Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

I know of one so far, let's see if more show up.

Moderator: MudBug

Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby BlackForrester » Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:39 am

Dear fellow .450 Bushmaster`s ;)

I am thinking about building up a custom bolt rifle in 450 BM and havn`t found any information about the minimum/best barell length for a bolt action ...

what are your experiences for the minimum/best length ?

Greetings
BlackForrester
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:32 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby Smokinbubba » Mon Jan 10, 2022 5:08 pm

I read the popular is 18". That's what I have on my savage axis build. No pills downrange yet due to my club ranges being shut down for hunting. Its all ready except for the muzzle break. Maybe this Fri if the weather improves.
Smokinbubba
 
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:28 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby Escape Pod » Mon Jan 10, 2022 9:38 pm

Someone did a test showing that the 16" barrel is only 1% less velocity/power than a twenty-something barrel. 18" might give you full velocity. 450BM is very efficient at burning its power fast apparently.
Escape Pod
 
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 7:40 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby Hoot » Mon Jan 10, 2022 11:34 pm

Escape Pod wrote:Someone did a test showing that the 16" barrel is only 1% less velocity/power than a twenty-something barrel. 18" might give you full velocity. 450BM is very efficient at burning its power fast apparently.


Pushing the 250 FTX with 38gr Lil Gun, every inch of barrel length is approximately 25fps. The 20" barrel such as i use in my AR platform will net you 100fps additional velocity over a 16" barrel. I'm not a pipsqueak and toting around a 20" barrel doesn't pose much of a deal breaker for me. Truth be told, the 2" brake actually makes it like toting around a 22" rig. Most of my hunting rifles are 24 or 26" so I'm kinda used to it. Getting the muzzle blast 4 inches further away from you is also a benefit. To a lesser degree, the additional length reduces the recoil some as well. I just find it a smoother experience overall with the 20" over the 16" but that's just me.

Hoot
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby BlackForrester » Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:23 am

Escape Pod wrote:Someone did a test showing that the 16" barrel is only 1% less velocity/power than a twenty-something barrel. 18" might give you full velocity. 450BM is very efficient at burning its power fast apparently.


do you have a source/link for this test ?
BlackForrester
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:32 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby BlackForrester » Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:29 am

Hoot wrote:
Escape Pod wrote:Someone did a test showing that the 16" barrel is only 1% less velocity/power than a twenty-something barrel. 18" might give you full velocity. 450BM is very efficient at burning its power fast apparently.


Pushing the 250 FTX with 38gr Lil Gun, every inch of barrel length is approximately 25fps. The 20" barrel such as i use in my AR platform will net you 100fps additional velocity over a 16" barrel. I'm not a pipsqueak and toting around a 20" barrel doesn't pose much of a deal breaker for me. Truth be told, the 2" brake actually makes it like toting around a 22" rig. Most of my hunting rifles are 24 or 26" so I'm kinda used to it. Getting the muzzle blast 4 inches further away from you is also a benefit. To a lesser degree, the additional length reduces the recoil some as well. I just find it a smoother experience overall with the 20" over the 16" but that's just me.

Hoot


thats a big point! thank you for the numbers - I would hunt with a silencer/muzzle break anyway, maybe with hand loaded ammunition and the build up is especially for a relatively short gun, usually my preferred gun has 26" too, to use it on short range, from horseback and in some special alpine environment ... but I don't want to shorten the length for absolutely no sense!
BlackForrester
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:32 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby Al in Mi » Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:08 am

Last couple I built had 22" barrels for no real reason other than handiness in the blind and the way I'm set up keeps the muzzle out the window a bit farther.

With a bolt gun and handloads, or Bear Creeks ammo, you can take the 450 to a new level.
User avatar
Al in Mi
 
Posts: 1982
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:24 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby Hoot » Tue Jan 11, 2022 5:57 am

Snooping around, I found this test performed by Match Grade Machine.

Image

Hoot

EDIT: Link to entire article, covers multiple calibers: Link
In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.
User avatar
Hoot
 
Posts: 5083
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby BlackForrester » Tue Jan 11, 2022 9:13 am

Al in Mi wrote:Last couple I built had 22" barrels for no real reason other than handiness in the blind and the way I'm set up keeps the muzzle out the window a bit farther.

With a bolt gun and handloads, or Bear Creeks ammo, you can take the 450 to a new level.


well shall be a walking and riding rifle - guess I will use a lot of subsonic ammo anyway ... sadly I think I can't get the bear Creek Ammo ... :(
BlackForrester
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:32 am

Re: Barrell Length .450 BM Custom Bolt Rifle

Postby BlackForrester » Tue Jan 11, 2022 9:14 am

Hoot wrote:Snooping around, I found this test performed by Match Grade Machine.


Hoot

EDIT: Link to entire article, covers multiple calibers: Link



that's what I thought - it will be acceptable loss of Energy, wondering why my googling didn't found anything -.-
thank you very much!!
BlackForrester
 
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:32 am

Next

Return to Bolt Action Rifles

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests

cron