The Hornady .44 Caliber FTX Seating Stem (Hornady part no. 397117) is a replacement seating die insert contoured to the .430-inch, 265-grain FTX bullet used in .44 Magnum and .444 Marlin lever-gun loads. It fits inside a compatible Hornady seating die and cradles the bullet’s flexible polymer tip during seating, so the ram doesn’t flatten or push the tip off-center the way a mismatched stem would. Reloaders running Hornady’s FTX bullets for lever-action rifles depend on a correctly profiled stem like this one to keep seating depth and crimp consistent across a batch. It’s a light, easily shipped spare part worth keeping on hand for anyone loading this bullet regularly.

Key Specifications

• .44 Caliber (.430 inch) bullet diameter, matched to standard .44 Magnum and .444 Marlin bore dimensions.
• 265 grain FTX bullet weight, the specific projectile this stem is contoured to seat.
• 0.055 pounds shipping weight, reflecting how small and light this seating die insert is.

Frequently Asked Questions

What bullet is this seating stem made for? It’s contoured for Hornady’s 265gr FTX bullet at .430-inch diameter, the polymer-tipped projectile used in .44 Magnum and .444 Marlin lever-action loads.

Why not use a standard flat seating stem? A flat or mismatched stem can flatten or push the FTX bullet’s soft polymer tip off-center during seating, so a profile-matched stem like this one is needed to seat it cleanly.

Buy the Hornady .44 Caliber FTX Seating Stem, 265gr

Order this seating stem from Schaefer Defense’s gunsmithing tools lineup and keep your 265gr FTX handloads seating clean. Order it from our Lubbock, Texas gun shop for fast, direct shipping.