Josh Wayner builds a .450 Bushmaster AR-15 Hunting rifle from off-the-shelf parts, but the build runs into trouble. Keep reading this series & see what the issues are and how they can be resolved. (Experienced gunsmiths should check all modifications to rifle parts before use, and AmmoLand News does not recommend you try this build at home, this article series is for educational purposes only.)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI USA- The .450 Bushmaster is a unique case in today’s hunting and shooting world, literally and figuratively.
In this article, I will be building an AR-15 with the help of my good friends at Brownell’s. I will delve into some of the good, the bad, and the ugly as far as this cartridge is concerned, and I’ll show you how to make a gun that shoots well.
One of the most interesting parts of the .450 BM is that it is a really terrible cartridge in almost every sense of the word. It is large and heavy, despite being designed around lightweight semiautomatic rifles, is relatively slow, has a rebated .308 size case head, and has a somewhat undefined performance spectrum. The cartridges use magnum pistol powder, small rifle primers, and .452” bullets. Nothing about this cartridge seemed destined for success, especially with the known issues it has in most AR mags (a topic so maddening that I have devoted an entire upcoming article to it).
Certainly, the .458 SOCOM and other big-bore rounds would be better, right? I think so, but hunting laws don’t really care about what this writer thinks.
For all the strange attributes this cartridge has, it is rapidly growing in popularity. It is fast becoming a favored round in states that prohibit bottlenecked cases, such as my home state of Michigan. No other cartridge out there really offers the same power, versatility, and legality of the .450 BM. It wasn’t what the law was written for, but if the shoe fits…
An interesting point in this conversation is that the .450 is drifting away from semiautomatics somewhat. It is a straightforward conversion for a .308 bolt action rifle, as all that is required is a barrel change. Most modern .308 rifles have AICS compatibility, such as the Ruger Gunsite Scout, and the .450 fits and feeds easily in .308 magazines. The growing trend in bolt actions has overshadowed what good is coming out in the Semiauto game, and that isn’t fair considering what is available now, especially from Brownell’s. While reading this article, you will notice that there are Brownell’s product codes next to the parts so that you can see what I used to build this excellent rifle.
The center of the build here is Brownell’s amazing barrel, bolt, and muzzle brake set (Brownells 450 Bushmaster 16″ Barrel for Carbine Gas System: 080-001-361WB). I decided on this barrel set because it has everything I needed to make the gun a .450 BM. Unlike the very popular .300 Blackout, which is only a barrel change away from a standard 5.56mm AR, the .450 needs a different bolt with a face that has been opened up significantly. The Brownell’s set makes this easy, and you won’t have to worry about picking the wrong parts. The barrel is 16” long, features a 1:14” twist rate, and is threaded 11/16-24. The muzzle brake that comes with the set is very effective and looks great.
Continuing with the upper receiver, I decided to go an unusual route and went for an Aero Precision model with no forward assist (AERO Precision AR-15 Stripped Upper: 100-014-637WB).(Editors NOTE: the ejection port on the stock Aero upper part listed here does not accommodate big bore cartridges without gunsmith modifications, proceed at your own risk.)
Why didn’t I go with a ‘big bore’ upper that already has the ejection port opened up for the larger .450 cases?
I decided to do this the old-fashioned way in much the same way that a hobby builder would go about it. People tend to treat this gunsmithing stuff like witchcraft, but in reality, it is easy and takes only a few minutes with a Dremel Tool. I figured that many people would be unaware of ‘big bore’ uppers and would buy a standard one. I modified this one quickly in about a half hour. Not much material needs to be removed.
Inside the upper, I opted for the Brownell’s mil-spec M16 bolt carrier group (078-000-250WB) and the Brownell’s AR-15 charging handle (078-101-153WB). These were simple additions and I knew that they worked well. The charging handles on my other guns tend to be larger and stick out more. I wanted something slimmer and less likely to catch while out hunting.
The following two items I used to finish the upper were from Midwest Industries. Due to height considerations and not wanting the gas tube to be bent going into the receiver, I picked the Low Profile gas block (100-002-854WB). Using an AR-10 gas block will make the tube sit too high in relation to the upper receiver. The handguard I settled on is the brand-new Midwest Industries Combat Handguard (100-030-229WB). This is an awesome handguard, fits tight, and is very, very lightweight. Also from Midwest Industries was the bipod adaptor that I used to fit the Harris BRM (416-005-100WB).
Moving down to the lower receiver, you will notice that there isn’t much difference from a standard 5.56mm lower. I decided to go old school and picked Brownell’s M16 A1 lower receiver (080-001-304WB). This is a nice, cool lower that is close in detail to the classic military original. The small parts of the receiver came in one kit from Geissele. This kit contains everything you need to finish a lower except the trigger, which also came from Geissele. The GS2 two-stage trigger (100-011-673WB) is a must-have on any hunting AR rifle. This is a fantastic trigger that feels great and breaks like glass. I love it, and it makes shooting this powerful rifle very controllable.
The trigger guard I selected is the Brownell’s Billet 7075 (078-101-164WB), and it is great for shooting with gloved hands. The stock I decided on was the Magpul UBR 2.0 in OD Green (100-018-763WB). This is a great stock and allows for the perfect cheek weld while at the same time being very adjustable. Michigan’s hunting season is long, and the weather varies, so I like having an adjustable stock that is as solid as a fixed one. To match, I went with the Magpul K2 grip in OD (100-011-681WB), as I like my grip angle a bit steeper than a regular mil-spec fixture. I used the awesome Geissele Super 42 Braided Wire spring and buffer (100-020-750WB) to finish the lower.
Assembling the rifle was pretty straightforward for an AR. I had to do minor hand-fitting around the gas block and the ejection port. These took me only a little while and could be easily accomplished by a novice.
With the gun assembled, I took it to the range and immediately ran into problems. The rifle wouldn’t feed or eject!
I began looking into this problem and discovered that it was the magazines that were causing the issue for the most part. My odyssey into .450 Bushmaster magazines will be a complete article by itself, as will the trials and problems I had with .450 BM ammo. I wish I could say that everything went well, but there isn’t much knowledge about the .450 out there, and my problems and how I solved them will undoubtedly help you during your build. I will be covering how this gun shoots in an upcoming article.
I ended up getting the rifle to work and cycle properly, but there were long hours of toil in the process. The rifle build I completed with Brownell’s was fun and a bit of a challenge. The pairing of the .450 and the AR-15 goes back to the roots of the cartridge, but it is still not a great round for the AR platform in my mind. It is, however, fast becoming one of the most popular hunting cartridges around.
Stay tuned for the rest of this article series, where I will discuss modifying magazines, and other great .450 BM rifles, troubleshooting ammunition, and accurizing the semiautomatic .450 rifle.
The rifle parts I used for this article can be found at www.brownells.com
**All modifications to rifle parts should be checked by experienced gunsmiths before use, and AmmoLand News does not recommend you try this build at home, this article series is for educational purposes only.**
Live Inventory Price Checker
Federal Power-Shok 450 Bushmaster Ammo Brownells.com $ 55.99 Hornady Black .450 Bushmaster Ammo 250gr Flex Tip 20 Rounds GunMag Warehouse $ 49.99 $ 36.99 Federal Fusion 260 gr Soft Point .450 Bushmaster Ammo, 20/box - F450BMFS1 Palmetto State Armory $ 65.79 $ 46.99 Federal Fusion 260 gr Soft Point .450 Bushmaster Ammo, 20/box - F450BMFS1 Palmetto State Armory $ 65.79 $ 46.99
About Josh Wayner
Josh Wayner has been writing in the gun industry for five years. He is an active competition shooter with 14 medals from Camp Perry. In addition to firearms-related work, Josh enjoys working with animals and researching conservation projects in his home state of Michigan.
The assembled 450 Bushmaster guns came with 5 round metal mags with a differently shaped follower. Stick with straight metal mags, and you will limit your problems.
And if you BIG BORE Boys & Girls want to see something really cool check out Tim Legendre 500 S&W AR-15 you tube video.
I built a 450B over 10 years ago with a 20″ barrel and haven’t looked back since. I use 20 round GI mags with the blue single stack follower which gives me 5 rounds for hunting. It shoots under MOA with factory ammo or handloads with a Prostaff 2×7 and has accounted for 11 deer that never took more than 4 steps at ranges from 40 to 120 yards. Lately I’ve been loading 200 gr Hornady FTX bullets for the 460 S&W, my Croney has them in excess of 2500 fps right now, can’t wait to try them out next… Read more »
It says he used a mil-spec M16 bolt carrier group from Brownells. The 450 BM needs a bigger bolt. Which did he use & where did he get it???
You can get 450 bolts any number of places, Brownell’s, Midway, ect. and almost any barrel maker can provide you with one and yes, the bolt face needs to be opened up to 308 Winchester size (.473). I love my 450 and built it from pieces, if you have any questions there are videos on YouTube.
Just for anyone’s info I have had the best luck with magazine’s using military 20 & 30 rounders with the single stack, blue follower. 20’s hold 5 rounds and 30’s hold 9 rounds, they operate without a hitch ……
Selected the 450 Bushmaster over the others mentioned. Have not experienced any of the issues the author describes. My initial build used a polymer lower. It flexed and accuracy suffered. Replaced it with an Anderson lower and accuracy improved considerably. I stuck with production Stoner metal magazines. They are reliable and have not experience any of the problems expressed by the author. Using Lil Gun powder and Hornady 250 grain bullets I am getting roughly 2200 feet per second out of the 20 inch barrel. That is not shabby for that BUFF bullet. Dropped a 200 lb hog in Texas… Read more »
Standard steel 556 mags work the best. The lips need to be strong enough to hold the rounds. I run 9 rounds consistently in a standard 30rd steel mag.
Original follower, or a swapped follower?
*I’m going even bigger before I get a 450 though. 45 Raptor, in an AR308 receiver set. (I already have a barrel, magazine, and brass on order, for Iowa straight wall deer season.)
For anyone not familiar, the 45 Raptor is a rimless 460 S&W Magnum, made from 308 Winchester brass.
I live in lower Michigan and started building AR’s a couple years ago and finally built my own 450 for use last year. The only mag problem l ever had was with a Bushmaster 450 mag, wouldn’t feed, I now only buy AR Stoner 450 mags from MidwayUSA, have never had a problem with them. I’ve built several 450 uppers and rifles and those mags always work. Also, the side charger upper from Bear Creek Arsenal, if you’re into that, does not need the ejection port opened. I also like a 20″ barrel, shoots flatter with the added velocity. For… Read more »
I used a 450 upper on a S&W lower, with a1to 5 power scope and after market trigger, 3lbs. Shot real nice and accurate. Killed a buck strolllng past my stand and a runner at 90, yards. Never took the scope 1 power.
ivegota 458 SOCOM, works great, no problems, love it…JimP.
That’s a big ass scope for 450 BM.
Can you guys provide a link to the blue single stack followers please? I’m not having any luck finding them.
I think this is what you want, from Fulton Armory. Maybe someone else can confirm this is the part.
http://www.fulton-armory.com/magazinefollowersingleloadsnap-inplastic.aspx
How much did this cost?
Total cost : $1,383.74 before 10% discount and free shipping by using the code. Good luck!
I get the feeling that Josh(The Author) must live in Lower Michigan. In the mid to upper part of the lower Peninsula and the Upper, it is legal to use bottle neck cartridges in rifles and has been for over a century. However, yes, the laws of Southern, particularly relating to Detroit, Lansing, and Flint has been much like its southern Neighbor Ohio up until 2016. Now both states allow for straightwalled cartridges in what used to be Shotgun only zones. The irony behind these idiot laws however is that while they mandate these regulations for deer because a rifle… Read more »
Uhhh yeah bottlenecks are legal in the lower peninsula rifle zone unless you’re using a Pistol. I’m not familiar with the shotgun zone however, can’t speak on that one i suppose
Lmao
Heh, 450BM and 458Socom are both PITA for mags. I’ve built both with both Tromix parts and non-Tromix parts. I say ‘non-Tromix’ parts as the best builds I’ve done have been with Tromix parts (least fuss and fixing). In all cases some amount of magazine lip adjustments (flaring) had to be done, otherwise the rounds would just jam themselves halfway up the (modified) feed ramp (on all builds). Lancer mags and my old mag-lip tool were the key to getting that resolved. Had issues on two builds with the carrier outrunning the magazine (carrier cycling faster than the next round… Read more »
With the .450 and .458 SOCOM gaining popularity these little nuances will get identified and solved. Spme soft Magazines flex / bulge and I have had them get stuck in the gun as well. Also pay close attention to the nose shape as the more flat the tip the more likely it is to catch on the magazine, when trying to feed, if it does not have a small cut out. Nickel Boron NiB-X makes a big difference on the functionality and clean up of these specialty bolts.
Have had lots of problems with polymer mags in my 5.56. Am replacing them with Metal mags. Given the amount of force required to load the 450 Bush, I can see where that would be a problem
@Bob Gray
While I do not have a 450 Bushmaster(My brother does, and I’m too stubborn to give up my 444 Marlin), I can tell you that I have found CPD Mags to be completely reliable, and they utilize the Anti Tilt followers. They have Aluminum which is cheaper, but also 400 series stainless steel Mags that are the best Metal Magazines out there. Both are offered in 10 and 30 round configurations.
I have had complete reliability in my AR with them. Zero Failures since I started using them in 2016.
I just used a 450 Bush to take a cow elk. She dropped in an instance. The only problem I had was the plastic magazines would not keep the rounds inside. I like only load one or two. Otherwise they would pop out too easily! I’m going to try metal mags. Anyone have the problem and solve it?
GI 20 round mags hold 5 rounds for hunting and you can buy blue single stack follower adaptors that pop right in on top of the GI follower. I built 2 450 for hunting in the woods of NY and we both have never had any problems with those.
This article is misleading. It says that bottleneck cases are illegal in Michigan. They are not! There is a limitation in the heavily populated part of the state (roughly bottom third). There is a limit on the size magazine for the whole state.. I don’t believe only putting the required # of rounds in a magazine that will hold more is legal, but I’ve not been able to hunt for a couple of decades (left arm has limited mobility and strength) so my information may be a bit out of date. With proper management our deer herd has grown tremendously… Read more »
The 450B can be finicky as mentioned. A heavy buffer will help reduce recoil & slow down the BCG so the mag can catch up & a heavier recoil spring helps my friends 11 year old girl with accuracy. A good ol friend Tim Legender in Michigun yes Michigun developed this outstanding accurate cartridge, originally called the 45 Professional. He sold it to Bushmaster under their conditions of the rename change. I shoot 5″ groups with a 11.5″ Franklin Armory barrel @ 220yds.with factory 250FTX consistently with a 4-12X scope. I cut my group size & trajectory in half by… Read more »
Last year I converted some my AR15′ to AR47 using new upper, BCG and C-Products mags. For hunting I use US made soft point ammo with 5 rd mags. Blowing over a 250 lb running wild boar with one shot made a believer out of me. Not to mention the other 170 lb hog. For fooling around I use Russian FMJ ammo that costs $190 per 1000. By buying a dedicated BCG with a “enhanced” firing pin I’ve have zero issues to dated. Why invite problems when the 7.62×39 will knock down any N. American game ?
The metal mags will work better.I use a 10 round mag and only put in 5 rounds.
I like to build one how do I go by getting all the parts.
Follow all the links in the article to find parts.
If you have a 308 Savage bolt action rifle you can build a 45 Raptor cheap just by swapping barrels yourself. There are a couple builds on YouTube explaining how to do it and how easy it is. Because those actions use a barrel nut to set headspace all you really need is a set of “Go – No Go” gauges.