450Bushmaster.net

I have run into a trade deal for a large number of Hornady 240 mag .451 bullets. Are these acceptable bullets for deer hunting with the 450 Bushmaster and how do they compare to the 250 FTX?

FSJeeper wrote:I have run into a trade deal for a large number of Hornady 240 mag .451 bullets. Are these acceptable bullets for deer hunting with the 450 Bushmaster and how do they compare to the 250 FTX?

If you stuffed a flex tip in them, they'd be a 250 FTX. Well, sorta. Everyone's experience is different but for me, they were not 1 MOA 5-shot @ 100 like the 250 FTX and 225 FTX. If you can get them at a good trade value, go for it. They'll put meat in the freezer.

Hoot

I used them at 2,800fps in my smokeless mz. They exit every time and leave a nasty hole. You should be able to find an acceptable load.

I did the deal on them just in case I can't get XPB's before deer season this year. Hoping for accuracy as close to the FTX's as I can get but not holding my breath.

FSJeeper wrote:I did the deal on them just in case I can't get XPB's before deer season this year. Hoping for accuracy as close to the FTX's as I can get but not holding my breath.

have you done any loading with theses bullets yet?

Myself there are a great bullet at what they were designed for 45 Colt.....push them faster your someday going to have a problem.....open tip you loose velocity way to fast....
The 250 FTX made for the 450 Bushmaster really is not that good of a bullet.....

Most common bullets shot for deer hunting is the 250 FTX, at least commercially loaded bullets. Most of the nonreloaders are not real critical of exit hole size and surgery to find the spent bullet. One testimonial from a hunting friend shot a nice buck at 150 yds (strelock calculator-1717 fps and 1637 fp energy). He had a good shot and a couple mediocre, dead deer and little concern with technical critique of the bullet.

I have shot only one medium buck at 100 yds with the 250 ftx, had a pass through, exit a nickel sized. I will continue to use them and have doubts about the ftx critics although Hornaday was listening: they came out with the 245 grain interlock exposed lead tip, why not: easy to make cup and core interlock with traditional tip (ballistic coeff is lower). dont know about poi differences between the two bullets, I think a monometal from Hornaday will be in the works someday.

XTP and XTP mag are great bullets with bc around .165, with the mag probably holding together better at 450 velocities. A 1800 muzzle vel of a 250 grain is 1470 fps at 100 / 1202 fp energy on the edge for xtp prob ok for th mag. I never used them in 450 bm but many deer have been killed with xtp sabot combo in muzzleloaders (albeit slower vel.).

200ftx is rated as more stout than the 225 ftx. These tipped bullets arent much better in bc than the xtp though.

Well the loaded cartridge/ reloadable bullet shortage continues, so bullet type becomes less important if its not available.

coyote wacker wrote:Myself there are a great bullet at what they were designed for 45 Colt.....push them faster your someday going to have a problem.....open tip you loose velocity way to fast....
The 250 FTX made for the 450 Bushmaster really is not that good of a bullet.....

The Mag XTP is designed for use in the 454 Casull and are commonly used in 460 S&W loads. I have a friend that loads the 250 XTP in 460 S&W from a 15" Encore barrel at and smokes deer with them. Most all are DRT with massive tissue damage. The bullets are not "designed" for that, but they work for him.