We have four sons, one of whom is an avid hunter who has wanted a .450 Bushmaster for a few years. So, it was with great delight that he heard I was to review the BCA .450 Bushmaster AR. After the review, I kept the rifle and loaned it to him. Subsequently, he killed two deer with it during Indiana’s recent firearms season. Those deer look like they’d been hit with an F150 Club Cab—truly hammered!

So, what is it about this caliber that so easily puts venison in the freezer? After all, I’m certainly not the first person to comment about its effect on deer … the “interweb” is rife with reviews and videos of deer and other types of game that were put down by it. I would show the pic I took of his deer hanging in his barn, but there’s no need for that. He and I know that the .450 took them down, easily.

History

But where did the .450 Bushmaster come from? Why is it as effective as it is? And what makes it tend to take deer off their feet with one shot? Let’s look at a bit of its history.

The .450 Bushmaster came about as a result of gun guru Jeff Cooper’s “Thumper” concept. He was not happy with the effect that the .22-calibered .223/5.56mm had on larger game, and he opined that what was needed was a .44-caliber-or-larger, 250-grain-bullet cartridge that would function in an AR-style rifle—hence the term “Thumper.” According to him, this cartridge should be able to take big-game animals with one shot at 250 yards. 

Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms, LLC heard about Col. Cooper’s request and in 2007 developed what became his .45 Professional cartridge. It used a 0.452-inch bullet. He then built and delivered an AR-15 in .45 Professional to Cooper.

A couple of years later, he licensed his creation to Bushmaster Firearms International. Bushmaster requested that ammunition manufacturer Hornady produce the .45 Professional cartridge for this project, but Hornady wanted to shorten the cartridge case and overall length to accommodate their 0.452-inch, 250-grain pointed SST flex-tip bullet. 

Both Bushmaster and LeGendre approved the change from a 1.772-inch case length and 2.362-inch OAL to what has become the .450 Bushmaster standard: 1.700-inch case length and 2.260-inch OAL. Why was this important? Because, before the case was shortened, it could only be used in AR-10-platform rifles. The shortened case allowed it to be used in more common, and sometimes cheaper, AR-15-platform rifles. You could even use your 5.56mm magazines, but a follower change allows better single-stack reliability in a .223 magazine. (Better yet, just order .450 Bushmaster magazines. They’re out there).

It was at this point that the cartridge’s name was changed to reflect the company that now owned it: .450 Bushmaster. The .450 Bushmaster has truly taken off in terms of popularity. It originally was popular in straight-case-wall deer hunting states, but has since moved over into general acceptance. With its 200-plus yard effective range and hefty .45-caliber bullet, many deer, hog and bear hunters have adopted it. I know for a fact that my son and I are believers!

Specs

Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15 .450 Bushmaster

Weight: 8 lbs.

Magazine Capacity: N/A (magazine not included. Be sure to order one!)

Barrel Length: 18 in.

Barrel: Heavy barrel profile with 1:24-in. twist, threaded 5/8×22

Handguard: 15-in. MLOK

Upper Receiver: M4 billet

Lower Receiver: BCA mil-spec, forged, AR-15

Bolt Carrier Group: BCA

Flash Hider: Yes

Barrel Finish: Parkerized (stainless available)

Gas System: Mid Length gas block system

Bolt: E9310 steel, rigth side charging handle

MSRP: $420

Why You Should Want One

OK, let’s qualify that. Not everyone will want one, I get it. But if you are looking for a versatile AR-platform rifle caliber with some downrange oomph, the Bushmaster is for you. Here’s another point: If you are a reloader, you can easily download the cartridge by loading .45 pistol bullets—even cast bullets—at around 1,000 to 1,100 fps. Let’s face it, as long as the load will cycle the action, you’re good to go on some pretty cheap practice ammo. Think of it as being the equivalent of the .38 Special versus the .357 Magnum. You have one for practice and the other for serious uses. This is just a thought, but my son (who is a reloader) thought of it already, and we talked about it. It makes sense. Here’s a bit of trivia for reloaders: the .450 Bushmaster is based on the rebated-rim .284 Winchester case, but uses small rifle primers, not large ones. 

Shooting The Bushmaster

I set some targets up at 50 yards. I did not stretch our shooting to 100 yards, as our deer woods are tight and 50 yards constitutes a long shot amongst the trees. Both of my sons’ deer were taken just past that marker. Besides, the Bushmaster’s inherent accuracy is good way past 100 yards, as is its energy output.

We shot a couple of different loads. The hallmark of the .450 Bushmaster is that it sends a 250-grain bullet downrange at a starting velocity of around 2,200 fps. I know that to be true from my past experience with this rifle and my chronos.

Any optic would do on this rifle, from a red dot to a scope. The long Pic rail makes mounting anything easy. My son had mounted an old Bushnell scope, so we used that. The rifle functioned as it should. No surprises there. The trigger was more than adequate. The nice part about this being an AR is that, if you want to swap out any components like the trigger, it’s easy. But we saw no reason to do that. If you are experimental and want to swap out components, the BCA parts page is a good place to start. They also have a separate page for optics.

Summing Things Up

I own several products made by BCA. I like the fact that they may not be the flashiest rifles out there, but by golly, they are affordable and they work. Another plus for a lot of shooters is that they are made in the U.S., in Sanford, North Carolina. Their .450 Bushmaster is one very nice rifle. Even though it won’t cost you an arm and a leg, it’ll get the job done; there are two deer hanging in the barn to prove that. Whether you buy just an upper or a complete rifle, I think you’ll be pleased with the accuracy and reliability you’ll get from this inexpensive boomer. One more thing that makes me like this rifle is that is right-side charging. You can mount a scope way back and not have to worry about blocking access to the charging handle.

As I write this, I can find the gun online for around $420. I know of very few other ARs that give you the quality that the BC-15 provides. Even at its full list price, this rifle represents a bargain. Heck, many uppers cost that much. After doing an online search, I saw no other .450 Bushmaster  AR-pattern rifle in this price range, so maybe it’s time you checked out this BCA rifle. Whether you center-punch deer, reduce the hog population or ventilate paper, this is one great, fun gun that is easy to shoot and to reload for. It has earned a spot in my crowded gun cabinet, and will have a home there for quite awhile.

Where To Buy

Check out Ammo To Go, the ammunition retail sponsor of TTAG. Get your bulk and quality ammo for a bargain by visiting their site. 

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