What are your opinioins on the high energy ammo from Federal or the light and heavy magnum loads produced by Hornady?Looking at two calibers the 338win mag with those high energy loads puts it up there with the 338 RUM also the 375H&H was very impressive as it also reaches the 375 RUM. Hornady states there light and heavy magnum loads gives on average boost of 200 fps giving mor energy to those who want it, they say you gain power without the gain of pressure as they state they use cool pressure powders and controled loading methods. Whats your take on these High Energy loads? I dont think Federal or Hornady would even think of putting unsafe ammo out there but i wanted some imput from experienced reloaders.

My understanding is that they are using proprietary powders/methods to keep pressures reasonable. When I was looking at their high energy '06 loads there seemed to be no way for a handloader to get there within sane pressure limits. I was interested because I do handload for most of my rifles.

Tanoose
I have shot the Hornady Light Mag 165 loads in a 308 on deer. I have shot the 375 loads on paper.
I have shot the Federal 165 TB HE on deer and pigs and the 180NP HE load on deer, again in the 308.
I have also shot the 300 Win mag Federal HE load with the TB bullet on paper.
All these loads have shot good on paper, and killed game very well.
I have not chronoed them but they should be going faster because they do kick a little harder.

Try them in your rifle and if they group good take them hunting.

I would not shoot them in any semi-auto, some of the weaker break open actions, levers etc.
In a bolt rifle or a Ruger No1 they should be fine.

I have used the .338 Win. and .375 H&H HE loads from Federal--Federal uses better bullets than Hornady does in its Heavy Magnum loads--and they are as advertised. Fast and flat shooting.

I couldn't get the .375s to group well in my rifle, though, so I never hunted with them.

On the other hand, the .338 loads with the 225 grain TBBC bullets will shoot into one hole for me, and I have killed a fair number of game animals with that load.

I get very close to 3,000 fps out of my rifle's 25+ inch barrel, so it makes the .338 Win. into a .340 Wby. I like that load very much.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and the taste is often bitter at the range as the groups may not suit you.....and energy is worthless when it's not well directed.....pretty simple!!

If you are not a handloader then try them.....see how they taste....and eiother use them or move on!!!

If you're a handloader the same can be done at home and with real safety....just load the next slower powder and compress the powder.....compress half a charge and then load the second half and compress that too. Just use the time honored handloading safety rules. I can easily duplicate Hornady's velocity claims by handloading.....but again...the end result can't be speed....it must be DIRECTED energy.

i pulled a 30-06 light magnum.. and there's NO WAY i could get that much powder back in , even with an arbor press


jeffe

I have found the Hornady Light Magnum ammo to be quite good, and up to velocity specs.

However, the Federal HE is not worth the extra money, as standard Federal ammo is loaded so hot, that HE is only 50 fps faster and costs a lot more.

The 338 Win Mag 225 gr TBBC Federal Premium ammo are absolutely great at 2950 fps.

Actually, I have noticed a dramtaic loss of interest in the HE ammo over the past year or two by consumers.

Terry that 338 load you mentioned is a high energy load , the standard load is loaded to 2800 fps so you have a increase of 150 fps not 40fps , unless you were talking about a different load.

I have heard discussions recently that the HE Federals are loaded in a vacuum to draw off any air in the cases.

And that the Hornady Heavy Magnums are loaded by reducing a larger than normally possible powder load through the use of a solvent to slurry the powder [thus reducing/eliminating air space I assume]

Does anyone have a notion that either of these scenarios are/could be correct?

Les

I've tried the Fed HE 30-06 180gr Nosler Pertition load in my rifle and it grouped pretty well. Don't recall exact size but it was just a wee bit bigger than the same bullet in the standard load. Either load was well within the envelope.

JPK

There was a guy at the shooting range with Fed HE '06 ammo and the primers were FLAT, so I would not say the pressures were low at all.

I have played with it, and it seems to work as advertised..It passed the chronograph tests..I jsut don't like the bullets they use at the higher velocities....

quote:

Originally posted by LHowell:
I have heard discussions recently that the HE Federals are loaded in a vacuum to draw off any air in the cases.

And that the Hornady Heavy Magnums are loaded by reducing a larger than normally possible powder load through the use of a solvent to slurry the powder [thus reducing/eliminating air space I assume]

Does anyone have a notion that either of these scenarios are/could be correct?

Les

I can assure you for a fact that at least one of these statements is pure BS....I suspect the other statement is as well!!!!!

I have to agree with 500Grains. The primers were alot flatter with the HE loads. Recoil noticably heavier too. Didn't crono the load.

JPK

Never saw that or any other pressure signs in the loads I've used, which were all Federal HEs and which include the .308 Win., 165 grain TBBC loading as well as the ones I've noted above.

Couldn't be the rifles, could it?

Don't you think the mfrs. would be even MORE attuned to pressure testing these loads than they are their normal ones?

BTW, I have read that the trick used by the factories involves some kind of super drop tube that induces some kind of whirlpool spiralling of the powder far down into and up to the neck of the case. Bores smaller than .270-.284 are too small for this loading technique--so, no HEs, or again, so I've read.

Other than the flatter than std load primers and the extra recoil the HE rounds were fine. I would expect greater recoil from the same bullet traveling, according to the book, 180fps faster. No sticky bolt or extraction problems... and it was 95* outside too.

JPK