BUSHMASTER OF NONE?

There’s no other cartridge I love—and hate—more than the .450 Bushmaster. On the positive side, it has been an extremely reliable hunting round. That said, I’ve longed to never fire the round again. My relationship with this cartridge is solely based on regional hunting necessity. Here’s what was done right—and wrong—with the King of the Midwest.

A MARGINAL SOLUTION

Last fall, I began a discussion with the Michigan Department of National Resources (DNR) that resulted in an appearance in the state capitol to give comment on repealing the straight-wall case rules we must abide by for deer.

The state is divided into several regions around which hunting regulations are crafted, most notably the “rifle line.” North of it, you can use what you like; below it, you must use straight-walled-cased cartridges between 1.16 and 1.8 inches in length, .35 caliber or larger. I gave comment that these rules were arbitrary and that, at a minimum, 6.5mm cartridges should be allowed in the lower half