I am sure there are much more knowledgeable people on this site that will add their wisdom. But I will have a shot at your question. When it has been asked before I believe the consensus was that it is better not to risk round nose in a tubular magazine. It would probably come down to the shape of the bullet, and how pointy it is, but personally... I don't want anything pressing on the primer of the bullet ahead in the magazine. Especially in a hard-kicking rifle. If you want a flatter trajectory I would be looking at other things like increasing the velocity of the bullet with a hotter load. If you want better bullet ballistics... then go with the Hornady FTP (flex or gummy tip) or buy some LEVERevolution ammo. Note, if you are going to load the FTP, you will have to use slightly shorter brass.
Hornady 350 gr round nose
Are Hornady's 350 gr. round nose bullets safe to fire from a rifle with tubular magazine or should I better buy the flat nose?
Honestly, I tend to the round nose bullets because of a probably better means flatter trajectory.
Honestly, I tend to the round nose bullets because of a probably better means flatter trajectory.
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If you have checked out any of the 30-30 offerings, you will notice at least 1/2 have round noses. The round nose is much worried about, but much safer than even a very LARGE metplated hard cast boolit. They were originally intended for the higher velocity of the 458 and above, but have been used for a generation or two for the 45-70. Data has existed that long as well. Use them with confidence. They are a killing machine! ( and safe to shoot)
I have used them in mine. Hornady lists data specifically for Marlin so I'd say its ok.
It's safe, and one of the most loaded bullets for 45-70's here in Utah...if you go by the handful of guys I have talked with,ha. I have a guy in my congregation that has used this bullet exclusively for decades, they are a real thumper on elk and leave a big thumbsize hole through deer....and as the "other" Elmer Keith used to say, "you can eat right up to the bullet hole", welcome!
I would say you guys are very lucky and I hope you stay that way but if that round nose bullet presses directly on the primer in a tubular magazine, you have the chance of setting off those rounds from the heavy recoil of a 45-70 rifle.
Good luck and safe shooting.
Good luck and safe shooting.
According to Hornady's web site the flat nose has a better ballistic coeffecient .189 RN vs .195 FN.Elmer Keith said:Are Hornady's 350 gr. round nose bullets safe to fire from a rifle with tubular magazine or should I better buy the flat nose?
Honestly, I tend to the round nose bullets because of a probably better means flatter trajectory.
I have posted several times about an article in the 2002 Gun Digest. Do a search, and you will find them. But suffice to say that the first thing the author of the article did was to place a primed case in a vise, then holding it in a pair of pliers, he put the pointy nose of a soft point spitzer right against the primer of the cartridge. It took five blows of a hammer to set off the primer. Then he rigged up a length of magazine tube so as to be able to fire the rearmost of three cartridges in the tube. All that happened was that it generated a little smoke and the rearmost cartridge had ruptured, leaving unburnt powder in the tube, and the bullets in the two cartridges ahead of it were a bit telescoped into their cases. There was absolutely no damage whatsoever to the magazne tube, which is not what he had expected given all the talk of exploding m agazine tubes when a cartridge fires inside a magazine tube.
If you think about it, the lack of damage to the magazine tube makes perfect ballistic sense. With no chamber to apply constriction to the cartridge, and create some real pressure, the cases are not strong enough to hold together for even the shortest time creating significant pressure enough to cause any pressure that might affect the magaize tube. Remember, smokeles powder is a propellant, not an explosive. What sends a bullet down the barrel is expanding gasses caused when the smokeless powder burns. I don't think anyone has tried this experiment using cartridges loaded with black powder, which is an explosive.
So, to make a long story short, using round nose bullets in a tubular magazine is perfectly safe, as a very huge, long list of shooters can testify to.
If you think about it, the lack of damage to the magazine tube makes perfect ballistic sense. With no chamber to apply constriction to the cartridge, and create some real pressure, the cases are not strong enough to hold together for even the shortest time creating significant pressure enough to cause any pressure that might affect the magaize tube. Remember, smokeles powder is a propellant, not an explosive. What sends a bullet down the barrel is expanding gasses caused when the smokeless powder burns. I don't think anyone has tried this experiment using cartridges loaded with black powder, which is an explosive.
So, to make a long story short, using round nose bullets in a tubular magazine is perfectly safe, as a very huge, long list of shooters can testify to.
Hornady 350 grain RNSP
I recently purchased some of these and was concerned about using them In my 1895SS. I did a little research on-line and found they are OK to use in a tubular magazine lever gun. For those that responded thank you for the information.
I recently purchased some of these and was concerned about using them In my 1895SS. I did a little research on-line and found they are OK to use in a tubular magazine lever gun. For those that responded thank you for the information.
Nope they are not safe. So please send them my way and I will be more than happy to dispose of them for you 1 at a time lol. 
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