Bushmaster .450

[ihopewewin]

I recently turned 18 on the 15th, and to celebrate this I decided to buy a rifle. Ive been thinking long and hard about which rifle to get and ive come to the conclusion that I want an AR15. Ive shot my friends in .223 and I think the caliber is a bit small for my choosing and so ive done some looking around and found the bushmaster .450. I love the appearance of the gun and shooting a .45 caliber bullet out of an ar15 sounds like itd be a ton of fun. I'm still not 100% set on this rifle so i'm here for you guys to talk me into/out of buying this rifle. Any opinions are welcome and id love to hear from someone that owns one. Also another consideration is optics ive read that it's good up to 200yards but can a scope withstand the recoil without having to be rezero'd all the time? Thanks for any recomendations. This rifle will mostly be used to shoot holes in paper but it's also a SHTF weapon if need be. Who knows a hurricane might turn Orlando into a Katrina situation one day.

 

[gvnwst]

Do you reload? Any way you cut it, IMO the .458 SOCOM is a better cartridge, uses more commen .458" bullets vs .452" (pistol type) and the brass is just about as hard to find. Lots more companies behind it too. (although none as large as Hornady)

 

[lipadj46]

This is going to be your only real rifle correct? Sounds like an expensive beast to feed. Unless you have large mounds of disposable income you will need to learn to reload if that rifle is going to be used much. I would suggest getting a .223 AR of your liking and then save for the .450 upper. That way you can target shoot without feeling like you are watching the meter run with every pull of the trigger.

 

[ihopewewin]

The only other firearm I currently own is a rem 870 for HD. I don't currently reload but it may become an option later on when I actually go shooting enough for it to actually profit. Buying a .223 and saving for the upper is an option. While we're talking about .223 ARs whats about the max range for one? Would be pretty cool to take targets out at 200yards + I could get a .223 and spend the extra cash on a decent scope.

 

[gvnwst]

While we're talking about .223 ARs whats about the max range for one? Would be pretty cool to take targets out at 200yards + I could get a .223 and spend the extra cash on a decent scope.

Right barrel, and 90gr VLD bullets, out to 1,000yd. 200yd is easy. With my .223 AR, i CAN get sub MOA at that range. (note, i do have a match grade setup) They are great, with no recoil to speak of, and very accurate. And cheap, compared to other calibers. Espically compared to the .45 cal rounds for the AR.

 

[ihopewewin]

I guess I have a lot more research to do but there's just so many different parts, calibers, etc. for ARs the reading is endless. Thanks for the suggestions keep 'em coming.

 

[hank327]

They shoot 1000 meter Service Rifle matches at Camp Perry with AR-15s in 5.56 mm (223) along with 30-06 and 7.62 X 51 mm in M1 Garands and M-14/M1As respectively.

I don't know a thing about a 45 caliber AR, but I'm sure the ammo will be much more expensive than 223.

 

[lipadj46]

The only other firearm I currently own is a rem 870 for HD

With a 12 gauge slug gun the .450 gets a bit redundant. I would definitely consider the .223 for a proper HP target rifle or even an AR10 in .308 if you want a bit more oomph.

 

[benzy2]

If you want an AR, more power than the .223, and not quite stepping up to the AR 10 you could always get an AR15 in 7.62x39. Kinda gives you the best of both worlds. Ammo is much more available and affordable than .450 and has more energy than the .223. Just tossing it out there. I have thought a few times about an AR 10 but can't justify it personally.

 

[TIMC]

All depends on your ammo budget and what you you want to do with the rifle. For hunting and target shooting I would agree with the AR-10, .308 makes a fine hunting round. For a fun thumper I would say the .50 Beowulf. The Beowulf upper will fit on a standard AR-15 lower so you can shoot .223 by just changing the upper and you can say I own a .50 cal rifle. The only draw back is now is not a good time for anything AR. Prices are rediculous and availability if the evil black rifles and ammo can be hard to find. Good luck in your quest.