450 Bushmaster???

[spainy79]

Heard an awful rumor today that it was going to be next to impossible to even get a 450 upper anymore. Pretty much what is out there is it. Anyone else heard this or just give it time before they become a little more readily available again? Got a complete lower in the safe awaiting such an upper to become a new deer gun. Really regret not ordering one when I had the chance to last summer.

 

[MtnBiker6510]

I'm in the same boat. Been wanting to put a 450 upper on a complete lower I'm sitting o but have been unable to see any out there since the craziness started. Thinking I should've got one when I had the chance. If I find any sources, I'll share em here (after I place my order, of course).

 

[Dirty Steve]

That makes 3 of us. I wanted to buy one last summer and thought I had plenty of time. I cannot find one anywhere. My goal was to use it for a mountain lion hunt because of how compact a package it would have been to carry. I am really regretting putting this purchase off.

Dirty Steve

 

[Bradsknives]

Is there a reason your all looking at the 450 for hunting instead of the 480 socom? I have a lower that I was thinking about putting a 480 upper on for deer hunting here in Indiana.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

480 socom?

 

[Mango]

458 socom. I've got one I'm going to shoot for the first time this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I got excited, thought maybe there was a new thumper round out for me to try.

 

[melensdad]

458 socom. I've got one I'm going to shoot for the first time this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

You will love it

The 458 Socom is a great round. Drops deer legally in Indiana, and blows up rouge watermelons that try to escape from the herd

I had some 100 grain ALUMINUM hollowpoints that were a limited production run, those were a blast to shoot. Literally threw a 10' ball of flame out the end of the gun, didn't chrono the bullets but the velocity must have been pretty amazing based on the damage it did to the targets.

 

[Dwight D]

Well another option is a Savage bolt gun on 450 Bushmaster, I have seen several that have had new 450 Bushmaster barrels installed that really shoot well.

 

[Dirty Steve]

My reason for looking for the 450 upper is apparent availability of ammunition. I do not reload and it appears that I can find 450 cheaper and from more numerous sources (like Cabelas) than the 458 socom. Now, if 458 socom was as readily available as it appears 450 is, I wouldn't kick a 458 socom upper out of bed either.

Dirty Steve

 

[LarryC]

Is there a reason your all looking at the 450 for hunting instead of the 480 socom? I have a lower that I was thinking about putting a 480 upper on for deer hunting here in Indiana.

I also wanted to build up a .450 Bushmaster. I looked at the .358 Socom round but the ballistics are kinda like a 45 ACP. The .450 has a lot flatter trajectory, I'll just keep waiting - don't NEED it - have many guns. Do have a couple stripped RR lowers and 1 RR lower kit. I'll wait on the "panic" to go away before I buy anything else for any AR type rifle!

 

[DocIndy]

The SOCOM is a blast to shoot and hunt with. I've got a midlength RRA upper that took two deer last season. One shot each. So for a hunting gun only needing a half dozen rounds a season... its cheap to shoot a SOCOM. I have a .308 Savage that is going to get rebuilt/rebarreled into a SOCOM for next season. Can wait for that one to get done....

 

[melensdad]

I also wanted to build up a .450 Bushmaster. I looked at the .358 Socom round but the ballistics are kinda like a 45 ACP. . .!

I think you are confused about the ballistics.

The 458 Socom will push .458 diameter rifle bullets of much heavier weight (300 to 720 grains) than the 450 Bushmaster which uses lighter built .452 diameter pistol bullets in much lighter weights (225 to 275 grains).

The Bushmaster has higher energy numbers at close distances but its lighter bullets lose kenectic energy faster so the ballistics tend to even out at past 100 yards and are close enough to each other where either one will knock over any animal they hit at close ranges.

Its a common mistake to only compare energy numbers at one range in a simplistic comparison of the data. Being a bit more thourough and looking at bullet construction, and the toughness of the game being shot, tends to show that the 458 Socom is more flexible as an all-around round. That said, both will easily kill any Hoosier whitetail you find in range.

 

[spainy79]

My reason for looking for the 450 upper is apparent availability of ammunition. I do not reload and it appears that I can find 450 cheaper and from more numerous sources (like Cabelas) than the 458 socom. Now, if 458 socom was as readily available as it appears 450 is, I wouldn't kick a 458 socom upper out of bed either.

Dirty Steve

Pretty much this.

 

[SubUrbanCamo317]

Anybody have any ideas to find parts for 450 bushmaster or 458 socom? Im quite interested in doing my own build. Spainy79, I saw your post about your youtube video and have now decided on doing a deer AR for next year. Care to share where you got parts? Was it a whole upper?

 

[padawan]

Anybody have any ideas to find parts for 450 bushmaster or 458 socom? Im quite interested in doing my own build. Spainy79, I saw your post about your youtube video and have now decided on doing a deer AR for next year. Care to share where you got parts? Was it a whole upper?

Great timing since today is opening day!

I'm looking at a thumper build for next year.

What are you guys having luck with?

With my old eyes, I put a Nikon 3-9x50 on my trusty Mossberg 500 to hunt this year.

 

[spainy79]

I found my upper complete at the Oct. 1500 and Acme from Seymour, IN was the dealer who had it. They had both 16" and 20"s. Of course that was a month ago. The lower was purchased in Aug. 2012 and it waited patiently in the safe till I found the upper.

 

[jajwrigh]

I was fortunate enough to get a .450 Bushmaster when they first became available and I absolutely love the round. Brownells gave it to me for being their millionth customer, probably another reason that the love the .450!! If you ever get the chance to pick up an upper, you will not regret it!

 

[sinnful]

Not to hi jack the thread by any means. Just curious what kind of range you are getting out of the 450 and 358 on deer.

 

[SubUrbanCamo317]

Not to hi jack the thread by any means. Just curious what kind of range you are getting out of the 450 and 358 on deer.

Are you wanting the ballistics? If so, Google will help you make your own informed decision. Plenty of reading material on both 450 and 458.

Do the 450 upper fit on the standard AR lower? I too have a lower that's patiently waiting....