Hornady 45-70 brass

[woodlotowner]

I received some 'once fired' Hornady brass with a Marlin 45-70 recently and have discovered the case lengths to be quite short. I expect this is because they are manufactured this way to keep OAL within acceptable limits using the longer Hornady LeverEvolution bullets they likely came with when new. This is not a big problem, but I did find differences in case mass (weight) of up to 35 grains. That, as you may realize, is quite a difference. A big enough difference that when I weighed my final loaded rounds and saw some (four) were 35 grains over I pulled the bullet thinking I may have (possibly...could I really have??) double charged them with powder. Nope, the cases were one full powder charge heavier than the rest of the lot. Anyone else experience this? These are very mild loads I am using, but what pressures would be generated by these heavy cases if the internal volumes were substantially different (smaller) as well and one was approaching maximum loads?

Perhaps factory loaded Hornady LeverEvolution brass should not be used for reloading without careful weight sorting and discarding the wildly different ones.....

 

[tbrwlf]

You should only use that brass to reload hornady leverevolution rounds.

You can get FTX bullets and leverevolution powder.

I have reloaded the brass and it works fine.

 

[jethunter]

That's some serious weight variations. I think I'd scrap it and buy Starline brass.

 

[hk33ka1]

I have not handled this Hornady ammo or brass but wonder why it is short instead of just seating their special bullet deeper in normal brass? Either way the case volume under the bullet would remain the same.

 

[BrotherRockeye]

I sold all my Hornady 45-70 brass to a fella that wanted Hornady for just that reason.
WW for me these days.

 

[c-fbmi]

I sold all my Hornady 45-70 brass to a fella that wanted Hornady for just that reason.
WW for me these days.

Yep, traded all mine for W-W to a fellow who shoots those bullets and wanted the shorter brass. I've never been fond of Hornady brass anyway.

 

[woodlotowner]

Once I fire these loads, the Hornadys are history. WW from now on.....

 

[EvilDezel]

I have not handled this Hornady ammo or brass but wonder why it is short instead of just seating their special bullet deeper in normal brass? Either way the case volume under the bullet would remain the same.

Loading FTX bullets requires some specialized techniques in certain cases. To achieve a high ballistic coefficient we had to lengthen the ogive, or nose, of the bullet. Sometimes this requires that the cartridge case to be trimmed shorter than the suggested .010" under SAAMI Max length that we recommend for conventional bullets. Follow prescribed trim lengths exactly as presented in the FTXTM data for optimum results.

From the Hornady website.

 

[Charlie38]

Just a thought, Speer makes a 350gr MT SP (flat point) designed for the 458 Win Mag but it says the cannelure is in the wrong spot and will not feed properly through most lever action rifles with REGULAR LENGTH brass. Will the shorter Hornady brass enable you to crimp in the cannelure and have the proper length to feed through these lever guns?
It would be a great bullet for deep penetration.
Anyone ever try it? Specifically in a Marlin 1895 45/70.

 

[woodlotowner]

I took the easy way out of this minor dilema (as suggested by Jethunter). I ordered 100 Starline brass in 45-70 from Jerry at Mystic Precision yesterday. When my single box of Hornady FTX is gone, so is the Hornady brass.

 

[adriel]

Hornady should put a notice on the 325 grain FTX's. I just ran into this same problem and I don't have the equipment or the will to trim down my cases JUST to use their bullets. It's awesome that they're pushing the envelope, but it couldn't have hurt to put a "requires hornady brass or trimmed 45-70 brass from other manufacturers" on it.

 

[brybenn]

I threw my hornady brass out. Keeping with WW

 

[LUTNIT]

Damn, now I'm really glad I didn't buy those boxes of FTX projectiles for .45-70 I found at LeBarons. I have had great experience with their .30-30 and .44 mag projectiles in the FTX line though so it's a pity.

 

[brybenn]

My gun wouldn't group factory hornadys at all. Both barrels threw patterns not groups. Factory remingtons group awesome