.450 Bushmaster upper; yay or nay?

[PNWguy]

Got a flyer in the mail from a firearms dealer saying they have a special on .450 Bushmaster uppers for $399.

A year ago, I decided I needed a woods carbine while out exploring the Idaho backcountry and decided on a .450 Bushmaster upper on my existing Ruger SR556 I purchased before the Hillary/Trump election.

I reload and cast my own bullets and am already heavily invested in .45 Colt and .45-70 molds and dies.  Looked like the .450 Bushmaster with a 16" barrel would be perfect.

Then I learned that decent uppers were around $700 and typical magazine limits were 5 and 10.  That got me to thinking about buying a Marlin 1894 carbine in .45 Colt.  Which I did.  I tacticooled it all out to be a purpose-built rifle.  It will shoot 1" groups at 50 yds, holds ten rounds of my 300gr hardcast bear buster loads, and is a relatively handy little rifle...

The thing I don't like about my Marlin is the weight; with reflex sight and surefire light attached, it's just over 11lbs.  And it still has jamming issues occasionally despite replacing of parts and light gunsmithing.  But then I saw the upper on sale...

So I'm thinking of buying one.

My only concern is the magazine situation.  It seems that the highest capacity magazine is nine or ten rounds and they are around $40 to $50 each.  Information on just using various standard 30-rd mags is all over the place.

Pros of going to the .450 Bushmaster are lighter weight, more ballistic energy, and quicker reloads.

Cons would be not sharing the same caliber as my sidearm, expensive mags, and spending a few hundred bucks.

What do you guys think?

[Borg warner]

I'd prefer the 458 SOCOM to the 450 Bushmaster. it uses 458 diameter bullets and can be loaded to match the 45-70, For a woods carbine, mag capacity and fast reloads aren't really an issue. As far as magazines go, all you need is ten dollar follower and the SOCOM can be used in any standard AR magazine

https://www.calegalmags.com/458-SOCOM-Magazine-Follower-USGI_p_1397.html

Edited August 30, 2018 by Borg warner