Hornady Replies to my contact

[WyoStillhunter]

I will give Hornady credit, they responded to both messages I sent about discontinuation of the .444 Marlin Light Magnum ammo.

On Dec. 8 I sent this message via the Hornady website:

You folks really need to see the reaction to discontinuing the .444 Light Magnum ammo.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/i...30786.html#new

I am aka "WyoStillhunter" and my avatar shows an elk taken with the .444 LM ammo in 2007.

My 1977 mfg. 444S shoots the Light Magnum ammo much better than the LE.

Today I received this response:

I understand when you find something you like and the manufacturer changes it but in this case we changed to a better bullet, same velocity. The response from the shooters would appear to support the change and frankly this year we only had so many cases available and we could load all of them with the FTX or load both and demand for the FTX load was greater than the available brass so......
The LEVERevolution load is a Light Magnum performance level just a different name.

End of story. Business is business and I am sure their market stats support the direction they are going.

Happy New Year to all!

[Dawei]

Well I'm buying enough Hornady® Light Magnum™ 265gr ammo to last the rest of my lifetime; and, I plan to live a long time, God willing. Come spring I'm going to Nebraska, and CRAP ON SH's DESK!!!!! I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER!

[Tuhlmann]

Aside from the ballistic coefficient, how is the LE bullet a "better bullet"? This is a serious question, by the way.

[robert4570]

Thanks for sharing Wyo ,
I happen to have 2 of the original red boxes #85444 - 444 LM ammo.
That was my favorite factory load, shame they dropped but I also have
several boxes of LE ammo which I need to test.
Oh well handload to get what you really want.

Happy New Year.

[Swampman]

I don't plan on using any LE ammo but at least we can still reload. I wish I had some of the Remington 265 grain bullets.

[dgslr]

Hopefully they won't be dumb enough to stop making the 265 gr FP bullet so I can keep handloading them.

[Halwg]

I read the article in Guns & Ammo today on the Superformance (or some such ridiculous name) that is replacing the light mag. Seems like this is going to help out those that shoot factory 270, 30-06, 243 and such, but I see no mention of the lever action chamberings. I think Hornady has chosen to go with the LeverEvolution loadings in those calibers.

Again, they are using powders not available to the general public.

[Tony65x55]

Aside from the ballistic coefficient, how is the LE bullet a "better bullet"? This is a serious question, by the way.

This is a serious answer. It is not a better bullet. It does not shoot in many 1:38 MG barrels, mine included. and those barrels represent the vast majority of .444's out there. My MG rifles casually gathers them into 10" groups, some don't get there at all and the occasional one is sideways. I handload all my .444's but it was good to know there was an excellent factory load out there, just in case. No longer.

The 265 grain HDY FP is a very good bullet, an icon to many .444 shooters, and I sure hope they don't discontinue it. The new glossy girl just doesn't measure up. IMHO.

Bad move Hornady.

[Halwg]

What is the contact to reach Hornady? We should all write them a letter asking that the 265 gr FN bullet be loaded into some offering, regardless of what they call it. A lot of 444 owners don't reload, so this is really limiting their choices.

Maybe Remington will come out with a 265 gr loading.

[Frodo]

I think us handloaders are missing the point:

frankly this year we only had so many cases available and we could load all of them with the FTX or load both and demand for the FTX load was greater than the available brass

They are no longer going to make the brass we need!!!