Anybody load hornady .458 325gr flex tip

[v4kerker]

Guys I've a mix of 45/70 Hornady LEVERevolution and Remington cases. Just found out that the Horrnady cases are shorter. So I guess I can only load the 325 flex tip bullets in the Hornady cases? The other cases I'll have to cut down to 2.040" for the 325gr FTX's or leave at 2.100" and load with some other bullet.

My other question deals with using a Lee bullet seating die with the FTX bullet. Will I have bullet tip deformation trying to seat these flex tip bullets?

 

[byf43]

From another forum, I've discovered that the Hornady Leverevolution brass IS shorter, because of the boolit length.

Using 'standard' length brass with these boolits will give feeding failures, due to COAL.
(Also, IF you do get the cartridge to chamber with a longer case and these boolits, expect problems closing the bolt, or even catastrophic results, due to the boolit being jammed into the rifling.) Not saying it is going to happen...... just that it CAN happen. YMMV.

I've heard of cutting down other manufacturers' brass to use with the Hornady boolits.

Me?????

I use only Cast Performance 405 gr hardcast LWNGC boolits in my .45-70s.

 

[Biggfoot44]

OR , when I had wish for lighter wt expanding bullet , the R-P 300gr jhp works well, and does what a 300 jhp is supposed to do.

 

[v4kerker]

Measured my 45 70 cases and the Remingtons were 2.090 avg and the Hornady's 2.025-2.035. I have about 60 of the Hornady and 110 of the Remington. I guess I'll just use the Hornady cases with the 325 FTX.

I'm going to call Hornady and Hodgdon to get some data and clarification, because the Hodgdon data site has trim length at 2.100 for the 325 FTX.

 

[v4kerker]

OR , when I had wish for lighter wt expanding bullet , the R-P 300gr jhp works well, and does what a 300 jhp is supposed to do.

Biggfoot44 I've used the Remington 300gr JHP and 405 SP with my Winchester and Remington cases before. Never loaded anything yet with the Hornady cases. I bought 100 rounds of the factory ammo and and have shoot about half of it. I planned on reloading it but it looks like the Hornady cases will be good for their FTX bullets.

 

[Trigger Time]

You could make a dummy round (no powder or primer) at 2.100" and see if it cycles through your action and chambers ok. You didn't say what you are shooting them in, but the longer length will lower the pressure and put the bullet closer to the lands, both can be desirable . At starting loads you should be OK.
I've been loading them with the Lee dies and have not had any problems.

 

[v4kerker]

You could make a dummy round (no powder or primer) at 2.100" and see if it cycles through your action and chambers ok. You didn't say what you are shooting them in, but the longer length will lower the pressure and put the bullet closer to the lands, both can be desirable . At starting loads you should be OK.
I've been loading them with the Lee dies and have not had any problems.

TriggerHappy the 2.100 case length lip won't match up with the CANNELURE on the 325 FTX bullet when seated to the proper overall cartridge length. If you seat the bullet down to the CANNELURE using a Remington 300 JHP or 400 SP and Honrnady case I think you end up with a possible compressed load and or to much head space.

I'm shooting a Marlin 45/70 modern gun with long micro grooved barrel. So you've loaded the Hornady cases using other bullets besides the 325 FTX?

 

[Biggfoot44]

Alas , the Marlin 1895 ( the modern 336 based one ) is limited to keeping close to the SAAMI COL . Rifles based on the Win '86 action will cycle at considerably longer lengths. The various single shots single shots are controled by the throat dimentions.

 

[Trigger Time]

I'm shooting a Marlin 45/70 modern gun with long micro grooved barrel. So you've loaded the Hornady cases using other bullets besides the 325 FTX?

I've never shot the factory stuff so I don't have any Hornady cases.
However when loading the FTX bullets for a Rossi lever, I trimmed new Starline brass down to 2.030" and keep those cases segregated .

 

[duckslayer56]

one issue I've ran into with the hornady cases is that I can't get them crimped due to the shorter case length. I've heard some guys grinding down the shell holder so they can crimp. I'll give this a shot next time I do some loading with the hornady bullets.