Certainly I'm not the first one to wonder this, but I'd like to ask you all if I could safely take the 458WinMag Heavy Magnum ammo from Hornady and switch bullets. First, is this loaded with a Soft Point or a Solid? It would be nice to have this with both in any case.

I would take great care to disturb the case as little as possible when pulling, so as not to mess up what I'm sure is a compressed charge. Then I'd make sure the new bullet is seated no deeper than the original and hope that this keeps OAL the same, or if it's longer that it still chambers and feeds correctly.

Is this just asking for big trouble? I'm sure Hornady would object, purely as a reflex. But, my novice reloading brain doesn't see a problem with this idea. Please enlighten me before I hurt myself.

I wouldn't do it myself, but please feel free to try it and let us know how it works out.

Seriously, you are mucking with the pressure curve by changing the bullet. A different bullet will most likely have a different bearing surface and pressures could increase dramatically, even to the point where catastrophic failure can result.
Even if your bullet was identical in bearing surface, you would be hard pressed to match the crimp on the bullet, which could also affect pressure.

IIRC, the Hornady Heavy Mag load has the Hornady Interlock, which is a 'soft'.

George

[ 11-11-2003, 23:55: Message edited by: GeorgeS ]

I don�t think this is smart. I have tried switching bullets before and have seen times when I didn�t have a problem and times when I did have pressure signs. I think I got lucky.

Gonzo FreakPower &
GeorgeS,
I purchased some Hornady H/M last year which are FMJ 500gr.
Would these give you the bullet you want without having to mess with them?