450 Bushmaster vs 45-70: Which Hard-Hitting Cartridge is Best?

 I shoot a .45 cause they don’t make a .46! Okay, not really. In real life, I shoot lots of calibers, but there is no denying the magic of a .45 caliber projectile. Specifically, a .45 caliber projectile loaded into a rifle round. Handgun rounds are handgun rounds, but when it comes to rifle rounds, you know what you’re getting into with a .45 caliber rifle. 

Any .45 caliber rifle round is promising hard-hitting power, and that’s just one of those universal rules. That’s certainly true today as we look at the .450 Bushmaster and the .45-70. In many ways, we are looking at two rounds with the same purpose from a different era. 

The .450 Bushmaster is like the great grandchild of the .45-70, so it’s only right we take some time to dissect the two cartridges and what they offer. Let’s dig in and discuss the two cartridges and figure out which might work best for you. 

The two have plenty in common. Both are great big bullets that both use .45 caliber projectiles. To be fair, the projectiles are not interchangeable due to some slight size differences, but overall, they are roughly the same size. Both are capable of big game rounds and are some serious thumpers. 

While they have plenty in common, a lot of factors divide the two. 

.45-70 History

The .45-70 is an ancient round by now. It was first fielded in 1873, as cartridge firearms became the standard for military arms. The .45-70 served the US Army from 1873 until 1892, primarily in the famed Trapdoor Springfield. The .45 is a designation for the size of the projectile, and the 70 represents 70 grains of black powder. 

The .45-70 quickly gained a lot of steam and became a legendary military cartridge known for its accuracy and power. The cartridge became popular outside of the military and quickly became a round used by the everyday Joe for hunting, defending the ranch and more. Even after its military service ended the .45-70 became an extremely popular cartridge. 

To this day, it’s used in numerous rifle platforms and is still used for hunting. There aren’t many cartridges from the 1800s still kicking around, but the .45-70 still has some serious popularity amongst lever gun aficionados. 

.45-70 Best Deals

.450 Bushmaster History

The .450 Bushmaster is a good bit younger than the .45-70. It came to be in 2007 and started production around 2009. A lot of people were trying to introduce new AR cartridges and this was one of them. The .450 Bushmaster descends from Tim LeGendre’s .45 Professional cartridge. Hornady and Bushmaster licensed the cartridge to develop an AR-15-friendly big-bore, straight-walled thumper. 

The .450 Bushmaster and the .45 Professional were both inspired by Jeff Cooper’s Thumper concept. Specifically, a cartridge designed to drop a big animal and be fired from a semi-automatic rifle within 200 yards. The Bushmaster had the added effect of being a straight-walled design, which allows it to be used in several states where calibers are restricted to straight-walled designs. 

The .450 Bushmaster remains a popular hunting round and big-bore AR option to this day.

.450 Bushmaster Best Deals

The Smokeless Dilemma

 It bears mentioning that the .45-70 was initially loaded for black powder rifles. Times change, and powders change. This is true with the .45-70, which produced smokeless variants, and companies have continued to increase its power and potential. Comparing the original .45-70 to the .450 Bushmaster is not an accurate comparison. 

There are three distinct loads for the .45-70. The lowest-pressure round is designed for the original and reproduction trapdoor carbines, the second is loaded for more modern lever-action rifles, and the last is designed for sturdy, modern single-shot rifles like the Ruger No. 1. We’ll be sticking to comparing the .450 Bushmaster with the more modern .45-70 loads. 

Projectile Differences 

First, the .450 Bushmaster actually uses a .452 caliber cartridge. The .45-70 uses a .458 caliber projectile. This is a slight difference, but one that’s noticeable. The .450 Bushmaster has lighter-weight bullets overall; they range from 245 to 300 grains. The .45-70 packs 250 grains at its lightest round and up to 500 grains with the heaviest loads. 

The .450 Bushmaster uses the .452 cartridge because the lower velocities of the round wouldn’t allow for the expansion of a .458 caliber projectile. The lower velocities were necessary to ensure the round could be fired from an AR-15. The .45-70 was designed for a big single-shot rifle and didn’t have those issues. 

Case Differences

The .450 Bushmaster is shorter and has less case capacity, but the differences are minor. The main difference is the design. The .450 Bushmaster uses a straight-walled cartridge. This means it’s the same diameter from top ot bottom. The .45-70 is a tapered case design, and the diameter shrinks as it gets to the projectile. 

Why does this matter? Several states will only allow people to hunt with straight-walled cartridges. This is typically driven by concerns of population density, hunters missing, and the rounds traveling great distances. A straight-walled cartridge doesn’t have that issue and tends to have a shorter range. This means the .450 Bushmaster can be used in more states than the .45-70. 

Knockdown, Drag Out, Power 

These two rounds are thumpers. They are made to hit hard up close. They break bone, cut through muscle and fat, and reach the vitals of everything from elk to bear and beyond. Both rounds do that job well, but which one does it better? 

The nod has to go to the .45-70. The ability to use bigger, heavier bullets gives the round more foot-pounds of energy and more of that brutal, bone-breaking impact. The .45-70 dropped buffalo quite well and can drop most other critters in North America and beyond. 

With that said, that’s only measuring one shot. With the .450 Bushmaster’s tendency to be chambered in semi-automatic platforms, it offers rapid follow-up shots, and one hard shot is great, but two hard shots are better. So is three, four, and up to seven with the right magazine. 

Range 

In the modern era, neither of these is a long-range cartridge. The .45-70 used to be a long-range cartridge and certainly could be today, but boy, you need to understand a lot about bullet drop and windage. The .45-70 was best used as a long-range cartridge with the Army. They used mass firing formations, and it’s easy to hit something when you’re firing a few dozen projectiles at once. 

Ultimately, neither round has a great maximum point-blank range. The cartridges start dropping very quickly and losing energy reasonably fast. The .45-70 has a longer effective range with more wind resistance. The .450 Bushmaster excels at 200 yards, and the .45-70 can reach out a bit further than that and hit targets with plenty of power. 

The .45-70 is best used by a true rifleman. Someone willing to take the time to learn the cartridge and its tendency to drop quickly takes time and effort and changes a lot depending on the weight of the projectile. 

Recoil 

The loads between the calibers will vary in recoil. There are .45-70 rounds that recoil less than .450 Bushmaster cartridges and vice versa. Let’s focus on the averages. The .450 Bushmaster recoils less than the .45-70 most of the time. The lighter loads and energy provided by the .450 Bushmaster deliver less recoil. 

Not only that but when you toss it in a gas-operated AR, the recoil is cut even more. The heavier loads of the .45-70 result in a lot of shoulder-thumping power. Throw a hefty 500-grain round in a lightweight lever gun, and you’ll feel your jaw shudder and shake. 

In contrast, the .450 Bushmaster is a bit like a 20-gauge shotgun. Stiff, stout, but not mean. 

Price and Availability 

The .450 Bushmaster will be the cheaper round and rifle choice. A lot of companies make .450 Bushmaster rifles, especially in the AR realm. There are AR pistols and rifles in numerous configurations, with budget companies like BCA producing super cheap platforms. The .450 Bushmaster also comes in bolt action rifle paltforms, including budget guns like the Ruger American series. You look hard enough to can find single shots too. 

The .45-70, on the other hand, is limited to very expensive rifles. I don’t think a cheap .45-70 rifle exists. The current market offers you both single and double-barrel rifles, with double barrels being a bit rare. In terms of repeaters, there are lever-action rifles. Years ago, someone made an AR-10 in .45-70, but it’s the only one I ever saw in production. 

Ammo-wise, the .450 Bushmaster and .45-70 are roughly the same price. There are some pricier .45-70 loads, but most of the time, you’re stuck paying two dollars a round for both calibers. When you factor in the rifle and the fact you can use ARs, the .450 Bushmaster gets you in the big bore door a lot easier. 

The Big Boys 

The .450 Bushmaster is a natural descendant of the .45-70. Time will tell if it will have the staying power of the .45-70. The old man has been around for so long for a reason, and it isn’t nostalgia. These hefty, big-bore Buffalo stoppers are mighty powerful and serve a similar purpose. I want a .45-70, but I’ll probably go with the .450 Bushmaster due to rifle cost and more modern options. 

What about you? Let us know below!

Additional Accessories For Ammo

Ammo Belt Cartridge Shell Belt Holder		See on Amazon
Elastic Ammo Sleeve Shotgun Shell Holder Buttstock Rifle Cartridge Carrier		See on Amazon
Magazine 450 Bushmaster Magazine		See on Gun.Deals