Trigger time with the .450 Bushmaster

[ENCORE50A]

Sent a few just for some trigger time and used a bipod, something I rarely if ever use. I had what I consider "normal rounds", plus 5 that I had seated out further than normal. Seating depth makes a difference in this rifle as seen below.

Also, for the first time I had a case stick, where I had to smack the bolt to open the action. No noticeable difference between the stuck case and the other fired cases. ALL cases loaded with 37.9grs Lil'Gun and a 250gr FTX.

Can't remember the last time I shot the .450 Bushmaster, but today after the first 2 rounds at 100yds I dialed it up a 1/2moa. This damn rifle will shoot! However, I'm going back to all my "normal rounds" and seating depth.

 

[ShawnT]

Nice Shooting! The 450Bm just amazes me how easy it is to shoot.

 

[ENCORE50A]

Nice Shooting! The 450Bm just amazes me how easy it is to shoot.

I just never shoot with a bipod, but maybe I might try it more often
I know that the new bench will need something to stop the legs of the bipod so I can put a load on them, if I continue to use the bipod. Its a really cheap and older bipod, certainly nothing anyone would buy for serious shooting.

 

[HC]

Lil gun powder burns HOT. I bought a lb. to try in .357 loads (high velocity low pressure), so they say. After 3 cylinders the revolver was so hot, I dare not touch the metal. Maybe the cause of the hard bolt Handle lift for Encore.

 

[sabotloader]

Encore - it is always good to get out and shoot! It is really good for the syci !!! I know that for a fact!

 

[ENCORE50A]

Lil gun powder burns HOT. I bought a lb. to try in .357 loads (high velocity low pressure), so they say. After 3 cylinders the revolver was so hot, I dare not touch the metal. Maybe the cause of the hard bolt Handle lift for Encore.

Pretty common powder with the .450's. The bolt handle lifted ok, just wouldn't open without a little help. First time with many reloads down range. Had fun sending just a few today.

 

[D55]

Hard bolt lift could have been higher pressure from bullets seated out?

 

[ENCORE50A]

Hard bolt lift could have been higher pressure from bullets seated out?

I wouldn't think so. All 5 loads were identical, but, the bolt lifted normal, not hard. Just needed help extracting the case.

 

[Cary L Pipes]

I've been on the fence on building a 450 bm

 

[da new guy]

Encore..
I've read these forums for many years now but seldom post as I don't have near the knowledge most people on this forum have. Here is something that I DO have skme knowledge on.. I just harvested 3 deer with a .450 Bushmaster ar. I was using the 250 FTX like you were shooting here. For shooting paper they are great, for dear not so much. I only had one pass through and that shot was at 15 yards. I consider the FTX the powerbelt of the .450 rounds... very accurate but on game performance is lacking. Granted two of my deer dropped in their tracks and the other had a decent blood trail but I like two holes in my deer in case I make a not so great shot. I am anxiously awaiting the Remington/Barnes .450 round and praying that it is accurate in my rifle...

 

[ShawnT]

da new guy,

I am of a mind that we are shooting the FTX to about its limits. I have only one Harvest with it so far (182 yards) but the blood trail from it was like it was sprayed from a fire hose. It is very accurate and works but not my favorite either. I had some emails with Lehigh to get a CF made up and found they were working on a CF bullet for the 450BM but it was for subsonic use. Can't really imagine why. He just said maybe in the future.

I take it that from your post you are shooting Factory ammo, is that correct? Have you shot any of the Hornady American? I am curious to see something feedback on this bullet.

Factory loaded.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021021183?pid=273784

That bullet was posted earlier in the inline forum I think. It is from the American ammo but I did not see it out last year. I plan to give it a try next year, did not have the time this year, if I don't find something else.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021205831?pid=423499

My only issue with the Barnes is that little HP I would have preferred it to be a bit larger, but that is just my opinion.

The way the 450BM took off in Bolt and single shot rifles for States like Michigan, Ohio, Indiana (IIRC) etc., plus it was out for quite some time in the AR platform, you would think that there would be more bullets out by now.

 

[ENCORE50A]

I hear of a lot of guys that just absolutely despise the 250gr FTX. I believe in some of the cases its justified, other problems is just piss poor shot placement by the shooters.
Time and time again we've talked about shot placement and how some shoot AT the deer instead of a spot on the deer. There are guys on this forum that would FIGHT TO THE DEATH if you bad mouthed a Hornday XTP bullet. I mean you'd be run out of town on a rail, beaten to a pulp. However, you shoot them long enough and into many game animals and sooner or later you'll find one that separates.
Constant shooting just for lung shots can get anyone into trouble even with the best bullet known to man. Partial lung, one lung, to high... all requires a lot of body cavity to fill before extreme blood loss. Shoot for the heart and its a dead deer, quickly. Problem with most whitetail hunters, they shoot a box of ammunition, maybe, once a year and all of a sudden are experts at shot placement ????? Just the other day, a guy complained about shooting a buck right through both lungs with a FTX and tracked the deer for OVER A MILE! I forgot to mention when posting about that mile crap, he said he NEVER FOUND THE DEER.

Anyone that believes that is nuts!
Is it the best, certainly not.

 

[da new guy]

Maybe the experience that I had with the FTX may not be the best. Two of the three looked like a grenade went off inside the deer.. the other the bullet separated and I still found fragments when I was dressing them. Out of all the other bullets that I shot the Hornady American was the second most accurate. Unfortunately the American was shooting about 1.5 MOA while the FTX shot 0.75 MOA. I shot the Hornady's, Federal Fusion, Federal Powershock, another Federal, Winchester Whitetail among some... I think that if it stays the same I will probably give up some accuracy for a better performing bullet and limit my shots to 100 yards. I will give my rifle a good cleaning and try them all again to see if maybe the rifle needed to be broken a little more.. I will see though.

 

[phenix78_99]

I don't own a 450 BM, but if Lehigh starts making CF bullets for it for supersonic velocities, I am in. I know CEB makes bullets for it, but the Bloodlines (and their performance) that Lehigh makes for Knight have made me a Lehigh CF disciple (or fanatic). At one point, I was hoping so much for a Lehigh 450 BM CF bullet, I asked if it was possible to load a Bloodline in a 450 BM case. LOL! I know Lehigh makes CF bullets for similar (in diameter) mass produced calibers (e.g. 45-70, 458 SOCOM), but I am intrigued with the 450 BM, and don't want or need a 300 grain or higher bullet.

That said, I have a 445 Supermag loaded with 200 grain CEB Raptors that I hope to test out on a deer before our season here is done. IF that works, it may eliminate my desire to one day end up with a 450 BM...but I doubt it if Lehigh comes through on the 450 BM CF supersonic bullets.

Crazy, I know...

 

[ENCORE50A]

It appears from all the posts concerning the 450 Bushmaster, that the majority of the owners want bullets that expand readily yet hold together entirely. Quite evident by all the different posts made. I'm not certain that any of them would buy into a controlled fracturing bullet, thus it would likely be a hard sell.
Its also quite evident that many of the 450 shooters got caught up in the hype of a new legal round (in some states), and still don't know how to properly place a bullet. Many of those who got all caught up in the 450 hype, are now caught up in the 350 Legend hype.
The Barnes bullets appear to have a large following with the 450 Bushmaster crowd. Some guys are loading the 250 TEZs, other the XPB 275gr.
The 450 is a nice little round and can be quite accurate.

 

[phenix78_99]

Yeah, I was just hoping since they made a CF .458 bullet they would one day make a .452 CF bullet for use in brass. Stop killing my dreams! I like Barnes, but I love Lehigh...it's an addiction.

"Its also quite evident that many of the...shooters...still don't know how to properly place a bullet."

Amen to that.

 

[phenix78_99]

I also wish that folks who don't believe in the CF bullets would just use one once and really closely observe the results. For those (majority) of folks who prefer bullets that expand readily yet hold together entirely, I think seeing the CF in practice would at least be thought provoking.

I mean, yes, the petals break off, but the base has always exited for me, which satisfies the two hole desire (which I also prefer), and when that base is as large as .452/2" or .458" in diameter, it is still moving some significant organic matter. Besides, the petals breaking off also create their own wound channels.

I so wish I would have taken some additional pics of the last buck I harvested with the Bloodline. My shot was just a smidgen high, but one of the petals entered the top of heart and left a nice clean slice right through the upper (atrial) part of the heart (and surrounding plumbing). The exit hole where the base exited the thoracic cavity had a small blood vessel protruding from it about 1/2" or so as well, but the hole was only bullet diameter, so no meat or energy was wasted on the off side of the animal for an expanded bullet to exit the cavity. All of the real action occurred in the thoracic cavity where the goodies are.

I am obsessed with postmortem terminal performance analysis. I hate going to victim autopsies, but I love doing deer autopsies.

I'm sorry...I'll shut up now.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I have some CFs ready to go in sabots b-cuz i agree with you on their performance. They are kinda pricey tho. When i have them sitting next to my home cast conicals i think of the $ spent for them and then i put them on the back burner.

 

[phenix78_99]

Agreed, they are pricey. That said, the deer I harvest are the bulk (80-85% I would guess) of my personal meat consumption for the following year (until the next season). I help to justify it to myself by adding the cost of my equipment (e.g. bullets) and the processor fees, and compare it to what I would pay for as much healthy organic, grass fed, free range beef (and liver) at the store over the year. I also like buttering up my supervisor with a 4 lb. venison summer sausage to encourage him to give me an annual bonus.

 

[ShawnT]

I agree that some may/do have issues that were related to Shot placement. Happens more often as guys get exited and just aim at the Deer and not a spot as stated. Muzzleloader hunting/shooting helped me get control of that. Patients and some discipline really helps with limiting those failures. Then again deer a living moving target and crap can happen just when the trigger is pulled.

So far I have only taken one deer with my .450 and that was last Fall. The FTX definitely did its job placed right though both lungs, was quite careful with my shot placement. What I did not expect was the exit wound and the Spray I got. Yes blood from the lungs can and will spray out but in my years of hunting never saw anything like this. It looked like the bullet had over expanded and may have been starting to come apart, I don't think it did but think it was close. I wish I had a pic of what I am talking about but I don't usually carry a camera, and definitely not my phone with me in the field. This is just my opinion since I had nothing recovered (Bullet or Fragments) to look at. I had issues with the bullet from a MZ a long time ago but it was just the opposite and it was way back when I shot pellets. I know now that the 2 pellet loads was not enough velocity to get the bullet to work properly. I personally would just like to have something a little better. BUT If someone came to me asking what Factory load to shoot in a 450BM my first recommendation is the Hornady Custom 250Gn FTX or the Black. I got a box and it shoots right with my Hand loads.

I have taken 4 deer with the Lehigh CF or Bloodline. It took me a LONG time to get my mind wrapped around how it worked even with Sabotloader showing us all the pics. First deer I got I was totally amazed, and sold on them. My experience with them is why I contacted them about it. Don't know the outcome of their testing with it but so far not listed for sale.

Another Bullet I have been watching here is the Fury. I find it an interesting bullet design. I contacted them this past weekend (Sunday) to ask about a bullet for the .450BM. He actually responded later Sunday, that shocked me! He does make them for the .450BM but they are not the same bullet that is used in the ML. Just said he had to make them harder but did not elaborate. He said it was a different process for making a cartridge rifle bullet then for an ML. I plan to get back with them next Month to see about getting some to try. The Bullet that he has that would fit in my magazine for sure is the Un-Tipped Star tip bullet. The Tipped version looked like it would be too long to fit my Mag for sure. A Remington style mag well or a single shot probably would not have that OAL issue. Its too late fore me to get any to try this year as I am headed out to Se Ohio this coming Saturday for a couple weeks. Its almost my turn to get in the woods!

The RA 450BM is making the trip but plan to start with my Knight KRB. Hope to get a repeat of last year with a Deer for each!