Precision Rifle Company Michigan Mjolnir .450 Bushmaster
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- I have been covering the .450 Bushmaster here on AmmoLand since this past summer and have had the opportunity to test and build some great guns. Some of these projects proved difficult to perfect, but others were ready to go right from the box. This rifle is something entirely different in that it is a professional custom build from a world-class gunsmith operation. I am happy to be able to present the very first of these guns made in this AmmoLand exclusive: The Michigan Mjolnir chambered in .450 Bushmaster.
Precision Rifle Company (PRC) in Dorr, Michigan is the party responsible for this unequaled build. PRC was opened in 2015 with the ambition of becoming ‘the’ dream rifle custom shop in Michigan, but it fast became the premier precision smithy in the entire Midwest. The folks at PRC will build just about anything, and in my tour of the facility, I saw a number of rifles that attested to this. They do it for the love of the build. It should be said that PRC is primarily a bolt-gun company, however, they work on a number of different rifles. They do not work on handguns.
While it might sound like a strange word, I guarantee you that most eyes reading this article have seen at least one representation of the war-hammer Mjolnir, likely in the hands of Thor in the Marvel movies. While movie Thor wields what is probably the most recognized interpretation of this weapon, it has been in Norse and Scandinavian mythology for millennia.
In that mythology, Mjolnir was considered one of the most powerful weapons ever created. When it was forged it was imbued with magical properties, such as the ability to never miss what it was thrown at and to be small and light, as to be carried easily on the person. It also, due to a problem when it was made, had a short handle. Despite being small, it was able to kill monsters and topple mountains.
The PRC’s Michigan Mjolnir is very similar in that it is short, light, exceptionally powerful, and has a hard time missing what it is aimed at. The short barrel is the only exception to the similarities with its ancient counterpart.
Unlike Thor’s hammer, our modern version was made intentionally short, with the barrel being 16” overall including the pinned-and-welded proprietary brake. You may think that this is a foolish thing, but what if I told you that this gun has the recoil of a .223? More on this surprising property in a moment, so hold tight.
The magic sauce of this build comes from the fact that PRC treats their .450 builds just like they do rifles made for 1,500-yard competition. This is a benchrest accurate, ruggedized hunting machine that is peerless in the woods. I have put about 500 rounds through it so far and can say that it is easily as accurate as my dedicated long-range target rifles.
I test fired the rifle from the bench at 100 yards for accuracy. My Oehler 35P chronograph was used to record velocity eight feet from the muzzle. Accuracy was the average of three five-shot groups while velocity is the average of ten shots.
- Hornady BLACK 250gr FTX—————-2089fps, .75”
- Hornady Custom 250gr FTX—————2091fps, .75”
- Buffalo Bore 250gr JHP——————–2165fps, 1”
- Buffalo Bore 275gr Barnes XPB———1977fps, .75”
- Buffalo Bore 300gr JHP——————1995fps, 1.25”
- Buffalo Bore 360gr HC FP GC———1600fps, 2.25”
The recoil was something that I mentioned above. The .450 has a reputation as a shoulder-bruiser. Indeed, I received my first-ever bruise from an AR while shooting a .450 build. My expectations for this gun’s recoil turned out to be completely wrong. I do a fair amount of shooting with SBR-length barrels and they tend to generate a greater amount of noise and blast than a longer one. When I pulled the trigger for the first time on this rifle, I thought something was wrong. It barely moved.
The low recoil comes from a number of proprietary design features that have been perfected by PRC. As the premier maker of bolt action .450 Bushmaster rifles, they have had time to make the little tweaks that others overlook or fail to notice. It is in these details, from how the gun is chambered to the type of rifling used, that PRC takes a firm lead in the market. The .450 is no easy round to master, but they have, in no uncertain terms, done just that.
In a testament to this mastery, the velocity numbers I recorded were only about 100fps lower than the numbers I was getting from rifles with barrels as long as 22”. In fact, the three jacketed Buffalo Bore loads were actually faster than in the 16” build I did on AmmoLand earlier this year. A short barrel that equals a longer one in velocity is a great thing because it is handier in the field, but has just as long a reach.
The particular Michigan Mjolnir in this article is the first produced but is very similar to what you would get if you were to order one. My example was built from a Remington 700 barreled action I used for a Brownell’s custom .308 build here on AmmoLand. Some of the parts of that build are used in this rifle, such as the Timney trigger, bottom metal, Sightron scope, Grayboe stock, and Warne rings and bases. PRC can work on your action like I had them do or you can order a complete rifle.
The pricing for a complete rifle, very similar to the one pictured here is $1,700, while a base model runs $1,300. If you supply your own action, PRC will finish and true your action with their .450 Mjolnir-type barrel for $750. There are lots of options available to you in the build process, and the guys at PRC will be happy to talk you through your unique requirements.
The original concept behind this rifle is something that I worked on, albeit briefly, with the guys at PRC. What I never expected was to have something so effective emerge as a result. It is safe to say that I severely underestimated what PRC was capable of when discussing the ideas around this rifle. This is something that has never been seen before and I am ecstatic that it works as well as it does.
At the time of press, I have successfully used the PRC Michigan Mjolnir in several hunting adventures and it was a simply amazing gun to have afield. The lightweight and stellar accuracy made for easy walk-ins and I wasn’t hindered by brush thanks to the short length. This is the best bolt action hunting rifle I’ve ever had the pleasure of using and I strongly recommend you take a look at getting your own of you are the least bit serious about taking game.
For more information in Precision Rifle Company, go to www.precisionriflecompany.com. To see more of the ammo used in this article, visit www.hornady.com and www.buffalobore.com.
About Josh Wayner
Josh Wayner has been writing in the gun industry for five years. He is an active competition shooter with 14 medals from Camp Perry. In addition to firearms-related work, Josh enjoys working with animals and researching conservation projects in his home state of Michigan