450 bushmaster

[gunrunr]

450 AR's seem to be very finicky about magazines - trying a different mag or tuning your mag helps a lot of feeding issues.
Many guns also seem to have weak buffer springs and seem to cycle better with heavier spring ($12-25)
Both fixes are relatively cheap and one or both have helped get most guns operating much better

 

[rutnstrut]

The main issue seems to be bullet ‘toughness’. Many .452 bullets were designed for an 1890’s cowboy revolver (.45 long colt) and won’t perform well with the greater breech pressures and velocities of the 450B.


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Ive got a buddy handloading 250g Barnes XPB bullets for me... When shot through my guns at 100yds they impact and group identical to factory Hornady Black loads but they seem to hit SOOO much harder... 3" high @100yds and about 3" low at 200yds... 0-200yds hold center mass and squeeze the trigger... Bang, flop, dead

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[rutnstrut]

I bought the GLFA upper from Boyd and put a PSA lower on it and am having all kinds of trouble with it. Not feeding correctly, not ejecting shells, etc.

I'm not experienced in the AR platform so if anybody has a lot of experience and would be willing to help me find and fix the issue I would really appreciate it.

Love the caliber and accuracy vs my slug gun. Think the AR platform seems like it will be great if I can get it running dependably. If not will probably look for a bolt gun in this caliber. Maybe the Ruger Ranch rifle.

Its tough to say without knowing more what actual issue/issues youre actually fighting... Heres a chart that will give you a rough idea if its gas related

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[srjdsmith]

Ive got a buddy handloading 250g Barnes XPB bullets for me... When shot through my guns at 100yds they impact and group identical to factory Hornady Black loads but they seem to hit SOOO much harder... 3" high @100yds and about 3" low at 200yds... 0-200yds hold center mass and squeeze the trigger... Bang, flop, dead

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I just got my dies. Haven’t reloaded a single 450B round yet but that sounds like the ticket. The factory Hornady 250’s are great, so if those perform identically that’s very good. Think he’d give me his recipe?


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[rutnstrut]

I just got my dies. Haven’t reloaded a single 450B round yet but that sounds like the ticket. The factory Hornady 250’s are great, so if those perform identically that’s very good. Think he’d give me his recipe?


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Ill ask... All I know for sure is lilgun powder... Identical at 100yds at least, havent shot them on paper any farther but I dumped a couple does in the 160-180yd range and it hit right where I was aiming... 12ringed a coyote running wide open across a bean field at 131 steps too... Ive been impressed

 

[rutnstrut]

I just got my dies. Haven’t reloaded a single 450B round yet but that sounds like the ticket. The factory Hornady 250’s are great, so if those perform identically that’s very good. Think he’d give me his recipe?


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He just said 36.5g lilgun... 1g under max listed load for 250g bullet. He said hes seen where some people are loading up to 40g in some bokt guns but since he was loading one load for several buddies he played it a little on the safe side

 

[msauer933]

Here is a good forum with a lot of good info on the 450 and reloading for the 450.

http://450bushmaster.com/

 

[JNRBRONC]

I helped a friend sight in his 450 Bushmaster. I like the round since it uses the same powders and bullets as my Savage ML10II, so ballistics are similar. Just that I only have one shot, which since I don’t party hunt, not a big deal for me.


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[Fishbonker]

... Bang, flop, dead

Great line.

 

[srjdsmith]

He just said 36.5g lilgun... 1g under max listed load for 250g bullet. He said hes seen where some people are loading up to 40g in some bokt guns but since he was loading one load for several buddies he played it a little on the safe side

Thank you- and to him also. A little on the safe side is good- was when game still dies quickly out at/near 200 yds.


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[srjdsmith]

Here is a good forum with a lot of good info on the 450 and reloading for the 450.

http://450bushmaster.com/

Thanks. Those guys are very knowledgeable and have helped me a lot so far. Thanks for the pointer.


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[meyeri]

Not all mags are created equal. If it's not a gas issue, then it's probably a mag issue. C-products magazines are great for atypical rounds. I have a 7.62x39 AR that shoots cheap steel surplus AK ammo flawlessly with C-products mags. Sometimes flatter rounds don't like to climb up the straight vertical mag-well of AR's without nose diving. Try a variety of magazines and don't cheap out on a bolt carrier group either.

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[sirrloin]

You guys are making it hard to not want to spend money lol

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[Monsterbuck]

Not all mags are created equal. If it's not a gas issue, then it's probably a mag issue. C-products magazines are great for atypical rounds. I have a 7.62x39 AR that shoots cheap steel surplus AK ammo flawlessly with C-products mags. Sometimes flatter rounds don't like to climb up the straight vertical mag-well of AR's without nose diving. Try a variety of magazines and don't cheap out on a bolt carrier group either.

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I did do some reading on the 450 Bushmaster forum. I bought some Stoner mags from Midway USA that many seemed to.like on the forum. I also bought a 450 Bushmaster follower for the magazines from Chambers Tactical. I haven't messed around with the feed lips yet but will probably try opening them up a bit.

 

[Monsterbuck]

For those with AR guns one of the things I am experiencing is when done for the day I dropped out the magazine then pulled back the charging handle to clear the shell from the chamber.

The issue is the shell doesn't come out, it stays stuck in the chamber. I have resorted to holding the charging handle back and pushing out the cartridge from the muzzle end with a fiberglass rod.

Is there an extractor that should be pulling the cartridge out when you pull back on the charging handle? I'm new to this do don't know how it works. I'm used to pulling back the lever on my shotgun and the shell pops out.

 

[meyeri]

For those with AR guns one of the things I am experiencing is when done for the day I dropped out the magazine then pulled back the charging handle to clear the shell from the chamber.

The issue is the shell doesn't come out, it stays stuck in the chamber. I have resorted to holding the charging handle back and pushing out the cartridge from the muzzle end with a fiberglass rod.

Is there an extractor that should be pulling the cartridge out when you pull back on the charging handle? I'm new to this do don't know how it works. I'm used to pulling back the lever on my shotgun and the shell pops out.

Your Bolt Carrier Group contains the extractor. When you pull back the charging handle it should extract any spent or full rounds. First off find a buddy with a. 450 Bushmaster upper and swap BCG's to see if the issue replicates. Also oil the tar out of it and cycle it a ton. I'd take it apart too and check everything over for function. YouTube can help you with this; plus you'll need to know how to clean it anyway. If the issue persists with your BCG then it could be out of spec. In that case the manufacturer should help you out. You can also upgrade to a toolcraft BCG for about $130 bucks. Good luck.

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[Monsterbuck]

Your Bolt Carrier Group contains the extractor. When you pull back the charging handle it should extract any spent or full rounds. First off find a buddy with a. 450 Bushmaster upper and swap BCG's to see if the issue replicates. Also oil the tar out of it and cycle it a ton. I'd take it apart too and check everything over for function. YouTube can help you with this; plus you'll need to know how to clean it anyway. If the issue persists with your BCG then it could be out of spec. In that case the manufacturer should help you out. You can also upgrade to a toolcraft BCG for about $130 bucks. Good luck.

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Thanks a ton for the info. One question, the pin on the bolt face for the extractor spring, should you be able to push it in with your finger when you have the BCH out? How much resistance should it have? Just wondering as I have pushed on it and it didn't move so wondering if it is seized and that is the issue.

 

[meyeri]

Thanks a ton for the info. One question, the pin on the bolt face for the extractor spring, should you be able to push it in with your finger when you have the BCH out? How much resistance should it have? Just wondering as I have pushed on it and it didn't move so wondering if it is seized and that is the issue.

I'm not exactly sure how much tension those components should be under. I think they should be stiff enough that you shouldn't be able to compress it with just your fingers. I was curious so I grabbed a BCG of mine and I couldn't compress it. I could with a key, so if it won't compress at all, then that could be the problem. I did a quick Google of that brand of upper on optics planet and several guys had similar issues.

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[teeroy]

if you hit one of the gunshows, durkin tactical (green tables) has a pretty good upper. i think they are running $350 now. (a shitload less than when i bought mine) i put a PSA lower on it, and it runs like a top. i did some searching on gunbroker, and picked up a few mags from different companies, and everything has worked pretty well. there is a 15 round plastic mag made by ATI for a 410 AR. it works ok, doesn't drop out like a steel mag with you hit the button, but it needs a stiffer spring, doesn't feed the last couple rounds well enough. if you use a standard AR mag, i think the 20 rounders don't have the curve of the 30 rounders, and work better. you just need to buy a different follower plate. i think you can get them for around $9 on ebay.
there is getting to be quite a few ammo makers stepping up, black butterfly has some impressive loads, as does buffalo bore. federal just put out a 300 grain hollow point load, for about the same price as the hornadays.