my 1st animal with a Hammer bullet was a medium buck Antelope this year Year 2022 Sept.16 TH. in Wyoming with my long range 257 Weatherby mag. 7 1/2 twist Brux barrel at a measured distance after the shot 450 yards . i used a 103 gr. Hammer hunter bullet went right thru the animal so no bullet recovery but a nice type small hole going in and looked like a mushroom type exit hole kinda. my rifle shoots on the average 3680 FPS with this 25 caliber bullet and with a zero of 200 yards and at 450 yards its about 13 -14 inches low i had to use Kentucky windage a little , my range finder did not work. my next use hopefully will be in Minnesota`s whitetail deer season son and myself will both be using our Ruger #1`s 257 Weatherby mags with this same great bullet 103 gr. Hammer bullet at the same speed too. good luck this fall with a safe season,Pete53

DRT or did it run ?

Dave

That’s hammering Pete. What’s your load?

RL. 25 max load from Berger book that i don`t remember ? 103 gr. Hammer bullet used brass resized shoots great. if i get to my reloading building room i will try to remember and tell you. Pete53

tipped that antelope over DRT. and when bullet hit there was a loud smack too.

Nice
Thats what I'm looking for

dave

the nice part was the bullet never made a mess of the buck either , all the meat was nice and not blood shot

Middle of the road load.

I'm a Hammer Bullet fan. I sent photos of what a 178 Hammer out of my Pre-64 .358 Win FWT did to a WT doe. I got a nice reply from one of the owner/founders, Steve Davis. So, they have great customer awareness and response. Good bullets, good guys.

https://hammerbullets.com/about-us/

DF

I hope to do some killing with Hammer's this year as well

This Sunday opener for Antelope....... either a 257 Bee with 90 gr Hammer, or a new 6mm ARC with 101 Hammer.

Still up in the air.

Tough choice with no down side.

Let us know how it goes.

DF

What’s your speed on the 101 out of the ARC?

Beat me to it…

about 2800 fps
Lever evolution

Pretty good for the weeeee lil case..

I like the ARC.. Most useful AR round in my book.

I agree Kinda makes my 243 Win obsolete due to twist.

You couldn't hand me a 1-10 243 anymore.

Didn’t your 6 creed do that?

Got a 6.5mm Manbun but not a 6mm

Both my Coopers in 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.5 PRC will put the 124 Hammer Hunter into .2's. I've not shot anything with them yet, but they are the most accurate bullet I have ever used. I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that they are hunting bullets.

So far, a sample of one. They're are extremely explosive. Need to shoot a deer next month and try to hit him in the middle

Good stuff Pete, the 404gr Hammer bullet in my 3.6" mag length action 458 Win Mag leaves at 2500+ fps, it's a very accurate bullet, no load development to speak of, just worked up with a chrono and AA-2460 powder till i got to 2500 fps then went to the bench, GTG, great bullets i look forward to using in other rifles.

basically that is all`s i did too ,bullets went where i wanted them to go, went fast enough for my hunting rifle, my hunting rifles are not my target rifles .

Oh if it were a new haven stainless featherweight you take it and you know it.

By next year this time I will have enough money to buy a 50 count box of their bullets. Then I will be part of the “hammer” time crew..

If it were a Stainless Featherweight in 243 of any vintage,I'd take it too.

I can use 95 grain Balistic Tips or 80 grain Barnes TTSX and do about anything that needs doing around here and most other places too.

You got me. I’d likely cave for a P64 Featherweight first, but only cause it’s the rifle. I’d shoot the ping pong balls with it happily I guess

Shoot the 90gr hornady cx with a bc of .419.

Ha…. I kinda like the 95 BT if I can’t go slick sorta bullets in the 243. Giant killer.

I have a 6 ARC like Fotis has bought it last year I only shot it 2-3 times. It’s a savage I need to put in a different stock.

The Howa Carbon deals will be great little rifles when they start kicking them out.

I can see me getting one of them when I can get my hands on one.

I can't get the Barnes 80gr ttsx or the 95gr lrx to group in my 7.5 twist .243ai, I have gave up tired of wasting powder. Any ideas on what Hammer bullets I should try?

TG, go to Hammers website, they give b.c.'s and twist rate rec's for their bullets, very informative.

i don`t feel its the bullet gr. weight you are using either go to a heavier bullet ,try the 101 gr Hammer bullet you have the barrel twist for heavier bullets. i wish you lived close to me i would help you as would some other loonies would do.good luck .Pete53 >P.S. since i started using Hammer bullets now i do like copper bullets ,i never cared much for other brand copper bullets.

101 hammer

AccuBond all the way!

well maybe ? but right now Hammer bullets are available to purchase right from Hammer bullets . com

Yep. You order them and they arrive in a day or two.

Yeah, for about $66/50. I'll buy TTSX for a lot less, thanks..

my Hammer bullets were $115.00 for 100 bullets , these bullets in many of my rifles shot better groups than other brand copper bullets . i shoot a Ruger #1 once the rifle is sighted in i have mostly 1 shot kills so not a big deal on bullet price to use the best brand bullets.

I'm not worried about the price of bullets, just if I can get them to shoot like I want. For some reason I just can't find the sweet spot in my rifle for the Barnes ttsx or lrx. A typical 6 shot group at a 100yds using Hornady 103 eld-x or 108 eld-match bullets. I have 3 different Hammer bullets on the way to try. Steve Davis deserves a shout out for great customer service.

Same here. Good bullets are so inexpensive to what I pay for diesel these days I don’t hardly give it a thought if they’re accurate and killers on animals. I can shoot Hornady the rest of the year to save money.

I’ve killed 2 whitetails and 2 caribou with the 124 hammer hunter in my 6.5 PRC. Accuracy has been outstanding and every kill has been swift with excellent terminal results. I’ve been so impressed with the hammer bullets that I rebarreled my nula 24 to a fast twist 25/06 with the plan of shooting the 125gr hammer hunter.

Do they work great on game and are they accurate in your guns?
If the answer is YES, and you get them quickly, then paying a premium price is really not a big deal.
I have several friends that absolutely love how they perform on game.
I have not hunted with Hammer's yet, but they are going to be one of my go to bullets for mule deer and on up game.
Barnes LRX and the AB's are two other bullets I will use as well for mule deer and above.

Hammer certainly has some interesting bullets. I've shot many of the Hammer Hunters but haven't bothered with the "Absolutes".

I shot a doe that was facing me with a 124 Hammer from a Creed. The bullet entered the brisket and exited the rear hind quarter. Just started fooling around with their 85gr bullet in the 26" Creed. I had no problem getting velocities to 3,700 ft/sec. I'm guessing this is my first "fast" barrel because that is more velocity than I was expecting. I did load work-up in .2gr increments. The downside to this load is that velocity sheds FAST! IIRC it loses over 300 ft/sec in the first 100yds.

I wasn't happy with the accuracy of the 88 HH or 87 AH using Hunter powder in my rifle. The 101 HH is accurate in my rifle and I'll do some live penetration and knockdown testing in a couple of weeks.

And do not forget availability is awesome.

Weatherby picked them up for their loaded ammunition. In fact Adam Weatherby got his first kill last week with the prototype. Bang and done at long range.

Thanks for the update on Adam-Good stuff.

Another interesting point regarding the use of Hammer bullets:

Most of the Hammer fans recommend using a Lee FCD to crimp in the bullets. They also recommend using magnum primers where you normally wouldn't need them. Both recommendations are to compensate for the rather low neck tension/interface.

I have tested quite a few loads with, and without, crimping. The outcome from using a FCD and Hammer bullets is far from predictable. I've seen some loads get better and some get notably worse. Erratic velocities were one of the things that I noticed on some loads. I have shot some very tight groups before the crimping idea got popular. Apparently, it works for some reloaders because it is almost universally recommended by Hammer shooters.

With regard to the magnum primers - the suggestion to use mag primers in all Hammer applications has been changing. Smaller cases are proving to work very well with standard primers. And recently, it has been determined that when loading for the 6.5PRC that you can load to much higher velocities if you avoid using mag primers. Mag primers apparently cause the loads to pressure up too quickly.

I like the Hammer bullets, but you really need to test the idiosyncrasies of loading this bullet for yourself. The blanket statements that are all over the web about Hammers haven't proven to be gospel in my tests.

the Hammer bullets i have used have shot very well the right recommended barrel twist from Hammer bullets is very important. my experience with the lee crimp die has helped with all hunting ammo brass and different brand bullets too . when i use Hammer bullets in my target rifles i don`t ever crimp then , i don`t always use magnum primers either but i have only a limited experience on the primer part ? i have only shot 1 antelope with a Hammer bullet so far but once deer season opens in Minnesota i will no more . my drawing luck this year was very poor for out west !

I tried Winchester LM rifle primers and groups seemed erratic. I'll stick with using CCI BR-2 primers in my .243 ai.

I wish those guys, starting this bullet making company all the best.

Funny how this thread is in the Longe range hunting section. While they seem to be decent bullets, they are not in the running for true long range stuff; the less dense copper and BC robbing grooves are to blame.
Best thing about them is availability. I will try more but won't shoot them at 1000+ yards

My 243 loves the 88gr HH over 4831. 3400fps and tiny groups. From the start of load development all my test loads were under 1” also.

Try another powder with them and you might be surprised.

Thanks I'll give 4831sc a try, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

I've experienced excellent accuracy, low ES/SD using Ramshot Magnum in my 1:8.5 twist 243AI w/105gn projectiles. That powder would probably work with the 88's and almost assuredly would work w/the 101's.

Just throwing out another option of a powder that recently has had reasonably good availability.

You may have a point, though for most of us common folks anything over 250 yards is a long range shot. Then there really is something to be said to closing the distance & getting it done with minimalist approach.

The draw towards Hammer and Barnes copper bullets for me is the lack of potential failures. From my experience bad angles, high velocity and bone will cause 6mm bullets to fail.

Pete, did you have any indication that the petals broke off and radiated outward like shrapnel? On one of the two cow elk for which I used Hammers, I found a petal under the far hide. The bases of the bullets on both elk exited. I usually field dress with the gutless method, so have no internal damage to report.

this is my 1st year with using Hammer bullets and i only shot 1 antelope buck at 460 yards with one shot hit the bottom of the heart at an angle went out the other side and basically cut the buck`s leg off was just hanging on by skin the leg. so no bullet no petals to be found that bullet was gone and i never looked for it either in the dirt at all i was 300 feet higher about than the buck when i shot. but come the middle of November i will know much more then about Hammer bullets . the one thing i have done was shoot these 103 gr. 25 caliber bullets out of my 257 Weatherby mag. in my 1-10 twist Brux barrel Ruger #1 and i drop down to 74 grs. Reloader 25 instead of 75 grs. and this Ruger #1 went from 3/4 of inch at 100 yds. down too under a 1/2 inch at 100 yds. 3 shot groups .i still don`t like to shoot this rifle too much because i wanna save the rifling and its my hunting rifle not a target rifle but i am amazed how it shoots now too and i never cleaned the barrel either. ask me the middle of November i should know more then ! Pete53

My 30-06 Mauser M12 rifle shoots the 150 power hammers into tiny little groups.

Lapua brass, 51.5 grains of Varget. CCI 200 primer, 2.720" measured on the Ogive. not sure on speed, but roughly 2900FPS

My latest elk load

https://imgur.com/a/mUNryMR

Can you tighten that group up a tad more Fotis...?

Yeah, with a bit more tuning, that load should be good to go.

DF

I can try only for you Ernie

I guess those of us who may have been accused of being Hammer fanatics, we have our groups and terminal performance to comfort us.

And yeah, they're a bit on the expensive side, but IMO, worth the cost.

And, you can actually get them from the makers who seem to stay pretty well stocked.

And, for those who have to use non-lead projectiles, these are hard to beat, lead or non-lead.

DF

Great Shooting!!!!

i wonder maybe the tolerances and /or uniformibility is easy to get with these copper Hammer bullets ? because when i have the right twist barrel on the rifle with these Hammer bullets even my hunting rifles shoot tighter groups easier and more consistent ? there has to be something to it if Weatherby is starting to load these Hammer bullets ?

Google them. They have a patented driving band set up that reportedly results in less friction and higher velocities. Evidently they’re pretty uniform and well made to be as consistently accurate as they are.

They have several types of bullets for different applications.

Good guys, very engaged with their customers.

DF

Temped to try the 110 grain in a .257, but the bc seems a bit lower than what I want.

i loaded 103 gr. Hammer hunter bullets with my load of 74 grs. Reloader 25 at 3600-3700 fps BC`S don`t mean that much with my 257 Weatherby mag out to 600 yards with a little Kentucky windy . my 100 yard 3 shot groups are under 1/2 inch with a hunting rifle in my Ruger #1 with these bullets . i did shoot a buck antelope on the 1st shot at a measured 460 yards ,i was laying down with a bi-pod and bullet went thru the antelope. no tempting for me i have these 103 gr. Hammer hunter bullets loaded for son and myself for our whitetail buck season this fall 2022 in our home state of Minnesota up by the border ,we have big deer up there too.

So Pete why not the 110's or isn't your twist right?

my Ruger #1`s are 1-10 twist probably won`t shoot the 110 grain bullet well ? my MARK 5 is a 7 1/2 twist that would i think. but i do like speed and 103 grain bullet is fast and should hit a bigger whitetail buck hard.

Steve no longer says to use magnum primers unless your gun shoots them better, standard primers work well, I used the new Power Hammers in my 20.06 in 150 gr on their African trip. I was very impressed with them so next April when I go back to Africa they will be in my 06 and in my 458 for cape buff in the 404 grain

Hammer Bullets sparked an epiphany and paradigm shift in my hunting bullet selection. Took a bit for me to break out of the "Energy is everything, heavy as possible bullet for cartridge!" Steve Davis' repeated phrase is, "Speed Kills!" He is right with Hammer bullet construction. Steve will also answer the phone or call you back in a reasonable amount of time. Here is what I have discovered about Hammer Bullets:

1. Always in stock. Ship fast
2. The design makes so much sense. The front of the bullet peels and petals out on impact, causing multiple veering channels of wounding, and the base stays intact and drives deep. Hence the ability to shoot light for cartridge.
3. Distance to lands doesn't matter. Load them to the first groove under the ogive.
4. I have not used magnum primers and I guess I came to the party after the magnum primers were emphasized.
5. I have not crimped the bullets. I swab the necks with alcohol on a q-tip and my RCBS dies give tight neck tension.
6. I do use faster ish burning powders for the lighter bullets
7. Lethality is unreal. DRT/dead bug with legs in the air upon impact. Gallons of blood out the mouth and organs jellified.
8. So easy to achieve sub minute loads.
9. I am not a super duper long dong range hunter. 500yds and in. BC matters not.

10. This is a real kick. They smoke through the air with what's known as the "Hammer Trail!" Someone sitting beside the shooter, or a video camera will witness a vapor/smoke trail like daytime tracers. It's thought the machine oil left in the tips cause the Hammer Trail.

11. I would buy a 6.5 manbun knowing I would shoot 124gr Hammers and be good to go!

Yup.

Did you have a vapor trail?

My guide videotaped my elk kill through a phonescope/spotter. I didn't see the Hammer trail at the time, but you can't miss it on the video.

Just shot a mule deer with 150 grain hammers in 30-06

Bullet performed well

315 yards

with the 103 gr. Hammer bullets during the 2022 November rifle season in Minnesota this year i shot a nice buck that field dressed 193 lbs. , was a one shot bang flop kill on the shoulder with my 257 Weatherby mag. i did not have time to examine the bullet hole because we had a nasty blizzard come in 15 minutes after i shot this buck,never did find bullet in this animal? yes i think these Hammer bullets seem to work well but i need to shoot more game animals yet to be positive. Pete53

All this Hammer talk and with the price of modern projectiles I’m thinking about trying them in my 35 Whelen. I like heavier bullets for the close work rifles.

What real world experience does anyone have with Hammer bullets in 35 Whelen or .338WM?

Good thread with a lot of info. 👍

Nothing on animals, but the 220's shoot real well in my Ruger 35 Whelen at around 2800. Hoping I can get them out and get some animals down with them soon.

Thanks Beretzs…. I might have to give them a shot (pun intended). I was looking at their 254gr 358 Hammer and was thinking about trying that one but maybe I’ll look at the 220 too. My .338’s are shooting the 210 TTSX or 225 TBBC so my Whelen was going to be used for the 250-280. I have a box of 280 A-Frames for close work but I wouldn’t be upset if the 254 Hammers were accurate and became my primary load for those rifles. I tend to find 1 or 2 loads that work for a particular rifle and that’s all I’ll use. In my .308’s it’s a 150 TTSX or 168 TSX. In the .338’s it’s the 210 TTSX or 225 TBBC. For the Whelen I have 300+ of factory loaded Remington 250gr PSP and 250 Roundnose as well as a couple hundred 200 core-lokts that I’ve been shooting for the once fired brass. It’s not a good time to be looking for uncommon loadings like the Whelen since brass and bullets are hard to find. I’d found a stash of factory Remington in the Whelen and have been buying it all since I’m getting it for $27 a box. 🫢….. I can’t buy the brass for that even it was available.

the biggest thing to remember is what twist is your rifle with what Hammer bullet they say to use.

Hammer bullets are excellent killers of game. I shoot the 222 grain Hammer Hunter @ 2911 FPS out of my 28" barreled 1885 Highwall 10 twist. They are very accurate and kill deer 🦌 like a lightning bolt


Shot from 185 yards

Not much meat lost there....sure that was a Hammer, not a Berger??

I'm dam sure as I've never used or bought a Berger

Hammer must be the Darling of the day, as some folks might think that bullet too "frangible".

Loaded up some 143 Hammer Hunters this year to try out of my 28 N. 3500 fps with H1000. 400 yard shot on this Bull, he made it 30 yards. Shot was slightly quartering, found the bullet under the hide, mid body on the other side.

Great shooting 2five7, beautiful bull! You guys sure have awesome elk hunting!

Is your 28 N a 7mm?

KB

How is it that Hammer can fill orders and the big guys can’t put a damn thing on the shelves? It makes zero sense to me. David beating Goliath. Hammer deserves the praise and should be proud. The big guys should be embarrassed! They are getting out worked. Hammer gets a lot right, especially with regard to customer service and manufacturing capacity. Bravo Steve.

Awesome stuff! That’s a screamer!

Great bull as well.

^^ THIS ^^ this is part of the reason i now use Hammer bullets

That was actually a serious question. How can Hammer keep stuff in stock and Berger can’t?

Finally have a one hole max load figured out for my .243ai using the 88 Hammer Hunter. Looking forward to smashing some deer with a 88HH traveling over 3400fps.

That's a sweet video and great shot! I'm always awed by watching elk videos because so many don't even look like they react to the hit. Elk hunting is on my bucket list. Until then, I'll enjoy videos like this one.

Yes sir, the 28 Nosler is basically a 7 RUM shortened for normal long actions.

I shot a 330 pound pig from about 25 yards with a 130 grain Shock Hammer from a 6.5mm wildcat. The muzzle velocity averages 3,190 feet per second. The bullet entered just to the left of the left shoulder and traveled diagonally, exiting 30" from entrance on the right side behind the diaphragm. Three of the petals exited about 3" from the shank exit. Their exit holes made sort of an equilateral triangle.

Hammer bullets is the only brand I use now. I guess I killed a truck load of game with them in the last six or seven years. Most are deer so there are no captured bullet shanks to photo. earlier this year I did recover a petal from the doe I shot about 300 yards away. The other petals and shank exited. To my surprise the deer ran at the shot. I am used to seeing them drop at the shot. But then I normally shoot for the lungs. The 131 grain Hammer Hunter took out the heart. Many hunters told me a heart shot animal almost always runs. By the way the rifle is another wildcat. It is like a 7RUM with the shoulder pushed back about .100" to produce a longer neck. The muzzle velocity runs about 3,680 feet per second.

That big 7 has to be a light switch. Man that’s quick.

Hammer Bullets look like great monos and I think I might try some but I suspect Berger makes and sells more bullets in a week than Hammer does in a year.

That's no slam on Hammer Bullets and they look like a great small bullet maker but scale is a thing.

Those Hammers look interesting for barrier blind loads in the 5.56.

Even TTSXs don't expand enough without hitting bone in the 5.56 for my tastes.

The 88gr Hammer Hunters just might be the best 6mm bullet that I've ever used. Best I can tell is the HH are half hollow point (shock) and half mono (penetration). Haven't found a deer yet that can handle a 88gr bullet at 3400fps.

Do you mind sharing the load ? would like to try it on antelope--thx

48.5gr Superformance, 88 Hammer Hunter, CCI BR2 primer.

Couldn't agree more with you DF.

'm shooting 55 HH in .243 (Win 760) and 70 HH in 240 Wby, (I4350). Both very accurate and fast. Only coyotes with them so far. No crimp, no mag primer, but might work up a 240 load with 70 HH and Hunter with a mag primer since I'm out of I4350.

what has everyone figured out with accuracy and seating depths?

i have been loading and shooting the 80 gr. Hammer hunter bullets in my 6 BR out to 500 yards i have been very impressed with how well these bullets group and seem accurate too. my only problem i have is i am using Varget powder and i am down too 1/2 lb. left.

How far off the lands are you seating them?

i got the 80 gr. just touching , so 1 groove of the bullet is showing some when seated using Lapua used brass that has been full length resized a few times.i have done nothing special with this Lapua brass . i am just using a old single shot 6 BR Savage bench rifle not even my good rifle for these winter shoots, but this old rifle still shoots good enough 1/2 inch 5 shot at 100 yards off a bench sometimes better , i do have a Nightforce bench scope on 15-55 x56 i believe , i use 15 x at 100 -200 yards .

Good info thanks

i just got some little 33 gr. big hole Hammer bullets for my K-Hornet ,loaded up 6 cartridges for the K-Hornet was getting dark and i knew that possum would be back, i had put out some more dry cat food about 40 yards away , possum showed up and it was a bang flop. neat little bullet for critters ! Pete53

Ackley, my 240 a has very long lead and I'm seated nowhere near the lands, (the reamer made the jump longer than stock Weatherbys for some reason), so a long jump didn't affect accuracy with this set up. This is with a 70gr HH.

In my 243 I loaded .057 off the lands and it shoots lights out. I didn't mess with adjusting OAL because I could see no reason to mess with it. Even with a monometal bullet the 55 grainer is pretty short. It gets 4000+ fps.

So in my very limited testing finding an optimal OAL hasn't been an issue. Did I just get lucky? Maybe, but this doesn't happen often with copper bullets in my experience. These are fun bullets.

I run most of my Hammer bullets in the area of .100" off the rifling. I seat the bullets to maximize the amount of bearing surface in the neck and most loads just end up around .100", but there are exceptions. Recently, I started fooling around with the 85H bullet in my Creedmoor. That bullet is so short that I'm at .213" off the rifling. With a good load of Varget and in a 26" barrel, I was able to get 3,700 fps without much difficulty.

I didn't noticed much difference between seating depth and accuracy with the 88 or 101gr 6mm HH. Changing powders made a difference through. The harder I pushed, the better the HH grouped.

Thanks guys normally I run ttsx’s .050 to .080 and find good accuracy,I’ve never had acceptable groups seated any closer,

I’m trying the 73gr hh in a couple 223’s
So we shall see what these rifles like!

Yeah those Barnes do like to jump.

Wondering if these Hammers are like that.

Hammer info says because their patented driving bands have less friction, their bullets can be driven faster without pressure issues.

Interesting. We’ll have to watch this play out.

DF

I have yet to use Hammer bullets yet but plan to remedy that in the near future with the Grendel that I am expecting any day. Have any of you guys tried the Hammer in the Grendel? Any data you’d be willing to share? Thanks for any experience with this new-to-me caliber. It sure looks good on paper and guys I respect that have BTDT also say it’s a cool round. I could NEVER warm up to the 5.56/.223 which is why only 1 of my AR’s are chambered in it. The Grendel and the 6ARC both look like a considerable improvement over the .223 so I’ll be getting an ARC upper eventually.

It is true. I can get 2850 FPS with the 225 TSX, the 222 Hammer Hunter I can get 2911 FPS in my 35 Whelen Highwall with 28" barrel that's 61 FPS more

Hammer bullets don’t seem to me to have as much resistance being seated, maybe due to their driving band design. (?)

So, I apply a hard Lee Factory Crimp just ‘cause. Whether it’s needed or not, just makes me feel better.

Would like to hear other’s experiences and opinions.

DF

I know a guy pushing this bullets at more than 3000 fps from a 460 Bee via RL17

Hammer makes a bullet called the Absolute Hammer, the ogive not engraved by rifling, just the patented drive bands. The say they should be loaded by expert reloaders capable of working up a load without supporting data.

So these bullets have such low friction, they can be pushed to velocities even Hammer won’t release.

I bet gunner could squeeze some obscene speeds from those.

Hmm…

DF

They’d get renamed Laser Hammers if Big G got his mitts on them DF

Oh, really

This is .358 bullets a 225 TSX and a 223 Hammer Hunter, easy to see that the Hammer Hunter has less bearing surface, which allows to add a bit of powder for higher velocity

Is anyone using the Hammers and not crimping?

I haven't crimped any that I've loaded

Good - I don’t want to do it. 😀😀

I’m not crimping them either. Didn’t even know it was recommended. All my initial test loads were under 3/4” also. I didn’t even test seating depth. Just started them .020 off the lands and tested powder.

What cartridge are you loading?

After doing a good bit of actual testing on deer using the 88gr 6mm Hammer Hunters my results are mixed. I've found 3 petals in the onside shoulder that never made it to the vitals with each weighing between 6 - 6.5gr. Exit holes are small almost like shooting FMJ bullets. Hammer Hunters are good bullets if you shoot for the boiler room, the deer don't go far if they run at all. If you want to shoulder shoot the Barnes LRX is proving to be the better choice, IMO. The large mushroom of the Barnes does a lot more damage to the shoulders than the Hammer Hunters.

I haven't crimped either in the 300 RUM nor the 35 Whelen. I'd guess you can change up neck tension with a bushing too if you wanted a little more grip. .003 works fine the RUM for me. Haven't seen any movement from them. Same for the Whelen.

110's in the 6.5 Creedmoor & 124 in a .308.

Just something to help liven winter doldrums - neither will be used at considerable distance (if they perk).

when i shoot my target rifles with a single cartridge in the rifle i do not crimped , but when i have more than one cartridge in a magazine in my deer rifles like my 257 Weatherby mag. i do crimp that cartridge. i never have crimped any of my 22 K-Hornet ammo ,257 Creedmoor,257 Roberts,6.5Creedmoor yet ?

Ditto

My JES bored Pre-64 FWT likes lighter bullets. Don't know why as it's a 12 twist.

Anyway, I shot some great groups with the Cutting Edge 160 gr. But, I went with the 178 gr. Shock Hammer because it's sleeker and can be loaded longer with less powder compression. With that bullet, RL-7 is my fav powder.

Here they are, side by side. Notice additional powder space with the Hammer.

These bullets frag; the core bores on thru, not too unlike a Partition. Except the frag pieces exit around the core, at least with a chest shot WT. Lots of internal damage, quick kills. Unless you're breaking down shoulders, shooting big, nasty critters, I like the Shock Hammer more than Barnes. The Shock Hammer is designed for 80% core retention. other Hammer bullets have less retention. Google "Types of Hammer Bullets" for details. Choice should depend on velocity and critter hunted.

Small company with much attention to detail and to their customers. Got an email from Steve Davis, one of the owners, after sending Hammer Bullets a photo of exit pattern, WT chest. He pointed out the satellite exits around the core exit. He knew what he was looking at. And, they seem to always have stock ready to ship.

Expensive but, IMO, worth it.

DF

They are excellent bullets, no doubt

Forgot to mention, Hammer bullets are about as accurate as CEB's.

Here's my CEB "bragging group" that I was not quite able to reproduce, although got pretty close. Not a bad group from a JES re-bored .243 Pre-64.

X-Term is my second fav .358 Win powder. I get similar performance, no compression, with RL-7.

TAC was JB's fav in his excellent .358 Win article. TAC may be optimal with heavier bullets, but will require compressed loads.

TAC is slightly slower than X-Term which is slightly slower than RL-7. Faster powders take up less room. IME, case capacity can be an issue in the .358 W.

Nothing wrong with compressed loads, I like to not compress if I don't have to. Just me.

DF

They perked alright - the 6.5s anyway. More like boiled over.....

200 Hammer hunter with 57 gr H4895. 2800 fps sub moa. Rem 7600 punp.

Yes. Middle of the road load here. Should be able to get 3600 plus. RL 33 is too slow.






I am working on the 162 Absolutes in my 30-06. Should break 3k fps via staball 6.5

any handloaders out there using Hammer bullets in a 350 Remington cartridge , hope to get drawn`n this year for a bear tag. thanks Pete53

Shooting 175 Hammer Hunters in my 338 Federal over a compressed load of IMR 8208 XBR. The rifle is a rebarreled Kimber Montana with a Lilja 1:10 Mod84M barrel. It will stack 3 Hammers in almost one hole. No crimping. Started at mag box length of 2.8" and never touched the seating.

Spoke with Steve from Hammer 2 days ago to get some load data for my 28 Nosler. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. I had been shooting Berger 195 EOL and am not happy with terminal performance of the Berger so had planned on ordering some 177HH. Steve asked how far I planned to shoot and I told him it's a hunting rifle and 500 yds would be long for me . He suggested the 143HH for that range and hooked me up with data for N570 and I should get 3500-3600fps with that bullet. He also told me if I wasn't happy with them send them back and he'd refund or swap them out. I spoke with him Tuesday afternoon and they were in my mailbox this morning!

Those 143's at 3600 sound like BAD medicine DVD!

Let me know how they work out.

Will do

I'll call it good to go load development over. Loaded up a few rounds to give the 143 HH a runner out of my 28 Nosler. 91 grs N570 Fed 215M primer rolling at 3540 fps
That'll work!
I am taking it to West Texas for Aoudad end of Feb

Damn! Need to give them a whirl in my Mashburn

Looking forward to seeing how they work for you.

That will work for everything

[/quote]

Don't forget us after the hunt. Despite hunting for ourselves, most of us live vicariously through other's hunts, also.

Who are you going with Dan?

Josh Johnson Premier Hunts LLC. have hunted Axis and Nilgi with him in the past

Just found out they make .312's ! Ordering some tomorrow for my Ruger single shot!
Cat

Anyone run the .358" 178gr Shock Hammer??


358 TTSX have been unobtainable for a long while as far as I've seen so I ordered the 178gr shock hammers to run in both my 358 Winchesters.


Maybe do some load testing this week in my Kimber... Anxious to see how they perform but will have to wait till at least next season....

I haven’t gotten to use a Hammer on fur yet but man they’ve been very accurate and easy to make loads for.

I have a Kimber 338 Fed I’d like to give them a shot in myself.

I’d think the 358 with the 178’s would be a buck snow plow.

Yeah, that combo with RL-7 or X-term is a winner.

Here's a link to my .358 Win. Pre-64 FWT JES re-bore project rifle and the carnage from a WT killed with the 178 Shock Hammer over RL-7.

338 Fed shouldn't be that different.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/16820119/18

DF

Thanx dirtfarmer! Pretty wild that the petals exited like that.


I was on the fence about the idea of petals sheering off...seems like they got them pretty dialed in though.


I'll probably start with TAC as I have 2 kegs of it.

Yeah, people criticize Barnes bullets losing a petal, whereas Hammer and CEB monos are designed to shed petals.

DF

Deer shot somewhere between 185 and 200 yards with the 222 grain Hammer Hunter from my 35 Whelen, 1885 Highwall 28" barrel doing 2911 FPS at 15 feet form chronograph

Those petals certainly add to the damage

Seems it may be somewhat of an art, fine tuning loads with bullet type and velocity. Some Hammers can be pretty expansive. Googling “Types of Hammer bullets” will give details.

Your load combo was evidently pretty expansive and seems bone was affected. Even Barnes can be pretty expansive at high velocity.

Some years ago, I shot a WT with an 80 gr TTSX at 3,600 fps out of my .240 Wby. Huge blast effect on the chest wall, a not so impressive pass thru the chest cavity.

Speed kills, but matching bullet type with speed seems more important to me now than earlier.

DF

This is the exit side. The 404 grain SH in 458 at 2500ish FPS is a devastating bullet on every Gunner500 used it on in Africa including Cape Buffalo. One shot and done the petal did a lot of internal damage on the Buffalo plus exited through the shoulders

Looks like sh*t.......some people like to actually eat deer meat.
Shoulder roast is one of the best in a slow cooker. $1.00 a pop or more for a Hammer...........cool........not

I have maybe a half dozen recovered Barnes bullets without petals from cape buffalo (350's via 416 Rem), two kudu (250's via 9.3x62 with one shot), bushbuck (250's via 9.3x62 azz shot), elk (185's via 338-06), moose (225 via 35 Whelen). Short of the buffalo that took two steps the rest dropped at the shot. No criticism here.

No criticism here on shed pedals, in fact I like the concept.

Seems to work for Hammer and CEB’s.

DF

I don't see shedding petals as one would design for when others that aren't so designed have proven successful for decades. Marketing? Particularly when a basic Speer, Hornady or Sierra will kill a whitetail or hog.

i have had no problem with Hammer bullets with accuracy or shooting some animals so far. the buck i shot this year was bigger than most bucks / deer at 193 lbs. weighed dressed weight and at velocity of 3680 FPS out of a 103 gr. Hammer Hunter bullet went thru this bucks shoulder and was a bang flop at 125 yards . i will use this 103 gr. Hammer Hunter bullet again next in my same rifle a 257 Weatherby mag. , son and myself will continue to use this great bullet we see no reason to change brand of bullets . i will admit Nosler Partitions and Swift A-Frames have also worked well in the past out of my 257 Weatherby mags. too in the past .the other great thing about Hammer bullets is this company always have bullets in stock . good luck with your choice. Pete53

I stopped using lead core bullets because I don't want lead in my food. I will gladly pay the extra for custom Hammer bullets.

I stopped using lead core bullets because I don't want lead in my food. I will gladly pay the extra for custom Hammer bullets.[/quote

Lead in the food is irrelevant. Quit buying the bs. Hammer bullets are available, because they are terribly high priced. No thanks. Maybe for African game.

Price is relative.

A 50ct box of Accubonds is $55-ish these days.

The last couple boxes of 100ct Hammers I purchased were $118 each.

Well there you go. They're $63 more.

Maybe I'm a little slow, but let me gets this straight.

Hammers per 100 are $118. Accubond per 50 are $55.00. So if you take said numbers and make them equal, doesn't this make the accubonds $110 and hammers $118 so isn't this an $8.00 difference?

Maybe my common core isn't working today.

Or maybe I don't understand the meaning of a whistle emoji.

Fer crissakes, relative ain't absolute, nor is it equal – it's in the ballpark.

lol......

I think, the big guys are making ammo for Joey.

I am trying to decide if Hammer is hype or a legit choice.. Anybody not sponsored/affiliated or in complete fanboy mode kill anything big with a hammer? Bears?

WBY likes them enough to load in their ammo.

i have been reloading and shooting Hammer bullets for 2 1/2 years , these Hammer bullets are very accurate. i have shot 20 some critters with the 33 gr 22 caliber Hammer bullets in my 22 K-Hornet rifle , fall of 2022 shot a Antelope buck at 460 yards , shot a whitetail buck that dressed 193 lbs. at 125 yds. and adult whitetail doe at 60 yards all were one shot bang flop kills with a 25 caliber 103 gr. Hammer bullet with a 257 Weatherby mag. cartridge . > thes e Hammer bullets are the real deal for accuracy and hunting. Pete53

I think they are a good bullet; the design is kind of unique.

That bullet enters the animal and goes to work on them, with no lead in the bullet if that were to bother you.

They are not fussy about seating depth; I've found them to shoot very well for me.

Sorry, fella. I'm not buying any B.S. I saw lead flecks in a deer and decided right then I was finished with cup and core bullets. To each his own.

I don't approve of forcing people to use something instead of what they want, though.

Lead compounds are dangerous, elemental lead, not so much. Now unless elemental lead can be turned into a lead compound, probably not that big a deal.

But, it wouldn’t surprise me to see lead free gradually becoming more and more of the norm.

So developments in improved lead free bullet technology is probably a good thing, just in case.

DF

Accuracy is excellent with Hammer Hunters. I didn't have the best of luck DRT on deer. I finally found a load for the Barnes LRX that shoots almost as well as the Hammer Hunters. I'm just not sure if a large mushroom wound channel is better than the trauma of 4 pieces of shrapnel and solid shank. I definitely don't feel like Hammer Hunters are magic.

My nephew and I have used the absolute hammer(162) out of our 308’s with very good accuracy and velocities (3000+ fps) and we’ve taken a total of 6 whitetails and 1 bull elk…..terminal performance, meh, we both went back to Barnes bullets. Pay utmost attention to the twist rate recommended by hammer and than twist them a bit faster for good measure, according to them it’s imperative for satisfactory terminal performance on game, no matter how good they shoot near or far….

I'm having trouble believing the small pieces that break off and go their separate ways do that much damage. I don't doubt the bullet's lethality though as I've found other mono bullets with no petals from dead animals.

They definitely radiate outward and punch independent holes through lungs and occasionally exit. I've seen this happen many times. You can also choose a Hammer that sheds larger/heavier petals, if you prefer.

That's a Nosler product; they run with flat brims.

Google “Types of Hammer Bullets” for a description of their offerings and how various bullets differ by design regarding how much of the bullet frags and the percentage remaining in the core.

I have a question about the Absolute Hunter. As you may know, it’s designed so only the patented low friction bands engage with the bore, the ogive is not engraved by rifling. I’ve also read that they are not jump sensitive like some.

So, if the ogive isn’t engraved by the rifling, then is this or is this not sorta like the Wby freebore?

Roy, from what I understand, used freebore to lessen the pressure spike from the powders he had access to at the time. Hunter AH bullets need faster burning powders to get enough in the case to achieve their potential velocities.

Seems the AH design allows some freebore like effect which may help with the pressure spike of those faster powders.

The bullet moves forward until the driving band engages the rifling. That seem to facilitate some “free” movement before bore resistance is encountered. What do you guys think?

DF

Another Absolute Hunter observation. As the ogive doesn’t engage the rifling, figuring jump based on the ogive engaging rifling doesn’t work.

So I seat the AH to same depth of similar shaped bullets. For example, I loaded some AH’s today, used a TTSX loaded round to set the seating die.

Some like to crimp. If the bullet seats with adequate resistance, I don’t always crimp. If it goes in without much resistance, I using my LFC die.

DF

Steve told me the Absolute Hammers don't work any better in the big cases than the regular Hammer Hunter. He said things like the .30-06 and down seem to really like them.

I got the velocity but couldn't get the Absolute Hammers to shoot as well as the Hammer Hunters for some reason in 6mm. I still have a partial box of the 87gr AH to play around with.

Interesting.

I’m work on AH loads for several rounds. Was thinking about 109 and 123 AH’s in my 26 Nosler, but with that info, may limit my research to ‘06 and down.

I already have some great loads for that one. Don’t need the extra speed.

DF

I read a post by MD a while back that Barnes originally designed their bullets to shed their petals, but changed that design when people wanted bullets that retained weight.

162 Absolute Hammer in 30-06 3070 fps via varget.

And accurate from what I've read.

That's essentially 300 mag performance out of the old '06.

Not a bad option.

If it's as Steve Davis is reported to have said, that the most impressive performance regarding added velocity is in rounds, '06 and down, not so much with the bigger cases, then that's where I'm focusing my efforts.

Fotis, you're a Bee fan. What do you think of my idea that because the AH doesn't engage rifling until the driving bands hit the bore, how that's not sort of a freebore? I had read that Roy used freebore to mitigate the pressure spikes of the powders he had access to at the time. He didn't have some of the really slow burners available now. He had to use faster powders and freebore was his friend.

The AH's need faster powders to get enough in the case to achieve the faster velocities. Do you see some similarity or am I barking up the wrong tree?

DF

With the 222 grain Hammer Hunter I get about 50 FPS more velocity with Power Pro Varmint than is possible with CFE223. Power Pro Varmint is faster than CFE223

I haven't read through this whole thread yet so I may be asking what has already been answered. A friend at work started using hammer bullets with his 280AI. He seems to love them. When he first showed them to me it looked like a tweak on the barnes tsx bullets. I assumed they were basically the same thing but pushing the light for caliber weights. I have been a big fan of the tsx and lrx bullets. After reading some of this though it appears that they acted differently in that they are softer alloy and almost always shed their petals vs the more typical expansion one sees with the barnes variety.

Do they compared to the Lehigh controlled chaos bullets then? That is what it seems like to me but I haven't looked into either of them very much.

The 143 HH from my 28 Nosler didn't bounce off
All critters DRT

Great pictures DVD! Now that is cool!

congrats / nice pictures and those Hammer Hunters did put the hurt on those animals ! i have been finding Hammer bullets really shoot accurate out of these cartridges so far, 22 K-Hornet ,6BR , 257 Creedmoor, 257 Roberts ,257 Weatherbies . did the 26 Nosler shoot well for you with these Hammer Hunter bullets on paper ? Pete53

28 Nosler with 143HH shot extremely accurate on paper and on game

165 lb boar I watched for 13 minutes before deciding he needed his lights put out

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JHy3JNy3OKM[/video]

My first Hammer load this week in a 300 Win that shoots 165 BT’s. The BT load is 77.0 grains of RL-22. I made a wild guess and tried 75 grains with the 160 gr Hammer Hunter. Four shot group went 0.467”. This was with a rear rest that I was trying out and ended up trashing….couldn’t settle in consistently.

I’ll see how they do this fall.

the Hammer hunter 25 caliber 103 gr. bullet in my 257 Weatherby mag. using Reloader 25 at 3680 FPS has never shot this good with 1/2 -5/8 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yds. and that`s out of 3 different 257 Weatherby mag rifles 2 are Ruger #1`s with Brux barrels , 1 is a Weatherby mark 5 with a Brux barrel. i am jumping this bullet to the rifle grooves as Weatherby mag. specs say. also in my Remington 30 express chambered in 257 Roberts with a Brux barrel that also shots tiny little groups at 100 yards as does my Savage 110 257 Creedmoor with a Brux barrel does. i am very happy and surprised how accurate these Hammer bullets shoot such small groups and kill animals so well.

Would you mind sending me a PM with the powder/load you used with your 28 Nosler. I have a new to me Nosler 28 and some Hunter Hammer 143's that I'd like to try.

Several here have mentioned Hammers to be found more accurate than Barnes,

Like how much?

A 2 MOA gun turned into a 1 MOA gun?

.75 to .5 or what?

Barnes have not been has accurate at all times for me has Bergers,

But we are talking hunting bullets/accuracy here,

Just curious.

Not sure hammers will turn a 2MOA gun into a 1MOA gun but my experience with them has been minimal load development yielding great accuracy and not picky about seating depth. The rifle I’m shooting them in was under MOA with all powder charges in my initial test.
Also their terminal performance has been excellent on game.

in my 257 Weatherby mag. shot 3/4 inch - 1inch 3 shot groups at 100 yds. with Nosler 100gr. PARTITIONS , Barnes out of my Ruger #1 - 1 1/2 inch 3 shot groups were shot with Reloader 22, with the Hammer hunter 103 gr. 1/2-5/8 inch 3 shot groups i used Reloader 25 , the RL. 25 powder could have helped with better groups ? all 3 of my Weatherby mag. rifles shot so much better with Hammer bullets and Reloader 25 powder i just decided to reload that combo and forget the other powder and other brand bullets too. but i do believe Hammer bullets are a more accurate bullet than Barnes bullets . i have no sponsors or get any deals on bullets but i shoot plenty at my own range to figure out what works best for myself . the other great thing about Hammer bullets is Hammer has bullets in stock and Hammer has fast shipping too. Pete53

91 gr N570

My 28 Nosler likes 83.0 of H1000 with the 143 Hunter, loaded 20 off the lands. Holds sub minute out past 700. Killed a few elk with it last year, from 100 yards out to 550, they're all dead!

Maybe I posted this before, but don't remember 'cause I'm getting old. Anyway, I started using Hammers in 2016. I just check my records. Since then I was able to kill a buck and a doe and four pigs. The largest pig was 330 pounds. All bullets exited. The 330 pound pig was hit barely left of the right shoulder facing me. The 130 grain 6.5 bullet shank and the four peddles exited 30 inches later out the left side of the pig. Its velocity was 3,190 feet per second. All but two dropped at the shot. One was heart shot and ran forty or fifty yards. I don't remember where I hit the other one. I think it ran about the same distance. O yea, one of the pigs ran about twenty-five yards.

I usually fire five shots for groups. Even my 8mm Coyle firing 198 grainers makes groups about 3/4" and sometimes smaller. I used 6.5 124 and 130 grainers. Alos, I used 7mm 131 grainers and 8mm 181 and 198 grainers. Even at 300 yards they stay about 1MOA. Lately I have been playing with the Hammer Hunter 7mm 90 grain bullet at about 4,250 feet per second. Even at 300 yards it's still motoring along at 3,000 feet per second. I plan to use it on deer next year. If I go elk hunting I will either use the 8mm 198 at 3,054 feet per second or switch to the 7mm 131 at 3,670 feet per second.

The Barnes Bullets I've used & tested worked great on game animals and paper targets.

Today, I ordered some more Hammers, this time .338 213/210 grain H-H going to try them out in my 338-06, going to try it with Big-Game Powder. Think I'll start with a magnum primer.

I hope y'all are doing well.

that sounds great please let us know how that works out , i just purchased another 338 Win. mag in a Alaskan s.s. laminated shock ,Winchester model 70 , i was kinda wondering which Hammer bullets to order ? good luck,Pete53

My bullets showed up today. Hopefully I'm not too busy to stuff some next week.

They look really good.

Read the whole thread with great interest. Will likely try out the 124gr HH when I get around to load development for my 270WBY.

Has anyone else watched the "on our mark" podcast with the Hammer bullet guys hosted by the WBY guys? Pretty interesting with good explanations and information. I recommend giving it a look.

Can't wait to try these out!

I've got some 181 hhts on the way for my 300win

Report please!!!

Hammer bullets look like the old Groove Bullets, is there any relation?

That's getting it done.

Every once in a while, a guy should get lucky.

Yes, and they always pulled those bullets out of dead critters.

Thank you, Sir, may you give them another.
Laughing - - - - -

Another example of the dumbing down of this site. Is Rick a democrat?