Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .450 Bushmaster with .451 | 250gr | Nosler Sporting Handgun bullet and 8 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Lovex S053, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,244 psi | 90% | 2185 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,026 psi | 87% | 2093 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,707 psi | 86% | 2254 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,236 psi | 62% | 1398 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,041 psi | 89% | 2208 fps | 97.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,090 psi | 59% | 1427 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,490 psi | 88% | 2119 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,925 psi | 89% | 2185 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,054 psi | 84% | 2146 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,268 psi | 72% | 1978 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,169 psi | 80% | 2208 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,202 psi | 44% | 1247 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 37.2 gr | 90% | 27,557 psi | 70% | 2057 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,505 psi | 42% | 1276 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 30.3 gr | 80% | 19,740 psi | 50% | 1804 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 31.6 gr | 80% | 24,062 psi | 61% | 1965 fps | 98.7% |
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 17 powders for .450 Bushmaster loaded with the .451 | 250gr | Nosler Sporting Handgun. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,254 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,398 fps to 2,254 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 17 of the 17 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. ADI AR 2207, Hodgdon TrailBoss, 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. Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .450 Bushmaster with the .451 | 250gr | Nosler Sporting Handgun they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AR 2207, IMR 4227, Lovex D060 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.