i was the person that got tim legendre (the creator of the 450 bushmaster) to the 2000 SOPMOD conference for developments of the m-4 carbine. (i was a retired msg, / airborne ranger) our argument was that it was not the firearm that was the problem, but the cartridge. we demonstrated the 450 bushmaster (called the 45 professional at the time) by busting cinder blocks. i deliberately waited until the last demo. the FN representative standing next to me said "you just blew everyone out of the water." that led directly to the development of the 6.8 spc, the 458 socom, the 50 beowulf, etc. without that demo in 2000, none of the other "big bore" AR's (including the 350 legend) would even exist. so, the 450 bushmaster was NOT the cart ahead of the horse, the 450 was the horse pulling the cart for the rest. essentially a semi-auto 45-70 (with original black powder loads) the 45 professional was picked up by bushmaster firearms, slightly modified, and became the 450 bushmaster. prior to 450 bushmaster, the only attempt was an ar-15 with 7.62x39, which did not feed well. i own the two prototype rifles we used. (one 16", one standard length)
Daughter got to use her 350L last weekend to take an 11 point buck ( Her first ). Used the Winchester 150gr XP at 45-55 yards. Complete punch through ( heart/double lung ). Buck made it 60-80 yards with not much heart left. She and I couldn't have been happier with her success and the performance of the 350 Legend.
I bought a 350 legend 3 years ago for my son. We have had tremendous success on northern WI deer with that cartridge. Hornady American Whitetail also our ammo of choice. Very effective and efficient. Great blood trails and very short blood trails. I have been extremely pleased and surprised by the lethality. It hits hard no doubt about it. Excellent cartridge.
I’ve hunted with the 350L the last 4 years in the limited firearm part of southern MI. I love it. Farthest Ive gone is 135 yards with it, out of the last 4 years, I’ve not had one go over 25 yards after a hit. As with any caliber or gauge, shot placement does make a difference. The American Whitetail rounds is what grouped best from my AR15 I built specifically for a deer rifle, and what I use. The rifle is topped with a Vortex Crossfire II straight-wall bdc scope. Im glad I chose the 350 over the 450 to build for. We are seeing a HUGE amount of 350’s go out the door compared to the 450’s at work where I sell guns at Cabela’s in Dundee MI. A lot of younger/first time hunters are getting it, it’s a great and capable round that’s not intimidating to them, which makes for a more enjoyable time hunting. It’s one they can grow with and keep a rifle for a long time.
As soon as the 350L came to market, I sold my slug gun and haven't regretted that choice once. The 350 is very accurate, low recoil, and with the Deer Season XP bullet, has worked excellent on deer. I've killed 7-8 deer with it and either dropped, watched fall, or excellent blood trail. 100% deer recovery so far. I use the Vortex straight wall scope but haven't tested the BDC at all ranges yet.
So I bought a 350 Legend a couple years ago, I was only able to find at purchase was Winchester Power Point 180 grain ammo. I live in Southeast Alabama hunt in a heavy wooded area where my longest shot is 100 to 110 yards. The 350 Light compact size make it a great option. When I shot my 1st deer with it a small about 110lb doe she ran about 60 yards and went down very little blood trail and no exit wound recovered the bullet in the back hip after it skipped down the opposite side ribs. About a month later I found some Winchester Deer Season XP Extreme Point 150 grain ammo. Got another doe in late season at about 85 yards with the Deer Season XP no issue at all this time clean in and out she never took another step. Love my 350 Legend pulled it trigger twice in hunting situation and brought home meat both times.
Bought a 350L for my 17 year old daughter. this was her first shooting exp. She handled it well, we both took boar with it using the Winchester Ext Pt. in 150 gr. The 350L did very well om boar at 70 and 30 yards
SW Michigan deer Hunter here in the straight wall zone. Recoil sensitive so I went w a CVA scout V2 in .350. A real pleasure to shoot. Shot a small doe last season. Heart shot. Very accurate through and through w a Winchester 180 PP. great deer cartridge and rifle
Great podcast and video! Bought a 450BM upper for my AR a couple years ago and after the 350 Legend came on the scene, have been wanting to build a 350 Legend upper. Love the 450 in the AR platform. I compare it to shooting my .45-70. I just like the big-bore cartridges for some reason. I will admit that sighting in my .450 affects my pansie-itis and the recoil gets to me after a few rounds. However, when hunting and taking one, maybe two shots at a whitetail, recoil is a non-issue. Still having the less recoil of the 350 Legend is appealing. I will say that I’ve hunted with a single-shot, lever, and bolt rifle for nearly all my rifle-hunting life, but these days I prefer my AR platform. I find it easier to carry, quicker on target, the same of not a little lighter to carry overall, and I can quickly change cartridges (uppers) if I so desired to carry something different. Don’t get me wrong, still love my bolts and lever (no longer have a single-shot), but I find the AR platform for hunting, whitetails in MN anyway, my favorite overall. The 450 Bushmaster vs 350 Legend? Why not both? That’s my plan, anyhow. Keep up the good work, fellas!
The bear creek ballistics 450 high velocity ammo for the bolt gun is a game changer. They take the pressure reduction due to ar bolt thrust issue out of the equation. And seriously bump it up
@@nuckyduk15that's a shame too, I wish they'd make a full size pistol in 30sc.. capacity would on par with the 5.7x28 guns with an arguably better self defense round
@@nuckyduk1530SC should be a carbine cartridge (PCC), would be neat and would get decent velocity boost. I suppose the counter argument is we already have 5.7x28 which has some better characteristics in a longer barrel.
I have a 350L in a CVA Cascade that I got from Walmart a cpuple years ago. It has been a delight to shoot and has been extraordinarily lethal on multiple whitetail in Texas.
I have taken many whitetails over the years with 3 different 450's and love the results. They have been taken as close as 10 yards and as far as 230 yards. I put together an Ar in 350 but never hunted with it, but I do have relatives that have taken deer with 350's, so I say it's whatever you like they both work great.
It solved a legal requirement for straight-walled cartridge in AR-style rifles in states that have banned non-straight-walled cartridges. It's 9mm bullet so its readily available. @@adriandelreal9126
@@adriandelreal9126 The 400 only came out recently, the 350 has been out for quite a few years. The 350 has extremely mild recoil for how well it does. The 400 is meant to bridge the gap and allow for more heavy game to be taken than is best for 350 while recoiling less than 450 BM
I too like the 350. I have a BCA sidecocking 18 inch barreled 350 upper that shoots great. Thing is, I'm a lead bullet guy. I use the Lee 200 grain RNFP and powdercoat it. I'm getting 2250+ fps at the muzzle without really pushing it. No reason to, it's already faster than the 35 Remington with the same bullet weight. Anyway, it poleaxes hogs. Doesn't matter how big they are. Complete penetration right through the shield, shoulders, whatever. Puts them down fast and recoil is not at all unpleasant. Probably a little less than a 30-30 lever gun with 170's. It's a great woods rifle, and I would think you could stretch it to 200 yards no problem. The energy is there.
It's funny that we have quite literally revived the 9mm vs 45 argument. Lots of egos when it comes to these cartridge comparisons. I chose the 350L because it's much more economical to shoot, plus my wife and girls can shoot it. But more importantly, did anyone grab the milk, eggs, butter, 9x25mm Dillon, and cereal yet?
Took my first deer with 350 legend Fedral power shoks last year out of a savage axis. its been a great setup for me in southern Michigan though it does have feeding issues with the last round.
243 versus 6.5 creedmoor and another good one would be 7 mm '08 versus 308 or 6.5 creedmoor versus 7 mm '08. The 7 mm '08 is a very good cartridge. Have taken over 30 game animals with it. Would like to see how it stacks up on your test
Guys, when you get unexpected or screwy results with a gel shot, please repeat the test. It would be useful to see what a second shot would do. FWIW, the 450 Bushmaster was designed around Hornady's .45 cal flex-tip bullet. That bullet would probably have expanded to a much greater diameter and penetrated less. A note about reduced-velocity testing: Some bullets, especially copper monolithics, are sensitive to rotation speed. The faster the twist, the faster and wider the petals are deployed. Since he spin rate stays almost constant as the bullet travels through the air, so to match typical spin rate with a reduced velocity load, you will need a faster twist barrel.
In Illinois we will have our first deer season with straight wall cartridges in November, and I am looking forward to shooting the 350 legend. Out of curiosity, I would really like to see how the 350 compares to the shotgun slugs I have been shooting in the past. Specifically the Remington Premier AccuTips I have been shooting from a Savage 220.
Had a custom 450 BM bolt gun off of a HOWA action, rebarreled/rechambered. Bedded and pillar bedded in a Boyd’s ambidextrous thumbhole stock. It was built by BK Guns in MI. I absolutely love the gun and like Ryan, shoot nothing but copper. The energy those Barnes disburse, make tracking unrequired in most cases. Ryan educated me on picking the right optic when I was there last year visiting. A 2.5-10x44 Viper HD was the perfect optic for my needs.
My personal choice of sling carrying a rifle is far and away facilitated by the AR platform; low ready, slung across the front. Maybe it’s from years of service but I also hunted with the standard long gun sling setup for far longer. Apple cider slush; had one from local pumpkin patch here in coastal GA. Now that’s a tasty treat!!
I like the idea of the 350 Legend better than the 450 Bushmaster but held off since it' isn't a true 358 cal. The new 360 Buckhammer is much more interesting to me and would love to see you do a comparison with the 350 Legend one day. Love the idea of the 360 in a single shot or a lever gun.
@@gerry6.8with a outdated rimed case smh why can’t they just make a 360 legend. A true .358 with a rebated rim they keep making everything but what I just explained.
Hunting the thumb of Michigan my Ruger .450 just had to much horsepower for my 10 yr old son, I got him the .350 in the A/R platform and with the extra weight of that weapon he has had great success helping fill the freezer. Both calibers serve their intended purpose very well. 🙏🔫🇺🇸
450 BM was my favorite because one of my favorite bang stick companies was Windham Weaponry, which had the 450 Thumper in 450 BM. But these tests have shown, to me, the superior performance of the 350 Legend. And yes, the Riuger American would be the best choice for an economical hunting rifle for your aunt's 20 acre chunk near the lake.
Last year before season. Had picked up a youth 243 and a labor day sale, saw a 350L upper added to the collection. Oldest had her picked of either for "Her" first deer rifle. Shot both well, yet decided she liked the 350L better. And so went my B-Day ultra light lower to my kid 😆👍 We didn't get a shot last year. Hope to change that this season
@@robertpickardjr9239 I hunt in akransas now and in regular gun season we can use rifles, but they just allowed straight walls during muzzleloading season, so i picked one up. where i used to hunt, michigan, there are a lot of areas where it's shotgun, muzzleloader, or straight wall only too. That's why these straight walls are becoming popular.
I've never shot the 350 and you can't argue with the numbers, but the 450Bushy absolutely smacks dear. It does'nt just knock em down, it knocks em over. I use the barnes bullets, full pass throughs the size of golf balls every time.
You mentioned the hole in the gel…the 350 legend makes round paper punches like a wadcutter in paper targets at the range…it’s neat. I’ve never shot the 450 bushmaster so I can’t speak to that.
450 deer hunter here. Never have had success with Hornady ammo in 450 BM as shown in video it fragments. I like federals or Winchester's Extreme point much better. Hope you reshoot the 450 BM with that load!
Ive seen the hunting public use the 450 and it absolutely crushes deer. Now 150 yds and in they are both amazing and they’re an even better up close and personal hog round.
My experience is with the 454 casull in a 20” carbine. Basically the same as 450 BM . I keep it simple & use cast lead , the 454 is a killer no doubt about it. More then that , it really pulls pigs up while they’re in full flight . I never recovered hard cast 300 gr . Best thing is I found that even 250 gr hard cast @ 1100 fps work brilliantly also , they are just super mild killers . That gives the the 45 cal carbines a very large operating window. I’ll be trying air cooled wheel weight alloy next 270gr rnfp & 255gr hp & launched at something around the 1500 . I’ll keep experimenting till I get a nice mild load , with soft - wide expanding bullet, that doesn’t shed weight & still drives really deep .
Interesting you mention the 30 carbine. I really like the M1 Carbine and have been toying with the idea of having a M1 Carbine built in 350 Legend or 400 Legend. Does anyone know who would be able to construct such a rifle?
Shot a 8 Point Buck, 2 does and a Black Bear so far with the 350 in the Ruger American with 16.25" Barrel legend it absolutely turns the vitals to soup none ran more than 20 yards. I use it in the Hills and thick woods in NE Tennessee And South Central Kentucky and it is a perfect rifle the shorter barrel doesn't get snagged on brush and it is actually pretty light weight even with the Viper HS 2.5-10 on top. I find myself grabbing it a lot more often than my 308 nowadays. The lite recoil makes it nice to actually see your impact and never lost sight picture.
My experience with 450 bushmaster 16 inch Ruger. Hormady 250 ftx 40 yards buck facing me in a pine cutover thicket. Shot in the neck, went down didn't move. Couldn't find where the bullet went there were lots of pieces when it hit the neck bone. Processing it found the jacket in the shoulder. Shooting across the same cutover, same bullet, 140 yards 2 year old doe. Heard the bullet impact saw the deer jump straight up high in the air. Had a hard time finding the spot of the hit. Once I found blood it was a blood bath. Bullet went in and out front of the chest and didn't hit any organs. She was quartered more than I thought Deer went approximately 75 yards piled up.
I have hunted the last few seasons with my Ruger Ranch 450 BM with Hornady Black 250gr FTX and I have harvested several deer with it. I always get complete passthrough and the Ruger Ranch is so light that I barely feel the gun carrying it around the woods. I'm a bigger guy so the recoil never bothered me, but I have had shoulder issues this year so I just ordered a Savage 110 Trail Hunter in 350 Legend. I am excited to see how the gun shoots, but also my oldest is 8 this year so maybe she can harvest a deer with it too. I am just happy to live in a time with so many choices and I am grateful to get to go out into the woods. God is good!
Primary driving force behind the .450 BM was to accommodate those who are forced to hunt shotgun zones in certain states where shotgun and straight wall pistol cartridges are the only choices you have legally.
Shot a 3 and a 1/2 year old Buck with winchestejust 180 grain 350 legend at 220 yd. He ran about 70 yd and fell over. It went through his opposite shoulder. Very impressed
The fact that you can get just the upper for an ar15 most people already have to do different things like hunting is awesome, you don't have to buy a whole new rifle and everything you just switch the upper and get to work
I have a AR upper Davison defense 350 legend. Excellent accuracy with all loads I have used so far performs as well as any 3030 I have ever used to 200 yards
Hornady had a podcast on the 450 Bushmaster that covers its development. It is a Hornady-designed cartridge designed around the AR15, the 284 Win case, and their existing 45 cal flex-tipped bullet (originally saboted for muzzleloaders). It and a couple other cartridges (50 Beowulf, 458 SOCOM) were designed to shoot large diameter bullets from the AR15. Jeff Cooper was a big advocate of this style of cartridge, which he called a "thumper". Pretty much the maximum short-range power that could be achieved from the platform. The Hornady guys stated that for the last 8 or 9 years, the 450 Bushmaster has been one of the top 5 rifle cartridges in terms of ammo they sold, so it is definitely popular in some places in the country.
it was not originally designed by hornady. it was designed by tim legendre. bushmaster bought it, and had hornady modify it slightly for different projectiles. it was originally designed to shoot 230 grain hardball bullets used in the 45acp. i know, i helped develop it, and own the two prototypes built.
@grayman7208 I would have been more accurate to say that Hornady finalized the design. In the podcast, they mentioned that they changed some things from the original prototype, which is probably what you have. Hornady shortened the case slightly, modified the chamber and did the pressure testing. The main reason that they shortened the case was to use their own existing flextip bullet that needed a longer head height than the original bullets.
@@grayman7208 Yes, and I am indeed impressed by that. It is a good round. I just wanted to correct my original statement for the record. Was there an original plan for hunting bullets? I suspect that 45 ACP hollow points would have some problems as speeds approached 2,000 fps. Thanks
@@jfess1911 there is an array of .45 caliber bullets that can be used. and it was planned that way from the beginning. it was meant to be a "thumper" relatively close and hard hitting. just like it is used now.
I will be carrying a 350 legend into the deer woods. I’d prefer my 308 but the more I see about the 350 legend the more I’m warming up to it. Might even enjoy it. I had a hankering for a 30-30 (nostalgic for me, not practical) but it doesn’t get me on public land in my state. The 350 legend also does the subsonic stuff so it scratches my itch for a 300 aac as well.
The 300 Hamr guy again! Right after I built my gun the 350 came out and I thought I’d really screwed up! After looking at published ballistics I felt better. I hunt in Texas and my little 16” AR Hamr is just joy in the field. I’m thinking the the ARs that Ryan hunted with were nothing like my gun. I really enjoy these new gel block segments. Me and the other 10 Hamr shooters would love to see a comparison between the 300 Hamr and the 350!😂
I was just thinking about that comparison. Good idea, I'm looking into a WC 300 hamr barrel for my zion 15. I think with the capacity it should be cool. I loved my 450 ruger MPR it touched rounds at 200 multiple times.
The 450 bushmaster is one of the top selling hornady cartridges and has been for years. It’s incredibly popular in straight wall hunting areas/states. I might argue that your sample size in central MN where straight wall cartridges weren’t allowed was far too small and didn’t give a good representation of how popular the cartridge has been throughout the US. Maybe should have included the 400 legend in the podcast as well as it aims to bridge the gap between these two.
45 raptor sounds interesting too, same diameter as the 450 bushmaster and slightly longer case. I heard its a comparable size difference of 38spec and 357mag. Uses 460 s&w dies and starline makes brass for it, and its for the ar10. But its basically a wildcat round, and you have to build the gun yourself.
I've taken 6 whitetail, 3 big mulies, 4 black bears with 180gr Winchester super X 350 Legend all under 200yds. It absolutely pounds animals. 2 hole gushers every time. What shocks me is the penetration on bears. It blows right through fat like nothing. I've never recovered a bullet as they exit like a 35 Remington. Just a fabulous low recoil round. My Ruger ranch is my favorite rifle. The guys at camp laughed when I first brought in 4 years ago. They all use this round now. Big thing? Incredible accuracy. I mean.5moa
@@K-bob_45No snark implied but are primers etc available again? I'd get into reloading in an instant but if important supplies are unavailable (for years) what's the point?
The problem with the hornady is it is a bullet for lower velocity, driven fast it will come apart , when reloading use the magnum labeled bullets , they stay together.
I’d get 450 if I had to pick one. It’s the same velocity with a heavier, wider bullet. Gel tests are fun but I don’t put much stock in them. Hunters in the field seem to more favorably review the 450 (not that the 350 is ineffective).
Well, in my area, South Central Texas, the 350 Legend is far and away more popular. More rounds in the mag and follow up shots are a breeze. The Winchester 180gr just won't stop. No matter what angle.
I sold my 450 for a 350 last year. I hunt whitetail, and 350 is a joy to shoot, especially compared to 450. I enjoy taking it to the range. It's more than enough to kill a whitetail at its intended ranges. I was able to get 3 last year and none went more than 50 yards. Also it's a much lighter gun for when im doing drives.
Shot a doe with my 450 Ruger American 20" barrel double lunge and it went to take its first step and dropped shot at 50 yards. I will say sighting it in I shot 10 times in my arm was shaking a little.
Shooting suppressed tames already acceptable recoil in 450 or 350 in ar15. I love the fact that 20 round mags for 350 work great. Also 6.5 grendel is impressive in ar15
I wish you guys would have shot the 250gr FTX.. I was flirting with the Legend when it launched, but I was bummed that it didn't use .358 bullets since I shoot a Whelen. Also it seems like a lot of the factory ammo has a visible line where the bullet stops, almost like the bullet is too big for the case. That always made me nervous. Lastly, do some lead balloons.
Special thanks to Randy’s Hunting Center Bad Ax, for have Ruger chamber the American for whitetail here in Mi. Nothing fancy just knocks them down👊🏻. 360 Buckhammer when Marlin gets them out.
The reason the 450 came out was shotgun only states. It was a game changer over 12ga or 20ga slugs. It met the criteria to be used in those states. Now you could use a actual rifle chambered in something other then a pistol cartridge. So the straight wall cartridge boom began.
Do we know at what range they shot these gel blocks at? I must have missed it. 100 yards? Maybe you guys can place in the show notes for future videos? Good video!
450 bushmaster is so much better than 350 legend. The 350 is almost like a glorified 357 mag. The 450 hits extremely hard and I’ve killed whitetail in Georgia out to 200 with full pass through and the deer just drop. Great video guys
On a doe 450 250gr Hornady at 130 yards smashed through the clavicle diagonally, and ended up in the hide, after busting the femur bone, destroying lungs, and ripping up the top of liver. Bullet lost the jacket somewhere along the way, (not to be found)with the lead remaining at 166 gr and a good mushroom. The 450 gets a bad rap from some who do a poor job of shot placement expecting miracle results. The ones that show a photo of the deer, and complain of poor blood trail, that I have seen, clearly have hit it too high for a good blood trail to happen. But often state "double lung and no blood trail". 450 is a fantastic cartridge.
I've been debating a 350 Legend upper for my AR, I already have a spare upper and handguard, I would only need the barrel and another red dot. I've definetly never really had an interest in 450 Bushmaster because it always seemed unnessessary out here on the East Coast.
Bullet performance is based on construction. .45 acp opens up nicely at 800 FPS with HST hollow points but blows up at 2000 FPS. Copper solids don't. Most .450b is suited to short barrel CQB ARs.
350 Legend in a light handy AR15 is the modern equivalent to a 30-30 levergun out to about 200 yards. Similar power, recoil but has a larger sectional density.
I think Ryan was thinking of the 458 socom when he said 50 Action Express as parent case. Speaking of that you guys should do a 458 vs 450 I think it would be a more apples to apples test.