6.5 PRC with very light copper bullets

[Mule3006Elk]

I tried the off the shelf ammo for it and my rifle didn’t like it. Given I would need to reload it to get it to shoot as tight as the Hornady does, I figure I would get Hammers instead.

Same. My 6.5 PRC shot the 127 grain LRX horribly. 2-2.5" groups. Mine likes 130 grain Terminal Ascent reloads. 3/4" groups. Factory Terminal Ascent groups were 1-1.25".

124 grain HH are on my list. Probably work up a load here in the next few months. Should get 3150-3250 fps out of the load 24" barrel. Load 0.02 off lands near max load and go for it. Dip the bullet in dry lube before seating. 0.004 neck tension.

I had a Hammer Hunter load in 30-06 that shot lights out. Printed 4 shot 3/4" group at 424 yards. It was stupid. But in 30 cal the Hammer Hunter was replaced by the Power Hammer. There were reports of the Hammer Hunters not performing per expectations d/t diameter of the hollow tip.
Steve changed them to Power Hammer with a larger diameter hollow point. This ticked me off tbh so I stopped reloading them in my 30 cal. I didn't want to start over but realistically my load data likely would have transferred to the new bullet with little if any change to the load.

Reports on the HH in the 0.264 caliber are excellent per my reading. I don't think they have issues with the diameter of the hollow point. At least I haven't read any.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

DISCLAIMER: I do not have experience with what you are asking about.

I am on the Hammer forum and the only concern I would have of your plan is that people on that forum have reported that the HHT has an upper speed limit. What has been shown/described is when the HHT impacts at high speeds (I believe is was 3200ish) instead of forming petals that shear, the nose turns into “pepper” (how it was described) and the tiny flakes leave a very shallow messy wound - the base will continue forward, but without the larger petals the typical Hammer-type wound channel doesn’t occur.

The Hammer Hunter with its 2mm HP, is reported to not have an upper speed limit. You do lose BC, but you do anyway with going light for caliber and within normal hunting ranges, especially with the velocities you will be getting, who cares.

Again, this is just the repeat of the research I have done investigating the same premise.

Interesting. Peppering you describe is that the tip pulverizing? In your description, sounds the petals aren't forming at mv > 3200ish. Acting like a FMJ?

HHT peaked my interest but that is something to consider. Plus, putting the tips on!
124 grain HH might be the ticket in the 0.264".

Edit: read a 5 page forum on HHT vs HH. S. Davis chimed in. Seems he prefers the HHT. That is saying something. Search HHT vs Hammer Hunter. Seems to be extensively tested on game. Interesting read.

 

[sndmn11]

Buehler?

I've loaded 85gr hammers to 3700+ in 6.5prc

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I've loaded 85gr hammers to 3700+ in 6.5prc

That is smoking fast!

 

[sndmn11]

I've loaded 85gr hammers to 3700+ in 6.5prc

 

[MThuntr]

When I first got my 6.5prc I chose 124hammers. This was before some of the lighter bullets and the whole HHT lineup. I think I settled on 59.5gr RL26 at around 3320fps. I was able to shoot them faster but didn't want to push my luck. That should be enough juice for them to do their job up to around 750 yards at 6000'. I killed a few deer with them but never anything bigger. I could see going a little lighter but in the HH Line you'd sacrifice BC though shots within 400 yards may be like lasers

 

[Kjc103]

Hey everyone,

I’m newish to the reloading game and have done a couple of loads in the past for my 7 mag when I still shot it. Last year I bought a Christensen Mesa FFT in 6.5 PRC prior to seeing the .243 and 6mm efficacy and got super lucky that it was not a dud from what it sounds like. Either way the gun shoots factory Hornady outfitter (130 cx) lights out, but I am considering building a load using very light copper bullets (80-100 gr HHT) to potentially lower the recoil a bit and have higher velocity for most of my hunting shots. I toyed around with the idea of getting a .243 but my current funds are just not going to allow that any time soon. I want to stay in the copper ammo realm just due to personal preference, so my question is does anyone have a similar load that they have worked up and saw good terminal performance on game? The 130 CX has killed just fine but I’m just kind of curious given I could get a 80 gr HHT to shoot close to 3500 and it would be an absolute laser to 500 yards which I have no plans on shooting past. Thanks for any info!

A couple things….

You can get a 125 grain mono to go 3,400 fps with Reloader 26. I have done it with a 24 inch barrel.

If you’re dropping way down to 80-100 grain hammers….you can get those speeds in a creedmoor. So 3,700 + FPS is probably possible.

Now, to the meat of your thought process here….high velocity monos. I have done it. I shot four deer with a .284 diameter 119 absolute hammer out of a 280 ai at 3,500 fps. From less than 15 yards to 365 yards. A fifth deer with the 169 absolute hammer at 2,900 fps in a 28 Sherman.

I’m just going to shoot straight with you and tell you my experience:

Terminal performance:

The deer ran more than I would prefer. All of them went at least 30 yards except one that caught the bullet through the hips. Some went quite a ways. The internal damage was less, and I mean way less, than a cup and core bullet. For example, the closest shot I made, at 15 yards or so, was hit through both lungs at basically muzzle velocity. The wound was just a straight, slightly larger than caliber, hole. Like an ice pick. The lungs were not jelly and the deer went quite a ways into the brush.

The deer with the most damage was the 365 yard shot that took the 119 AH through the hips. I’m pretty sure that deer died sooner too. Bone fragments everywhere etc., it bleed out pretty quickly and was immediately incapacitated.

A 6.5 creedmoor, shooting factory 143 precision hunter, dropped a deer on the spot with a frontal shot the year before. A 168 TMK at 2,600 fps absolutely effing murdered a buck at 84 yards this year. Way, way, way more damage with those bullets that were moving fully 900 fps slower. The same velocity as a 45 ACP at the muzzle.

Mild cartridges, with a lot less recoil, and relatively modest velocities, significantly outperformed a much more powerful cartridge, with less recoil.

External Ballistics:

Inside 500 yards, I’m not sure it matters much. Like you mentioned.

Past that, the hammers really suck. The bc’s published are pretty far off. I have thousands of hammers just sitting around once I got into long range and ballistic calculators.

Furthermore, I actually think 2,700 fps is the perfect velocity for 500 and in. If you shoot a mil scope, it’s incredibly easy to remember that .5 mils is 200 yards. Then, just subtract 2 from your yardage.

300 yards is 1 mil
400 yards is 2 mil
500 yards is 3 mil

Easy. Fast. It works.

I’m trying to dispel the faulty logic I once had and potentially see in your question I.e., isn’t an incredibly fast, lighter mono, deadlier than a modest velocity “traditional” bullet. The answer is emphatically, no, it is not. It’s not even close actually. Hammer bullets are pretty keen on this velocity thing, which I assume is what’s possibly driving some of your logic. I have not seen any of that actually materialized in field results.

Edit: I feel compelled to add all the usual clarifications here….yes, monos kill animals just fine. I’m not saying they’re “bad” and you can’t kill stuff with them. If that’s what you like, shoot them.

You can push those things to ultra high velocities but I’m not sure you’re going to get some “instant death laser beam” like gets portrayed.