450 Bushmaster Recoil: Can You Handle the Kick?

The 450 Bushmaster is a powerful straight-walled cartridge designed for big game hunting with the AR platform. It has more recoil than the average shooter will find comfortable, but it’s not as overpowering as many magnum cartridges tend to be.

How does the 450 Bushmaster’s recoil compare to that of other hunting rifle cartridges? How can you reduce that recoil? And is it a good option for recoil-sensitive shooters? These questions and more are answered in this article.

How Much Recoil Does 450 Bushmaster Have?

The 450 Bushmaster has an average recoil energy of approximately 21 ft-lbs. It ranges from 19.7 to 22 ft-lbs, depending on several factors which we will discuss below.

The 450 Bushmaster’s recoil is average for a big game hunting cartridge, although it exceeds the 15 ft-lbs threshold at which most shooters start feeling discomfort.

Factors That Influence Recoil for 450 Bushmaster

You might hear shooters say the felt recoil is manageable or unmanageable. But “felt recoil” is subjective. It varies from shooter to shooter, making it an unreliable reflection of how much recoil a cartridge generates.

For example, an inexperienced shooter might feel the 243 Winchester (9 ft-lbs kinetic energy) kicks too much. But a seasoned shooter would feel that 7mm PRC recoil (29 ft-lbs) is manageable because they are accustomed to firing large cartridges and exercise proper technique. This is why it’s generally best for new shooters to start with low-recoil cartridges such as the 22 LR (0.18 ft-lbs).

“Free recoil,” on the other hand, is objective. This measurement of kinetic energy is determined solely by projectile weight, propellant weight, muzzle velocity, and rifle weight. For example, when a 450 Bushmaster cartridge with a 35 grain propellant charge fires a 245 grain bullet from an 8-pound rifle at a muzzle velocity of 2,200 fps, its free recoil energy equals 20.2 ft-lbs. When we increase bullet weight to 300 grains, lower muzzle velocity to 1,900 fps, and keep everything else the same, free recoil increases to 22 ft-lbs.

When bullet weight equals 260 grains, muzzle velocity is 2,040 fps, and everything else remains the same, recoil dips to 19.7 ft-lbs. That dip is too small for the average shooter to perceive, although it is interesting to note how each variable bears on the recoil energy a cartridge can generate.

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