounds of energy. The rear buckhorn blade did a grand job of obscuring everything on both sides of the target, and shooters would be much better served with a flat-top rear sight, or an aperture. New Shooters Guide: What Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? 450 Bushmaster can be found on the shelves at most large outfitters but don't expect to . However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. Plenty of fanfare and spilled ink has greeted the latest and greatest do-all deer medicine. The ported barrels of these rifles worked wonders to keep the muzzle down, but the rearward kick was still significant. He was intrigued by the idea of the .450 Bushmaster cartridge but prefers hunting with a lever-action versus a bolt action rifle. It drops a bear at 100 yards like no ones business if you catch it from your tree stand and it puts deer on the ground fast too. The big difference here is the bullet diameter. Like the .450, the .444 Marlin rifle was very well made. SAAMI limits the MAP to 28,000 psi. The plus side of this cartridge is that recoil is pretty mild, so its a good choice for shooters who need to take recoil into consideration. We started with 27 barrels for each cartridge and collected velocities cutting one inch off at a time and retesting all the way down to 13 using multiple loads of ammunition. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I have tested them and the results are not good. On the other hand, the Legend is available with thinner sporter contour barrels. The Buffalo Bore .45-70 load, same weight bullet, was faster than the .450 Marlin. All rights reserved. 460 S&W vs 444 Marlin vs 450 BM vs 45-70 Govt Match Grade Machine 3.95K subscribers Subscribe 2.5K 209K views 3 years ago Match. The fluid motion of the action and those huge, rimmed, brass cases make for some formidable medicine for the largest bears, bison and cervids. While we applaud Marlin for adapting the lever-rifle concept to belted cases (this is probably not the first instance of this, but we cant think of another), we reloaders dont appreciate the fact that we have only one source of brass for our new rifle. We would not mention this but for the fact that another shooter across the country reported to us he felt the exact same thing on two different Marlins. Will it put a deer down faster. 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 second shot told us that something was drastically wrong somewhere. The buttpad was a ventilated hard rubber pad. 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. Ultimately, the biggest factor in choosing between these two cartridges will be what type of rifle you wish to use. In Stock Only Rossi Wizard 223 Rem Single-Shot Rifle . The ported barrels of these rifles worked wonders to keep the muzzle down, but the rearward kick was still significant. If your pocketbook is tight or you dont appreciate your shoulder getting thumped, then I suppose there is. Why didnt Marlin simply lengthen the .45-70 cartridge as Wild West did? At this writing, ammo is available from Winchester, Hornady, and Federal. Back in January we tested this superb rifle along with the similar Marlin Guide Gun, both in .45-70. Save my name and email to use for future comments. is more comparable to the .350 Legend, but you're losing power and velocity. Follow along to see exactly how. It produces 28.27 ft-lbs of recoil energy at a velocity of 14.72 fps. Winchester, Hornady, Remington, and maybe a few others offer ammo, but the market is evolving so fast its tough to keep up. 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. These drawings will be incorporated during the next revision of the relevant SAAMI Standard. 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? 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. One sure way to cut through some of the tall grass is measure it against an established cartridge thats already proven its worth. Ours didnt. 450 Marlin vs 45-70. I live in the dense hard woods of new England where even walking up a tall hill will put you into the pines and out of any hardwoods. All of these walnut-stocked rifles had iron sights only, which is how we tested them. Marlin .450 Model 1895M Our recommendation: Dont Buy the $560 Marlin .450 Model 1895M. The wood-to-metal fit was again superb. Again, there isnt a bright clear advantage when it comes to rifles chambered for cartridges. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Cooper was not only an icon of modern tactical applications; he was an serious hunter as well. 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. 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. 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. 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. Though the .45-70 Government cartridge has been in production since 1873, there was a time when a new rifle chambered in that cartridge just wasnt offered. 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. RENE reports 6 different versions of the American Rifle in 450 Bushmaster and now the GSR makes 7. There were no aluminum or plastic parts visible, though close inspection showed the magazine follower to be orange polymer. All rights reserved. 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. 1 and Winchester's 1885. . is even more expensive. It cant. But for overall practicality, straight-wall cartridges are a topic for the good folks around the Great Lakes region. The .450 Bushmaster cartridge was developed using a modified .284 Winchester case with a rebated rim. And truly, it is a pleasurable cartridge, very much akin to the .30-30, which by almost anyones standard is extremely manageable. Powder Valley is your Ammunition Superstore . Save. We also got a Winchester Model 94AE chambered for the .444 Marlin. Perhaps the most notable in recent years has been the .350 Legend. This website contains many older reviews. IC B2. 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. 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. We stock a full range of bulk rifle ammunition to meet . Match Grade Machine did extensive testing with different barrel lengths in some of our most popular cartridges. Mag. At 300 yards, it is moving 76 ft/s faster, as the .450 Marlin is able to hold onto more of its speed for longer than the .450 Bushmaster. In essence the rimmed .444 Marlin is an elongated .44 Magnum (the case length is 2.225 inches, with an overall length of 2.550 inches), as it uses the same .429-inch diameter bullets as the classic revolver cartridge, albeit at a much higher velocity. Summary: Factory ammo is not a great choice for rifle length barrels, hand loading gives better performance. Hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition is currently available from Buffalo Bore in three different bullet weights. Based on our test results, we dont think so. 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. The 450 Bushmaster is taking off and new ammo offerings keep popping up. The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. That BC may not inspire glee with long range rifle shooters, but in the world of straight-walled rifle cartridges, its pretty impressive. 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. Online pricing may vary from in-store pricing. The 350 Legend is also designed to work in AR-15 style rifles. And, outside a flash hider on an AR, dont usually come with a muzzle device standard. Hornadys 325-grain Flextip ammo has a muzzle velocity of 2050 fps and the bullet has a BC of .230. Mag. The Wild West version ($100) has steel wings to protect it, and would a better aperture choice. Certainly, some pride themselves in how much recoil they can endure. Big bore cartridges in particular can make lever action rifles a great choice for a bear defense gun. Shop for ammo available in all calibers for sale online from Guns.com. 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. of energy. A 265 grain 44 Mag is measured at 1180 fps with 741 ft/lb at the muzzle. The 450/460 have proven to be , accuracy wise, about equal with boolits. Some companies, like Wild West in Alaska, do a bang-up business modifying existing lever rifles into whatever the mind of man can conceive. The .450 Marlin was designed as a competitor to the .45-70 Government, so its ballistics are highly similar. The .350 Legend takes it easier on each by a fairly wide margin. The .45-70 Government is definitely the older of the two, having been released in 1873 in the famous Trapdoor Springfield. Shoot it enough and know what to expect and it shouldnt prove prohibitive, except to the most recoil shy. 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. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to about 360 yards. Winchester put decent walnut on this all-steel rifle, and did a great job of finishing and checkering the wood. The walnut was very decent wood, nicer than that on the .450. Ejecting the round, after a suitable wait, we found the primer soundly indented (see photo). It is on the wane and has long ago been supplanted by the resurgent 45-70. In the past decade, state wildlife management agencies in the region have opened what were once shotgun-only deer grounds to rifles chambered for straight-wall cartridges. I have an H&R 444 with the 16tw barrel - loaded some 240gr. If youre looking to shoot much outside of 200 yards, youre looking at the wrong calibers. Your rifle is your most important hunting tool, and knowing how to properly clean and store it when hunting season comes to a close is critical in keeping it in tip-top shape. Newly Accepted Cartridge and Chamber Designs. The finish was about average, we felt, for a modern rifle in this price category. Marlin Model 444P Our recommendation: Marlin ought to know by now how to make a flawless .444 Marlin. 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. .429 Caliber projectiles The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55 compared to 2.26 on the Bushmaster. It didnt do this with any of the other loads. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55" compared to 2.26" on the Bushmaster. Archive - Lets see what we found. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to 399 yards. Will drop a 300+lb. The 450 Bushmaster is taking off and new ammo offerings keep popping up.