Hornady

Last updated
Hornady Manufacturing Company
Company type Private
Industry Ammunition
Founded1949;75 years ago (1949)
FounderJoyce Hornady
Headquarters,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsAmmunition, handloading equipment and supplies.
OwnerSteve Hornady
Number of employees
200+ (April 2009)
Website www.hornady.com
Footnotes /references
Largest independent producer of bullets in the world

Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition cartridges, components and handloading equipments, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Contents

History

Joyce W. Hornady began manufacturing bullets in the spring of 1949 with a .30 caliber 150 gr (9.7 g) spire point selling for $4.50 per hundred. Within a year Hornady was producing thirteen different bullets in five different calibers. The Korean War caused material shortages limiting early production. An early innovation was thinner copper jackets for varmint hunting bullets to cause rapid expansion and minimize size of ricochet particles. A new 8,000 sq ft (740 m2) factory was required in 1958 to meet surging demand as returning soldiers used their firearm skills for hunting. A 200 yd (180 m) test range in an underground tunnel was built in 1960 to aid development of secant ogive bullets in 1961. [1] The company is currently run by Joyce Hornady's son, Steve Hornady, who took over after his father's death in a plane crash on January 15, 1981. [2] The Piper Aztec, with Hornady at the controls flying in heavy fog, crashed into Lake Pontchartrain while on final approach to New Orleans Lakefront Airport. [3]

Pacific Tool Company

Steve Hornady worked for Pacific Tool Company from 1960 to 1971, from the time the company moved from California to Nebraska until Pacific Tool was bought by Hornady. Pacific's DL-366 was their final progressive press and Hornady's first, and it is still manufactured by Hornady as the 366 Auto. [4]

Products

Cartridges

Hornady makes target shooting and hunting rounds as well as self-defense loads. In 1990, the Hornady XTP (which stands for Extreme Terminal Performance) won the industry's Product Award of Merit 1990 from the National Association of Federal Licensed Dealers. The company was the primary developer of the .17 HMR and .17 HM2 rimfire cartridges, which has become increasingly popular for small game and vermin hunting. Hornady has worked closely with firearms maker Sturm, Ruger on the development of the new line of Ruger cartridges including the .480 Ruger, .204 Ruger, and .375 Ruger. [5] [6] [7]

The company developed the LEVERevolution ammunition, which uses a spitzer bullet with a soft elastomer tip to give better aerodynamic performance than flatter bullets, while eliminating the risk of a shock driving the pointed polymer tip of a bullet in a lever-action rifle's tube magazine into the primer of the cartridge in front, causing an explosion. [8]

At the beginning of 2012, Hornady brought out a "Zombie Max" bullet, apparently due to the growing interest in "Zombie Shooting" in America. [9]

Hornady released the Vintage Match ammunition to replicate the original military performance specifications unique to wartime rifles such as the Mauser, Lee–Enfield, Mosin–Nagant, Swedish Mauser or others chambered in 6.5×55mm, .303 British, 7.62×54mmR, 7.92×57mm Mauser and .30-06. [10]

6.5mm Creedmoor

In 2007, Hornady released the first 6.5mm Creedmoor Cartridge. The 6.5 Creedmoor was a joint development between former Marine Corps competitive shooter David Tubb and Hornady Ballistician David Emary. [11] Hornady Manufactures 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges, bullets and reloading dies.

6.5 PRC

The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) was initially designed by George Gardner of GA Precision and Hornady in 2013 and released at the 2018 SHOT Show. It is essentially a more powerful and flatter-shooting version of the 6.5mm Creedmoor and uses the same bullet, but not the same cartridge case. [12] [13]

300 PRC

The American ammunition manufacturer Hornady got the 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge [14] SAAMI-standardized in 2018. [15] [16] In 2019 it got C.I.P.-standardized as the 300 PRC. [17] The .375 Ruger cartridge has functioned as the parent case for the .300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (300 PRC), [18] which is essentially a necked-down version of the .375 Ruger. The .375 Ruger cartridge case was used by Hornady as the basis for a new extra long range cartridge since it had the capability to operate with high chamber pressures which, combined with a neck and barrel throat optimized for loading relatively long and heavy .308 diameter very-low-drag bullets without the need to seat the bullets deeply recessed into the case result in adequate muzzle velocities from magnum sized bolt-action rifles. Rifles chambered for the 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge must be capable of handling 3.70 in (93.98 mm) overall length cartridges. [19] [20]

Handloading

Hornady manufactures a range of handloading components including cartridge cases, bullets and shotgun shell components. Hornady also produces a wide range handloading equipments such as presses, dies, powder measures, scales, case prepping tools, gauges, tumblers/ultrasonic cleaners and other accessories, as well as publishing a reloading data handbook that is currently in its 11th edition.

Security

In 2013, Hornady launched its Security division, dedicated to gun storage products and accessories. Their gun safes are offered in different product categories, which include the RAPiD Safes, Keyed Safes and Lock Boxes. Hornady also sell gun safe accessories such as dehumidifiers, gun racks and hangers, RFID accessories, etc. In 2015, Hornady acquired the SnapSafe, a manufacturer known for its modular safes also headquartered in Grand Island, but these products remain marketed under the SnapSafe brand. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7 mm caliber</span> Firearm cartridge classification

This is a list of firearm cartridges which have bullets in the 7.00 to 7.99 millimetres caliber range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.460 Weatherby Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .460 Weatherby Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked rifle cartridge, developed by Roy Weatherby in 1957. The cartridge is based on the .378 Weatherby Magnum necked up to accept the .458-inch (11.6 mm) bullet. The original .378 Weatherby Magnum parent case was inspired by the .416 Rigby. The .460 Weatherby Magnum was designed as an African dangerous game rifle cartridge for the hunting of heavy, thick skinned dangerous game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildcat cartridge</span> Custom cartridge for firearms

A wildcat cartridge, often shortened to wildcat, is a custom-made cartridge for which ammunition and/or firearms are not mass-produced. These cartridges are often created as experimental variants to optimize a certain ballistic performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge, or may merely be intended as novelty items.

The overall length (OAL) of an ammunition cartridge is a measurement from the base of the brass shell casing to the tip of the bullet, seated into the brass casing. Cartridge overall length, or "COL", is important to safe functioning of reloads in firearms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6.5×55mm Swedish</span> Nordic 6mm centerfire cartridge

6.5×55mm Swedish, also known simply as 6.5×55mm, 6.5x55 SE, 6.5x55 Swede, or in its native military as 6.5 mm patron m/94, meaning "6.5 mm cartridge model 94", referring to 1894, is a first-generation smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. The cartridge has most users in the Scandinavian countries, where it is known as the 6,5×55 or just "the 6,5".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7mm-08 Remington</span> Necked down .308Win

The 7mm-08 Remington is a rifle cartridge that is almost a direct copy of a wildcat cartridge developed around 1958 known as the 7mm/308. As these names would suggest, it is the .308 Winchester case necked down to accept 7 mm (.284) bullets with a small increase in case length. Of cartridges based upon the .308, it is the second most popular behind only the .243 Winchester. However, the .308 is more popular than both. In 1980, the Remington Arms company popularized the cartridge by applying its own name and offering it as a chambering for their Model 788 and Model 700 rifles, along with a limited-run series within their Model 7600 pump-action rifles during the early 2000s.

The .416 Rigby is a rifle cartridge designed in 1911 by London based gunmaker John Rigby & Company, for hunting dangerous game. It is the first cartridge to use a bullet of .416 inch diameter. The rifles, as built by John Rigby & Co., were initially made up on the Magnum Mauser 98 action, although in later years, some were made on standard length actions, a perfect example being the rifle used by legendary professional hunter Harry Selby. Other famous users of the cartridge were Commander David Enderby Blunt, John Taylor, and Jack O'Connor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 Winchester Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .300 Winchester Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard rifle action. It is based on the .375 H&H Magnum, which has been blown out, shortened, and necked down to accept a .30 caliber (7.62 mm) bullet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.444 Marlin</span> Rifle cartridge

The .444 Marlin (10.9×57mmR) is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. It was designed to fill the gap left when the older .45-70 cartridge was not available in new lever-action rifles; at the time it was the largest lever-action cartridge available. The .444 resembles a lengthened .44 Magnum and provides a significant increase in velocity. It is usually used in the Marlin 444 lever-action rifle. Currently, Marlin, now owned by Ruger Firearms, does not offer the .444 chambering in any of their rifles. It remains to be seen if they will bring the chambering back into production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7mm Remington Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The 7mm Remington Magnum rifle cartridge was introduced as a commercially available round in 1962, along with the new Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle. It is a member of the belted magnum family that is directly derived from the venerable .375 H&H Magnum. The original purpose of the belted magnum concept taken from the .300 H&H Magnum and .375 H&H Magnum, was to provide precise headspace control, since the sloping shoulders, while easing cartridge extraction, were unsuitable for this purpose. Improved cartridge extraction reliability is desirable while hunting dangerous game, in particular when a fast follow-up shot is required. The 7mm Remington Magnum is based on the commercial .264 Winchester Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum, and .458 Winchester Magnum, which were based on the same belted .300 H&H Magnum and .375 H&H Magnum cases, trimmed to nearly the same length as the .270 Weatherby Magnum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8×68mm S</span> 1930s German rifle cartridge

The 8×68mm S rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge was developed in the 1930s by August Schüler of the August Schüler Waffenfabrik, Suhl, Germany as a magnum hunting cartridge that would just fit and function in standard-sized Mauser 98 bolt-action rifles. The bore has the same lands and grooves diameters as the German 7.92×57mm Mauser service cartridge. This is one of the early examples where a completely new rifle cartridge was developed by a gunsmith to fit a specific popular and widespread type of rifle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.416 Remington Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

The .416 Remington Magnum is a .416 caliber (10.57 mm) cartridge of belted bottlenecked design. The cartridge was intended as a dangerous game hunting cartridge and released to the public in 1989. The cartridge uses the case of the 8 mm Remington Magnum as a parent cartridge. When the cartridge was released in 1988, author Frank C. Barnes considered the .416 Remington Magnum to be the "most outstanding factory cartridge introduced in decades".

The .375 Ruger (9.5×65.5mm) is a rimless, standard-length rifle cartridge designed for hunting large, dangerous game. It is designed to provide an increase in performance over the .375 H&H cartridge within the context of a standard-length rifle action. The cartridge was designed in partnership by Hornady and Ruger. In 2007, it was released commercially and chambered in the Ruger Hawkeye African and the Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.450 Bushmaster</span> Rifle cartridge

The .450 Bushmaster (11.48x43mmRB) is a rifle cartridge developed by Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms, and licensed to Bushmaster Firearms International. The .450 Bushmaster is designed to be used in standard M16s and AR-15s, using modified magazines and upper receiver assemblies.

The .375 Dakota is dangerous game cartridge designed by Don Allen, the founder of Dakota Arms of Sturgis, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6.5mm Creedmoor</span> Centerfire rifle cartridge

The 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5×48mm), designated 6.5 Creedmoor by SAAMI, 6,5 Creedmoor by the C.I.P. is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007. It was developed by Hornady senior ballistics scientist Dave Emary in partnership with Dennis DeMille, the vice-president of product development at Creedmoor Sports, hence the name. The cartridge is a necked-down modification of the .30 Thompson Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.458 Lott</span> Cartridge

The .458 Lott is a .458 caliber rifle cartridge designed for the purpose of hunting large, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. It is based on the full length .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to 2.800 inches (71.1 mm).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.30-06 Springfield wildcat cartridges</span> Non-standard rifle cartridge

.30-06 Springfield wildcat cartridges are cartridges developed from a 30-06 Springfield "parent cartridge" through narrowing or widening the cartridge neck to fit a smaller or larger bullet in an attempt to improve performance in specific areas. Such wildcat cartridges are not standardized with recognized small arms standardization bodies like the SAAMI and the CIP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7.62×40mm Wilson Tactical</span> Rifle cartridge

The 7.62×40mm Wilson Tactical is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced in 2011 by Wilson Combat. The goal was to produce an accurate, low-recoil .30-caliber hunting cartridge that could be used in an AR-15-type rifle using as many standard components as possible.

The 7mm BR Remington / 7.2x38mm, commonly called the 7mm BR or the 7mm Benchrest Remington in long form, was an intermediate cartridge developed by Remington for the Remington XP-100 single-shot bolt-action handgun. The cartridge was developed for the Unlimited Class in the sport of Metallic silhouette shooting. Later it was introduced in the Remington Model XB-40 single-shot bolt-action rifle, which was specifically designed for the benchrest shooting community.

References

  1. Zent, John (2024). "Hornady: 75 Years of "Accurate, Deadly, Dependable" Ammunition". American Rifleman . 172 (8). National Rifle Association of America: 48-53 & 62.
  2. Zwoll, Wayne van (2011). Shooter's Bible Guide to Rifle Ballistics. Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated. pp. 184–185. ISBN   978-1-62087-285-7.
  3. "A twin-engine plane carrying three people on a flight from Nebraska crashed into Lake Pontchartrain in heavy fog Thursday while on approach to New Orleans Lakefront Airport". www.upi.com/archives. January 15, 1981. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  4. Tamage, Ken (2011). Handloader's Digest: The World's Greatest Handloading Book. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 166. ISBN   978-1-4402-2451-5.
  5. Barnes, Frank C. (22 September 2009). Cartridges of the World: A Complete and Illustrated Reference for Over 1500 Cartridges. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-4402-1330-4.
  6. Ramage, Ken (19 November 2008). Guns Illustrated 2009. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. p. 77. ISBN   978-0-89689-673-4.
  7. Massaro, Philip P. (11 September 2014). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Reloading. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media. p. 225. ISBN   978-1-4402-3998-4.
  8. Taffin, John (February 2007), "Seven revolution: it's not your grandpa's .30-.30", Guns Magazine, archived from the original on 2012-07-08, retrieved 2011-07-16
  9. fieldsportschannel, fieldsportschannel. "How to shoot zombies with real bullets". fieldsportschannel.tv. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  10. "Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Rifle :: Choose by Product Line :: Vintage Match". Archived from the original on 2017-04-26. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  11. Association, National Rifle, American Rifleman | Official Journal Of The NRA | The 6.5 Creedmoor: Its Origins, Development & Future , retrieved 2021-07-07
  12. "6.5 PRC". Hornady Manufacturing, Inc. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  13. "6.5 PRC: Ultimate Guide To What You Need To Know..." 16 February 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  14. ".375 Ruger", Wikipedia, 2020-08-21, retrieved 2020-08-21
  15. SAAMI Drawing 300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (300 PRC)
  16. "It's Official — SAAMI Approves Hornady 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC". bulletin.accurateshooter.com. August 13, 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  17. "C.I.P. TDCC (Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers) 300 PRC" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-14. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  18. "300 PRC, The Top 30 Cal?". loaddevelopment.com. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  19. von Benedikt, Joseph (2019-01-09). ".300 PRC vs. Other .30-Caliber Magnums". Shooting Times. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  20. Beckstrand, Tom (2019-03-12). ".300 PRC Review: Everything You Need to Know". Guns and Ammo. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  21. "Hornady". The Firearm Blog. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 2022-02-18.