Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .450 Bushmaster with .451 | 250gr | Barnes TTSX BT bullet and 6 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, Vihtavuori N110 and SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 92% | 33,953 psi | 87% | 2113 fps | 99.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,002 psi | 56% | 1247 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,417 psi | 85% | 1936 fps | 98.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,784 psi | 53% | 1273 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,556 psi | 68% | 1831 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,982 psi | 84% | 1998 fps | 98.9% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | 28.3 gr | 80% | 22,495 psi | 57% | 1870 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,708 psi | 40% | 1112 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,963 psi | 71% | 1831 fps | 96.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,011 psi | 38% | 1138 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 24.6 gr | 88% | 19,421 psi | 50% | 1654 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 25.1 gr | 86% | 21,799 psi | 56% | 1768 fps | 95.1% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 9 powders for .450 Bushmaster loaded with the .451 | 250gr | Barnes TTSX BT. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,113 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,247 fps to 2,113 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 9 of the 9 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 53–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Lovex S053, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Hodgdon LilGun, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .450 Bushmaster with the .451 | 250gr | Barnes TTSX BT they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 11 FS, ADI AR 2205, Lovex S053 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Hodgdon TrailBoss stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.