77 TMK Spinning Apart?

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Nov 23, 2025
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Was out shooting prairie dogs with a 22 creed and 77TMK over 44gr superformance. With the heat, I had some shots go from 3400 where I had the load to 3550. This is a 7.5tw 26" barrel. I calculated about 340k rpm at 3550fps. No pressure signs on Peterson 3x fired brass.

The fast shots were almost making a ricochet type zipping noise as soon as they left the barrel and veering wildly off target, 10+ feet. No evidence of baffle strikes in a 30cal can.

I've never been around bullets spinning apart, is that what they sound like or do? I guess imagined they just went "pop" and didn't make it to the target.

Another guy was shooting them at 3350 and 320k rpm with no issues. Is there a known limit in rpm for tmks beyond the numbers Sierra uses?
 
Is there a known limit in rpm for tmks beyond the numbers Sierra uses?

I haven't seen anything suggested. I know hornady has referenced 300k rpms but really it seems like it's a cocktail of a number of factors - engraving forces of a given bore config, how rough the lands are, barrel length, and velocity/rpms.

Your barrel length and velocity/RPMs is working against you for sure.
 
So the consensus is a 223 would go "poof" as opposed to whizzing 20 feet off target.

Any ideas as to why the extra velocity would do that?
 
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