Anyone using or heard of Hammer Bullets?

[bobhunts]

I was reading a thread on another shooting forum and these are new to me! Seems they will do load development on your rifle with there bullets for $350.00 sending your rifle to them. I can do my own development but it seems like a nice feature for guys that are lacking in knowledge or time to do it. Anyone have experience using these bullets hunting?

 

[doverpack12]

I’ve used them the past two years In My 7mm STW. 143 Hammer Hunter at 3390 fps. I pushed them to 3680 but settled for less speed and one hole accuracy. Load development is easy just load up one charge at a time until you find pressure then load a little below that. I shot a ladder and picked a velocity flat spot with similar impact points with STW. 30-06 I found pressure backed up a half grain and shot a group. Felt they should shoot better so switched primers and excellent group.

Killed 3 elk and 2 whitetail bucks with them the past two years with my STW. No complaints at all. Excellent performance up close as most shots have been well inside 100 yards. Buck this year was 260 yards and he ran maybe 30 after the shot. I’ve shot them at 540 yards and was under 2.5” Group.

Very little fouling. When you shoot a target there is no black ring around the bullet like you see on other bullets. When I clean there is very very little copper.

 

[mtmuley]

http://hammerbullets.boards.net/forum Give Steve a call with any questions. I've been close friends with him for 40 years. Good folks at Hammer. Also, there are a lot of shooters at longrangehunting using them. Check out the thread on the trip to Africa. 37 animals I believe, including an Eland with a 116 grain bullet from a .257 Weatherby. mtmuley

 

[tdhanses]

Kind of expensive and I see they need a super fast barrel twist for the .277 in a 168gr bullet. I do wonder if it would be fine in a 1:8 twist vs the recommended 1:7.

 

[mtmuley]

The "bullet is too expensive" deal always cracks me up. mtmuley

 

[tdhanses]

The "bullet is too expensive" deal always cracks me up. mtmuley

Who said it was too expensive? It is expensive don’t you agree? Truthfully the fast twist required is a bigger negative. But yes if it will not stabilize in anything but a 1:7 twist barrel then it’s wasted money spent for 99% of the people owning a .277 cal rifle, the 168gr bullet is all that interests me personally.

Maybe you can get your buddy Steve to send me a box and test if they’ll stabilize in a 1:8 twist barrel like a Berger 170 will. But since he does say the 1:7 is required he has probably already found it will not.

 

[mtmuley]

Who said it was too expensive? It is expensive don’t you agree? Truthfully the fast twist required is a bigger negative. But yes if it will not stabilize in anything but a 1:7 twist barrel then it’s wasted money spent for 99% of the people owning a .277 cal rifle, the 168gr bullet is all that interests me personally.

Maybe you can get your buddy Steve to send me a box and test if they’ll stabilize in a 1:8 twist barrel like a Berger 170 will. But since he does say the 1:7 is required he has probably already found it will not.

Soooo.... Buy the bullet that will stabilize in YOUR rifle. Or, call Steve and chat it out. I guarantee it will be time well spent. And no, they aren't expensive. If I had any of those bullets, I'd send you some myself. mtmuley

 

[tdhanses]

Soooo.... Buy the bullet that will stabilize in YOUR rifle. Or, call Steve and chat it out. I guarantee it will be time well spent. And no, they aren't expensive. If I had any of those bullets, I'd send you some myself. mtmuley

Oh I have plenty of 170, 175 and 180gr .277 bullets that easily stabilize. Would like to try his at some point but doubt they work as he says require a 1:7 twist, I don’t think he would say that if it wasn’t true. But at $100 per 100 to me that is expensive but we all have a different budget, so I can see how you would say it isn’t if it isn’t to you.

I may give him a call and see if he’ll send me some to test out.

 

[Mike 338]

Oh I have plenty of 170, 175 and 180gr .277 bullets that easily stabilize. Would like to try his at some point but doubt they work as he says require a 1:7 twist, I don’t think he would say that if it wasn’t true. But at $100 per 100 to me that is expensive but we all have a different budget, so I can see how you would say it isn’t if it isn’t to you.

I may give him a call and see if he’ll send me some to test out.

I agree that virtually any bullet that your not interested in is to expensive. It's not all that unusual for me to blow through a couple hundred bullets or more, just testing. For a dedicated hunting rig though, if I can find a great load fast, say 30 to 50 shots and confirm ranges with 30 more is a real money saver regardless the cost per bullet. Some guys are all about shooting past 1000 and paper ballistics are everything. I personally find that a bullet with exceptional terminal performance and pretty good ballistics is a more reasonable approach. Hunter bullets are said to fall in this category.

As in all things though, it's all just chit chat till you shoot 'em. I have 100 on order.

 

[tdhanses]

I agree that virtually any bullet that your not interested in is to expensive. It's not all that unusual for me to blow through a couple hundred bullets or more, just testing. For a dedicated hunting rig though, if I can find a great load fast, say 30 to 50 shots and confirm ranges with 30 more is a real money saver regardless the cost per bullet. Some guys are all about shooting past 1000 and paper ballistics are everything. I personally find that a bullet with exceptional terminal performance and pretty good ballistics is a more reasonable approach. Hunter bullets are said to fall in this category.

As in all things though, it's all just chit chat till you shoot 'em. I have 100 on order.

Which bullet did you order? I shoot between 50 and 150 rounds a week, it adds up.

 

[Mike 338]

Which bullet did you order? I shoot between 50 and 150 rounds a week, it adds up.

As of late, I've gone back to a 30-06 hunting rig. Super basic outfit with an 11 oz Leopold VX 2, 3x9 on top (coin turn turrets no less). I ordered the 166 gr. Hammer Hunters. My personal experience with mono bullets is that they often perform above their weight class. I can assure you I won't be wearing the barrel out with Hammer's although I have a fine load with 168 gr. Berger CH's. I'm switching (maybe) to Hammer's because I believe they'll do a better job of penetration. Better accuracy or ballistics will likely not be had by switching, although I hear Hammer's have outstanding accuracy potential. It's more about terminal performance. This '06 is maybe a 600 yard gun. The mountains I was hunting last season, 600 yards put me two canyons over. Any more and I'd be taking shots I probably shouldn't. Besides, with the luck I've been having, I should just leave the bullets at home to save the weight!

I have a couple 6.5's that get shot a lot and they consume lapua, sierra and hornady bullets.

 

[dieselchessy]

I have a 143 hunters for my 7mm. It will be those or the 145LRX assuming I can get one to shoot. Haven’t shot either yet.

Rifle twist needed for stability depends on RPM’s and bullet length. Twist and velocity work in conjunction to create RPM.
It may be that 1:7 is necessary at 2700 FPS 308 velocity but 1:8 will work at 3300 win mag velocities. Density altitude also plays into stability.
Copper is light compared to lead so a similar weight copper bullet tends to be much longer than a lead bullet.

Would be worth asking the maker, and also worth dropping down to a lower bullet weight.

Would be cool if makers offered RPM’s needed for stability rather than just an arbitrary rifle twist.

 

[bhylton]

hammers are a hunting bullet. and for a hunting rifle i want to build a load that shoots accurate with little effort and has good terminal performance.
spending 50$ on 50 bullets is no big deal when a sub moa load is developed in 20rds or less
shoot speers for trigger time

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I've been playing with hammer's in my 300wsm, the 181 seems to be shooting well, I need to collect a bit more long data on it to tune the ballistics. I had some scope issues and grabbed another rifle for my fall harvests so still looking forward to personally seeing how they perform for me. Been hunting monos since 2014 (barnes) so I already know what to expect vs a lead core bullet but definitely interested in how the sheering petals perform vs the peeling ones.

Oh I have plenty of 170, 175 and 180gr .277 bullets that easily stabilize. Would like to try his at some point but doubt they work as he says require a 1:7 twist, I don’t think he would say that if it wasn’t true.

Why are you comparing apples and oranges? A certain weight lead core bullet has no comparison at all with a certain weight mono bullet, the mono bullets aren't as dense thus they are always longer for their weight and thus require a faster twist rate (just as heavier sleek lead core also do). There are multiple twist rate calculators out there you can plug your likely data into to see if YOUR situation might stabilize the bullet or not, the manufacturers need to publish a conservative twist for those shooting slow calibers at sea level so they don't have pissed off customers. The faster you push a bullet and the higher in altitude you are the lower twist rate is needed.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

hammers are a hunting bullet. and for a hunting rifle i want to build a load that shoots accurate with little effort and has good terminal performance.
spending 50$ on 50 bullets is no big deal when a sub moa load is developed in 20rds or less
shoot speers for trigger time

This, all my guns have a cheaper lead core target bullet load for trigger time and also a mono load for hunting (because I personally choose to hunt monos). Before anyone says something about "practice with what you hunt" learning to shoot well and apply ballistics doesn't confine you to a single load, as long as you know the ballistics of each load you can move between them. Use cheaper rounds to practice calling wind, etc. which have less to do with a load and more to do with you reading the environment.

 

[92xj]

I’ve used them the past two years In My 7mm STW. 143 Hammer Hunter at 3390 fps. I pushed them to 3680 but settled for less speed and one hole accuracy. Load development is easy just load up one charge at a time until you find pressure then load a little below that. I shot a ladder and picked a velocity flat spot with similar impact points with STW. 30-06 I found pressure backed up a half grain and shot a group. Felt they should shoot better so switched primers and excellent group.

Killed 3 elk and 2 whitetail bucks with them the past two years with my STW. No complaints at all. Excellent performance up close as most shots have been well inside 100 yards. Buck this year was 260 yards and he ran maybe 30 after the shot. I’ve shot them at 540 yards and was under 2.5” Group.

Very little fouling. When you shoot a target there is no black ring around the bullet like you see on other bullets. When I clean there is very very little copper.

Curious why you went with the hammer hunter over the sledge hammer.
The sledge being their 400yards or less bullet and the hammer being greater.
I started load development on my 300wm with the sledge hammers. I have a good group with the 199grs at 3015fps. I went sledge route thinking that 98% of my shots will be 400 of less but every time I shoot I keep thinking about that 2% that will be in that 400-600 yard range and think I should have gone the hammer hunter route. But now, seeing your response of great success at short range with the hammer hunter and knowing you have the ability to have a high performing bullet at greater than 400 yards, I am thinking of picking up the hammer hunters and leaving the sledge behind.
I have yet to hunt or kill with the sledge hammers, but have confidence they will destroy at 400 yards. But those hammer hunters are always in the back of my mind and I keep asking if I make the right decision.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I never read the hunters as being ineffective at shorter ranges, more so the sledge hammer as being more of a compact bullet (if mag well or twist weight restricted) and likely a bit better suited for historically "dangerous game"? I didn't read much on the sledge but I'm guessing the shank retains more weight on that one? The hunter is like 70% if I recall right. Also they have a dead blow version if you ask them for it that fragments more aggressively and only retains like 30% on the shank for those that want more radial trauma.

 

[tdhanses]

I've been playing with hammer's in my 300wsm, the 181 seems to be shooting well, I need to collect a bit more long data on it to tune the ballistics. I had some scope issues and grabbed another rifle for my fall harvests so still looking forward to personally seeing how they perform for me. Been hunting monos since 2014 (barnes) so I already know what to expect vs a lead core bullet but definitely interested in how the sheering petals perform vs the peeling ones.



Why are you comparing apples and oranges? A certain weight lead core bullet has no comparison at all with a certain weight mono bullet, the mono bullets aren't as dense thus they are always longer for their weight and thus require a faster twist rate (just as heavier sleek lead core also do). There are multiple twist rate calculators out there you can plug your likely data into to see if YOUR situation might stabilize the bullet or not, the manufacturers need to publish a conservative twist for those shooting slow calibers at sea level so they don't have pissed off customers. The faster you push a bullet and the higher in altitude you are the lower twist rate is needed.

I’m not, I’m just saying a certain bullet interests me and I’m sure many don’t just buy stuff without checking it out by talking to users and asking questions, didn’t mean to offend hammer users. I’m sure they are great bullets. Also just because you don’t shoot something you’ll hunt with much doesn’t mean we all have to follow that practice.

I don’t have time to call every company that has a product of interest, guess I’ll miss out on trying things at times.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I’m not, I’m just saying a certain bullet interests me and I’m sure many don’t just buy stuff without checking it out by talking to users and asking questions, didn’t mean to offend hammer users. I’m sure they are great bullets. Also just because you don’t shoot something you’ll hunt with much doesn’t mean we all have to follow that practice.

I don’t have time to call every company that has a product of interest, guess I’ll miss out on trying things at times.

I wasn't offended I was pointing you your were saying you had plenty of heavier bullets that would stabilize and it seemed like you might not be realizing the difference of lead core vs mono bullets in terms of density and thus length per weight (IE apples and oranges to compare them). You don't have to call the company, in less than a minute you can plug in the bullet info into a twist rate calculator and your anticipated velocity, twist rate, altitude and see what your stability is. The 1:7 twist rate listed isn't a hard a fast rule, in most cases its a conservative worst case for slow cartridges at sea level. Plug 0.266 G7, 0.277cal, 168grs, 1.726" into here: http://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator-3/


No one said you have to follow a practice, we're just saying how we go about hunting with a more expensive mono bullet yet still get in our trigger time. Its a point worth noting since the cost question comes up as you yourself pointed out.

 

[tdhanses]

I wasn't offended I was pointing you your were saying you had plenty of heavier bullets that would stabilize and it seemed like you might not be realizing the difference of lead core vs mono bullets in terms of density and thus length per weight (IE apples and oranges to compare them). You don't have to call the company, in less than a minute you can plug in the bullet info into a twist rate calculator and your anticipated velocity, twist rate, altitude and see what your stability is. The 1:7 twist rate listed isn't a hard a fast rule, in most cases its a conservative worst case for slow cartridges at sea level. Plug 0.266 G7, 0.277cal, 168grs, 1.726" into here: http://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator-3/


No one said you have to follow a practice, we're just saying how we go about hunting with a more expensive mono bullet yet still get in our trigger time. Its a point worth noting since the cost question comes up as you yourself pointed out.

Thanks, looks like I won’t be trying it, Berger even says marginal stability of 1.16 and recommends 1:7 twist.

What I meant by having the 170, 175 and 180gr bullets that will stabilize is they will kill stuff and all have a higher BC then the hammer but require the 1:8 twist, would have been nice to have another heavier .277 option and I would have liked to try the 168 as length is not an issue for my mag box but is for barrel twist. To me the other bullets are fine hunting bullets as well but not getting into that argument, lol.

Not going to lie, I’ve not messed with mono bullets, probably because other then hammer they are just a lighter weight bullet then I want.