As the official military long-arm cartridge from 1873 to 1893when the .30-40 Krag kindled the American love affair with .30-caliber cartridgesthe .45-70 Government was used in both shoulder-fired rifles and the Gatling guns, but like so many military cartridges, it also quickly gained a following among sportsman. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. 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. 444 Marlin VS 450 Bushmaster Which is Better. Shop for ammo available in all calibers for sale online from Guns.com. The rimmed .457 case is longer than the .45-70 but otherwise similar, its extra length keeping it out of chambers where it doesnt belong. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. New Shooters Guide: What Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? A hard rubber buttpad doesnt help the shooter, it hinders him from getting the most out of the rifle. Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. We know that Winchester has brought out a shorter-barrel version of this rifle, complete with ported muzzle, but we dont see a real need for it. Like the .450, the .444 Marlin rifle was very well made. Privacy Statement - One of my favorites, and a big favorite for many Alaskans, is the Marlin 1895 lever gun. 460 S&W vs 444 Marlin vs 450 BM vs 45-70 Govt Match Grade Machine 3.95K subscribers Subscribe 2.5K 209K views 3 years ago Match. Our loaner was fitted with a ghost-ring Ashley aperture sight held to the receiver with two screws. They also have the .50 Alaskan, which drives a 450-grain bullet at a claimed 2,050 fpsif you want still more power. 45-70 Gov vs 450 Trajectory The .444 Marlin has the advantage of using the jacketed and cast bullets for the .44 Magnum, making it a rather flexible design for the handloader. The .450 Marlins belt is longer than that found on most belted magnum cases, which means you cant make .450 Marlin cases out of normal belted magnum cases. 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. Col. Jeff Cooperthe widely acknowledged expert who brought self-defense firearm training to civilians by establishing what would become Gunsite Academywas a big proponent of .44-bore or larger guns for their one-shot-stop potential. 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. A box of .357 Mag. 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. In factory loads for the 45-70 you have to mind what you are buying. The .444 shoots much flatter than most folks realize. We hesitate to recommend this gun because of our rifles probably temporary, but very real, feeding problem that needed to be fixed. | from a 20" barrel for 2,686 ft.-lbs. 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. Year-round, you can find ammo at less than 50 per round, which isnt 5.56 NATO cheap, but is thrifty. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. Rifle type is the major difference between the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? The main aim of 450 bushmaster is big game hunting in the long-range distance, so the traditional scope that performs in the mid-long range is perfect for this cartridge so that we've recommended this Vortex scope. It in no way increases the amount you pay and helps us stay in business. The fluid motion of the action and those huge, rimmed, brass cases make for some formidable medicine for the largest bears, bison and cervids. Even despite this weight difference, the .250 Marlin manages to maintain a small advantage in velocity over the .450 Bushmaster. For a while, nobody was making rifles in .45-70 and the cartridge seemed doomed. 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 second shot told us that something was drastically wrong somewhere. With a 150-yard zero, the Hornady 265-grain Flextip ammo is 1.55 inches high at 100 yards, 4.08 inches low at 200 yards and 11.16 inches low at 250 yards. The .450 Bushmaster was designed to work in an AR-15, but its also available in bolt-action rifles from Ruger, Mossberg, and others. Both shed velocity like mad, the Legend losing 29-percent of its muzzle velocity at the 200-yard mark and the Bushmaster 31 percent1,648 fps and 1,515 fps respectively. Newly Accepted Cartridge and Chamber Designs. 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. Problem solved. These comments also apply directly to the .450 Bushmaster 250 grain FTX load. We also got a Winchester Model 94AE chambered for the .444 Marlin. Wild West was also the originator of the short, handy, powerful lever-rifle concept. Follow along to see exactly how. Marlins inletting has been quite good in all examples of the companys rifles weve seen. 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. Then the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle came along in 1972 and changed everything. Heres a look at 10 of the most flexible long-range hunting cartridges. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. The overall length on the .450 Marlin is also just a bit longer, at 2.55" compared to 2.26" on the Bushmaster. Blocker Outdoors Finisher gloves, headcovers and other accessories are available in Mossy Oak Bottomland and Mossy Oak Obsession NWTF camouflage patterns to match various turkey hunting terrain. The ammunition is madeso faronly by Hornady. Thats alright. 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. This is pure conjecture, but the outcome is notthe .450 Marlin is pretty much a turkey, as we see it. Then Hornady brought out two loads for the cartridge and things changed. Sounds impressive. X-Vision Optics long-range ImpactThermal Scope (TS300) boasts a 640 x 480 thermal sensor that can detect big game well past 3,000 yards. By the way, if you are using ar-15, the scope for ar-15 is the good one you should had. The only way to get near that with a Bushy is to load your own ammo. Mag. However, in a strong rifle like a Ruger No. He was intrigued by the idea of the .450 Bushmaster cartridge but prefers hunting with a lever-action versus a bolt action rifle. Which of these big cartridges makes the better choice for the prospective lever gun buyer? is even more expensive. The U.S. Army adopted the new cartridge, which replaced the .50-70 cartridge it employed in 1866. Brands include Hornady, Lapua, Nosler, Remington, Silver State Armory, Nammo, Prvi Partizan, Winchester and mixed range fired.. The two Marlins had ported 18-inchers. At 300 yards, the .450 Marlin is still in the lead with another 404 ft-lbs of energy over the .450 Bushmaster. Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. On the other hand, the .450 Bushmaster is primarily intended for use on the semi-automatic AR platform, while it can also be chambered in bolt action rifles. Windage adjustments, though not needed, were done by drifting. The wood pores of the 444P were no better filled than on the other rifle. The original rifle featured a 24" 1:38 twist microgoove (12 groove) barrel. While .308 can reach out accurately to 1,200 yards (if you're pretty good), 450 . What kind of gun writer are you? I have worked pretty extensively with this cartridge on the range with three different rifles, and I have talked with a bunch of other gun guys who have been shooting the 350 Legend. Like firearms themselves, there's a wide variety of opinions on what's the best gun. The Wild West version ($100) has steel wings to protect it, and would a better aperture choice. Copyright 2023Sportsman's Warehouse. The inletting was nowhere near as good as on the Marlins. Brands include Frontier, Hornady, Lapua and Prvi Partizan. Marlin Model 444P Our recommendation: Marlin ought to know by now how to make a flawless .444 Marlin. The Winchester had a 20-inch barrel. That BC may not inspire glee with long range rifle shooters, but in the world of straight-walled rifle cartridges, its pretty impressive. The plus side of this cartridge is that recoil is pretty mild, so its a good choice for shooters who need to take recoil into consideration. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to 399 yards. 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. Looking at the ruger American 22 inch bolt. While the .450 Marlin can be used in bolt action rifles, it is most commonly found in lever action rifles. The quality of bluing on the Winchester was excellent, in spite of the slight metal-polishing problems. I am currently building a bolt action .444 Marlin that I am expecting good things from this fall. Then, later in our testing, we again encountered this failure to feed, and not just from the last round in the magazine. I'd also guess that, given similar shoulder fit, you couldn't tell the difference in recoil. Probably. 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. Its an interesting and unique addition and most are mighty fun to shoot. (460 S&W Mag) 397118 45 Cal .452" 250 gr. About half the time, the fired case didnt clear the rifle. The data in both cases are from a 20-inch barrel, which is somewhat common in the field and is the standard test length utilized by most ammunition companies. It retains 1,000 ft-lbs of energy to just past 140 yards. For you Michigan hunters, there is a new kid in town called a 460 S&W that Is awesome in a rifle. The .450 Bushmaster was designed specifically for the AR-15. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. This means theres precious little need for the .444 in our book. Mag..300 RSAUM vs. .300 WSM .500 Jeffrey vs. .505 Gibbs7mm RUM vs. .300 RUM.308 Winchester vs. 7mm-08 Remington6.5 Creedmoor vs. .260 Remington.303 British vs. 8x57 Mauser.30-06 Springfield vs. All Other .30s.17 HMR vs. .17 WSM.450 Nitro Express vs. .470 Nitro Express350 Legend vs. .35 Remington.280 Ackley Improved vs. 7mm Rem. Find cheap, bulk rifle ammo - 22 long rifle, winchester, 6.5 creedmoor, and more. 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. It utilized a standard belted-mag case of 2.0-inch length. This cartridge was held back for years by the lack of good factory loaded ammo. Back in the day the only 444 ammo was Remington with a 240 handgun bullet. Reloading Brass. All provide an increase in accuracythough there are some wonderfully accurate slug guns out therebut the trajectory of those . Many of the loads out there are designed to be safe in the trapdoor Springfields that are still around. Wed like to see Marlin spend its efforts making great rifles perfectly, rather than expending energy on useless new projects like the .450 Marlin. Yes, the .444 Marlin is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding . of energy. That size requires rifle, not pistol, bullets. 450 Marlin vs 45-70. It also told us that the brake did a lot of good, even though it was noisy. 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. To totally avoid any problems with hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition, Wild West Guns announced a new cartridge, the .457 Magnum. It might be a little too much for whitetails - it would be perfect on elk and moose. Here are four places to start, By You can find more information on our site under the Velocity/Info tab labeled Velocity Testing. And the .450 marlin used in its capacity for large game is exceptional. The newer .450 Marlin is also frequently compared with it. The .450 Bushmaster thumper round launches .452-cal. Right now, hunters can find the .350 Legend chambered in semi-auto AR-type rifles and bolt guns. 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. If youre looking to shoot much outside of 200 yards, youre looking at the wrong calibers. Bushmaster and LeGendre approved the change in case length from 1.771-inch to 1.700-inch. The 444 Marlin is a 200 yard rifle. Born in 1873, .45-70 Govt. Will drop a 300+lb. I have used the cartridge with the 275-grain Barnes bullet designed for the .460 S&W to take a truckload of hogs and an Asian water buffalo. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. However, the primer was apparently not struck soundly enough. We can, however, see the beauty of an aperture sight, and desperately wanted one on both of the Marlins, such as the excellent ghost-ring Ashley or the even better fully adjustable version from Wild West with its protective ears. Elsewhere, we noticed an anomaly between the two Marlins. All rights reserved. The new Marlin .450 cartridge is supposed to be a hot choice for all medium-to-big game hunting. The choice between these calibers for many will come down to a choice between rifle platforms. What about the need for an idiot-proof cartridge in the first place? Does a belted case make sense for a lever rifle? For our very first shots with the .444 Marlin, we loaded two rounds. These four are the most popular. These cartridges shoot a bit flatter than slugs and, on average, are more accurate and not anywhere near as squirrely. Bullet Diameter: .452 inches (All .450 Bushmaster) Shell Case Length: 1.7 inches (All .450 Bushmaster) Bullet Size: 250 grains (Bullets range from 245 to 300 grains) Muzzle Velocity: 2,200 feet per second. Winchester, Hornady, Remington, and maybe a few others offer ammo, but the market is evolving so fast its tough to keep up. Archive - 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. Or more plainly speaking, youd dial a scope on a Bushmaster up .2-inch more than on the Legend when sighting in at 100 yards. If your pocketbook is tight or you dont appreciate your shoulder getting thumped, then I suppose there is. In the late 19th century, the .45-70 would have been viewed as an average-diameter cartridge, as the small bores like the .30-06 and 7x57mm Mauser would take some time to gain ground as the all-around military/hunting bore diameters.