450 Bushmaster Heavy Cast Boolits Subsonic from a Bolt Action

[mattri]

Putting together a 450 Bushmaster on a Savage action with a 1:16 18" barrel.

Target/pest control under 100 yards, possibly deer at appropriate ranges.

Looking to shoot 300+ cast boolits with a Keith style or wider meplat.

Running subsonic so probably not going to need a gas check, correct?

Planning to use COWW etc, any reason not to?

Mold suggestions?

[samari46]

Not to be funny,but get the gas check mold. Temptation to crank it up is too great just too see what you can do. Not much if any price difference if any between the two. Kinda like my Ruger #1 in 45/70. Usual 300 grain j-words at 1800 fps ok and could shoot just about all day. 2000 fps and the little rifle starts bucking bad. Anything over that downright painful. Have fun,Frank

[cwlongshot]

I found the case simply “unfriendly” to bullets over 350 ish. With 400+ bulging the sides of then case quite a bit.
For me made no sense to make the 450 into a 45/70 when I have a couple Of those in the safe.

But the gun shoots my 300 & 330 Gould bullets well @ 1850/1600fps.

CW

[RU shooter]

Interested in this thread also , was playing with the idea in my mind of making it into a 45 whisper ish kinda cartridge in a bolt action or single shot shooting heavier than normal bullets(400 +grs) subsonic or at 45/70 trapdoor level speeds

[kbstenberg]

Been there done that. Mattri i have a duplicate to the rifle you are making. Its a little on the heavy side, but i strictly hunt from a blind so for me its no problem.
I shoot strictly PB PC bullets. Usually 50% COWW/ 50% SOWW down to 25 to 1 alloy.
I am very recoil shy and i can't shoot bullets over 400gr above 1200 fps
Last fall i filled my deer tag using a 310 gr bullet at 1400 fps. That was well within my recoil tolerance. This winter i have found the 454424 which casts a 255ish gr bullet that has a large meplat that i am thinking will really whack the deep at higher velocities.
You probably haven"t thought about it yet, I didn't. I had a dickens of a time trying to think how i could get the magazine to feed a second round. I went to the 450 bushmaster web site and they sent a link to a you-tube video. An the guy showed exactly how he modified a standard magazine and he even gave the dimensions he adjusted the mag. to. If i can find the paper i wrote the # on i will post it .
As a side note. I found a giggle factor load. it is so slow i as the shooter can watch the bullet as it flies. It sounds exactly like one of those toy cork shooting guns. It sounds more like a pop when it fired.

[lar45]

I have done just a tiny bit with some 405s sized to .452" in the 450 Ruger AR.
This was 11gns of Unique.
http://www.lsstuff.com/pics/450bushmaster/405-01.jpg

[mattri]

Interesting replies thanks.

[mattri]

260080

Well it's up and running:)

[lar45]

Excellent! How does it shoot?

[SwissShooter]

I have done just a tiny bit with some 405s sized to .452" in the 450 Ruger AR.
This was 11gns of Unique.
http://www.lsstuff.com/pics/450bushmaster/405-01.jpg

I had the same results you have with light loads in the Ruger AR BUT cannot get decent groups with loads that will function the rifle. Same rifle will cloverleaf Jwords @100 !

[GARD72977]

I see the slight bulge in the case. Just wondering if you were using the Lyman M die for expanding the case.

[lar45]

I use the Lee case mouth expander die, so I don't reduce the tension on the bullets.