Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .450 Bushmaster with .452 | 225gr | Hornady FTX bullet and 7 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 and ReloadSwiss RS 14.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,881 psi | 87% | 2238 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,475 psi | 85% | 2408 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,178 psi | 62% | 1512 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,070 psi | 90% | 2362 fps | 97.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,974 psi | 59% | 1542 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,577 psi | 88% | 2274 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,809 psi | 89% | 2339 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 29,892 psi | 76% | 2156 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,111 psi | 79% | 2362 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,100 psi | 44% | 1348 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,283 psi | 75% | 2241 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 13.8 gr | 80% | 16,346 psi | 42% | 1378 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 32.9 gr | 80% | 19,537 psi | 50% | 1929 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 34.4 gr | 80% | 23,960 psi | 61% | 2106 fps | 98.3% |
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 12 powders for .450 Bushmaster loaded with the .452 | 225gr | Hornady FTX. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,408 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,512 fps to 2,408 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 12 of the 12 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. Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .450 Bushmaster with the .452 | 225gr | Hornady FTX they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 11 FS, ADI AR 2207, IMR 4227 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.