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Common uses: Big Game, Dangerous Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 350gr Hornady InterLock FP |
| Muzzle velocity | 2100 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 3428 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.195 |
| Case length | 53.3 mm |
| Overall length | 67.6 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2100 | 3427 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 1714 | 2283 | 0 |
| 200 | 1388 | 1497 | -10.5 |
| 300 | 1147 | 1022 | -39.3 |
| 400 | 1003 | 782 | -94.4 |
| 500 | 912 | 647 | -184.1 |
At 1,000 yards, .450 Marlin (350gr at 2100 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 134.8 MOA / 39.2 MIL, retaining 646 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1147 | Transonic | -39.3 | 12.5 | 3.64 |
| 400 | 1003 | Subsonic | -94.4 | 22.5 | 6.56 |
| 500 | 912 | Subsonic | -184.1 | 35.2 | 10.23 |
| 600 | 843 | Subsonic | -315.4 | 50.2 | 14.60 |
| 700 | 785 | Subsonic | -495.9 | 67.7 | 19.68 |
| 800 | 734 | Subsonic | -733.1 | 87.5 | 25.46 |
| 900 | 688 | Subsonic | -1034.8 | 109.8 | 31.94 |
| 1000 | 646 | Subsonic | -1411.1 | 134.8 | 39.20 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .450 Marlin is a heavy-hitting, short-range big-bore cartridge built around large-diameter bullets driven at moderate velocity, delivering deep penetration and substantial energy at woods distances. It is prized for hunting large and potentially dangerous game such as elk, moose, bear, and bison, where stopping power matters more than reach. In practice it performs much like a hot .45-70, but because it was designed from the start for modern lever guns it delivers that performance safely and uniformly without hand-loading to elevated pressures. Its main limitations are heavy recoil, a rainbow-like trajectory, and rapid velocity loss that keep it effective mainly inside roughly 150 to 200 yards. Factory ammunition and rifle options have always been comparatively limited, which has kept it a niche choice next to the far more widely available .45-70.
Introduced in 2000 through a collaboration between Marlin Firearms and Hornady, the .450 Marlin was created as a modern, factory-loaded equivalent to the venerable .45-70 Government for use in lever-action rifles such as the Marlin Model 1895M. Rather than a rimmed case, it uses a belted design with a distinctively wide belt that prevents it from chambering in .458 Winchester Magnum and other belted magnum rifles. The development team was led by Hornady engineer Mitch Mittelstaedt, and the round drew on the earlier wildcat .458x2-inch American concept, which was itself based on the .458 Winchester Magnum. It gave shooters .45-70-class power at consistent modern pressures in a purpose-built, standardized package.
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