Hornady Flex Tip hardening??

[wcat]

I'd like to know if anyone have noticed that there FlexTip are hardening with time?
It looks like mine did.
I've removed the remaining ammo from my Win94 30-30 after firing a shot and noticed that the primers had a very little dent, almost needle size right in the middle. I feeled the tips of the bullets and the red rubber seems very stiff, almost plastic-like.
I've opened the box of remaining bullets and checked those and they were still soft, but the reloaded ammo in the MTM case have stiffened. Note that those are nose-down in the box since the rim prevent me from putting them nose up in the MTM, maybe the tips have stiffened from having the weight of the shell on it.

I'm kind of worried, I think I'll shot the remaining Flex-Tip with only one in the magazine tube and switch to round/flat noses.
Any inputs?

 

[Magnum_Tom]

What kind of primers are you using?

 

[wcat]

CCI-200, with 30gr of W748, pretty mild charges as I don't hunt with my Win94's. I use them as farm guns for critters.

 

[*MALICE*]

I would not be too concerned about it. I won't outright say that pointed bullets can't ever under any circumstance ignite a primer inside the tube.... its occurrence is largely overstated. Virtually all tube explosions documented have actually been with round or flat nosed bullets, and mostly back in the day when primers and powders were a little more unstable.

If you are still really worried, try contacting Hornady and asking them. If it's a non-issue that they know about you will have some peace of mind, and if it is an issue, I'm sure they will be glad you informed them before they had to buy you a new gun

 

[wcat]

Good idea, I just sent them a message.

 

[Magnum_Tom]

I just checked some rounds loaded with SSTs last year and stored in MTM cases. The ballistic tips are pretty hard.

 

[wcat]

Yeah, but those are made that way. Flex Tip are almost rubber-like, so that we can use them in tubular magazine, but mine are not rubber-like anymore, the rubber-like is almost plastic-like after 1 year storage in the MTM box.

 

[Sir_dude]

Did they freeze? Or get really hot?

 

[wcat]

I got the reply from Hornady today:
"We’ve never heard of this issue. If the tips came in contact with chemicals such as gun cleaning chemicals etc. it would be possible for tips to prematurely age and harden. I suggest only using those as your first round until you get them used up. Thank you"

That's all. So as I was thinking, it's the last time I buy/use those bullets.

 

[*MALICE*]

Just out of curiosity, is it possible you got them exposed to any chemicals?

 

[Russ]

Maybe some ###### dust from your fingers got on the tip.

Russ...

 

[reloader]

It is spring mating season?

 

[636andy636]

I too noticed this the other day when I was digging through my gear and found my MTM case with 5 flex tips in it. They have gotten quite hard

 

[sgt.rock]

That tells me you guys aren't shooting enough, as the tips are getting geriatric. Even good wine turns to vinegar after a while. Shoot them fresh, and drink up!!!!