![Bushmst450](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/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 standard
M16s and
AR-15s, using modified
magazines and upper receiver assemblies.
History
The .450 Bushmaster is descended from the
Thumper concept popularized by the 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, and later built and delivered an AR-15 in .45 Professional to Cooper.
Bushmaster requested 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 in. 250-grain pointed SST flex-tip bullet. Bushmaster and LeGendre approved the change from a 1.772 in. (45 mm) case and 2.362 in. (60 mm) OAL to the now standard 1.700 in. (43.18 mm) case and 2.260 in. (57.40 mm) 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.
Loadings and ballistics
![450 ctg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/450_ctg.jpg)
The .450 Bushmaster makes use of .452 in. bullets because the lower impact velocities and energies would not adequately expand the heavier jacketed .458 in. bullets. The cartridge is chambered in bolt-action rifles by Ruger, Savage, Mossberg, and Remington, Ruger's No. 1 single shot rifle, AR-15 rifles, as well as an AR-15 pistol by
Franklin Armory.
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. 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 magazine, a 20-round AR-15 magazine body yields a five- to seven-round magazine, and a 30-round body yields a nine-round
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
*
.460 S&W Magnum
*
.50 Beowulf
*
12.7×55mm STs-130
*
List of AR platform cartridges
References
External links
Hornady Manufacturing - 450 BushmasterArchived2009-08-05)
Bushmaster .450 Rifle & Carbine - Bushmaster FirearmsArchived2009-08-05)
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Rifle :: Choose by Caliber :: 450 Bushmaster :: 450 Bushmaster 250 gr FTX LEVERevolution
{{DEFAULTSORT:450 Bushmaster
Pistol and rifle cartridges
Bushmaster firearms