450 Bushmaster in the AR15 Platform.

[Dee]

I have done a little reading on this cartridge. Has anyone got one, and hunted with one? According to ballistics this looks like a good idea if affordable ammo can be had.

[Lloyd Smale]

buddy has one and i can attest to the fact that its very accurate. It will outshoot his and my 50 beowulfs. Not quite as powerful but powerful enough to hunt about anything and recoil is mild. Only problem with them is the same as with the beowulf. Try to find brass. If your truely serious id recomend you round up your brass first to insure you have some.

[Oldshooter]

Seems thats the problem with all the thumper uppers. ammunition and brass. I'd like one but cant decide which way to go. I have Rem R25 in 308 but man its heavy. Its like carrying a varmit special heavy barrel in the field. Shoots well though.

[Dee]

Oldshooter I had a Remington Sendero in 2506 that I had tuned up and was super accurate but, I got too old to lug the dang thing around. Even my Model 92 Deluxe 357 mag with it's 24" octagon barrel is gettin heavy. I think my golden years has turned to lead.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup i toted around a 16 inch ar10 last deer season and the weight got old fast. I recently picked up a bushmaster in 762x39 and put a trijicon accupoint 1x4 on it. It is a heck of alot lighter and handier and will probably become my main hunting ar. Eve the beowulf with its heavy coutured barrel is quite a bit heavier. Personaly i think the 762x39 and the 6.8 are about ideal for hunting with the ars. I went with the 762x39 because ammo and brass are easy to find and i have the option of shooting wolf so i can take it to camp with a 1000 rounds of ammo and cut loose and not even have to pick up brass. My 762x39 isnt as accurate as my ar10 but will still easily do inch and a quarter at a 100 yards with good loads and 2 inch with wolf.

[Dee]

I've kicked around the 6.8 upper also, and truthfully, my old Winchester 3030 is lighter than my M4. Decisions, decisions.

[Oldshooter]

Weight is why I recently bought  a Remy 798 Mauser bolt action 308, Seems "old style" is good since I am old!   

I do like the AR platform though. Might look into a 6.8 or  762x39 to experiment with! So many guns so little time!

[Lloyd Smale]

I kind of chuckle about that dee. To me the 762x39 and even the 6.8 are about a modern day 3030 win. fast handling compact deer guns that are about a 200 yard proposition. Guys brag that they are some kind of death ray but in all reality we just went in a big circle back to what works. Fans of wiz ban short mags will buy a 6.8 and think they really have something and stick there noses up in the air at an old winchester that will about do anything the 6.8 will in the hunting field with the right load. The old lever guns were the first real high capasity assult rifle. Lever guns kind of share the same soft spot with me that the ars do and if shtf and i couldnt grab an ar a lever gun would be my first choise. A little 94 in 44 mag will hold 9 to 10 rounds and put down some serious fire power at least until it runs dry as will a 3030. In the case of the beo and the 450 and 458 whats the first thing you here? 4570 power in an ar! Huh thats quite good praise for a round thats been around longer then anyone here.

[Dee]

Well Lloyd you know how I am about my ole 3030. I have read some more on the 450, and really have decided what you just wrote down. What's the point? I'm on my 53rd year with the same rifle, and today I hit a quart juice bottle (plastic) full of water at 250 yards with a 53 year old Winchester 3030. I admit the first shot I was a little off, but the second shot was an inch above dead center. My crutch was a sitting position and a shooting stick. I think I'll keep what I got. And for you youngsters that don't know me, I shoot a tang sight, no scope.

[243dave]

Nice shoot'n Dee.  I didn't know a 30-30 would reach past 150yds and a ole-timer could see past 200 yards.

[Dee]

Well see 243dave. You learned something. The info is not of much value, but you still leaned something.

[243dave]

Sorry Dee, there is one in every bunch.  With this bunch around here there happens to be several, I just beat em to the punch.  I have looked at a 450 at the local Gander Mountain for probably 6 months, but for $1300 and not having a job puts it waaaay out of reach. Plus I have a 94 trapper chambered in 45 colt that I load stout with 300gr bullets.  I don't have a chrony but 1600fps is obtainable with the amount of H-110 I stuff in the case, it can penetrate the length of a whitetail.  I'm not sure a 450 will give me a noticable increase in power over my 45 colt lever is another reason I'm not sure I'd buy one.  Heres a third reason for second thoughts, the 454 in a 92 copy can be had for less than half the price and has nearly the same power.  Don't get me wrong I'd love to have a 450, if I had the money one would probably be in the safe.  Sometimes wants is stronger than the needs.  Two center-fires is all thats needed for the hunting I do, but I got a few more than that.  By the way if brass is a problem with the 450, 284 win brass can be used, I'm not sure how much work it would be, but its a option.   Dave     

[Dee]

Want does sometimes overpower need, but in this case I think after looking, I'm gonna pass on the 450.

[Dee]

I posted this picture in the Winchester thread, but I shot it today. It was a canned soda layin on it's side on forked sticks about 2 feet off the ground to prevent skippin the shot in. The target was the bottom of the can, and the distance was a measured 110 yards. I made the shot out my Jeep window using the window sill as a rest, and it was a first shot hit.
It was my 53 year old Winchester Model 94 3030 and my hand load, using a tang sight. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see that it was almost dead center of the bottom of the can. I think I would be wastin my money on the 450 like I said before.

[bubbadad]

Dee. It must be nice to see the bottom of that can at 110 yards with out a scope.i can shoot 50 yards with iron sights on my pistols, but would have a hard time trying to duplicate the shot with a rifle with iron sights.yes i'm old er than dirt my kids tell me.

[Dee]

I can see the can at 200 yds, but it's little bitty. It's up close I can't see. I may try that same shot on the can at 200 or 250 in the next few days. I was an inch off yesterday at 250yds on a quart water bottle with a 1 1/2" bullseye in the middle of the bottle. I had to use the white screw on cap at that range as a reference to see. The bottle was clear plastic and didn't show up as well as I had hoped.

[Default_Required]

Dee ,

  Somethings in this life you just get to know too well . Good shooting. I have thought on the big bore ARs a few times myself. Still dont own one !

  I guess the appeal is that kinda power in the AR platform that can jump back and forth from "varmint" power to "deer" power to "give a grizzly one hell of a hard time" power, And on that the ARs win hands down. But you boys make some good points as to where they fall into their ( 7.62, 6.8, 450/458 ) respective power ranges. Though you know I guess I could sell my heavy barreled bolt action 223 and my marlin 444 the paratrooper model SKS and the AK and just buy one AR with three uppers . Hell that would sure free up room in the safe But then again what is the fun in that different strokes for them different folks.

 Also , The brass availability on some of those is like looking for the winning lottery ticket. To me that is a serious down side.

[Merle]

Oldshooter I had a Remington Sendero in 2506 that I had tuned up and was super accurate but, I got too old to lug the dang thing around. Even my Model 92 Deluxe 357 mag with it's 24" octagon barrel is gettin heavy. I think my golden years has turned to lead.

Yeah, that's why my old Ruger Ultra-light in 250 Savage is now my first choice for a walking around rifle.
I really miss the good old days, when I had a LOT more energy!

 

[Dee]

Well I went out a while this mornin and I tried to hit the bottom of a 12 oz soft drink can at 250 yards with my Winchester Model 94 3030. Hit is on the 5 shot. It was more about seein something that small than hittin it. I don't think I need another rifle. I just need to practice with the one I got.