Shout Out for Hornady

[CowboyTutt]

As some of you may know, I have a CZ 550 Safari rifle chambered in 375 H&H Ackley Improved that was further modified to accept a 0.25 inch longer cartridge. Some 6 months ago McPherson put me onto Hornady's 375 caliber 390 grain A-Tip bullet with a G1 BC of .987. It took me many months to find some and now I have about 300 of them. They are premium bullets and are the longest feasable to use in my 1:12 twist (similar weight monolithic bullets from other companies are too long to stabilize.) As I started to read more, it turns out these VLD (very low drag) bullets often need a different shape in the seating die but I could not find one in 375 anywhere. McPherson contacted Hornady and they sent me a custom, 1 of a kind 375 VLD bullet seating die for free!!!!! I would gladly have paid for it but they did not even ask. They even paid for shipping.

Tipping my cowboy hat off to Hornady!

-Tutt

[2ndovc]

Well that's cool!

I have a couple of CZs, great rifles. I keep looking at the 550 Safari and then look at all the bolt actions I have and think, do I really need another one.


jb

[CowboyTutt]

Unfortunately for all of us, the CZ 550 in magnum cartridges has ceased production and you can see this on its website when you look and this YouTube channel as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O5WrOIc0Ho

I bought mine over a decade ago. I had it gunsmithed by a competent gunsmith in Monterey, CA, who did a good job on the conversion, (No, McPherson had absolutely nothing to do with this build, but it followed the principals that he taught me, make the action long as feasable.)

It apparently was worth the effort. It was dumb luck that the magnum full length action, and also the magazine could accommodate such an oversized cartridge. One of the very best conversions I have ever made.

-Tutt

[CowboyTutt]

It turns out the good men and women at Hornady took an interest in my project and wanted to help. I will have to report back to them. -Tutt

[marlinman93]

Next time you talk to them, ask them to make their .405 Win. brass again! Not sure why they stopped as it was a good selling brass for them, and still in high demand!

[Shasta]

Next time you talk to them, ask them to make their .405 Win. brass again! Not sure why they stopped as it was a good selling brass for them, and still in high demand!

I strongly second Marlinman's request. I have not fired my .405 in over three years since I lost all my brass and ammo in the 2018 Carr Fire here in Shasta County, CA. I have kept a constant search but there is no affordable brass available. Three bucks apiece is not a reasonable price when it cost just eighty cents during Hornady's production.

Shasta

[marlinman93]

Next time you talk to them, ask them to make their .405 Win. brass again! Not sure why they stopped as it was a good selling brass for them, and still in high demand!

I strongly second Marlinman's request. I have not fired my .405 in over three years since I lost all my brass and ammo in the 2018 Carr Fire here in Shasta County, CA. I have kept a constant search but there is no affordable brass available. Three bucks apiece is not a reasonable price when it cost just eighty cents during Hornady's production.

Shasta

What's odd is Hornady still sells their loaded .405 Win. ammo. Crazy priced at Midway USA at $99 aa box, but I saw it as cheap as $56 a box elsewhere. If I had a gun in this caliber I'd probably just buy loaded ammo for a few boxes, to have the empty brass, vs. nutty $3 a case price for empty brass, and it's crappy Bertram.

Optics Planet shows Hornady brass in bags of 50 for $105, so a lot cheaper, but still not cheap.
I'm always looking, and a year ago I saw someone on a forum mention Gary Reeder Guns had gotten in a backorder of 20,000 pieces of .405 Win. Hornady brass. The price was about .75 cents a piece, and a limit of 500 pcs. per customer. I immediately called them, and ordered 500 pcs. as I've got 6 rifles that I use .405 to form either .40-70SS, or .40-70 Ballard for. I asked how much they had left then, and was told only 5000 as the rest had already been sold. I think it all went in a few days.

[CowboyTutt]

A little cheaper. I think the cost of raw materials has gone up that cases are super expensive anymore. -Tutt

https://opticsandammo.com/product/horna ... -mfg-8691/

[Shasta]

A little cheaper. I think the cost of raw materials has gone up that cases are super expensive anymore. -Tutt

https://opticsandammo.com/product/horna ... -mfg-8691/

Thanks for that link Tutt, but they are not accepting any new orders so it's still unobtainium for me.

Shasta

[CowboyTutt]

That's too bad. It took me 3 months to find 303 Brit brass and it was restricted to 3 bags. -Tutt