Rifle · Wildcat
.45 Raptor
A big-bore cartridge for the AR-10/AR-308 platform, created by Arne Brennan in 2014 by necking up a .308 Winchester case to .452 caliber with .460 S&W Magnum-derived geometry.
- Caliber
- 0.452″ · 11.481 mm
- Introduced
- 2014
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .308 Winchester
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 2014
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Arne Brennan
- Manufacturer
- Loud Boom Ballistics
- Standard
- Wildcat
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Limited
- Twist (typical)
- 1:18
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 40,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 250 yd
- Max range
- 1500 yd
- Recoil
- 18–28 ft·lb
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for .45 Raptor, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- Parent case
- .308 Winchester
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 11.48 | 0.452 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 12.14 | 0.478 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 11.96 | 0.471 | ~ |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.01 | 0.473 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 0.99 | 0.039 | ~ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 45.72 | 1.800 | · |
| Overall length | 58.42 | 2.300 | · |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .45 Raptor is highlighted below.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Brennan — whose earlier 6.5 PPC work fed into the 6.5 Grendel — designed the .45 Raptor to give AR-10 shooters a big-bore that feeds from modified .308 magazines and uses common .451/.452 pistol bullets. It caught on with hunters wanting semi-auto stopping power and shooters in straight-wall-friendly regions.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .45 Raptor use?
- .45 Raptor typically uses a 1:18 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .45 Raptor?
- .45 Raptor uses a 0.452″ (11.481 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .45 Raptor still in production?
- .45 Raptor is active; typical availability is limited.
- What is .45 Raptor used for?
- .45 Raptor is primarily used for hunting.
- What is .45 Raptor based on?
- .45 Raptor is derived from the .308 Winchester case.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →