And when it comes to straight-wall Midwestern deer options that would be the .450 Bushmaster. While the .450 Marlin can be used in bolt action rifles, it is most commonly found in lever action rifles. This is pure conjecture, but the outcome is notthe .450 Marlin is pretty much a turkey, as we see it. Big Bore Cartridges Compared! Anybody who has done much range work with them knows that they are plagued with fliers. Top Load: Buffalo Bore Heavy Bullet Weight: 220 grains Muzzle Velocity: 2,200 fps Muzzle Energy: 2,364 ft/lbs Almost forgotten, the .35 Remington is a favorite of hunters who chase black bears with. The new Marlin .450 cartridge is supposed to be a hot choice for all medium-to-big game hunting. Winchester has also chambered their XPR line of bolt-action rifles for the cartridge, and other major gun manufacturers are producing rifles for it as well. Individual Dies & Accessories - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc But if you find a sample that doesnt exhibit the problem and you have zillions of .44 pistol bullets you want to shoot in it, then wed give it a Conditional Buy. Here are four places to start, By In the .450 Bushmaster's corner is Hornady 's 250-grain FTX load, which has a listed muzzle velocity of 2,200 fps, is topped with a flex-tip bullet and has a ballistic coefficient (BC) of .210. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. For you Michigan hunters, there is a new kid in town called a 460 S&W that Is awesome in a rifle. The 450 bushmasters highest muzzle energy is 2743 ft/lbs of energy, 363 ft/lbs more than the Socom. Will it put a deer down faster. If you also shoot a Trapdoor Springfield or any other kind of weak-actioned rifle that takes the .45-70, it makes sense that you should not mix up your ammunition. Use: Defense. We eventually decided there was something seriously wrong with this rifle, and though we liked its feel, looks, and accuracy, we wouldnt buy this one. While the .444 is near the bottom of the popularity list in current straight-walled rifle cartridges, I expect that will change as hunters discover the potential of this cartridge. Recoil was manageable thanks to the soft pad, but the rifle had much greater muzzle flip than the ported Marlins. (45-70 Govt) 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 .444 Marlin is essentially a deer rifle that can be used on black bear. Cartridges like the .450 Bushmaster, .45-70 Govt. Head to Head: .444 Marlin vs. .45-70 Government | An Official Journal The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10" compared to 1.70" on the .450 Bushmaster. That is not a problem, the 45-70 is way to much capacity for smokeless powder. However, we measured Buffalo Bores 350-grain .45-70 load at 2,058 from their Guide Gun (on a cold day, unlike the blazing heat in which we tested the .450 Marlin). SAAMI Accepts 30 Super Carry As New Standardized Cartridge, SHOT 2022: Federal Premium Announces 30 Super Carry Cartridge. You have entered an incorrect email address! Dont knock the .450 marlin. In Stock Only Rossi Wizard 223 Rem Single-Shot Rifle . Each Marlin had a safety block, a device passing crosswise through the rear of the action that prevented the hammer from striking the firing pin. It didnt punch out groups as small as those with the Marlin .444, but it was accurate enough to take hunting. He is a gun owner and avid reloader from Colorado. That BC may not inspire glee with long range rifle shooters, but in the world of straight-walled rifle cartridges, its pretty impressive. Marlin 36 RPP Lever-Action - As Powerful as a .356 Win with Safe At 100 yards bullet velocity slows to 1,835 and retains 1,868 pounds of energy. .444 Marlin - BallisticStudies.com Ballistically, the .450 Bushmaster is close to the .45/70 in terms of velocity . Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55 compared to 2.26 on the Bushmaster. This means Marlins, Ruger No. This was adjusted by means of a stepped elevating slide, a design as old as rifles and still functional today. 2.215 Case length, .451 Caliber projectiles The Best Black Bear Cartridges - Field & Stream While the .450 Marlin sought to improve it with modern ammunition techniques while eliminating the chance that shooters would load high-pressure modern ammunition into vintage rifles and cause catastrophe, the .450 Bushmaster sought to translate the short-distance big game cartridge onto the semi-automatic platform. CVA Inc Scout V2 .444 Marlin Single Shot Rifle with Stainless Barrel and Dead-On Mount $349.99; Brand: CVA Inc; Item Number: CR4913S-NB; Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 500SW Mag Katahdin Carbine Whats going on? However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. The long belt certainly does not add strength, no matter what you might have read elsewhere. It drives a 350-grain bullet at 2,200 fps, about 150 fps faster than Buffalo Bores loads for that bullet weight in the .45-70. Privacy Statement - The 265 Hornady flat point bullet is THE bullet for the .444, The Hornady SuperPerformance ammo is very accurate in my .444 and the bullet performs great. 450 Bushmaster was the first big round to come out for bolt action and AR-style rifles, It opened up possibilities for hunters where shotguns and straight-walled cartridge. Rubber meet road, because if there is anyone point in .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend battle where one wins out, its here. Bryce M. Towsley The performance all the way around was very impressive. In contrast, Marlin had another idea entirely with the companys new .450 Marlin, though we dont know why the company didnt just chamber an existing lever rifle for Wild Wests better cartridge idea. Adjacent to the hood were a total of 14 portholes in the barrel that did wonders to cut muzzle flip. For the .350 Legend, the ammo of choice is Winchester 's 150-grain Deer Season XP, with a listed muzzle velocity of 2,325 fps and a BC of .223. 450 bushmaster vs 444 marlin - 24hourcampfire Velocity (200 yards): 1,515 feet per second. By logging into your account, you agree to our. The Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Cartridge With the Most Potential: .444 Marlin, The Best Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Ammo for AR-15 Style Rifles: .450 Bushmaster, The Best Straight-Wall Deer Hunting Ammo For Long Shots: .45-70 Government. Straight-walled rifle cartridgesat least most of themare a lot more consistent. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10 compared to 1.70 on the .450 Bushmaster. That makes it a good option for recoil-sensitive shooters who must abide by tapered cartridge restrictions. Match Grade Machine did extensive testing with different barrel lengths in some of our most popular cartridges. Newly Accepted Cartridge and Chamber Designs. Then the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle came along in 1972 and changed everything. Gun Tests Recommends Marlin 444P .444 Marlin, $550. A small point perhaps, but the action bottom at the balance point was squared on the Winchester, but nicely rounded on the Marlins, and that made the Marlin easier to carry. 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. Winchester Big Bore 94AE .444 Marlin, $404. About half the time, the fired case didnt clear the rifle. 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. He was intrigued by the idea of the .450 Bushmaster cartridge but prefers hunting with a lever-action versus a bolt action rifle. At 100 yards, that advantage is holding strong with the .450 Marlin showing an additional 701 ft-lbs of energy. Some companies, like Wild West in Alaska, do a bang-up business modifying existing lever rifles into whatever the mind of man can conceive. 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. is more comparable to the .350 Legend, but you're losing power and velocity. The .450 Bushmaster has gained more popularity, especially in regions (such as several Midwestern states) where this caliber is legal while bottlenecked cartridges are not. There are a few single-shot rifles out there as well, but this cartridge needs a modern repeating rifle. With a 2.260-inch Maximum Overall Cartridge Length, it fits well in the AR-15 platform. .444 Marlin vs my .450 - The Firing Line Forums The Wild West aperture rear sight costs $100 for Marlins, or $120 for Winchesters. The Bushmaster got a major boost thanks to revised big game hunting laws in states like Michigan, Ohio and Indiana that allowed the use of straight-wall cartridges. The .444 Marlin, .450 Marlin, and .45/70 are rimmed straight-wall rifle cartridges that are most commonly chambered in lever guns such as the Winchester 1886 and Marlin 1895, though there are single-shot options like the Ruger No. The trajectory of most .450 factory ammo allows you to zero at about 200 yards and hold right on anywhere inside that. The straight-hand stock had a sling swivel stud in the butt, and another on the steel that attached the wood forend. The rifle was fitted with a Pachmayr Decelerator stock but had no ports. Marlin claims 2,100 fps out of a 350-grain bullet. Theres just no need for a new cartridge in this same performance range. The .450 Marlin was designed as a competitor to the .45-70 Government, so its ballistics are highly similar. The last doe I hit at about 35 yards after the bullet hit a thumb size bush left a fist sized hole through the deer, and she STILL ran, but the blood trail was 5' wide to where she dropped after a 30 yard run. To totally avoid any problems with hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition, Wild West Guns announced a new cartridge, the .457 Magnum. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. Like the Marlins, the Winchester had a cross-bolt safety but the owner had locked it out so the rifle would fire every time the hammer fell. This means theres precious little need for the .444 in our book. Its a belted case, not the usual rimmed type one normally finds in lever rifles. The resulting round boasts performance on par with the .45-70 Gov't but in a more compact configuration. Marlin 1895M .450 Marlin, $560. Of course, if you are planning to shoot in very close ranges (within 100 yards), trajectory may be less of a concern that stopping power. Few rifle calibers carry as much tradition as the .444 Marlin, which originally hit the scene as a way to give lever-action rifles more of a punch around the ammunition manufacturers stopped commercially producing .45-70-caliber rifles in the 1960s. New Shooters Guide: What Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? The checkering was very well done, had a pleasing pattern, and it worked very well. Deer, hog. The .444 shoots much flatter than most folks realize. 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. Marlin Model 444P Our recommendation: Marlin ought to know by now how to make a flawless .444 Marlin. It in no way increases the amount you pay and helps us stay in business. I'm going to take a wild stab at it and say the deer wouldn't know the difference, at least within the normal operating range of both. Both forend and wrist checkering had a darker finish than the rest of the wood, and it added to the looks of the rifle. Fastest cartridge of these options. STARLINE BRASS - Rusty Wood Trading Co. View Details at Brownells. Unless one lives in a state that requires a straight wall for hunting, then there is not much use for either unless it is to say you got one. It might be a little too much for whitetails - it would be perfect on elk and moose. The round didnt go off. You have to understand though I live within walking distance of the northern end of the white mountain national forest and the hills around here often get above 4000 feet in elevation. Lets see what we found. 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. For $404, wed give it a Buy rating, being a better deal than the $550 Marlin. The .45-70 uses a straight-walled, rimmed case measuring 2.105 inches, and maintains an overall length of 2.550 inches. The company unveiled the new round at the 2019 SHOT show and currently offers it in Deer Season XP, Power Max Bonded, and many others. They track closely in weight, thus when chambered Legend tend to be more pleasurable to shoot. Still, one wonders: Is there a need for a .444 Guide Gun, the 444P? Born in 1873, .45-70 Govt. 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. 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. Why 450 Bushmaster? | Ruger Forum Just $1 per month , Thinking about swapping your slug gun for a rifle this fall? | .451 Caliber projectiles The .350 Legend is a blue-light special (if you remember that analogy) in comparison. Although we strive to provide the most accurate information as we can the information contained in this page is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. We are the largest provider of all brands of Rifle Ammo because we offer great service and wholesale prices. 45/70 or 450 Bushmaster for ohio big buck | Gun and Game Forum Perhaps with a longer barrel the ammunition might achieve its claimed 2,100 fps. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. These are two very similar calibers, and indeed both the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster are seeking to imitate the classic .45-70 Government for different purposes. Some hunters like lever-action rifles for hunting, but they want more power than the .30-30 delivers, and so the medium-bore lever rifle cartridges were born. That said, the Bushmasterwhile stoutisnt the North American version of the .500 Nitro Express.