Got a question for all the hunters

Ok, there is a loudmouth at work who bought a 450 savage hunting rifle. First, I didnt know such a thing was ever made and I thought it was a bit overkill for shooting Western PA Deer. I am not really a hunter and I know next to nothing about hunting calibers like that. Most times guys I know use a 30-30, 30-06 or 308. A few use 7mm.

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Don’t know if this will help but as a long time gun nut and long time hunter here it goes.
There has been a huge growth in all kinds of hunting guns and calibers. Way to many to be listed. The Savage bolt action you are speaking of is chambered in the 450 Bushmaster cartridge. A round developed to function in the AR-15 rifle used for hunting and personal defense. It is designed as a heavy short to medium range cartridge. Filling a hole for hunting deer pigs and bear at short to mid range better than the 223 round.
But to better answer your quandary, I give you the following.

Not all hunters are gun nuts, some see a rifle or shotgun as just a tool if the venerable 30-30 gets it done why use anything else. And not all gun nuts are hunters…but if you put a gun nut and a hunting not together lookout you get an excellent new rifle for PA deer aka a AR-15 semiautomatic built to handle a thumping big cartridge like the 450 Bushmaster. :yum::smirk:

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Maybe it’s a “brush gun” kind of setup. If he’s hunting within 150-200 yards, Jae doesn’t need the distance a bottleneck cartridge offers. But, 450 Bushmaster does good at shooting through thick brush.

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Personally I don’t see the point. :thinking:
P.S. Good luck finding any. At $50.00 for 20 rounds. :laughing:

Savage 110 Scout 450 Bushmaster Bolt-Action Rifle.

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Well that’s where its interesting, often things people have passions about are not logical or have a point. They are just fun and something different. I own a 30-06, 12 gauge, 22lr, 223 rem & a 54 cal BPML for good luck. Can’t give a good reason for the 12 other calibers/gauges I have and love hunting with.

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@Kenneth94 how do you hunt, and with what firearm do you go after whitetail? If you don’t mind, tell me something…if you had the resources what would be your dream gun for hunting whitetail?

Then as a gun nut let me take you down the wonderful rabbit hole to wonderland where the “blued steel red rider 200 shot range air rifle” is king. LOL :grin:

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I am a minimalist when it comes to any sort of rifle. If I hunted then a good old 30-30 would seem to do the trick. No fancy calibers for the simple reason that buying ammo wouldnt break the wallet.
And I prefer a crosman 10 pump pellet gun myself.

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A 450 AR…good lord. Dont give them any ideas.

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I always stay with the common and proven calibers. I have hunted with a .30.30 since I was 14, my only upgrade was Hornaday Flex-tip 160grn., they have extended my accurate killing range to 300 yds. :us:

.270 works for just about everything around here, mule deer, elk. I’ll go to a 22-250 for coyotes and cats.

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But what of your adventures natures…a Winchester 94 upgraded to a 30-30 Ackley Improved with a 170gr going an extra 150 fps? And custom peep sights along with a red dot scope???
Oh a custom Winchester mod 70 in 270 Winchester short magnum (270 WSM) with a carbon fiber barrel and Kevlar stock that only weighs 6.5 lbs but will take an elk at 400yds
No the won’t kill your trophy buck any deader. But your hunt will be just a little more unique and your own.

???

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Well let me give it a shot. The 350 legend and 450 bushmaster were developed to fill a special need here in the Easter Midwest. Many areas were only allowing hunters to hunt deer with shotguns due to the areas being populated. Many hunters had turned to muzzleloader to extend their range to effectively take game at around 200 yds or closer. Then the regulations changed to allow center fire cartridges of a specific cartridge profile, ie length, diameter of bullet etc. The firearms industry responded with the above cartridges. Both the 450 bushmaster and 350 legend provide hunters the ability to have effective killing power in repeating rifles out to about 250 yards. In this niche market the sales of the for mentioned cartridges exploded and hunters enjoyed more accuracy at greater distances than the old slug guns, and with more rounds for a follow up shot than the muzzleloader crowd.

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Thanks @David323 ,

I kind of missed the point I guess with my explanation. That’s what happens when us old farts try to be clever. @David323 answer is the best answer to why we have the 450 bushmaster.

A little more unique is right. A mixture of old and new! Bruce should recognize that bullet.

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There’s probably no real wrong answer. Deer are thin skin easy to kill critters. I own a few rifles that work as deer guns. They run from .243, 30/30, .30,06, .270, .300 H&H, to list a few. Here in Alabama you might be hunting thick cover and open food plots at the same time. I prefer a fairly flat shooting light weight bullet. I do not believe in “brush busting”. Most of the time I opt for a .270 zeroed at 200yrds shooting 130 gr. bullet. With that setup I pretty much shoot directly under my stand and out to 300 without being concerned with hold over. It shots flat enough that I can wait and pick a clear window in the thick stuff and have the round go cleanly through, when I say thick I am talking not really being able to even see the deer much beyond 50 yards. I’m just not going to try and push a round through any brush it might hit. It does not take too much to change the flight path and wound the animal or miss. Anyway just my opinion…

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That’s showing the kind of discipline that many hunters should follow. Being a responsible hunter is not just showing respect for other hunters, but what you are hunting as well.

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On a hunting forum I’m on to much we have a guy that hunts with flintlocks Pistol and rifle . No one questions his reasoning & he killed a monster last year with the rifle. Unless someone is using an illegal cartridge why question them?

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:blush:


It has harvested its fair share of deer.

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Not questioning the person just the need for the cartridge. :man_shrugging:Yes, I read the excellent explanation
above .