I recently added a ruger American 450 bm to my collection , for hunting . I have all dies etc for reloading , I loaded some barnes 275 tsx in new brass with 38 grains of h110 and cci 450 mag primers . Sighted in dead on at 50 two touching shot at 100 same dead on two touching sandbagging was surprised . Does anyone have any idea what it would drop at 150-200 yards with that setup ? Has anyone ran hotter with that bullet and h110 ?
450 bushmaster info
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Varminterror
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Given: Ruger American Ranch with 16” barrel, 38grn H110 (over Hodgdon’s max) under the 275grn Barnes.
Ballpark wild ass guess from experience with punkin’ chunkers: scaling the Hodgdon data for a 24” barrel, I would guess you’re 1750-1800fps, which should yield something around 5, 10, and 15” of drop for 150, 175, and 200yrds, respectively, within a couple inches.
Best bet for you - the right way to do things - would be to chronograph your load, punch numbers in a ballistic app, and shoot it at range to confirm your actual trajectory before going afield to potentially injure game with a round having only 4 shots of lifespan behind it. At a minimum, failing access to a chronograph, get out to the range and use the numbers I provided as a starting point to walk yourself into a correct dataset for your load.
Ballpark wild ass guess from experience with punkin’ chunkers: scaling the Hodgdon data for a 24” barrel, I would guess you’re 1750-1800fps, which should yield something around 5, 10, and 15” of drop for 150, 175, and 200yrds, respectively, within a couple inches.
Best bet for you - the right way to do things - would be to chronograph your load, punch numbers in a ballistic app, and shoot it at range to confirm your actual trajectory before going afield to potentially injure game with a round having only 4 shots of lifespan behind it. At a minimum, failing access to a chronograph, get out to the range and use the numbers I provided as a starting point to walk yourself into a correct dataset for your load.
Dead on at 50 2 touching same at 100 2 touching. I have been reloading for 20 years from shotgun , pistol , and rifle with excellent results. I have shot this load about 20 times different targets set up everything is consistent. I didn’t just shoot 4 times to achieve . I’ve hunted for over 40 years and have always had mind set if I can’t hit my target to accomplish HUMANE KILL I WILL STAY HOME !! Anyone else load 450
berettaprofessor
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I've been loading a Hornady 250FTX with 37.0 grains of IMR4227 at OAL of 2.225. That load chronies 1962.5 fps and according to the Hornady Ballistics Calculator, zeroed at 50 yards, it is 0.6 inches low at 25 yards, 0.22 inches high at 100 yards, 0.92 inches low at 150 yards, 3.5" low at 200 yards, and 7.6" low at 250 yards. That's in a 15" barrel with 1:24 twist.
mcb
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I have been playing a bit with 450 Bushmaster.
I have loaded everything from 200gr to 405gr bullets in my 450 BM. Its been a fun cartridge to play with.
Like the OP I am using the Barnes 275gr TSX for deer hunting this year.
I have loaded everything from 200gr to 405gr bullets in my 450 BM. Its been a fun cartridge to play with.
Like the OP I am using the Barnes 275gr TSX for deer hunting this year.
Varminterror
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I didn’t specify - the 5, 10, 15” I shared above is from a 100 yard zero.
ETA: that’s coming from experience loading 450 Bushmaster, 458 Socom, 45-70, 450 Marlin, 45-110, 454 Casull, 44mag, 445 super mag, 444 marlin, throwing similar BC bullets at similar speeds.
Not knowing your velocity (which seems like a 20+ year reloader would have), but knowing the 450 loses about 30fps per inch, and reading the Hodgdon data for your bullet and load - 37.6grn @ 2036fps from a 24” barrel, less 8 x 30 = 240fps reduced velocity from a 16” Ruger American, I’d expect about 1800fps.... so putting a .215G1 and 1800fps into the Hornady calculator:
150yrds = 4.62”
175yrds = 8.72”
200yrds = 14.13”
Add another 100fps, leave station at 1900, 150 becomes 4.03” and 200 becomes 12.47”. Still close enough my estimate would have had you on target. Lose 100fps instead and launch at 1700, you’d be 5.29”, 9.95”, 16.05” at 150, 175, and 200... see a pattern here?
So spitballing 5, 10, and 15, after 30yrs myself of shooting punkin’ chunkers, sure would have had you close enough for you to reach out and be respectably close on target at 150, 175, and 200 yards. Really isn’t that complicated.
ETA: that’s coming from experience loading 450 Bushmaster, 458 Socom, 45-70, 450 Marlin, 45-110, 454 Casull, 44mag, 445 super mag, 444 marlin, throwing similar BC bullets at similar speeds.
Not knowing your velocity (which seems like a 20+ year reloader would have), but knowing the 450 loses about 30fps per inch, and reading the Hodgdon data for your bullet and load - 37.6grn @ 2036fps from a 24” barrel, less 8 x 30 = 240fps reduced velocity from a 16” Ruger American, I’d expect about 1800fps.... so putting a .215G1 and 1800fps into the Hornady calculator:
150yrds = 4.62”
175yrds = 8.72”
200yrds = 14.13”
Add another 100fps, leave station at 1900, 150 becomes 4.03” and 200 becomes 12.47”. Still close enough my estimate would have had you on target. Lose 100fps instead and launch at 1700, you’d be 5.29”, 9.95”, 16.05” at 150, 175, and 200... see a pattern here?
So spitballing 5, 10, and 15, after 30yrs myself of shooting punkin’ chunkers, sure would have had you close enough for you to reach out and be respectably close on target at 150, 175, and 200 yards. Really isn’t that complicated.
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mcb
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So I am only launching that Barnes 275 gr TSX at ~1843fps from my gun. I am using a near minimal charge of H110 having worked the load up fairly conservatively using Quickloads about a year before Hodgdon published their online data. Bases on my last group fired (shown above) I was zero'ed .44 inches high at 100 yards. This gives me down 3.3-in at 150 yards, 6.8-in at 175 yards and 11.4-in down at 200 yards. Using Strelok pro I have printed a reticle chart for my scope cover corresponding to the BDC reticle in my Vortex scope and I have holds for 39/110 on the main cross hairs and 140, 187, 226 for the three hash marks and 266 at the duplex transition. I have rang gongs at 250 yards with it so the chart seems minute of 8-inch gong accurate. Given where I hunt I will be lucky to get a shot over about 120 yards.
beeenbag
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His data may not correlate with your specific scenario. The only way to know what your drop will be is to find out the exact velocity that YOUR rifle is shooting with YOUR load. Otherwise, anyone who offers their personal trajectory data, will all be nothing more than respectfully close. When shooting rounds such as the 450 bushmaster, a little velocity change can impact trajectory quite a bit.
Varminterror
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We’re not talking about 1,000 yard shooting here. At 200 yards, there really isn’t so much difference - as I shared above, 1700fps vs. 1900fps only meant 3.5” at 200 yards, and only an inch and a quarter at 150. Plenty close enough to be on paper to walk it in and capture proper DOPE.
beeenbag
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I don't disagree with you at all. However look at the quote I was responding to, the OP stated he wasn't looking for "respectfully close", in which case, there's only one way to know exact, and that isn't by asking what other people have determined.
Varminterror
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WestKentucky
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On at 50 and 100 means you are probably peaking at about 80 yards, and that’s probably an 3/4” or so high. On at 100, probably 3 low at 125, 6 low at 150, 12 low at 175. I have been planning a .450bm and I have most of the parts, but I’m second guessing now because frankly the ballistics suck for where I will be hunting. If your hunting woods then it’s wonderful, if your hunting fields then you need something else which is my case.
My suggestion is to take a large cardboard box (refrigerator, washing machine, etc) and put a single target near the top. Shoot it at 125, 150, 175, 200. Single shots at each distance. Walk down and move the target each time and don’t rush. This will let the bore cool off and be the most consistent for hunting shots. Plot your results on graph paper and study it carefully. If your not comfortable with shots past X then you have your limit. On a thumper, I cannot recommend highly enough to have a laser range finder. Calibrated eyeballs are nice, but when a distance estimation error of 25 yards moves impact 3 inches then your at high risk of making a bad shot. In hunting terrain it’s very easy to misjudge range.
My suggestion is to take a large cardboard box (refrigerator, washing machine, etc) and put a single target near the top. Shoot it at 125, 150, 175, 200. Single shots at each distance. Walk down and move the target each time and don’t rush. This will let the bore cool off and be the most consistent for hunting shots. Plot your results on graph paper and study it carefully. If your not comfortable with shots past X then you have your limit. On a thumper, I cannot recommend highly enough to have a laser range finder. Calibrated eyeballs are nice, but when a distance estimation error of 25 yards moves impact 3 inches then your at high risk of making a bad shot. In hunting terrain it’s very easy to misjudge range.
Yea I have my 30-06 for my field hunting . My bm is for mostly inside of 100 in thicker areas /woods . May be a couple spots in that area for up to 200 but not likely that’s why I was asking. Actually bought the bushmaster for this new area acquired this year . I have spinal cord injury and it leaves me on crutches and cane. I have a hunting golf cart camoed with big tires , my ground blind slips over it perfect and have a shooting rail .
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