I had a chance to run out to the range this morning to shoot my Browning BLR 450 Marlin over the chronograph. It's really hot up here so I wanted to get out early.

First, just a little history on this cartridge. In 2000, Hornady and Marlin got together to design a new cartridge for the Marlin lever rifle. Apparently, the idea was to put together a cartridge that would take full advantage of the Marlin lever rifle platform that can operate at pressures of 40,000 c.u.p. This would give guys that didn't handload a really powerful cartridge in their Marlin lever rifles. Guys that handload and shoot a 45-70 Marlin had been doing this for years and apparently most 45-70 guys do handload because Marlin has now discontinued the 450 Marlin.

What I don't think Marlin and Hornady understood at the time is that they were creating the perfect cartridge for Browning. Up to this point, there was really no big bore cartridge for the BLR. The BLR is a clip fed, lever actuated, bolt rifle so they really couldn't chamber the rimmed 45-70. However, the belted 450 Marlin is a natural in the BLR. In addition, since it is a bolt rifle, it can withstand much higher pressures. It is chambered in all the WSM cartridges as well as 7mm Mag. and the 300 Mag. It comes in a straight or pistol grip stock, stainless and blued, as well as several takedown models. Voila, overnight a star is born!

I shot three different loads this morning. The first was 44.5 grains of H4198 and a 400 grain Barnes Buster Bullet. According to the Barnes Manual, that load should run at 1934 fps from a 24 inch barrel. In the 20 inch barrel of my BLR, it was running at 1832 fps. There were no pressure signs.

The second load was 45.5 grain of H4198 and a 400 grain Speer SPFN. The Hodgdon load data center suggest a velocity of 1958 fps at 42,600 psi. I am assuming they also used a 24 inch barrel. In my 20 inch barrel, that load was running 1848 fps.

The third load was 50 grain of Accurate 2230 and a 400 grain Barnes Buster. That load was running at 1792 fps in my gun.

Any day at the range is a good day. God, I love retirement.

It would be interesting to see you load the BBW #13 bullets in your BLR. The bullets are a bore rider design so you can load them out for more powder space.

Well anyone who loves the 450m is OK in my book.

I am glad there is a real undeniable use for the 450M

Cause I love it


Snake

I have a .458 X 2" American built on an old Remington Model 722 action. I believe the .450 Marlin is very similar to the .458 X 2" developed in 1962 by Frank C. Barns only the Marlin round has a wider belt. I use 49.0 grains of IMR-4198 with a 400 grain Speer bullet or 51.0 grains of IMR-3031. Pressure signs with those two loads are low for a bolt action. Mostly I like a lighter load of: 42.0 grs/IMR-4198/300 grain Hornady. This load is easier on the shoulder and is very accurate. Too bad Marlin discontinued chambering for the .450 Marlin.

my 450Marlin bolt gun gets fed a 55gr/aa2230 340 cast hp with a GC below the boolit shoots at 2100 and hits like a sledgehammer Clint

I was back at the range this morning with my BLR 450 Marlin. 52 grains of AA2230 pushed a 400 Speer SPFN to 1843 fps. No pressure signs. The nice thing was that the extreme spread between the high and low was only seven feet per second. This is a very consistent load. It was about 90 degrees while I was shooting.

Dave, is was only 90? Must have been at 5 AM !!!

I was back at the range again this morning with my 450 Marlin to try some different loads. All loads used 52.5 grains of Accurate 2230, Hornady case, and a Winchester large rifle primer. That load pushed a 400 grain Barnes Buster at 1830 fps with an extreme spread of only six feet per second. The average with a 400 grain Belt Mountain Punch bullet was 1855 fps with an extreme spread of only 11 feet per second. The final load, a 400 grain Speer, at an average of 1867 fps. Extreme spread was 16 fps. AA 2230 is very consistent in this caliber.

CAUTION: These loads were fired in a Browning BLR and not a Marlin rifle. The Browning can operate at much higher pressures than the Marlin. Standard caveat. Start low and work up.

You might try AA2460...it's about 5% slower. It works excellent in my 458 A at 3.030" LOA and my 458 A Marlin and BLR both at 2.65" LOA for bullets in the 400-500 gr wt.

Keep up the good work!!!!

Luck

Tried the Woodleigh Hydros this morning. Fifty two grains of Accurate 2230 pushed a 400 grain Hydro to 1857 fps with an extreme spread of only 14 fps. The Hydros are very long, 1.239 inches. By way of comparison, I measured some 400 grain Speers SPFN bullets. They measure about .0967 or so. As a consequence, loading with Accurate 2230 requires significant compression with the Hydros. However, they seemed to work well and I didn't have any trouble cycling them through my BLR. To avoid any possibility of "caking" of the spherical powder, I would wait till a few days before your hunt to load them up.

Testing is pretty much done. I would suggest for ANY soft skinned game, the plain old 400 grain Woodleigh soft nose at 1850 fps in the tube with some Barnes Busters in the magazine would work great. For Buffalo, a Hydro in the tube and some Belt Mountain Punch bullets in the magazine would be just about perfect. For a hippo, just go with the punch bullets. Get close. See my tag line below!

I have been experimenting with this 450 Marlin for the last month. Michael has been testing some bullets for me and I have been shooting over the chronograph with one goal, to find the best loads and bullets I can find to make this rifle suitable for heavy game like bison and yes, cape buffalo.

One of the bullets that I am very interested in is the Woodleigh Hydro. They did quite well in Michael's tests and, If this bullet is indeed as good as Woodleigh says and it actually bridges the gap between a soft and a solid, then I am thinking that a 400 grain Hydro in the tube for the first shot instead of a traditional soft would maximize the potential of this rifle.

As you can see from the above post, on my first go around with the Hydros, AA 2230 worked pretty well but it required more compression than I care for. I became concerned about "caking" of the spherical powder if the loaded rounds were left to sit too long. Maybe I worry too much. My Barnes Manual has load data using Accurate 1680 so I thought I would give it a try. It worked perfectly with this bullet. I loaded up some 400 grain Hydros today with 45.5 grains of AA 1680 in a Hornady case with a Winchester large rifle primer an got 1827 fps with an extreme spread of 13 fps. There was little if any powder compression with this load. I will bump it up one grain at a time and post the results.

Caution : These loads were fired in a Browning BLR and not a Marlin rifle. The Browning can operate at much higher pressures than the Marlin. Standard caveat. Start low and work up.

It seems like you are about where you wanted to be. Keep on.

Dave

If you properly use a long drop tube, 2230 will volumetrically reduce by 8 to 10%. Might just eliminate compression.

Thanks Mike!

Dave,

Has anyone done a BLR in .458 WM. It seems like the perfect platform for it?

Surestrike, not that I am aware of. I think it would require the use of the long action and I don't think those are near as handy. Trust me, this little 450 Marlin will do every thing that needs to be done with a .458 with these super bullets.

Was back at the range today and 46.5 grains of AA 1680 gave me 1847 fps with a 400 grain Woodleigh Hydro out of my 20 inch barrel. The Hydros feed perfectly in my BLR. Testing is done for awhile. I am out of Hydros

I don't see one in .458 on the web site but they do make in .300 WM which is the same action length.

I wonder if it can be done?

quote:

Was back at the range today and 46.5 grains of AA 1680 gave me 1847 fps with a 400 grain Woodleigh Hydro out of my 20 inch barrel.

In my 22" 1895 CB I am getting close to 2,000 FPS with both Hard-cast and jacketed 400 gr bullets.

Plenty for anything in NA. Still a bit anemic for elephant work IMHO. Particularly a frontal shot on a big bull. I'd like more weight 450 or 500 gr @ something over 2,000 FPS. I'm guessing that you can use those super bullets in a .458 WM or a Lott?

Surestrike:

Remember now, that back in the day the 450/400 was the all around gun in Africa with 400 grain bullets at 2050 fps.