Hornady FTX bullets

[Ruskin]

I bought some 357 140 grain ftx as a fluke.  I liked what I saw.  Now every place I look to buy some has the ftx on backorder.

[Graybeard]

Is this just a comment on the shortage of them or a request to buy? If the former it should be in the reloading forum but if the latter then it's in the right place but you've really not stated that you want to buy.

[Ruskin]

It is a comment on shortage.  Hornady released the bullets to loading community.  They have been discovered now a shortage exists.

[Graybeard]

Dunno if they have them in stock but Midway's new flyer shows them I think. They weren't in yellow so that supposedly means in stock.

[buck460XVR]

It is a comment on shortage.  Hornady released the bullets to loading community.  They have been discovered now a shortage exists.

IMHO, FTX bullets for the .357 mag are another prime example of marketing and  hype having more to do with  product sales than actual usage and/or practicality. I could see their use in a carbine/rifle for varmints and small predators, but for deer size game and larger they are too light and expand too quickly. Using them in handguns is a waste of money as the red flex tip has little or no impact in ballistics at handgun velocities and ranges.......and since handguns are not tube fed there is no need for the soft pointy tip. For SD/HD, there are other options as good or better. They sure look cool tho......

[Lost Oki]

Read 357 compressed charge.  My original post and it is on the FTX bullet.  What I have found supports Buck460's opinion. 
For reloading, you can forget W296 or H110 for pistol or rifle, to get the speed and accuracy, you get into very compressed charges.
So far in my Marlin lever, even the mid weight powders are starting to show flattened primers.  I tried one in my Dan Wesson and see similar results.  SO, if you want to use them, you will need to down load Hornadays reloading data and buy the powders they have listed.  Think I will stick with the 158 grain flat points that I have been using.  just my 2cw.

[jaygibson]

For the 500, Hornady lists H110 as one of the recommended powders.  Alot of other sources I have read say tha H110 is the way to go.  But, I'm only speaking with regards to the 500.

[smong2000]

No shortage of them up my way.  I loaded up a bunch of 200 gr .358 FTX bullets for my .358 Win.  Boy do they shoot well out of it.  Couple weeks ago I shot a nice 178lb buck with the loads and was disappointed a with the performance on game.  I mid-shouldered him at 25 yds and probably 2500+ fps.  He ran only 30ish yards and expired, no pass through or knockdown.  The bullet broke his shoulder and completely fragmented -the off side ribcage looked like it was shot with birdshot and I didn't recover anything bigger than a #4 shot and copper confetti.  I guess they weren't designed for near that kind of velocity so I'm taking the loads apart and limiting the FTX to my .35 Rem Contender. 

[spinafish]

Me thinks you have figured out the "problem".

[smong2000]

Sure did figure it out quick. It is surprizing to me that a bullet designed for 35 rem Leverlution with "150 fps increase over standard velocity" (maybe 2300fps??) fails so badly with just a couple hundred more fps.  Certainly it was designed on the light side - just like XTPs.  Moral of the story is that you should use pistol bullets at pistol velocities.