Hornady 200gr ftx 460 smith bullet.

[greygt]

Anyone out there with a current Hornady 9th edition manual tell me if there is a load for this bullet in 454 casull? I just got a case of these things dirt cheap and I want to try them in my new SBH.

Thanks

[sixshot]

Don't have a reloading manual handy but I'm guessing you could over run this bullet pretty easy in the 454 unless it has a really heavy jacket, and maybe it does.

Dick

[webber]

The title of the post is: Hornady 200 gr FTX 460 Smith Bullet. How would one over run that bullet in a 454 Casull?
Not saying it can't be done but that would seem strange to me. Doesn't Hornady load that bullet approaching 2200 or so in the 460. I may be mistaken on this.

[grizzly]

I haven't loaded this bullet but I believe I read elsewhere that to get the cartridge OAL short enough to chamber in a standard length .454 that the cases have to be trimmed close to .45 colt length. Again this isn't from personal expirience but I read it elsewhere and thought I would pass it on.

[whitworth]

I max loaded those bullets in my .454 years ago (with 296) and got erratic velocities. I think the bullet was just too light and I think a 240 or 250 would have actually gone faster, offering more resistance. It's a short little, rather useless bullet IMHO.

[bulasteve]

"Got them dirt cheap". I get it, it happens. We are in the how best to make use of mode now. First, measure to see if when in your 454 brass, will they  be too long for the cylinder ? If too long, then you can use in 45 Colt brass. I'd not trim valuable 454 brass, and still have to watch out for a ring of build-up in the chamber.  

[bradshaw]

Haven't tried this bullet, yet feel compelled on principle to agree with Max. My experiment was short, as light bullets don't have the inertia (holdback) to produce honest work from slow powders. And I do NOT play velocity games with medium powders in voluminous cases. An exception may be made by gluing the bullet to the case neck with asphaltic adhesive. Federal Cartridge, for one, achieved excellent accuracy and velocity with asphaltic adhesive. Perhaps no one pushed the velocity envelope harder than Dick Casull. He settled on 260 grains a velocity weight, a bullet with much steadier holdback than a 200 grain. Concussion ramps faster than velocity in these experiments. Light bullets scream louder, heavy bullets work harder.

greygt.... if I had a pile of those Hornady .45 200 grain spitzers, I'd DEEP SEAT a few over Hercules or Alliant 2400, or Accurate #9, out yp paper at 50 or 100 yards, and simultaneously chronograph & target the rounds. With beaucoup hearing protection...
David Bradshaw

[bulasteve]

Guess I'd not have thought of deep seating in this instance, but it does let you use case without trimming and the issues that come with..Go forth and whack holes in stuff !

[greygt]

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll keep some of these for 45 colt cases and sell the rest. I just assumed that if you could push them 2200fps out of a 460 smith they would be fine for 1700-2000 out of a 454.

[bulasteve]

You are talking velo, I'm wondering about other issues, others too. Just how many bullets are we talking ?

[whitworth]

Apr 5, 2016 12:00:43 GMT -5 greygt said:

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll keep some of these for 45 colt cases and sell the rest. I just assumed that if you could push them 2200fps out of a 460 smith they would be fine for 1700-2000 out of a 454.

That bullet was designed for .460 velocities. The fastest I was able to push that bullet was 1,900 fps but feel I could get more out of a bit heavier bullet. Keep us posted.

[webber]

I am sure if I got them "dirt cheap" I could make them work. Maybe not perfect but well.

[whiterabbit]

in 460, I did not care for them with #9, but H110 worked nicely. They can go warp ridiculous, or do in my BFR460. I can think of no reason you can't max them out in a 454 and get some sort of result.

I don't know if they were designed to open up at the terminal velocity they will be going if the MV is 1700. But a 45 cal hole is a 45 cal hole...

I'd have no qualms trying them with H110 to see what you get. Whatever matching load data for a 200 grain bullet, assuming there is minimal space between the bullet base and the powder.

Assuming the loads are rational, the worst case is the accuracy is no good and the copper hard to clean out.

As stated, they will roar and the fireball will be absurd. Take a video and you should be able to catch a 2-4 foot flame in one of the frames.

[whitworth]

I will post a video tomorrow of that load being shot. The flame is quite impressive!

[greygt]

Well I found a local 460 smith user that bought half of them. Guess I'll give up for now.