444 marlin vs 450 bushmaster 444 marlin vs 450 bushmaster

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. We fired one, and the second jammed coming out of the tubular magazine. Its a belted case, not the usual rimmed type one normally finds in lever rifles. Then somebody figured out that straight-walled rifle cartridges are just as safe as slugs. I know at least one has built a prototype, and I am told its working well. For generations, a lot of states have allowed deer hunters to use only shotguns with slugs or maybe a muzzleloader during gun season. More power to them. the 450 marlin, the 444, 38-55, 375 win, 375 super mag, 445 super, & the 357 maximum will all ruin a deer's day at 200 yds. This website contains many older reviews. Newly Accepted Cartridge and Chamber Designs. It didnt punch out groups as small as those with the Marlin .444, but it was accurate enough to take hunting. Its a great gun. 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, later in our testing, we again encountered this failure to feed, and not just from the last round in the magazine. Powder Valley is your Reloading Superstore.. We are the largest provider of all brands of reloading brass because we offer great service and wholesale prices. 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. Based on our test results, we dont think so. With a 2.260-inch Maximum Overall Cartridge Length, it fits well in the AR-15 platform. (444 Marlin) 397117 45 Cal .452" 200 gr. I have tested them and the results are not good. among our first successful self-contained metallic rifle cartridges. The trajectory of most .450 factory ammo allows you to zero at about 200 yards and hold right on anywhere inside that. Winchester Model 94AE Big Bore Our recommendation: We liked the Winchester .444 Marlin. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to about 360 yards. 1.790 Case length. Just $1 per month , Thinking about swapping your slug gun for a rifle this fall? SAAMI limits the MAP to 28,000 psi. Using this web site acknowledges your agreement to the. Medium-bore lever rifles are made by Marlin and Winchester. While I think the .444 Marlin is a sound design, there is such a diversity in the .45-70 Government makes it a logical and abundant choice for the hunter. The old Trapdoor rifles are restricted to a lower pressure level than are the modern, strongly-built lever guns like the Marlin Model 1895 and Winchester Model 1886; though the case may be thin, it can generate impressive numbers in a modern gun. 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. 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. Marlins inletting has been quite good in all examples of the companys rifles weve seen. The buttpad was a ventilated hard rubber pad. 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. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. The ported barrels of these rifles worked wonders to keep the muzzle down, but the rearward kick was still significant. Marlin Model 444P Our recommendation: Marlin ought to know by now how to make a flawless .444 Marlin. We also had problems with the function of the .450 Marlin. The .444 Marlin was available in a svelte Marlin lever-action riflethe Model 444and proved to be a thumper on big game from whitetails to moose and bear, though like the .45-70, the range was limited by the low velocity and bullet profiles. The .45-70 Government is definitely the older of the two, having been released in 1873 in the famous Trapdoor Springfield. .350 Legend Vs .450 Bushmaster: Does One Win Out For Hunting? Get Special Offers Delivered Right to Your Inbox. Is the any advantage. (460 S&W Mag) 397118 45 Cal .452" 250 gr. The choice between these calibers for many will come down to a choice between rifle platforms. Problem solved. His Thumper concept was a semi-auto rifle larger than .44-caliber, capable of taking big game out to 250 yards. But, load that bullet to 2300 fps, stick it in a rifle that can handle the pressure, and things change. of energy. A 44 mag has 11 ftlbs. Back in January we tested this superb rifle along with the similar Marlin Guide Gun, both in .45-70. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Remington Model 700 American Hunter Rifle Project, .450 Nitro Express vs. .470 Nitro Express, .358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum, .25-06 Remington vs. .257 Weatherby Magnum, Head to Head: .308 Winchester vs. 7mm-08 Remington, Head to Head: .500 Jeffery vs. .505 Gibbs, Head to Head: .22-250 Remington vs. .204 Ruger, Head to Head: .303 British vs. 8x57 Mauser, Head to Head: 6.5 Creedmoor vs. .260 Remington, NRA Women | Understanding Sectional Density (SD), 10 Most Versatile Long-Range Hunting Cartridges | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Fiocchi USA Appoints David Blenker As New CEO After Anthony Acitellis Retirement | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, U.S. Air Force Pistol Team: My Start, And A Daring Trip | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, How to Properly Clean and Store Your Rifle After Hunting Season, X-Vision Optics Launches Thermal Impact Scope, First Look: Blocker Outdoors Finisher Accessories, 10 Most Versatile Long-Range Hunting Cartridges, X-Vision Optics Launches Thermal Impact Scope | An Official Journal Of The NRA, New For 2023: Smith & Wesson M&P FPC | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Launching 2023: KelTec R50 Rifle | NRA Family, New For 2023: Glock 47 MOS | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Savage Arms 110 PCS | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Davidson's Winchester Model 1895 Texas Ranger's Edition | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Product Preview: Holosun SCS-MOS Green | An Official Journal Of The NRA, 3 Self Defense Myths That Just Won't Go Away | NRA Family, How to Properly Clean and Store Your Rifle After Hunting Season | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Shotgunning 101: The Perfect Gun Mount | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Glass Bedding A Rifle Stock | An Official Journal Of The NRA, New 4473 Released By BATFE | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Member's Hunt: Road Trip | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Springfield Launches New Online Shopping Experience | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Preview: Sarco, Inc. 2nd Amendment Pint Glass | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Behind the Bullet: .17 HMR | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Riton Optics Celebrates 10th Anniversary | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Top 4 Ways to Carry a Binocular | NRA Family, Preview: Mission First Tactical 24-oz. Absolutely, it depends on what rifle you usemore exactly its weightas to how many foot-pounds of energy will jolt into your shoulder. Based on that flaw, wed have to say Dont Buy it. All the calibers you mention are good hunting calibers. So youll have to buy your ammunition from the one-and-only maker, Hornady. (Well cover the .35 Remington or .356 Winchester another day.) The higher velocity and energy of the .450 Marlin allows it to shoot a bit flatter than the .450 Bushmaster. Whether you are reloading for handgun, rifle, shotshell or muzzleloading we have what you need. Published Jun 15, 2021 9:00 AM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Commercial cartridges are available for both rounds. While it does not have the power of the .450 Marlin, the .444 Marlin is very similar ballistically to the .45-70, . Like the .44-40 WCF and .45 Colt, the .45-70 Government has been with us since 1873, and shows no sign of fading anytime soon; its roots in the American shooting industry run deep, and Id bet the affection for the design will extend another century. Therefore, some might be stuck with the full Bushmaster tab. We reserve the right to correct pricing errors. 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. 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. As a participant in the Amazon Associates program and other affiliate services, I may earn a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on a link. Ohio and southern Michigan are just two examples of areas where the shotgun slug has been replaced by straight-walled cartridges like the .45-70 Government, .444 Marlin and, more recently, the .450 Bushmaster. We believe the development time used up by Marlin on that rifle could have been spent promoting the grand versatility of the .45-70 Guide Gun, letting folks know that it can handle good stout loads like those from Buffalo Bore, and making the Guide Gun exactly the way it should be, with an aperture rear sight right from the factory, softer recoil pad, and the slickest possible action. Sounds impressive. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Straight-wall rifles, being rifles, typically do not. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to just past 235 yards. The trigger pull on the 444P was 4.3 pounds with prominent creep but very little overtravel. The Hornady Flextip bullet has a BC of .225 and a muzzle velocity of 2325 fps. IC B2. of muzzle energy, and that combo will handle any North American game animal. Fastest cartridge of these options. Offers more power than any commercial lever gun cartridge except the .450 Marlin. 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. They were solidly made of steel and walnut, and looked like they would hold together for a long time. The .45-70 was a very popular hunting cartridge, even before this straight-walled phenomenon started, but its held back by all of those old guns out there. The rifle was fitted with a Pachmayr Decelerator stock but had no ports. While .308 can reach out accurately to 1,200 yards (if you're pretty good), 450 . Deer, hog. Shotgun slugs require a series of small miracles to happen for them to perform well. The Winchester, thought, had a superb ghost-ring aperture sight by Ashley, which we though would give it an advantage. 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. .450 Bushmaster Buffalo Cartridge Co. . This was largely because of the slim forend wood. But does it deserve the attention? Often overlooked, much to the detriment of the hunter, is how much kick theyll endure from a particular rifle-cartridge combination. Disclaimer: Sportsman's Warehouse assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions of the information on this page. It had a plain but serviceable checkered walnut stock with trestle-style buttpad made of black rubberized iron. Why dont manufacturers get the word here? The .45-70 Government has quite the bullet range in comparison to the .444 Marlin; bullets will run from 250-grains all the way up to the behemoth 600-grain slugs, with a slew of choices in between. 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. On average, factory loaded ammo for the beast rings up north of $1 per trigger pull, which in a word is spendy. I have a very accurate marlin with the 1/20 twist. To totally avoid any problems with hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition, Wild West Guns announced a new cartridge, the .457 Magnum. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. For some reason, the .450 wasnt as smooth as the .444 we shot. The models chambered for the .35 Whelen, .444 Marlin, .45-70, and .450 Bushmaster come with a muzzle brake to help dampen recoil. With a 150-yard zero, the Hornady ammo is 1.54 inches high at 100 yards, 4.68 inches low at 200 yards and 8.49 inches low at 250 yards. Many of the loads out there are designed to be safe in the trapdoor Springfields that are still around. Pick the. The .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster are very similar cartridges: both are big bore cartridges intended for big game hunting at close quarters, and lose steam after about 150-200 yards. 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. 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. At 100 yards, that advantage is holding strong with the .450 Marlin showing an additional 701 ft-lbs of energy. 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 Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. bullets weighing 250 gr. 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. The .450 Marlin has ballistics almost identical to magnum .45-70 Government ammunition and the cartridge fires the same weight bullet approximately 600fps faster than lower pressure .45-70 ammo intended for use in the Trapdoor Springfield. With the Buffalo Bore 335-grain load, the Winchester made two groups, each about 4 inches apart. The .444 Marlin has a smaller frontal diameter, and bullets of equal weight will possess a higher Sectional Density than those .458-inch diameter bullets, and should offer better penetration. Accuracy can be elusive, and you may need to try a few different types of ammo until you find one that works best in your rifle. 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? 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. Its therefore important to keep in mind that we are comparing a 325 grain .450 Marlin against a 250 grain .450 Bushmaster--which are the commonly used bullet weights for each caliber. The case should come out every time, no matter how the lever is operated. With a 150-yard zero, the Hornady load is 2.26 inches high at 100 yards, 5.73 inches low at 200 yards, and 15.71 inches low at 250 yards. The walnut was very decent wood, nicer than that on the .450. These are lightweight rifles that are easy to handle and very fast to get a shot off, which can make them ideal for treks across the backcountry. 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. 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). All of these walnut-stocked rifles had iron sights only, which is how we tested them. Perhaps the most notable in recent years has been the .350 Legend. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use. Will drop a 300+lb. For reference, a 3" 20 gauge load rattles your cage at 30 ftlbs. 350 Legend's 8.52 ft lbs recoil energy is less than the 30-30's 9.64 ft lbs and the 243 Win's 10.38 ft lbs. Non-1911 .45 ACPs: Heresy, Or Are They Here To Stay? While the 450 Marlin is definetly a more powerful cartridge the 444 certainly aint no slouch. Winchester put decent walnut on this all-steel rifle, and did a great job of finishing and checkering the wood. Deer, hog, black bear size game. Sign up for Field & Streams newsletter to receive the latest and greatest gear reviews and expert hunting and fishing advice. Right now, hunters can find the .350 Legend chambered in semi-auto AR-type rifles and bolt guns. 450/460 same boolit dia, the 458 socom is bigger (45-70 sized boolits). And when it comes to straight-wall Midwestern deer options that would be the .450 Bushmaster. The 350 Legend is also designed to work in AR-15 style rifles. 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. Online pricing may vary from in-store pricing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. Windage adjustments, though not needed, were done by drifting. Like firearms themselves, there's a wide variety of opinions on what's the best gun. Mag..375 Ruger vs. .375 H&H Magnum7mm-08 Remington vs. .280 Remington .280 Remington vs. .280 Ackley Improved 7mm vs. .30 Caliber6.5 Weatherby RPM vs. 6.5 PRC.338 Win. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. The .444 Marlin is essentially a deer rifle that can be used on black bear. I have always wanted a bolt action 444 Marlin, but the 450 Bushmaster has ballistics that are almost as good as the 444. Out of the muzzle, the .450 Marlin packs another 886 ft-lbs over the .450 Bushmaster, a significant difference. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? Hornadys 325-grain Flextip ammo has a muzzle velocity of 2050 fps and the bullet has a BC of .230. Today, there is no shortage of them, though the old-timers have mostly died out. Plenty of fanfare and spilled ink has greeted the latest and greatest do-all deer medicine. I have an H&R 444 with the 16tw barrel - loaded some 240gr. Over the last few years, there have been a number of straight-walled cartridges to hit the market. Factory ammo must be safe to use in them, so the .45-70 rarely reaches its full potential. Of all the ammo available, the highest muzzle energy of the Socom is 2380 ft/lbs of energy. First, the 45-70 Government is physically larger than the 450 Bushmaster. Specifically, the 45-70 cartridge has an overall length of 2.55 and a 2.105 long case. Its a great round in a Marlin lever action. Designed and developed by Winchester, the 350 Legend is the first new introduction to the market aimed specifically at straight-walled hunting regulations. The .444 Marlin was available in a svelte Marlin lever-action riflethe Model 444 and proved to be a thumper on big game from whitetails to moose and bear, though like the .45-70, the range was limited by the low velocity and bullet profiles. That is not a problem, the 45-70 is way to much capacity for smokeless powder. Heavier bullets are available; they can run as heavy as 335 grains, though the 265- and 280-grain remain the most popular. Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms LLC developed the .45 Professional cartridge based on that criteria and licensed it to Bushmaster Firearms International for production and distribution. Our shooting was hampered by the trigger and by the huge ghost-ring rear sight. The following ballistics tables show a side by side comparison of the 450 Marlin vs 450 Bushmaster based on bullet weight and performance metrics including velocity, energy, usage and recoil. Save big on firearms, accessories, tactical gear, clothing, and ammunition from now until March 29. The 450 bushmaster in the Ruger is a fine rifle for the money . We learned the recoil pad, though firm, was almost adequate. 1.690 case length, .458 Caliber projectiles Our only complaint, a mild one, is wed like to see a wood finish that fills the pores more completely while still letting the wood figure come through. The front sight was a gold-faced bead on a ramp underneath a protective hood. However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. Re: 450 bushmaster vs 444 marlin. The slim forend had wrap-around checkering. Then Hornady brought out two loads for the cartridge and things changed. 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. After that instance I went to a big bore brush gun and never had such a problem since. About half the time, the fired case didnt clear the rifle. But this problem never happened again. 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. Because of its recoil, a .28 Nosler should generally only be shot out of heavier rifles, coupled with a brake or suppressor. The .450 Bushmaster was designed by the Hornady Manufacturing Company for Bushmaster Firearms International when the latter wanted a .45 caliber cartridge that would work through the short AR-15 action. The .350 Legend takes it easier on each by a fairly wide margin. On the other hand, performance-wise, the dividing line is thin enough so it's difficult to tip fence-sitters one way or another. 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 bullet is 1.66 inches high at 100 yards, 4.37 inches low at 200 yards, and 11.9 inches low at 250 yards. Marlin claims 2,100 fps out of a 350-grain bullet. The Buffalo Bore .45-70 load, same weight bullet, was faster than the .450 Marlin. pistol calibers price price price price stock: per 50: per 100: per 500: per 1000: status: 30 luger brass cases: $28.00: $50.00: $219.00: $408.50: in stock: 30 mauser cases Even better, if you need a hot 45-caliber lever rifle you probably dont need that Trapdoor Springfield, so sell it. The .450 Bushmaster thumper round launches .452-cal. There were no aluminum or plastic parts visible, though close inspection showed the magazine follower to be orange polymer. The stock finish was very durable and hard, even though the pores were not fully filled. 2.100 case length. The .450 Bushmaster cartridge was developed using a modified .284 Winchester case with a rebated rim. Like the .450, the .444 Marlin rifle was very well made. If your pocketbook is tight or you dont appreciate your shoulder getting thumped, then I suppose there is. That gives it an overall length of about 2.25 inches, so the length is close to the 450. As soon as the cartridge's proprietary status was lifted we ordered a reamer and started building barrels. The cartridge has a cavernous case capacity designed to work with black powder of the era, and it used large-diameter bullets to compensate for the low velocity produced by that propellant. 450 Bushmaster can be found on the shelves at most large outfitters but don't expect to . RENE reports 6 different versions of the American Rifle in 450 Bushmaster and now the GSR makes 7. 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? Why wouldnt they be in similar rifles? 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. Both rifles had this exact same setup. Specifically, the hot .45-70 Buffalo Bore (BB) ammunition gave a 405-grain bullet the astounding velocity of 1,900 fps, compared to 1,200 fps with the ordinary loading of that bullet by Remington. We tried a different brand of ammunition and the rifle worked fine for awhile. The original loading used a 250-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps from a. or 260 gr. Recoil was manageable thanks to the soft pad, but the rifle had much greater muzzle flip than the ported Marlins. For .450 Bushmaster and .444 Marlin, you're looking at $41 to $49 per box, and .45-70 Govt. The .444 did have its moment in the sun, and there are still quite a few shooters who quietly enjoy their lever guns each season. Or more other on Scopes & Sights Resource for other rifle. 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. 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. Velocity (200 yards): 1,515 feet per second. That said, I have both in rifles. 1s, new Winchester 1886s, and the like. 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. 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. vs. .340 Wby.