.450 Bushmaster
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.450 Bushmaster | ||||||||||||
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![]() .450 Bushmaster (left), .223 Remington (right) | ||||||||||||
Type | Rifle | |||||||||||
Place of origin | United States | |||||||||||
Production history | ||||||||||||
Designer | LeMAG Firearms LLC | |||||||||||
Manufacturer | Bushmaster/Hornady | |||||||||||
Specifications | ||||||||||||
Parent case | .284 Winchester | |||||||||||
Case type | Rebated rim, straight wall | |||||||||||
Bullet diameter | .452 in (11.5 mm) | |||||||||||
Neck diameter | .4800 in (12.19 mm)[1] | |||||||||||
Base diameter | .5000 in (12.70 mm)[1] | |||||||||||
Rim diameter | .473 in (12.0 mm)[1] | |||||||||||
Rim thickness | .054 in (1.4 mm)[1] | |||||||||||
Case length | 1.700 in (43.2 mm)[1] | |||||||||||
Overall length | 2.260 in (57.4 mm)[1] | |||||||||||
Maximum pressure (SAAMI) | 38,500 psi (265 MPa) | |||||||||||
Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||
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Test barrel length: 20 in (508 mm) Source(s): Hornady & Remington[2] |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Bushmst450.jpg/220px-Bushmst450.jpg)
The .450 Bushmaster is a rifle cartridge developed by Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms, and licensed to Bushmaster Firearms International. The .450 Bushmaster is designed to be used in the standard M16s and AR-15s, using modified magazines and upper receiver assemblies.
History
The .450 Bushmaster is descended from the "Thumper" concept popularized by gun writer Jeff Cooper. Cooper was dissatisfied with the small-diameter 5.56×45mm NATO (.223 Remington) of the AR-15, and envisioned a need for a large bore (.44 cal or greater) cartridge in a semi-automatic rifle to provide one-shot kills on big-game animals at 250 yards. Inspired by this, LeGendre developed his .45 Professional cartridge,[when?] and later[when?] built and delivered an AR-15 in .45 Professional to Cooper.[3]
Bushmaster requested[when?] the ammunition manufacturer Hornady to produce the .45 Professional cartridge for this project, but Hornady wanted to shorten the cartridge case and overall length to accommodate their 0.452" 250-grain pointed SST Flex-Tip bullet. Bushmaster and LeGendre approved the change from a 1.772" (45mm) case and 2.362" (60mm) OAL to the now standard 1.700" (43.18mm) case and 2.260" (57.40mm) OAL. This permitted operation in the more abundant and popular AR-15 platform versus the AR-10 platform. Also, a name change to ".450 Bushmaster" was approved.[citation needed]
Loadings and ballistics
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/223%2B450_magazine_top.jpg/220px-223%2B450_magazine_top.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/450_ctg.jpg/200px-450_ctg.jpg)
The .450 Bushmaster makes use of .452" bullets because of the lower impact velocities and energies would not adequately expand the heavier jacketed .458" bullets.[4] The cartridge is chambered in bolt action rifles by Ruger,Savage, and Remington, AR-15 rifles, as well as an AR-15 pistol by Franklin Armory.[5]
Ballistically, the .450 Bushmaster has a rather flat trajectory out to 200 yards; if the firearm is zeroed at 150 yards, the user can expect to see a rise of 1.8 inches at 100 yards, zero at 150 yards, and a drop of 4.9 inches at 200 yards.[citation needed] The cartridge fits single-stacked in a standard AR-15 magazine with a single-stack follower. A 10-round AR-15 magazine body yields a four-round [6] magazine, a 20-round AR-15 magazine body yields a five to seven-round [7] magazine, and a 30-round body yields a nine-round [8] magazine. Hornady, Remington and Federal now manufacture ammunition for the rifle, and Starline manufactures empty brass for handloading.
See also
- 11 mm caliber
- List of rifle cartridges
- Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
- .444 Marlin
- .45-70
- .458 SOCOM
- .50 Beowulf
References
- ^ a b c d e f "CARTRIDGE and CHAMBER DRAWING - 450 BUSHMASTER" (PDF). SAAMI. p. 147. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
- ^ PREMIER® ACCUTIP™ 450 BUSHMASTER Remington Arms Company
- ^ Frank C. Barnes (5 October 2012). Cartridges of the World: A Complete Illustrated Reference for More Than 1,500 Cartridges. Gun Digest Books. pp. 97–. ISBN 1-4402-3059-5.
- ^ "45 Cal .452 250 gr FTX® (450 Bushmaster)". Hornady. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ^ Pridgen, D.K. "FRANKLIN ARMORY XO-26 .450 BUSHMASTER". Tactical-Life Magazine. Retrieved 26 Feb 2014.
- ^ https://tromix.com/product/lancer-magazine-4-round/
- ^ https://dura-mag.com/product/duramag-ss-450-bushmaster-stainless-steel/
- ^ https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1006265648
- Hornady Manufacturing - 450 Bushmaster (Archived 2009-08-05)
- Bushmaster .450 Rifle & Carbine - Bushmaster Firearms (Archived 2009-08-05)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20150423074612/http://www.hornady.com/store/450-Bushmaster-250-gr-FTX-LEVERevolution