Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin 336 Lever Actions Hornady Flex tips?

Anyone used them in the 30-30 yet? What were your loads velocity accuracy?

Odd question, they have been available for years.

Odder answer.

I've only run them as factory loaded in a Drilling. I like flatnose bullets in lever, pointy tips don't help the cause much for me.

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I have to agree, I don't see much need for them.

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factory 160 gr leverevolution ammo
24" barrel chrono 2450 fps

Sorry fellas I was talking about the component bullets for handloading. Not the factory stuff.
160 grain bullets from Hornady.

I have used the 200 grin Flextip in my 356 winchester big bore and they worked great. I got 2400 fps and 1 hole groups at 50 yards. Way too windy for 100 yard shooting that day.

I believe he ment the component bullets sold for reloading, not the factory ammo. I have shot the factory 45-70 stuff and based on that see no need to try the component bullets in any caliber.

With Varget powder, I get great accuracy with the 160 flextip in my Marlin 336. It will shoot 3 shots close to an inch. About the same as with factory loads. I have not been able to match factory velocity.

Jim

Your load? velocity?

I'm still working with it, so not ready to give it out. From what I have seen, Hornady is recommending very light loads for this bullet, and I'm not sure why. Also, excessive pressures are hard to define for the 30-30 in a lever action. Pretty much have to go with case stretch. I will let you know if/when I am OK with the load.

Jim

I like the factory load in 30-30. Very accurate and leaves a big bleeding hole in deer.I've shot on and buddies have shot a couple. A blind man could have tracked them but wouldn't have to. None went more than 10 yards

Would any plastic tip bullet work the same as the Hornady tips? i.e. Accubond, Ballistic Tip, Scirocco, etc. ??

In a word - NO!

The whole reason for the Flex-tip is to have a pointed bullet that won't detonate the primer of the next cartridge in tubular magazines. Those sharp pointed Accubonds and BT's etc. would actually be in more danger of that than even a normal lead tipped spitzer.

T

Thanks. Having not seen the Flex-tip and having never owned a Lever action I was curious how it worked. Is the Flex-tip a bigger tip? In other words, what makes it different than a plastic tipped Accubond??

Thanks for being patient with a newbie to the lever game...

I've only looked at them in stores myself - the Flex-tips, that is. They are flexible, almost kind of rubbery feeling, so they "mush" and don't act like a firing pin on the primer of the cartridge in front of them. The other plastic tip bullets use a hard plastic and in the Accubonds and Ballistic Tips (the only "tipped" bullets I've used) they come to a rather sharp point.

I've had the same experience as Llano. Reloading them with IMR4895 I get much better accuracy than factories in my 336 but not the velocity yet. Still working up loads though so we'll see where it goes.

WELL I finally found and ordered some 160 Flex tips for my Marlin 336 30-30. Hopefully they should be here soon. Will be fuun. If I can get 2150 fps or so I will be happy (with decent velocity).

I'm getting 2100fps ot of 28.9gr of H4895 and great groups. So I'm happy to leave it at that.

I get less than 1.25" groups with H322, Remington brass, WLR primer, and OAL of 2.600. Chronograph at 2150 fps. Its not hot and shoots great out of a 34 yr. old gun with a 10? trigger pull. (At least it feels that heavy)

loaded some 265gr for my 444, they were to long, I thought I read something about haveing to cut your brass shorter for them to work in the 444, anyone else know anything