Handi rifles and ftx hornady bullets

[Deerhunter#1]

When looking at the bullet hornady recommends trimming the brass a little shorter which looses you some room for powder. That said in a handi rifle has anyone tried it without a short trim length and gained and used the extra space to gain a little extra speed loading. I would think that you could load them a little longer and hotter in the handi but wanted to see if anyone has tried it. In particular looking at the 140 for the 357 mag.

[dave29]

You do not have to trim them back for a Handi. The only reason you would have to trim is so that the little red tip will fit in a revolver cylinder.

[petemi]

I haven't reloaded the FTX or LE brass.  I've only shot the factory stuff in .44 mag, .45-70 and .357, and reloaded standard length brass with other bullets.  Both our .357s are maxis, so I don't believe it would be an issue in them.  I guess if yours has the typical longer throat it would work okay as long as your load was within specs.  I'd load a dummy and see.

Pete

[cwlongshot]

Pete is correct, it's gonna depend on the chambers throat. I have loaded the 140 FTX the 200 and 225 FTX and the 160 FTX. None have required me to do anything specail to load and fire them. I trip to Sammi spec and have had no issues in my handis. Your experiences could vari...

CW

[jackddavis]

Check out the ballistics coefficiant (BC) rating on the 140 gr. FTX (.160), then compare it to the 140 gr. XTP (.169) The XTP slightly better, so has better ballistics. Makes me wonder why they even bother making the 140 gr. FTX.
 
I've worked up a load for 200 gr. FTX in my .357 mag. Handi, but won't post it here. If interested it is on my website at http://www.hmds.ws

[Swampman]

Makes me wonder why they ever made the FTX period.

[bikerbeans]

Makes me wonder why they ever made the FTX period.

+1, a proper bullet isn't made of plastic.
 
BB

[tacklebury]

I shot a lot of FTX's with std. length Starline Brass.  Super accurate but didn't like the consistency of expansion.

[broom_jm]

Makes me wonder why they ever made the FTX period.

The FTX bullets are pretty silly in the really big calibers, like 45, but the 200gr FTX in 35 caliber and the smaller 32 and 30 caliber bullets are actually a significant improvement over their flat-nosed counterparts. 

The problem with the 140gr FTX is that it's almost a round ball!    I tried them in my 358GNR and the accuracy was decent, but I didn't think it would hold up well at the velocity I'm getting.  It would be OK in a 357 Magnum or Maxi barrel, but like others have noted, it's really no better than an XTP or several other options.  I don't really see the allure of these bullets in a single-shot gun, but they do offer some advantages in a lever-action...particularly when loaded with the LVR powder.

[cwlongshot]

The problem with the 140gr FTX is that it's almost a round ball!    I tried them in my 358GNR and the accuracy was decent, but I didn't think it would hold up well at the velocity I'm getting.  It would be OK in a 357 Magnum or Maxi barrel,

In my maxis, they shot just fine too, but forget about them as a game bullet above say 2K... They fall apart. NOT really a suprise and NOT a strike against them...after all as its a PISTOL bullet... I tried them too

CW

[audrey1216]

I haven't reloaded the ftx bullets in a handi (or in my Marlin 30-30).  Actually, I basically stopped reloading for my 30-30 because the hornady ftx ammo shoots so well in it.  I have only used it once on game - a pronghorn doe at about 150 yards and it worked very well.  No big test but I am not going to hesitate to use them again.

[Dinny]

Is the Monoflex bullet the happy medium?

http://www.hornady.com/store/LEVERevolution-with-MonoFlex-Bullets-ammo/

Thanks, Dinny

[tacklebury]

Hadn't played with them yet.  I would think that would alleviate the jacket separation issues I saw, so would be a possibility.  Will probably pick up a box when pocket book has more than lint in it.    hehe