Hammer Loading

[CApighunter]

Both work well, I personally use 210M with 57gr of RL26 in my 6.5 PRC but have two buddies shooting the 155's / 169's with RL26 and 215M's (good results so far).

I went with the 210M because I've heard that the 215's can cause pressure "sooner" in warm weather with RL26. However, I never tested the theory myself.

Loaded up a ladder for the 338 last night with the BR2s, I’m going to load the 215Ms in the 280ai tonight. Testing on Saturday.

 

[MeatBuck]

I run 215m with h1000 and 156g hunters in 270wsm after calling Steve directly a few month ago.
Think he was using different mag primers but didn’t really comment either way when I told him I was using 215m. “Those will work” I believe is all he said.

 

[CApighunter]

Both work well, I personally use 210M with 57gr of RL26 in my 6.5 PRC but have two buddies shooting the 155's / 169's with RL26 and 215M's (good results so far).

I went with the 210M because I've heard that the 215's can cause pressure "sooner" in warm weather with RL26. However, I never tested the theory myself.

Are your buddies shooting the 155s from a 280ai? Curious where they started their loads and where they found pressure. Came across a post on the Hammer forums from a guy who said he maxed out around 60 gr. Figure I’d load a ladder test from 57.5-60 and see where that ends up. Hopefully these Hammers do the trick, my rifle has been extremely picky on handloads, but shoots factory 140 accubonds like a laser.

 

[JakeSCH]

Are your buddies shooting the 155s from a 280ai? Curious where they started their loads and where they found pressure. Came across a post on the Hammer forums from a guy who said he maxed out around 60 gr. Figure I’d load a ladder test from 57.5-60 and see where that ends up. Hopefully these Hammers do the trick, my rifle has been extremely picky on handloads, but shoots factory 140 accubonds like a laser.

I know the one shooting 169's from the 280ai worked up to 60.6 gr of RL26 (3000 FPS) without any signs of pressure (peterson brass). I think he will take it a bit higher until he hits pressure.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m using magnum primers based on Steve’s recommendation.

 

[tdot]

Question for the guys loading hammers, are you using magnum primers in standard cartridges? Thought I saw somewhere that Steve redacted the magnum primer recommendation. Going to be loading up some for my 280ai and 338-06. 155s over RL26 in the 280 and 205s over RL17 in the 338. Both cases will burn 60ish grains of powder. I have both CCI BR2 and F215M on hand.

I use both those same primers. I originally found all my loads with the BR2 as that was what Steve recommended. On several loads that I wasn't happy with I tried the 215M and achieved the results I was after. When speaking to Steve about another matter I mentioned the improvements and he confirmed that they had rolled back their original recommendation to not use Magnum primers.

 

[tdot]

With my tikka I cannot get them close to the lands unless I use a 30-06 mag...so I don't even bother. In my PRC i started at 0.02" off the lands and ended up around 0.04"

All of my best loads have ended up in the 0.030" to 0.060" range. I started them at 0.010 and most were better with more jump. I had one bullet that I had a fantastic load at .010, and rethroating the rifle for a LR lead bullet, the closest I could get to the lands was 0.120" and it was horrible. The load went from sub 0.5moa to 3+MOA, no amount of changes to the recipe made it shoot better.

 

[OXN939]

All of my best loads have ended up in the 0.030" to 0.060" range. I started them at 0.010 and most were better with more jump. I had one bullet that I had a fantastic load at .010, and rethroating the rifle for a LR lead bullet, the closest I could get to the lands was 0.120" and it was horrible. The load went from sub 0.5moa to 3+MOA, no amount of changes to the recipe made it shoot better.

The pictured load was .080 off the lands. I'm using Federal 210M match primers, which apparently are less hot than magnums.

 

[MeatBuck]

Using 215m in .243win lapua brass with rl-16 as recommended by Steve to push 70g hh.
No troubles with them yet.
No pressure and I cannot get anymore powder in the case.

 

[OXN939]

Using 215m in .243win lapua brass with rl-16 as recommended by Steve to push 70g hh.
No troubles with them yet.
No pressure and I cannot get anymore powder in the case.

Nice. That may actually be my next Hammer project. How many grains of RL 16? What kinda groups are you getting?

 

[MeatBuck]

Nice. That may actually be my next Hammer project. How many grains of RL 16? What kinda groups are you getting?

I think 46.5g was as much as I could get in it before bullet wouldn’t seat. But I run light tension no crimp so I guess maybe a guy could get a little more in there. Haven’t shot groups yet but I never have shot this gun very well and the scope has thick af reticle so the pressure string I shot was over a minute at 300yds. I don’t think it was any fault of ammo just me.

 

[MeatBuck]

Heres a 70g hh after going through two pieces of 1/2 plywood and 4 pieces of Sheetrock it shed petals and spit sideways entering a 2x6 and exiting backwards from a 2x4. @300yds. That would kill a damned buffalo.

 

[Lawnboi]

What kind of speed are you getting out of the 124s in the creed and specs on the barrel?

I’m thinking of giving them a go for hunting this year in a creedmoor, the 124s. Reading Varget is the go to powder, but I have a lot more H4350 to use up.

 

[Lawnboi]

So, they are aptly named. 100 yard group off the bed of my truck. It really cannot be overstated how much load development in the south during the summertime sucks. Gonna see if I can put together a few more groups like that and then do a little terminal ballistic testing.

View attachment 198153

View attachment 198154

see above post

 

[OXN939]

Heres a 70g hh after going through two pieces of 1/2 plywood and 4 pieces of Sheetrock it shed petals and spit sideways entering a 2x6 and exiting backwards from a 2x4. @300yds. That would kill a damned buffalo.
View attachment 199557View attachment 199559View attachment 199560View attachment 199561

Man it is just really hard to come up with advantages that any other setup would have over a .243 shooting quality copper monos for anything up to Elk. I'm about to, hopefully, op test one on a Caribou here in a few weeks

 

[DangerRanger]

I think 46.5g was as much as I could get in it before bullet wouldn’t seat. But I run light tension no crimp so I guess maybe a guy could get a little more in there. Haven’t shot groups yet but I never have shot this gun very well and the scope has thick af reticle so the pressure string I shot was over a minute at 300yds. I don’t think it was any fault of ammo just me.

This is great to hear, I ran up to 44 grains with the 71 sledge and never saw signs.

This was mid season for my BIL rifle so I just loaded 10 at 43 zeroed it, shot about a .8 over 5 shots and sent him off to kill a deer. It did. Got that rifle back now to do actual load development and excited to see I may well short of max!

 

[OXN939]

What kind of speed are you getting out of the 124s in the creed and specs on the barrel?

I’m thinking of giving them a go for hunting this year in a creedmoor, the 124s. Reading Varget is the go to powder, but I have a lot more H4350 to use up.

Haven't had access to a chrono yet. Will post back here when I do

 

[CApighunter]

Ran my ladder tests today, had solid nodes at 2810 for the 338-06 with 62.0 grains of RL17 and 3005 for the 280AI with 60.5 grains of RL26. Fingers crossed they group nicely.

 

[CApighunter]

Got out and shot today. 60.5 grains shot .5-.75MOA in the 280, verified drops out to 600 yards, wind and mirage started getting bad after that. 338-06 shot about 1MOA, maybe a little more at 100 yards which isn’t bad for a sub 6 lb rifle. All dialed in enough for deer season. I’d like to run it out to 1k and beyond this winter, but it’ll do for now. Hammers are no joke for load development, hit max and backed off a grain. My 280ai was always so picky and the first 2 rounds went in the same hole, third just a bit outside(my fault 100%).

 

[BeaverHunter]

Got out and shot today. 60.5 grains shot .5-.75MOA in the 280, verified drops out to 600 yards, wind and mirage started getting bad after that. 338-06 shot about 1MOA, maybe a little more at 100 yards which isn’t bad for a sub 6 lb rifle. All dialed in enough for deer season. I’d like to run it out to 1k and beyond this winter, but it’ll do for now. Hammers are no joke for load development, hit max and backed off a grain. My 280ai was always so picky and the first 2 rounds went in the same hole, third just a bit outside(my fault 100%).

Just loaded up 143 grain Hammer Hunters for my Kimber Hunter in 280 ackley. Used h4831 because that’s what I had. I’m hoping my I find a load tomorrow. Don’t have a lot more time to be messing with my rifle as it’s almost scouting/bow hunting season.