New Hornady Custom Lite Ammo

Hornady announced the addition of several new products at the 2014 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Hornady has earned one of the finest reputations in the industry for producing some of the most accurate and high quality ammunition on the market. These new additions look to add to that reputation and open up new possibilities.

One of those new products is the Custom Lite line of ammunition, which claims to reduce recoil 25-40% from standard loads, as well as reduced muzzle blast. Using slightly lighter bullets and modified propellants, Hornady claims a significant recoil reduction can be accomplished. This line is a great way to introduce new shooters, those shooters with smaller frames, or shooters with physical hinderances to larger caliber rifles that they would likely be prevented from shooting with standard cartridges.

Custom Lite cartridges will be loaded with the very successful SST bullets, and come in 20-round boxes. The SST bullets are designed with a polymer tip that provides superior accuracy through a flatter trajectory, while assisting in a uniform and controlled deformation of the bullet upon impact. The lighter bullet weights and charges will create a modified trajectory, but Hornady is still promising dependable and accurate performance from the Custom Lite loads.

Custom Lite .30-30 rounds will be loaded with Interlock RN bullets. Here I would have preferred that Hornady used their incredible LeverRevolution bullets with polymer tips. I have used those in my Marlin .30-30 with great success and a much improved accuracy performance from standard round-nosed ammunition.

In addition, I have used standard Hornady 165 gr. SST ammunition in my .30-06 for several years now. I have found the performance to be superior to soft point rounds, and the stopping power is impressive.

The Custom Lite line from Hornady and their reduction rates from standard loads:

• .243 Win. (87 gr. SST) 35% from 100 gr. load
• .270 Win. (120 gr. SST) 41% from 130 gr. load
• 7mm-08 Rem. (120 gr. SST) 31% from 139 gr. load
• .30-30 Win. (150 gr. RN) 26% from 150 gr. load
• .308 Win. (125 gr. SST) 43% from 150 gr. load
• .30-06 Springfield (125 gr. SST) 43% from 150 gr. load
• 7mm Rem Mag (139 gr. SST) 27% from 139 gr. load
• .300 Win Mag (150 gr. SST) 30% from 150 gr. load