what's the most affordable rifles i could get in 450NE? a single shot would be fine and i wish i could get a ruger number 1 in this cartridge somehow. would it be expensive to get a number1 rebarreled to 450ne? i don't even have very much money to spend at all right now but i can save up for it.

The handi-rifle would be your cheapest route. Though if you look on gun broker you might find a #1 chambered in 450 NE in their Boddington series.

Pez,

You can also look for a Ruger #1 .45-70, and have it rechambered.

George

The barrel would need to be set back for the rim thickness with a 45-70. IF there is enough meat on the sidewalls.

I have a #1 that was a 458 WM and was just rechambered. It'll clean up the 458 chamber but just barely. You can find 458 #1's fairly easily.

I have a Boddington in .450 N.E. and I had a #1 in .45/70 that I had rechambered to .45/120 (which is capable of about the same velocities as the former).

I found the .45/120 too light to comfortably shoot (it being a lighter gun than the Boddington/Tropical). In fact, the Boddington will really get your attention in .450 N.E. with the factory recoil pad. I had an aftermarket Kickeze installed and now don't cry before or after I shoot something.

I paid less than $1000 for the Boddington (new)but looked almost a year at various auctions before I found one, btw. I've seen them available occasionally for about $1300 on GunBroker and GunsInternation.

I really enjoy the fact that you can shoot reduced loads in the .450 N.E. and yet still have an elephant capable rifle with factory ammo. Right now I have developed a load with 450 grain Barnes TSX's and another combination that's almost 350 fps faster with 300 grain TTSX's which (quite fortunately) shoots 2.5" higher than the former . Dang, a .45 caliber rifle that is a 250 yard capable shooter. I don't even have to fool with the 1.5-5 Leupold when I change ammo. One zeroed in for a buffalo someday and the lighter bullets for hogs and an occasional deer out to as far as my old eyes can see.

Get one... you'll enjoy it.

I fell in love with a Rigby made Farquharson in 450 NE
It was a long barrel and heavy around 11 lbs so pleasant to shoot but was a beauty to hold and behold. When I am old I want one just like it and a shooting table attached to my Rascal scooter. I'll see if I can find pics of it. I would want a faster twist than the 45-70 to handle 500 grain bullets say 1 in 12.
If I wanted more power out of a rechambered 45-70 Ruger #1 I would go with the 45-90 with a throat capable of using normal 458 rifle bullets. High pressure loads with Starline brass should be around factory 450 NE loads and still use factory 45-70 ammo for most everything. Just a cheap neck/throat chambering for max oomph and smallest investment.

I also had one of the Boddingtons and it had a lighter barrel than the Tropical FWIW. I added lead to the stock of the tropical to help with the balance and recoil.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
Pez,

You can also look for a Ruger #1 .45-70, and have it rechambered.

George

Seems to me it would be rather light for full house loads. .458 Winnie a batter option in my opinion

Here is a Ruger Tropical barrel profile on a stainless .458 Lott rechambered to 450 NE 3-1/4" Thin Rim,
granddaddy of all Nitro Express cartridges, 1898.
The scope and rings on this one have since been spray painted flat black.
Maybe I need to do the same to all the metal on the rifle too?

The Ruger No.1 and lowest set of Ruger Rings allows for excellent position of a tiny 2.5X Leupold scope.
Learn to get used to the field of view offered by positioning the scope as far forward as possible.
This adequately clears the loading port and your forehead.
Or use the open sights, or a peep from NECG with the largest aperature you can find or make for it.
The Ruger type is the best of all offered by NECG.



Rusty McGee, Gunsmith did this simple rechamber and rework of the extractor/ejector and beveled the forward edge of the safety button.






Rusty also put brass pins (crossbolts) through the stock grip behind the tang, as I asked him to do something to reinforce the laminate stock.



Good-grained walnut might be stronger than a laminate at that point. Laminates may split through the long axis of a lamination.
Bell&Carlson make a nice synthetic stock set for the Ruger No.1.

The 450NE reamer does just barely clean up a .458 WinMag and a .458 Lott chamber.
I consider the rimmed 450 NE a better cartridge than the .458 Lott in a Ruger No.1.
You can load the 450 NE plenty hot in a Ruger No.1, as the brass and your shoulder are the limits.

45-70 Ruger No.1 has a 1:20" twist and may have a barrel too light for comfort.
.458 WinMag and Lott have 1:14" twist barrels and good weight for this easy conversion.

Here is another "customized" Ruger No.1 in a Nitro Express chambering:



That one is a 400/.395 Nitro Express 3-Inch "Aboriginal."
Ol' Betsy next to it was also built by Rusty McGee, Gunsmith, in the school of John P. Beck, Pennsylvania, late 1700's.
She is a "Tick Licker" and pretty to boot.
So is the 400/.395NE Ruger No.1, called "Elvira."