The one I got to handle was top of the line with wood stock and great bluing.
The one I got to handle was top of the line with wood stock and great bluing.
Lipsey's shows two Howa bolt action 450BM magazine fed rifles. Synthetic stocks. Identical except for stock coloring (one is black and the other OD green). Both listings show "New", so a new caliber offering I suspect, as I don't see the 450BM listed in the current Howa online catalog.
Also, be sure to check out/consider the 350 Legend caliber bolt action rifles. Everything the 450BM delivers with less recoil (and less cost per round). I've sold quite a few of the Ruger American Ranch rifles in 350L to former 450BM shooters. Note I said former. Leupold makes a scope pre-calibrated for the 350L ballistics as well. Very nice combo.
reviving a dead thread here.
looking at 450 bushmaster currently. The ruger is the cheapest choice by the look of it, but the only one that runs a 1:16 twist barrel (which I've read was purely a cost decision).
Anyone have more experience with the Bergara? Is it $300+ better, or just a better action?
One not mentioned that I’ve handled and seems to be a very nice rifle is the Franchi. It’s fairly new on the market, priced around the Savage and has a MOA guarantee. They appear to be lighter weight and much trimmer looking then the Begara and of similar quality IMO.
"Saepe errans, numquam dubitans --Frequently in error, never in doubt".
The trouble with the Internet is that it's replacing masturbation as a leisure activity. ~Patrick Murray
I have not seen or heard of one to be honest with you. I would love to try someone's 450 bushmaster. All my buddies around here have relegated to 350 legend, saying recoil is better.
However, having shot a friend's bergara premier, Im impressed with the quality of work from them, and they seem to be the darling rifle for most guys getting into 22 or 6.5 creedmoor.
Im finding the ruger for $400-$450, while I was able to find a deal on the bergara for $670. I am considering it, dont know if its $250 better but the quality Ive seen from rugers Ive owned has been a mixed bag, and numerous reviews mention magazine issues with the Ruger rancher in 450. The most interesting part of all the comparisons is that Ruger is the only common brand to use a 1:16 twist for their 450 bushmaster barrels, while all the others seem to favor between1:20 and 1:24
I agree the Ruger is not as nicely finished as some other rifles, Tupperware stocks and matte metalwork, but they feed, eject and go bang just as well in my limited experience. The bolt specifically is rough and sounds like a wood rasp when you work it.
The magazine works as well as any other, although it is a bit clumsy to load. Cartridges don’t just snap in as they do in a AR mag as example. The Savage mag appears very similar in design except for being metal constructed in place of molded polymer.
Twist rate is immaterial IMHO. Anything the manufactures are using will stabilize the common bullets used in the cartridge with possible exception of very heavy special purpose bullets in boutique loads. Personally, I would stay with the std 250/260 gr loads for deer. This is due to personall observing heavy 285gr loads dropping off the paper at 100 yds when sighted in 50 yds. Unless you plan on hunting over bait at close range as one would on bear as example the trajectory of the cartridge is just too steep to further handicap it. Again JMO.
Bergera makes a nice rifle. I’d put them on par with older Remingtons as far as quality. Ruger and Savage are toss ups along with Mossberg. These will do the job of taking that yearly buck, but are by design intended for the economy shopper unless you move to their upper grade guns which don’t shoot much better then their cheaper ones although the chances of getting a top shooter are better with them. Again JMO.
I’m not sure they still make them but I have seen Ruger #1s chambered in 450. If you want a rifle that drips class and is dead reliable this would be hard to beat. I’m sure it also costs ~double the other rifles price tags… if I was yearly hunting bucks in Mi, hogs in Ga and Alberta black bear however I might just spring for one.
"Saepe errans, numquam dubitans --Frequently in error, never in doubt".
The trouble with the Internet is that it's replacing masturbation as a leisure activity. ~Patrick Murray
I don't know about "best" but the Ruger is very, very popular, reasonably priced and does the job. It seems to be good enough. Sometimes good enough is good enough.
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