I picked up my Browning BLR in 450 Marlin this afternoon. It is a super looking gun. I will load up twenty rounds this weekend and let you know how it shoots.

You'll LOVE it!!!!!! and won't be disappointed...I don't understand why it was discontinued in the Marlin.

I punched out the pins that hold the alum stop block on one mag and milled off ~0.070"...just above the pin hole without cutting into it...now that mag can handle ~2.68" COL...I have two others for standard length or to play with.

350gr Hornady FP at 2.61" COL just barely hit the cann at a trim length of 2.085" but hit the last grease groove just perfect with the TrueShot 435gr hard cast at a COL of 2.65" and feed perfect and the same with the 500 gr hard cast I picked up at a gun show.

AA2230, 2460, 2495 are the best performers for me..along with Benchmark, RL7 - RL10, H322, H4198, 3031 and AA2015...depending on bullet weight and how far you want to push.

AA2230 and AA2460 both produced the highest velocity, accuracy and case life in my SMLE 458 American at 3.03" COL and 45KCUP pressure, and I think those will do the best in the 450M also.

The BLR is good for 65KPSI and so is the case so you can get some pretty amazing velocities with a little finessing with the right powder, bullet and COL's...or not...whatever your heart desires.

My cases average 78gr H2O at 2.085" trim length and 45-70 RP cases at 2.09 run 79gr H20, so there is plenty of reloading data for every bullet weight you might want.

I've hit well over published 350,400 and 500gr(using 45-70 data) velocities at 2.65" COL's with several powders with case expansion running 0.0005" to 0.001", no flattened primers, EZ extraction, very little trimming ~0.001-2" per firing...just checking velo's as I run up the powder amounts...one case reloaded 25 times and still going.

A totally pleasant and enjoyable toy to play with.

Luck

Foobar:

I think it got discontinued in the Marlin because the majority of 450 Marlin sales were going to Browning. IMHO the BLR is a much better platform for the 450 Marlin because, as you indicated, it will withstand bolt rifle pressure.

I picked up a few .458 400 grain Belt Mountain Punch Bullets to try. I am going to send some down to Michael to test so watch the terminal bullet performance thread for the results. I think they are superb lever action solids and put the 45-70 and 450 Marlin in the Africa class or rifles. If you PM me with your address, I will send you several as well. The Barnes Busters are superb bullets as well.

I can never figure out the why's and wherefore's of ANY gunmakers decision making process...the results never seem to fit the circumstances or real life.

Thanks for the offer, Dave, I appreciate it but I will never go after anything with skin so thick a hard cast or "common" jacketed bullet won't zip right through. The Barnes Buster is an interesting bullet tho' and I always thought the 450gr TSX would be a good one outside a mag tube platform but never had a need for them so I never worked up any loads.

In this day and age with the problems associated with hunting in Africa and no desire to shoot something as large and magnificent as an elephant, the only place I would go is to Australia and barring wining the Lotto, that won't happen either...too many days too short, too few dollars too boot...life is not so pretty sometimes.

Besides the bison around my area are like cattle and I couldn't, in good conscience...OR for the price, shoot one of them...that isn't my idea of "hunting" or sport.

Luck

Just got back from the range. It seems to me that the BLR produces much less "felt recoil" than the Marlin or maybe it's just the fact that the BLR has a much better recoil pad. I was shooting 350 grain Hornady bullets. They shoot well but I need to adjust the sights a bit as it was shooting about two inches right at 25 meters. I am going to run some other bullets through it before I start tinkering with the iron sights. Great gun!

Went to the range yesterday afternoon. Damn, it was hot. Got the windage adjusted on the BLR, Now, load development starts. I have been shooting 350 grain Hornadys but now, I am going to try some 400 grain Speers and some 400 grain Barnes Busters.

While it is too bad that Marlin discontinued the 450 Marlin, this cartridge is way better suited to the Browning BLR anyway. The Browning can take much, much higher pressures. Since it has a clip, the Browning won't really work well with the rimmed 45-70 so the 450 Marlin is really a natural in the Browning. This should have been caller the 450 BLR in the first place.

I really like the 400g Speers...

But the 350 Horn are nice.

I would like to see a bonded version. of either...

Awesome pint sized thumper. I'd get one myself if I lived in Alaska. Still might

quote:

Originally posted by temmi:
I really like the 400g Speers...

But the 350 Horn are nice.

I would like to see a bonded version. of either...

Both Swift and Woodleigh make bonded core bullets in this caliber but with the Buster and the Belt Mountain Punch Bullets available, you just don't need anything else.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by temmi:
I really like the 400g Speers...

But the 350 Horn are nice.

I would like to see a bonded version. of either...

Both Swift and Woodleigh make bonded core bullets in this caliber but with the Buster and the Belt Mountain Punch Bullets available, you just don't need anything else.

Thanks