Wild West was also the originator of the short, handy, powerful lever-rifle concept. Gun Tests Recommends Marlin 444P .444 Marlin, $550. 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. The 444 Marlin is a 200 yard rifle. Throw a moose in then I would lean to the .450 but realize that these lightweight .450 carbines kick like a .375 H&H. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. At 300 yards, the .450 Marlin is still in the lead with another 404 ft-lbs of energy over the .450 Bushmaster. Precision Reloading: Making The Best Case Possible, Best 7mm Rem. We've got you covered.7x57mm Mauser vs. .280 Remington.300 Win. the 450 marlin, the 444, 38-55, 375 win, 375 super mag, 445 super, & the 357 maximum will all ruin a deer's day at 200 yds. The two Marlins had ported 18-inchers. The .450 Marlin is a relatively new cartridge designed as a challenge to the classic .45-70 Government, but did not offer enough of an improvement for most hunters to justify making the switch. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to about 360 yards. But for overall practicality, straight-wall cartridges are a topic for the good folks around the Great Lakes region. How can a bit of brass added to a cartridge case make up for the exact same amount of steel removed from the chamber that holds it? pistol calibers price price price price stock: per 50: per 100: per 500: per 1000: status: 30 luger brass cases: $28.00: $50.00: $219.00: $408.50: in stock: 30 mauser cases For you Michigan hunters, there is a new kid in town called a 460 S&W that Is awesome in a rifle. Yes, this includes the mighty .444 and .45-70, as well as the .338 ME and its bolt action analog, the venerable .30-06. This means Marlins, Ruger No. The forests around here are always thick brushed with all sorts of not only leafy brush but full of little twig saplings and raspberry bushes and the like. The rear buckhorn blade did a grand job of obscuring everything on both sides of the target, and shooters would be much better served with a flat-top rear sight, or an aperture. But, load that bullet to 2300 fps, stick it in a rifle that can handle the pressure, and things change. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. While it does not have the power of the .450 Marlin, the .444 Marlin is very similar ballistically to the .45-70, . The quality of bluing on the Winchester was excellent, in spite of the slight metal-polishing problems. By and large, .450 Bushmaster rifles are outfitted with medium to heavy contour barrels, a function of its large bore. Powered by UBB.threads PHP Forum Software 7.7.5. It didnt punch out groups as small as those with the Marlin .444, but it was accurate enough to take hunting. The .450 Marlin has quite a bit longer case, at 2.10 compared to 1.70 on the .450 Bushmaster. Heres how they compare to each other. . Summary: Factory ammo is not a great choice for rifle length barrels, hand loading gives better performance. We are constantly adding new inventory and occasionally offer Free Shipping. The U.S. Army adopted the new cartridge, which replaced the .50-70 cartridge it employed in 1866. Comparatively, a 250 grain projectile chambered in .450 Bushmaster has a muzzle velocity of 2,200 feet per second with a muzzle energy of 2,686 feet pounds. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. The Hornady bullets are heavier and have a higher ballistic coefficient. SAAMI limits the MAP to 28,000 psi. Benefits abound with a tamer rifle. 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. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to 399 yards. | 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. It retains 1,000 foot-pounds of energy to just past 280 yards. Wed like to see Marlin spend its efforts making great rifles perfectly, rather than expending energy on useless new projects like the .450 Marlin. The .444 Marlin is on par with the 45 Bushmaster at around 2300 ft/s for a 250 grain bullet, but is easily outdone by the 45 Raptor For either cartridge reloading is the route to go if you're able. 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. For some reason, the .450 wasnt as smooth as the .444 we shot. What about the need for an idiot-proof cartridge in the first place? In Stock Only Rossi Wizard 223 Rem Single-Shot Rifle . 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. As soon as the cartridge's proprietary status was lifted we ordered a reamer and started building barrels. Velocity from the 450 will be slightly lower due to the heavier weight bullets thus more of a rainbow trajectory but will give better stopping power on BIG game and more . Elsewhere, we noticed an anomaly between the two Marlins. .451 Caliber projectiles Back in the day the only 444 ammo was Remington with a 240 handgun bullet. When it comes to .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend, is there a clear winner? They have very similar ballistics, but the .450 Marlin is most frequently found in lever action rifles, while the .450 Bushmaster is intended for semi-automatic rifles on the AR platform. Those ballistic tips expand way to fast for deer size game when backed by high amounts of kinetic energy. 1.690 case length, .458 Caliber projectiles (45-70 Govt) This is where the differences end, as the 45 70 and 450 are more similar than they are different. The .450 Bushmaster was designed to operate in AR-15 platform rifles and is capable of delivering considerably more close-range punch than the 5.56 NATO. Advertising -
The trigger pull on the 444P was 4.3 pounds with prominent creep but very little overtravel. While there are hundreds of rifle cartridges suitable for deer hunting, when we add that straight-walled factor into the equation the list grows much shorter. Perhaps the most notable in recent years has been the .350 Legend. The stock finish was very durable and hard, even though the pores were not fully filled. The performance all the way around was very impressive. As a participant in the Amazon Associates program and other affiliate services, I may earn a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on a link. Setting aside the dubious qualities of the .450 Marlin cartridge, we noted the rifle that shot the rounds was well made. The crux is terminal performance on game. In essence the rimmed .444 Marlin is an elongated .44 Magnum (the case length is 2.225 inches, with an overall length of 2.550 inches), as it uses the same .429-inch diameter bullets as the classic revolver cartridge, albeit at a much higher velocity. Ive used a Remington 1100 with a slug barrel on it before that but had problems getting out to the 100-150 yard mark accurately. 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. Brands include Frontier, Hornady, Lapua and Prvi Partizan. The metal polishing and bluing on both Marlin rifles was superbly done, dead-flat sides with semi-glossy finish, sharp but not offensive corners, matted edges to the all-steel action, all of the metalwork just plain nice. 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. First of all, theres no need for it. Why, you ask, would a company do this? Collectors might want to pick up one and never fire it, plus some ammunition, because we believe this gun will be very short-lived. These comments also apply directly to the .450 Bushmaster 250 grain FTX load. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. from a 20" barrel for 2,686 ft.-lbs. 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. The newer .450 Marlin is also frequently compared with it. Whats going on? The .450 Bushmaster cartridge was developed using a modified .284 Winchester case with a rebated rim. The .444 did have its moment in the sun, and there are still quite a few shooters who quietly enjoy their lever guns each season. High-Dollar .22 LR Pistols: Pardini Is Our Pick As Best Buy. We hesitate to recommend this gun because of our rifles probably temporary, but very real, feeding problem that needed to be fixed. We measured the .450 Marlins velocity at 2,045 fps with the 350-grain Hornady Flat-Point Interlock bullet. We tried a different brand of ammunition and the rifle worked fine for awhile. Bullet drop is an important factor for all calibers, but it can make a big difference for heavy, big bore bullets that are only meant to shoot in shorter ranges. Yes, the Legend does tend to shoot a fraction flatter at distance, but not substantially so. Though we believe the .45-70 version is a much better bet, many riflemen who also own .44-caliber handguns will want to own the .444 Marlin, and its a pretty good rifle. The front sight was a gold-faced bead on a ramp underneath a protective hood. Recoil was manageable thanks to the soft pad, but the rifle had much greater muzzle flip than the ported Marlins. 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. Velocity Tests and more! It had a very long first stage, which wasnt a problem. At 150 yards the 444 drops 2.4 inches, whereas the Bushmaster drops about 2.9 inches. More power to them. We believe the development time used up by Marlin on that rifle could have been spent promoting the grand versatility of the .45-70 Guide Gun, letting folks know that it can handle good stout loads like those from Buffalo Bore, and making the Guide Gun exactly the way it should be, with an aperture rear sight right from the factory, softer recoil pad, and the slickest possible action. The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. A good aperture sight would be lighter, just as fast, and nearly as effective in most conditions as a scope, assuming the shooter has reasonably good eyesight. Its a belted case, not the usual rimmed type one normally finds in lever rifles. We cant see the sense of a scope on a short, relatively light rifle, unless its done Scout-style like the Co-Pilot. Its a great round in a Marlin lever action. Not that it hurts to have a rifle chambered for one in your arsenal if you live big county out West. 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. However, it does make a small improvement over the .45-70 Government that may be appealing to some shooters. 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. The case can also be handloaded to impressive figures in a suitable rifle, and there are some excellent bullets like the Swift A-Frame which will further enhance the performance of this old design, yet the classic cast-lead bullets at low velocities are still fun to shoot. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." It can be measured or computed empirically and has been for this recoil table. That is not a problem, the 45-70 is way to much capacity for smokeless powder. The .30-06 cartridge has a strong but not particularly sharp recoil. The models chambered for the .35 Whelen, .444 Marlin, .45-70, and .450 Bushmaster come with a muzzle brake to help dampen recoil. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making. The wood at the rear of the receiver was much smaller in spots than the steel. The 450 Bushmaster is taking off and new ammo offerings keep popping up. Different states hunting laws are slightly different and are subject to change so we included case lengths for each for you to use as a guide if they are legal for your hunt or not. The two most popular flavors are the .45-70 and .450 Marlin cartridges, both of . This was largely because of the slim forend wood. Eliminate trailing, disputes over the game, keep the deer on your side of the fence. 1.790 Case length. The fluid motion of the action and those huge, rimmed, brass cases make for some formidable medicine for the largest bears, bison and cervids. Still, we liked the lively feel of the 94AE. 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. Its an interesting and unique addition and most are mighty fun to shoot. The .350 Legend is a blue-light special (if you remember that analogy) in comparison. Hornady has included both cartridges in their excellent LeveRevolution line, with the .444 Marlin loaded with a 265-grain FTX bullet at 2325 fps, and the .45-70 Government loaded with a 250-grain FTX at 2025 fps. That BC may not inspire glee with long range rifle shooters, but in the world of straight-walled rifle cartridges, its pretty impressive. The original loading used a 250-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps from a 20-inch barrel. Online pricing may vary from in-store pricing. vs. .340 Wby. Probably. Like firearms themselves, there's a wide variety of opinions on what's the best gun. Depending on the weight of the gun, recoil for the 450 varies between 15 and 20 ftlbs. For reference, a 3" 20 gauge load rattles your cage at 30 ftlbs. Plenty of fanfare and spilled ink has greeted the latest and greatest do-all deer medicine. 450 Bushmaster 500 S&W Magnum 6.5 Creedmoor . boar dead in his tracks erffortlessly. This cartridge has the potential to be the best deer hunting ammo of the lot. Commercial cartridges are available for both rounds. One sure way to cut through some of the tall grass is measure it against an established cartridge thats already proven its worth. And truly, it is a pleasurable cartridge, very much akin to the .30-30, which by almost anyones standard is extremely manageable. The second shot told us that something was drastically wrong somewhere. I don't like the factory 450 loads though. 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. If, instead, the case had been developed around a standard belted brass case, we feel consumers would ultimately be better served by the Marlin 1895M. Contact Us -
Many lever guns have limited accuracy past 150 yards, but the .450 BM is able to perform within MOA all the way to 200 and beyond. Its been the hot ticket in town over the past few years, and new rifle and deer hunting ammo introductions are happening pretty fast. Mag. Also, the steel-to-steel fit wasnt quite as good as Marlins, nor was the metal polishing. Hornadys 325-grain Flextip ammo has a muzzle velocity of 2050 fps and the bullet has a BC of .230. They also have the .50 Alaskan, which drives a 450-grain bullet at a claimed 2,050 fpsif you want still more power. The 450 bushmasters highest muzzle energy is 2743 ft/lbs of energy, 363 ft/lbs more than the Socom. Is the any advantage. Federal Fusion 450 Bushmaster 260gr is a bonded soft point ammo designed specifically for hunting. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. The recoil of the .450 was a bit stiffer than the .444 Marlin with Buffalo Bore ammunition. We didnt like these, having become thoroughly used to the half-cock position on hammer rifles. However, in a strong rifle like a Ruger No. This one didnt work. Over the last few years, there have been a number of straight-walled cartridges to hit the market. However, the .444 owner can reload using many pistol bullets available for the .44 Magnum or .44 Special handguns, and that might be a factor in favor of the .444 over the .45-70 with its 0.458-inch bore size. Mag..243 Winchester vs. 6mm Remington7x57mm Mauser vs. 7mm-08 Remington.25-06 Remington vs. .257 Weatherby Magnum.338 Winchester vs. .375 H&H Magnum.30-30 Winchester vs. .35 Remington.257 Roberts vs. .250-3000 Savage.270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington.35 Whelen vs. 9.3x62mm Mauser.416 Rigby vs. .416 Remington Magnum.308 Winchester vs. .30-06 Springfield.22 Nosler vs. .224 Valkyrie.300 Win. 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. I'd also guess that, given similar shoulder fit, you couldn't tell the difference in recoil. Find cheap, bulk rifle ammo - 22 long rifle, winchester, 6.5 creedmoor, and more. Both are straight walled cartridges, but the 45-70 has a longer overall length, a longer case length, and a larger diameter case than the 450 Bushmaster. We assume a clump of grease or a small burr slowed down the firing pin just enough to prevent firing. Since the topic is hunting, weve selected two respected hunting rounds in common weights for calibers and with similar style bullets to side-by-side the cartridges. Who needs more than 1 shot? The .444 shoots much flatter than most folks realize. This BB ammunition defines todays standard for the .45-70 for those rifles that can handle the pressure. Four REASONS I WAS THINKING OF A 450 BUSHMASTER 20"UPPER 1.WAY LESS FELT RECOIL THAN A 12 GAUGE THANKS TO THE AR15 BUFFER TUBE DESIGN . Then the Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle came along in 1972 and changed everything. If there is an apparent divide in .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend rifles its muzzle devices and barrel contour. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? The Ashley was drift-adjustable using opposing screws, though we could see no easy way to adjust it for elevation. Like the .450, the .444 Marlin rifle was very well made. Utilizing a lighter bullet with a smaller powder charge, it can generally be said it produces less recoil. Now I wont dissuade anyone from getting involved with reloading ammunition. And when it comes to straight-wall Midwestern deer options that would be the .450 Bushmaster. 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. The 444 Marlin (which I love) is headed in the other direction. Dont Buy. The idea used to develop the .450 Bushmaster was credited to Jeff Cooper. Straight-wall rifles, being rifles, typically do not. 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. The 450 Marlin is rated at 43,500 psi compared to 28,000 psi for 45-70 Gov. Just $1 per month , Thinking about swapping your slug gun for a rifle this fall? Rifle type is the major difference between the .450 Marlin and the .450 Bushmaster. But in my opinion, the sheer flexibility of the .45-70 Government in both rifles and ammunition gives it a definitive advantage. Deer, hog, black bear size game. If all you shoot are the Remington 240 grain loads they are pitiful. Formally known as the .45-70-405relating caliber-powder charge-bullet weight specificationsthe cartridge was commercially known as the .45-70 Government, and that 405-grain lead bullet travelled at a muzzle velocity of just about 1400 fps, though a heavier 500-grain bullet was soon employed. A heavier bullet will generally travel more slowly than a lighter bullet. I have two .444's and a .450. But if you get behind the business end of a gun you dread to drop the hammer on, youre sandbagging your potential in the field. among our first successful self-contained metallic rifle cartridges. In fact, with hot Buffalo Bore loads, the performance of the .444 Marlin would be ballistically better than ordinary loads in the .45-70 Guide Gun. The cartridges we tested include the 460 S&W Magnum, 444 Marlin, 450 Bushmaster, and 45-70 Government. We didnt make an effort to eject slowly or quickly, just operated the lever in a normal manner. As far as trajectory, both start to drop excessively at 200 yards, 7.58 inches on a scope zeroed for 100 yards in the .350s case and 8.96 in the .450s. Dont knock the 450 Marlin round. Hot-loaded .45-70 ammunition is currently available from Buffalo Bore in three different bullet weights. The finish was about average, we felt, for a modern rifle in this price category. We wanted to test Marlins iteration of the .450 side by side with one of the companys staple .444s, as well as Winchesters Big Bore Side-Eject lever gun, originally chambered in the now-defunct .375 Winchester, but which is now cataloged in .444 Marlin (and .356 Winchester). Bottles & 12-oz. If the ring had been nearer the eye, the front sight would have been forced into the center of the ring, and we would have gotten better accuracy. Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Privacy Statement -
The .444 Marlin is essentially a deer rifle that can be used on black bear. 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 While my .444 Marlin lever-action rifle shoots just over one MOA with the Hornady ammo, like all lever actions, its not built for precision work. In Ohio, can use 45-70 and 458 win. 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). The .45-70 is far more versatile, and ammo is made by many companies. My late Godfather Oren Mick DeCheck, my maternal great-uncleenjoyed a .444 Marlin as his deer/bear rifle, and my DadOl Grumpy Pantsstill reaches for his Browning 1886 centennial .45-70 Government, so both of these cartridges played a role in my shooting world. 2.100 case length. Therefore, some might be stuck with the full Bushmaster tab. Those unaccustomed to hard-kicking rifles will find either the .444 or the .450 a bit much on the shoulder until they get used to it. You have two cartridges that are headed in opposite directions. This cartridge is useless, and it may have caused a host of ejection problems in our test gun. Why didnt Marlin simply lengthen the .45-70 cartridge as Wild West did? The case should come out every time, no matter how the lever is operated. Well analyze the performance of these calibers across a variety of factors to help you decide which is best for your hunting needs. Check out the ballistics chart below for more information. 460 has more horsepower, as runs at higher pressures than the 450. Marlin Model 444P Our recommendation: Marlin ought to know by now how to make a flawless .444 Marlin. However, some shooters like the extra margin of safety, and its there if desired. Not only does it reduce the possibility of developing a flinch, but it also improves the ability of the average hunter to deliver an accurate follow-up shot. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. Follow along to see exactly how. Their 265-grain Superformance load ramps up the muzzle velocity to 2400 fps with a BC of .189. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use. The original loading used a 250-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps from a. In the past decade, state wildlife management agencies in the region have opened what were once shotgun-only deer grounds to rifles chambered for straight-wall cartridges. Its at the lower weight limit for maximum loads in the .444, and even with a muzzle brake we dont believe a shorter version would be all that good an idea. 1 and Winchester's 1885. . 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. Its therefore important to keep in mind that we are comparing a 325 grain .450 Marlin against a 250 grain .450 Bushmaster--which are the commonly used bullet weights for each caliber. At reasonable straight-wall cartridge hunting distances, for both velocity and trajectory, there is no real out-and-out winner between .450 Bushmaster vs .350 Legend. Perhaps with a longer barrel the ammunition might achieve its claimed 2,100 fps. 450 Bushmaster 044176 Cartridge. The resulting round boasts performance on par with the .45-70 Gov't but in a more compact configuration. Many of the loads out there are designed to be safe in the trapdoor Springfields that are still around. The 44 Magnum and 45 Colt are 125 yard rifles.
Please know that we only recommend products we trust and have used ourselves. Heavier bullets are available; they can run as heavy as 335 grains, though the 265- and 280-grain remain the most popular. The 450 bushmaster in the Ruger is a fine rifle for the money . Our velocity charts are labeled with bullet weights and barrel lengths with velocities gathered. One would think that would have to play in to your decision making.