Hammer Bullets

RLL said:

Took Hammers exclusively this year. 375 Ruger in 300 and 270 gr Shock hammers. 7mag in 160gr shockhammers. Excellent performance on Buff, eland, sable, gemsbok, zebra..

I’ve got a 416 325gr load worked up but have yet to hunt with it. I’m going to take it out on pig testing soon.

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Any noticeable difference in performance between the 270/300 grain 375?

YancyW said:

Would you mind sharing some info about that load? That's a screamer.

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No problem, shoot me a PM If you like. You can also find the load data I shared on the Hammertime forum.

ldmay375 said:

The 416 B&M with the 325 Shock Hammer at 2600 fps, should make an impact.

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Yes it does. I like the 300 gr better since it’s not as long as the 325 and can get a bit more speed. It’s maxed out on length in the mag box…

Llano Estacado said:

Any noticeable difference in performance between the 270/300 grain 375?

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None on the terminal end that we observed. The advantage of the 270gr is about 150 fps faster at the muzzle with a bit longer max PBR and tad less recoil. I’ve shot all my 300s and using 270s know.

My PH told me in August that 270 grain expanding Copper bullets loaded to top velocity were the best Cape Buffalo bullet that he had seen in the 375.

ldmay375 said:

The 416 B&M with the 325 Shock Hammer at 2600 fps, should make an impact.

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RLL said:

Yes it does. I like the 300 gr better since it’s not as long as the 325 and can get a bit more speed. It’s maxed out on length in the mag box…

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I am expecting similar velocity with the 325 Shock Hammer & CEB Maximus from a 20" 416 Ruger. I also anticipate very similar terminal performance.

CBH Australia said:

Thats just been pounded with the tenderising ammer.

I agree it's a lot of damage but each hit is likely different and varies with shot placement.

Dead Deer don't run.

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Its true that dead deer don't run but I have shot a lot of deer with plain old Speer hot cores and Hornady interlocks with far less meat damage and never lost any of them.

Joker12 said:

Its true that dead deer don't run but I have shot a lot of deer with plain old Speer hot cores and Hornady interlocks with far less meat damage and never lost any of them.

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I agree... thus far I am not impressed with the entire design theory of the bullet... I do not want shrapnel petals, spraying through the carcass. It may be an effective killer, but so are many other designs that do not create that nasty shotgun pattern devastation. For pests, sure... maybe Asiatic Buffalo culling in AUS or feral hogs etc... more power to the folks that use and like them... but until I see more data, that aligns more with my philosophy for terminal damage, I will likely choose other options. A stigma probably also influencing my perspective is the underwhelming performance I have seen on NA game by clients using Barnes bullets. JMO, not here to kick anyone's puppy, so go easy... lol.

hoytcanon said:

I agree... thus far I am not impressed with the entire design theory of the bullet... I do not want shrapnel petals, spraying through the carcass. It may be an effective killer, but so are many other designs that do not create that nasty shotgun pattern devastation. For pests, sure... maybe Asiatic Buffalo culling in AUS or feral hogs etc... more power to the folks that use and like them... but until I see more data, that aligns more with my philosophy for terminal damage, I will likely choose other options. A stigma probably also influencing my perspective is the underwhelming performance I have seen on NA game by clients using Barnes bullets. JMO, not here to kick anyone's puppy, so go easy... lol.

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So if meat hunting at home. Maybe.

But in Africa, where you are trophy hunting (and pay for wounded animals) or dangerous game hunting with life on line, why in world would you not want more damage?

Daisy said:

So if meat hunting at home. Maybe.

But in Africa, where you are trophy hunting (and pay for wounded animals) or dangerous game hunting with life on line, why in world would you not want more damage?

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Because someone is going to eat that meat.

hoytcanon said:

Because someone is going to eat that meat.

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@hoytcanon
You won't get lead poisoning from brass. May chip a tooth but that's all
Bob

Hey,

Dentists gotta make a living too.

But I have never had a patient who broke a tooth on a bullet fragment.

Shotgun pellets are a different story.

I ordered a dozen 307 gr Hammers to try out in my 404 but could not get them to group. Gave up quickly. Maybe it was the load data. The recoil seemed as bad or worse than 400 gr Barnes TSX so maybe just a bad recipe.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

@hoytcanon
You won't get lead poisoning from brass. May chip a tooth but that's all
Bob

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Bob, I'm not worried about lead poisoning or chipping a tooth... I am an avid waterfowler and guide late season duck hunters... I eat ALOT of ducks... I just don't want to make hamburger until I am making hamburger.

Something to consider when using all copper bullets in general and Hammer in particular.

Twist Rate and Stability: All copper bullets are longer than lead jack bullets per bullet weight. Therefore you may need a faster twist rate than your rifle has to stabilize your bullet. Case in point, I have a Blaser R8 in .300wm. It has only a 1:11 twist. The heaviest Hammer Hunter that will fully stabilize is 160gr. The heaviest Hammer Hunter Tipped that will stabilize is 168gr. In my opinion Twist rate is a main concern I have when choosing a all copper bullet. I wish the Europeans would go to a 1:10 twist like we have or even better go to a 1:9-1/2 twist.

Many guys who shoot Hammer Bullets seem to go the route of shooting very light weight for caliber bullets as fast as they can (Hyper Velocity). I have no qualms about that, in fact I think there is probably some advantages to that way of thinking, especially for shorter ranges. But when I see softball size holes with shredded meat I cringe and think Hyper Velocity.

I have taken only one animal with Hammer Bullets. I was using a 8mm Rem Mag shooting a 198gr Hammer Hunter going around 3050fps. It was a guided bull elk hunt. The range was a little short of 600yds across a canyon. The bull dropped to the shot and didn’t get back up. When we got him we found a calber size entry hole on the rear of the near shoulder and a caliber size exit hole on the far side. The bullet came apart in the thoracic cavity and took out the lungs. I don’t recall seeing much of any blood shot meat nor the obliteration as seen in many pictures.

I wouldn’t say Hammer Bullets are easier to find a load than anyother bullet. But they are not hard to find to find a load, they are a little different though. If you are interested in finding out more, go to their website, Hammer Bullets.com, look for Hammer Time, that’s their Forum. From there go to Reloading and you will find threads on loading Hammer Bullets galore .

I for one do like their bullets and will continue to use them.

I have been working with a bunch of Hammer bullets for about six weeks in .308, 338-06AI, .338 WM, 35 Whelen and .375 Ruger. I have a lot of data on velocity, energy and accuracy. No results on game yet though.

My favorite load so far is in the .35 Whelen, a 245 Shock hammer pushing 2800 fps. It shoots just under one inch, energy and velocity are both over 2000 at 400 yards. Shines a whole new light on the .35 Whelen for me.

The other thing that really has my interest so far are relatively light bullets in the .375 Ruger. I have a 180gr .375 Shock Hammer going 3550 and might even work that up a little higher. That bullet is about as aerodynamic as a brick but muzzle energy is well over 5000, for plains game 300 yards and in that bullet would be a beast!