
Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .450 Bushmaster with .452 | 245gr | Hornady InterLock 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>> | 88% | 34,171 psi | 87% | 2034 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,141 psi | 85% | 2198 fps | 99.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,482 psi | 63% | 1358 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,519 psi | 88% | 2139 fps | 96.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,366 psi | 60% | 1385 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,430 psi | 83% | 2041 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,563 psi | 88% | 2129 fps | 99.8% |
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>> | 86% | 32,387 psi | 83% | 2001 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,819 psi | 74% | 2116 fps | 99.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,666 psi | 45% | 1214 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 98% | 32,692 psi | 83% | 2106 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 11.3 gr | 80% | 16,998 psi | 43% | 1237 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 27 gr | 80% | 19,261 psi | 49% | 1732 fps | 97% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 28.2 gr | 80% | 23,018 psi | 59% | 1886 fps | 97.2% |
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 10 powders for .450 Bushmaster loaded with the .452 | 245gr | Hornady InterLock. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,198 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,358 fps to 2,198 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 10 of the 10 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 60–90 %, leaving at least 10 % 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. Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .450 Bushmaster with the .452 | 245gr | Hornady InterLock they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 11 FS, ReloadSwiss RS 36, Vihtavuori N120 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.