Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .450 Bushmaster with .452 | 300gr | Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator 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>> | 82% | 33,301 psi | 85% | 1886 fps | 96.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,330 psi | 88% | 1837 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,049 psi | 67% | 1224 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,924 psi | 87% | 1916 fps | 98.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,034 psi | 64% | 1250 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,273 psi | 90% | 1860 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,881 psi | 87% | 1890 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,343 psi | 83% | 1929 fps | 96.8% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,314 psi | 80% | 1850 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,501 psi | 78% | 1772 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,898 psi | 48% | 1093 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 30.1 gr | 84% | 25,527 psi | 65% | 1752 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,304 psi | 47% | 1115 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 26.2 gr | 80% | 21,944 psi | 56% | 1621 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 27.4 gr | 80% | 26,934 psi | 69% | 1768 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 28,834 psi | 74% | 1860 fps | 95.5% |
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 18 powders for .450 Bushmaster loaded with the .452 | 300gr | Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,946 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,224 fps to 1,946 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 18 of the 18 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 | 300gr | Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 1680, Alliant Reloder-7, IMR 4227 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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.