{"id":4411,"date":"2019-08-21T15:23:07","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T15:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/lodge\/?p=4411"},"modified":"2025-10-06T17:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T17:23:07","slug":"450-bushmaster-caliber-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/lodge\/450-bushmaster-caliber-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"450 Bushmaster – A Rifle Caliber Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"

The shooting community flocks to calibers for a bunch of different of reasons. It’s not uncommon that law enforcement drives the creation of a cartridge, which was the case for the .40 S&W.<\/p>\n

Sometimes private gun owners want something new, which was the motivation for products like the .17 HMR. In other cases, laws drive the creation, or commercial success, of a cartridge, which was the case for the .450 Bushmaster.<\/p>\n

The .450 Bushmaster is a straight-walled cartridge that is effective for hunting numerous game animals, including deer, elk, hog, and even some bears. But most importantly, the caliber is legal in states that do not permit traditional bottleneck cartridges.<\/p>\n

Why is Straight-Wall Legal When Bottlenecks are Not?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"straight
A 450 Bushmaster cartridge (left) compared to a bottlenecked 30-06 cartridge (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To understand the .450 Bushmaster, you need to first understand the difference between straight-walled cartridges and bottlenecked cartridges.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, straight-walled cartridges, like the .450 Bushmaster and 350 Legend<\/a>, have sides that remain the same diameter from front to back. If you look at the cartridge from the side, you will see a straight line from the rim to the end of the case; it will only start to narrow at the bullet. A bottlenecked cartridge, however, will taper down; its case diameter is larger than the bullet itself. (The most noticeable aspect of a bottlenecked cartridge is the \u201cshoulder.\u201d)<\/p>\n

So, What’s a Bottleneck?<\/h4>\n

Essentially, a bottleneck cartridge will have more propellant behind the bullet, so it can fire at greater velocities, which translates into greater effective distances. However, this also increases the chances of over-shooting; if a hunter misses the mark, the bullet could travel downrange and potentially cause damage, injury, or even death. For this reason, bottlenecked cartridges are illegal for hunting in many states. Hunting areas are often dotted with farm houses, livestock and other structures, especially in the Midwest. As opposed to western states, which are generally more open and unoccupied, many Midwest states have made hunting with bottleneck cartridges like the .30-06 Springfield illegal.<\/p>\n

A straight-wall cartridge, however, has less propellant behind a similar bullet, so the velocity, and the chance for over-shooting, is lower. For this reason, you can hunt with straight-wall cartridges in many Midwestern states but not with bottlenecked calibers.<\/p>\n

This legislation may not be responsible for the creation<\/em> of the .450 Bushmaster, but it has certainly added to the cartridge\u2019s commercial success.<\/p>\n

History of the Caliber<\/h3>\n

\"450<\/p>\n

The .450 Bushmaster is part of the legacy of Jeff Cooper, a World War II and Korean War veteran with the Marine Corp who became a ballistics expert and firearms instructor. He founded the American Pistol Institute and created numerous principles of carrying, handling, and shooting a handgun. Among Cooper\u2019s numerous contributions was the idea of a \u201cthumper\u201d round. Shooters use thumper rounds in semi-automatic rifles to deliver more power (although not necessarily speed) for large game animals.<\/p>\n

Cooper never got beyond the concept, but the idea was picked up by different cartridge makers who, after various adjustments to the case length, finally released the round.\u00a0Currently, only two manufacturers are producing 450 Bushmaster ammunition<\/a>: Federal and Hornady.<\/p>\n

Although using the cartridge for hunting had been off limits for years in many areas, recent changes to state legislation have made it a legal option for harvesting whitetail deer, which has significantly increased the cartridge\u2019s use.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"product\"\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n $42.95 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n \"logo\"\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n 20rds - .450 Bushmaster Hornady 250gr. FTX Ammo <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"product\"\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n $409.95 <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n \"logo\"\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n 200rds - .450 Bushmaster Hornady 250gr FTX Ammo <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n