Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .450 Bushmaster with .452 | 250gr | 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,766 psi | 89% | 2106 fps | 97.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,846 psi | 66% | 1417 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,447 psi | 88% | 2192 fps | 97.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,251 psi | 64% | 1453 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,142 psi | 87% | 2110 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,519 psi | 88% | 2172 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,040 psi | 84% | 2208 fps | 96.4% |
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>> | 80% | 30,864 psi | 79% | 2031 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,768 psi | 48% | 1266 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 36.7 gr | 86% | 27,412 psi | 70% | 2044 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,275 psi | 47% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 31.3 gr | 80% | 22,336 psi | 57% | 1864 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 32.6 gr | 80% | 27,209 psi | 69% | 2028 fps | 99.5% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 29,472 psi | 75% | 2129 fps | 95% |
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 15 powders for .450 Bushmaster loaded with the .452 | 250gr | Hornady FTX. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,228 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,417 fps to 2,228 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 15 of the 15 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 64–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. ADI AR 2207, Alliant Reloder-7, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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 .452 | 250gr | Hornady FTX they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AR 2207, Alliant Reloder-7, 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.