Escape Pod wrote:New guy here.
My wife and I are planning a camping trip to Alaska this summer, and I’m looking for a rifle that I can use for both bear protection there, as well as deer hunting in Ohio. Something fairly compact, but powerful. I grew up in Alaska, and spent a lot of time on the classic 30-06. But I haven’t shot a gun in a while so it’s time to start dusting off those marksman skills.
Initially my search led me to the Marlin 1894 Trapper In 45-70. But those are hard to find (and expensive). It sounds like that company’s been through the spin cycle the past few years.
So imagine my delight when I discovered the .450 Bushmaster cartridge and the RAR. Heavy bullets, straight-walled cartridges, and the same bear stopping power as a classic guide gun round like the 45-70. Or so I thought.
Recently I was reading in another forum that the 30-06 with a 200 grain bullet actually has more energy leaving the muzzle than the 450 BM.
If I was trying to stop a charging bear at 50 yards, would a 30-06 actually be a better choice than a 450?
welcome aboard OM!
There is context to your question. When the 450b was introduced and for the "Lion's Share" of its existence, it was an AR platform caliber. That limited its power to what an AR bolt would allow. The post you read could be from back in that period. Even under the constraints of an AR bolt, it can safely push a 200gr Barnes bullet as fast, if not faster than most non-Plus P 30-06 velocities using a 200gr bullet. IE, 2500fps
Fast forward to the bolt action and to a lesser degree, single shot platforms and with their stronger bolts, they can eclipse the 30-06 with both rifles using a 200gr bullet. The key word there is the 200gr bullet. The 30-06 does much better with a 165 or 180gr bullet. The RAR can
safely push bullets faster than an AR platform as witnessed by many reloading reports here over the past few years. At issue may be the difference in performance between factory ammunition and what can be achieved when you reload. I would put the 450b in a bolt action, pushing a hand loaded Barnes 275gr TSX bullet, up against any creature native to North America.
The issue with the 45-70 is the fact that ammo manufacturers have to produce products that may be used by
uneducated people, in a rifle that might be 148 years old which was never designed to compete with modern 45-70 rifles. There again, hand loading can
safely achieve greater performance.
To summarize, this caliber's performance can be unlocked by using handloads that are developed over time for your RAR. Now, despite my love for this caliber, if I didn't reload and was going to AK and would be in a possible situation where I needed to stop a charging adult grissly or become its lunch, I'd probably opt to take a magnum class caliber instead.
Life is short!Hoot