Hornady 325 grain FTX in .45-90 ?

[crs]

Hornady says to trim the case length to load these bullets for a .45-70 lever action.

Three questions:
1. Is case trimming needed for .45-70 cases in a Winchester 1886 .45-90?
1. Is case trimming needed for .45-90 cases in a Winchester 1886 .45-90?
2. Would case trimming be needed for a break action single shot or double rifle in .45-70? (Vance?)

Any comments or experience stories on this would be appreciated.

[Sixgun]

I've never trimmed cases for any straight wall case .......they case neck split first and if it's a 45-90 case I make a 45-70 out of it.........but I load factory normal pressures. In your "case" concerning the Hornady bullets, yes, sometimes you may have to take off 20-40 thou. in order for the cartridge to have correct overall length.

Load a dummy round with a normal sized 45-90 case and lightly crimp where your supposed to....feed it in the mag and if it does not rise up just push the dummy back in the mag, depress the loading gate and let it come out. Seat the bullet 10-15 thou deeper and try it again and continue until it feeds.

When it does rise up and clears, make a note on how much brass needs to be trimmed in order for it to be crimped properly. That is what I used to do....now I just make a new crimp groove on the bullet with a cannaluring [Sic?] tool. Sometimes a fast ogive on the bullet won't let you do this and that's when you have to trim the case.-----6

[crs]

Thanks 6.
Now when Vance answers WRT his .45-70 double rifle, I will be able to sleep easy.

Actually, I have a Beretta .45-70 double due here in a few days and since Vance is so happy with Hornady 325 grain FTX in his .45-70 double, I may give them a try on hogs soon. One of my first tinkers will be to drop several different loaded .45-70 cartridges into the chambers to see that none are too long. Next will be some loaded .45-90 cartridges to see whether I will need to extend the chambers to use .45-90 ammo in the rifle. This will be done with the barrels off the action, by the way.

This rifle was made by the same man that made my .405 WCF double and it has plenty of chamber room to load long bullets way out .
I will do a post with pix soon after my new toy arrives.

[vancelw]

1. No
2. Depends on the throat in your rifle.
3. Depends on the throat in your rifle

Case trimming is only done with FTX bullets in certain calibers (not all calibers) to allow the cartridge to cycle through the action (Marlin) and/or to allow the cartridge to chamber with that wide ogive the FTX has.

I'm other words, you won't know until you try it.

My .45-70 double is regulated with the Hornady Leverevolution ammunition. I havent tried loading FTX .458 bullets into full length cases for any of my rifle since i have plenty of trimmed brass.

EDIT: on #2 the only reason to trim the brass is to be able to crimp in the cannelure. On a single shot all you need is a taper crimp. So, no, you shouldn't need to trim the brass

[crs]

Thanks Vance.
All very logical and will be considered.
I have a full box of factory Hornady 325 grain .458 Leverevolution ammo from the past and will check to see how they shoot.
Looking forward to some interesting range time when the weather cools.
I have ACCESS TO TWO DIFFERENT INDOOR RANGES, BUT THE NOISE AND POOR LIGHT TURN ME OFF.

[Leverluver]

You goin' prairie dog hunting with the 45-90 ?

[vancelw]

You goin' prairie dog hunting with the 45-90 ?

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

[Leverluver]

The only thing I use for p-dogs are large caliber lever cartridges and buffalo guns. Not knocking large cal for p-dogs at all. I've done my own tests of the FTX and that is all I WOULD use them for ergo, the question.

[vancelw]

I agree that they are hardly a premium bullet.
But, everything I have ever shot with a Hornady bullet is dead.
Several mule deer and few whitetail, not to mention countless hogs.
And prairie dogs....

[Leverluver]

From what I have seen and tested, deer doesn't surprise me as that, one would presume, was what they were intended for in the first place. The ones I tested, I wouldn't use on a hog of any size >200#; as they truly were varmint bullets. Then again, production improvements can always make a bullet better. Those tests I did were a long time ago.