Unlocking the Full Potential of Your Lever Action: Discover Hornady FTX Rifle Bullets

For generations, the lever-action rifle has been an iconic symbol of American hunting and marksmanship, renowned for its quick follow-up shots and reliability in rugged environments. However, traditional lever-action designs, particularly those with tubular magazines, have historically presented a significant challenge: safely using pointed, aerodynamically efficient bullets. The risk of primer ignition from a recoil-induced impact on the primer of the cartridge in front was a serious concern, limiting hunters to less aerodynamically efficient, flat-nosed or round-nosed ammunition. This often meant sacrificing long-range performance and ballistic efficiency.

Enter the revolutionary Hornady FTX Rifle bullet, specifically the 30 Cal .308 160 grain Flex Tip eXpanding. This innovative projectile changed the game for lever gun enthusiasts, offering a solution that combines safety, superior ballistics, and devastating terminal performance. If you own a lever-action rifle chambered in popular calibers like .30-30 Winchester, .308 Marlin Express, or even .30 Remington AR, and you’re looking to extend your effective range, improve accuracy, and ensure reliable takedowns on game, the Hornady FTX 160 gr .308 is designed precisely for you.

The Innovation at its Core: Patented Flex Tip Technology

At the heart of the Hornady FTX bullet's groundbreaking design is its patented Flex Tip. This revolutionary soft, pliable polymer tip accomplishes two critical objectives:

1. Enhanced Safety in Tubular Magazines: The flexible tip eliminates the safety concerns associated with using pointed bullets in tubular magazines. Instead of a hard, metallic point potentially impacting the primer of the cartridge ahead during recoil, the soft Flex Tip deforms safely, preventing inadvertent discharges. This means you can finally load your lever-action rifle with aerodynamically superior, pointed bullets without worry.
2. Unrivaled Ballistic Performance: Far from being just a safety feature, the Flex Tip is integral to the bullet's exceptional ballistic performance. Upon impact, this polymer tip initiates rapid, controlled expansion, ensuring significant energy transfer and a wide wound channel. It's designed to perform reliably across a broad range of velocities, from close-quarters bush hunting to more extended shots in open terrain.

Achieving Superior Ballistics: Design for Precision and Range

Beyond the innovative tip, the Hornady FTX 160 grain .308 bullet is engineered for maximum aerodynamic efficiency, a quality often elusive in traditional lever-action ammunition. Its design incorporates several key features that contribute to its high ballistic coefficient and flatter trajectory:

• Secant Ogive Design: The bullet's sleek, secant ogive profile minimizes drag, allowing it to retain velocity more effectively downrange. This translates directly into more energy delivered to the target and a flatter trajectory, simplifying aiming at varying distances. The .395 ballistic coefficient for this 160-grain bullet is remarkably high for a projectile designed for lever guns, illustrating its aerodynamic efficiency.
• Thinner, Tapered Front Section: This design element further reduces air resistance, contributing to a higher ballistic coefficient and less wind drift.
• Extended Bearing Surface: An extended bearing surface provides excellent stability in flight, promoting superior accuracy. This precision manufacturing ensures consistent shot-to-shot performance, a crucial factor whether you're at the range or in the field.

For the hunter asking, "How can I make my lever-action rifle shoot flatter and hit harder at longer ranges?" the answer lies in the aerodynamic advantages of the FTX bullet. Its ability to maintain velocity and energy means more humane, one-shot takedowns, even when shots stretch past what was traditionally considered the effective range for lever guns.

Uncompromising Terminal Performance: The InterLock Ring Advantage

A bullet's effectiveness isn't just about how well it flies; it's about what happens when it hits its target. The Hornady FTX 160 gr .308 excels in terminal performance, ensuring reliable expansion and deep penetration, even on challenging game animals.

• High Antimony Lead Core: The bullet features a robust, high antimony lead core. This composition provides the necessary mass for deep penetration while allowing for controlled expansion upon impact.
• InterLock Ring Technology: A distinguishing feature of Hornady bullets, the InterLock ring mechanically locks the core to the jacket. This prevents core-jacket separation, even during high-velocity impacts or encounters with tough hide and bone. The result is maximum weight retention, which directly translates to deeper penetration and a more consistent, devastating wound channel. Hunters often ask, "What bullet provides reliable deep penetration on large game?" The InterLock ring is Hornady's answer, ensuring the bullet holds together to deliver its full energy where it counts.
• Reliable Expansion: Coupled with the Flex Tip, the bullet's design promotes rapid yet controlled expansion. This ensures that the bullet mushrooms effectively to transfer maximum energy to the animal, creating a wide and debilitating wound channel that leads to swift, ethical harvests of medium to large game animals. The .241 sectional density of this 160-grain bullet is indicative of its ability to penetrate deeply.

Ideal Applications: What Game and Cartridges Benefit Most?

The Hornady 30396 FTX Rifle 30 Cal .308 160 grain Flex Tip eXpanding bullet is a versatile choice for hunters and reloaders aiming for optimal performance with .30 caliber firearms.

Primary Application: Medium-Large Game. This includes popular species such as:

• Whitetail Deer
• Mule Deer
• Wild Boar/Hogs
• Black Bear
• Elk (especially for cartridges like the .308 Marlin Express or .30 Remington AR where permitted)

Compatible Cartridges (when used as a reloading component for .308 bullet diameter):
While optimized for lever-action rifles, the .308 diameter 160 grain FTX can be an excellent choice for handloaders seeking to maximize performance in various .30 caliber cartridges, especially those designed for lever guns or AR platforms that benefit from pointed bullets. Some examples include:

• .30-30 Winchester: Arguably the most common caliber to see a significant performance boost from FTX. It transforms the .30-30 into a more capable, flatter-shooting cartridge.
• .308 Marlin Express: Designed from the ground up to take full advantage of FTX technology, offering near-.308 Winchester performance in a lever gun.
• .30 Remington AR: Another modern cartridge designed for pointed bullets in an AR platform, where the FTX's terminal performance and BC are highly beneficial.
• Other .30 Caliber Applications: While primarily associated with lever actions, the bullet's construction makes it viable for certain handloading applications in other .308 diameter cartridges where controlled expansion and deep penetration are desired, though the primary benefit of the Flex Tip for tubular magazines would not apply.

For the Discerning Reloader: Precision and Consistency

For those who custom-load their ammunition, the Hornady FTX Rifle bullets offer unparalleled consistency and quality. Each bullet is manufactured to strict tolerances, ensuring uniform weight, dimensions, and concentricity. This attention to detail means more consistent velocities, reduced flyers, and tighter groups downrange. Reloaders seeking the "best components for accurate lever-action loads" will find the FTX a superior choice. The presence of a cannelure further aids in consistent crimping, which is crucial for secure bullet seating and optimal powder burn in reloaded cartridges, particularly in rifles that experience significant recoil or chambering forces. Purchasing these bullets in boxes of 100 provides ample supply for developing precise loads.

Why Hornady FTX Stands Out for Your Hunting Needs

When considering ammunition components, trust and proven performance are paramount. Hornady has a long-standing reputation for manufacturing high-quality, innovative ammunition and components. The 30396 FTX Rifle bullet is a testament to this legacy.

• Revolutionary Performance: It's not just an improvement; it's a revolution for lever-action ballistics.
• Safety First: Eliminates concerns of using pointed bullets in tubular magazines.
• Superior Ballistics: Delivers flatter trajectories and extended effective range.
• Devastating Terminal Performance: Ensures quick, ethical harvests with reliable expansion and deep penetration.
• Hornady Quality: Backed by decades of ballistic research and manufacturing excellence.

Hunters often ask, "What's the best bullet for deer hunting with a .30-30?" or "How can I make my lever gun more effective for medium-sized game?" The Hornady FTX 160 grain .308 is consistently cited as a top-tier recommendation, transforming traditional lever guns into highly capable modern hunting rifles. Its ability to combine a high ballistic coefficient with safe operation in tubular magazines makes it uniquely positioned to solve a long-standing challenge for lever-action enthusiasts.

This specific bullet, the Hornady FTX 30 Cal .308 160 gr Flex Tip eXpanding, UPC 090255303964, is readily available for purchase at DEGuns.com. DEGuns is committed to providing a comprehensive selection of high-quality ammunition components, including innovative solutions like the Hornady FTX, to help you achieve optimal performance in the field and at the range.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hornady FTX Rifle Bullets

Q: What makes the Hornady FTX bullet safe for lever-action rifles with tubular magazines?
A: The key is the patented Flex Tip. Unlike traditional pointed bullets with hard metal tips that could potentially impact the primer of the cartridge in front during recoil, the Flex Tip is made of a soft, pliable polymer. This material safely deforms upon contact, eliminating the risk of accidental primer ignition in tubular magazines.

Q: How does the Flex Tip improve ballistic performance?
A: Beyond safety, the Flex Tip contributes to the bullet's superior aerodynamics. Its pointed shape, combined with the secant ogive design, significantly reduces drag. This results in a higher ballistic coefficient (.395 for the 160 gr .308 FTX), allowing the bullet to maintain velocity and energy over longer distances, leading to flatter trajectories and better accuracy downrange.

Q: What kind of terminal performance can I expect from the 160 gr .308 FTX?
A: You can expect rapid, controlled expansion and deep penetration. The Flex Tip initiates expansion upon impact, while the high antimony lead core and the patented InterLock ring work together to ensure the core is locked to the jacket. This prevents core-jacket separation, maximizing weight retention and creating a devastating wound channel for clean, ethical harvests of medium to large game.

Q: What game animals is this 160 gr .308 FTX bullet suitable for?
A: It is ideal for medium to large game animals. This includes popular species such as whitetail deer, mule deer, wild hogs, and black bear. Its robust construction and reliable expansion ensure effective performance on these animals.

Q: Is the Hornady FTX 160 gr .308 bullet suitable for reloading?
A: Absolutely. These bullets are specifically designed as high-quality reloading components. Their consistent weight, dimensions, and the presence of a cannelure (for reliable crimping) make them an excellent choice for handloaders seeking to create custom ammunition with superior accuracy and performance for their .30 caliber firearms, especially lever-action rifles.

Q: Can I use these bullets in a .308 Winchester bolt-action rifle?
A: While the bullet diameter is .308, the Hornady FTX line is primarily optimized for cartridges traditionally used in lever-action rifles (like .30-30 Win or .308 Marlin Express) due to the specific need for the Flex Tip in tubular magazines. While technically possible to reload for a .308 Winchester, other Hornady bullet lines (like SST or InterLock) might be more commonly chosen for general-purpose .308 Winchester applications, as the primary benefit of the Flex Tip (tubular magazine safety) wouldn't apply in a bolt-action. However, if you desire the specific terminal performance characteristics of the FTX, it remains a viable reloading component for any .308 bore rifle.

Q: What does "sectional density" mean, and why is .241 important for this bullet?
A: Sectional density (SD) is a measure of a bullet's mass relative to its cross-sectional area. A higher sectional density generally indicates better penetration for a given caliber. For the 160 gr .308 FTX with an SD of .241, it signifies that the bullet has a good balance of weight and frontal area, contributing to its ability to penetrate deeply into game animals, even with controlled expansion.

Key Specifications for the Hornady FTX Rifle 30 Cal .308 160 gr Flex Tip eXpanding Bullet

For hunters and reloaders seeking detailed information on this high-performance bullet, here are the core specifications:

Feature	Detail
Brand	Hornady
Model	FTX
Caliber	30 Cal
Bullet Weight	160 gr
Bullet Diameter	.308
Bullet Type	Flex Tip eXpanding
Core Material	Lead
Jacket Material	Copper
Bullet Tip Material	Polymer
Application	Medium-Large Game
Ballistic Coefficient (G1)	.395
Sectional Density	.241
Cannelure	Yes
Rounds Per Box	100
UPC	090255303964
MPN (Manufacturer Part Number)	30396
SKU	61150