riceman
Hammer Time Executive member
If you can get some retumbo, it was getting 100fps faster than staball HD grn for grn. This was in a 6.5-300wby w/125hht. Longer tube of 26" though.
Just a thought.
162 Gr HHT 7mm PRC
- Thread starter Ndravetsky
- Start date
Just a thought.
Bleeb
Well-known member
I was actually thinking LRT (sarc).
Last edited:
Bleeb
Well-known member
So, round 2.
I ran two 3-shot groups with Staball HD. I increased the seating depth to a BTO of 2.6525"
The temp is now 32 degrees, and the wind was still huffing.
The results:
70.5gr:
2936fps, 2937fps, 2928fps
71gr:
2979fps, 2988fps, 2985fps
Nice ES and SDs. But the 71gr load gave me two extractor swipes. Also, each group at 100 were at least 4", so that seating depth is a no-go. It's still greater than that of my best ABLR loads by a good amount. Staball HD is too slow, but would pobably be good with the heavier 170s and up.
I'll try 4831sc next.
I ran two 3-shot groups with Staball HD. I increased the seating depth to a BTO of 2.6525"
The temp is now 32 degrees, and the wind was still huffing.
The results:
70.5gr:
2936fps, 2937fps, 2928fps
71gr:
2979fps, 2988fps, 2985fps
Nice ES and SDs. But the 71gr load gave me two extractor swipes. Also, each group at 100 were at least 4", so that seating depth is a no-go. It's still greater than that of my best ABLR loads by a good amount. Staball HD is too slow, but would pobably be good with the heavier 170s and up.
I'll try 4831sc next.
Ndravetsky
Active member
Thanks for sharing.
When you finish your study, please be sure to post ALL of your data on the Share Your Hammer Loads thread.
I've got another rifle project in mind and I want to use a heavier 7mm bullet at slower speeds
Yes, I said Slower speeds!
Trying to find a use for a heavier HHT bullet
I've got another rifle project in mind and I want to use a heavier 7mm bullet at slower speeds
Yes, I said Slower speeds!
Trying to find a use for a heavier HHT bullet
Ndravetsky
Active member
Can't wait to hear the results. Where are you located? We just got over our false spring. lol Im in NE oregon.
Bleeb
Well-known member
Upstate NY neart Vermont
Bleeb
Well-known member
Interdasting results with the N165.
I loaded up six rounds from 65.5gr to 68gr in 1/2gr increments.
Seated them at 2.6405" BTO, which is 0.054" off the lands.
Temp is 34 degrees, slightly overcast with winds left to right at 6mph, no gusts.
Results:
65.5gr - 2923fps
66 - 3038fps
66.5 - 3054fps - slight ejector swipe
67 - 3066fps - stuck case
67.5 - nope
68 - nope nope
Back in February I ran N165 with 175gr ABLRs up to 66.7gr @ 2.5855" BTO with no pressure signs. The velocity was significantly slower, averaging 2847fps. I'm puzzled why I ran into pressure signs with the lighter Hammers at 66.5gr. Am I seating them too long? At this seating depth I have the 3rd band from tip seated in the neck mouth. I have more case room as N165 sticks fill at around 90% at 67gr.
I loaded up six rounds from 65.5gr to 68gr in 1/2gr increments.
Seated them at 2.6405" BTO, which is 0.054" off the lands.
Temp is 34 degrees, slightly overcast with winds left to right at 6mph, no gusts.
Results:
65.5gr - 2923fps
66 - 3038fps
66.5 - 3054fps - slight ejector swipe
67 - 3066fps - stuck case
67.5 - nope
68 - nope nope
Back in February I ran N165 with 175gr ABLRs up to 66.7gr @ 2.5855" BTO with no pressure signs. The velocity was significantly slower, averaging 2847fps. I'm puzzled why I ran into pressure signs with the lighter Hammers at 66.5gr. Am I seating them too long? At this seating depth I have the 3rd band from tip seated in the neck mouth. I have more case room as N165 sticks fill at around 90% at 67gr.
Ndravetsky
Active member
That is interesting. I never measured BTO. Ive always just measured jam. Took the COAL and backed off 0.020-0.030". Hows your neck tension? Didnt you say you were using hornady brass? I never had very good luck with hornady brass on my end. What did the primer look like on the stuck case? My rifle is still new so ive been running factory hornady eld-x just to get used to the rifle first and runs some rounds through the barrel. Out of 30 rounds I have had 2 sticky bolt situations. Id be curious of your results with different brand brass.
Same brass? Once fired vs fully formed?
Bleeb
Well-known member
I'm not a fan of Hornady brass, but I haven't gotten around to ordering Peterson brass yet. These are once-fired with the shoulder bumped back 2 thou. They were all from factory Hornady PH ELD-X loads of three different lots.
I always measure to ogive, which is the point of contact with the rifling. My jam is 2.6945" BTO.
I loaded up six more rounds, backing away from the lands, an ran them as follows:
66.2gr N165 seated at 2.6295" BTO (65 thou off lands)
3027fps, 3032fps, 3028fps
Fantasic ES, and a .75" group.
66.5gr N165 seated at 2.6145" BTO (80 thou off lands)
3006fps, 3016fps, 2997fps
Strange....an increase in powder charge and seating depth, but a decrease in velocity. However no overpressure signs. 1" group.
Ndravetsky
Active member
I waited a couple months for ADG to get off of back order. 66.2 grains at that velocity looks like a pretty good load. You shooting at 100yds? Im not too good at analyzing loads, but possibly at a certain point the charge weight is starting to not get a complete burn before the bullet leaves the barrel? I read long time ago that it is ideal to have the burn complete as the bullet leaves the barrel. I appreciate the information you have been leaving.
Bleeb
Well-known member
Thanks. I like providing information even if it helps someone to not do what I did, LOL!
N165 is a bit faster than Staball HD, but it's slower than 4831sc, which I'll try next. I think I'm on the edge of complete powder burn with N165. It's too bad GRT doesn't have the 7 PRC in their database. I use it for all of my other cartridge handloading, and it provides are pretty good idea of expected pressure curves and burn percentages with various powders. Sometimes it's scary accurate. I've had great results with Staball HD with the heavier 175 grain projectiles in the 7 PRC, equaling and exceeding factory velocities and accuracies. But it's clear it's too slow for my rig with the coppers.
What I am assuming with coppers is that copper alloys are hard and don't squish like lead under the pressure from the powder charge. They are designed to peel off to leave a blunt base upon impact as well, because they don't mushroom. The pressure spike must develop more quickly, causing overpressure signs at charges where lead bullets would otherwise not. That's what interests me. Slower powders have a longer pressure curve, which should be better suited for copper pressures. On the other hand, the powder has to be fast enough for a complete burn in my 22" barrel.
Pretty soon I'll be loading in the basement and shooting 100yds off the deck, because I can't trample my hay fields with 5 trips a day on the side by side shooting at my range. That's for dialing in after I get a decent load. It's way easier to load up a few and shoot them at the house. However, my wife will object, and my bird dog will think he's missing some action.
Ndravetsky
Active member
You're welcome. I've always used slower powders for copper. I used barnes for years with good results from slow powders. 7828 sc worked great for me in my 7mm RM. I'm curious if the way the hammer is made with that reduced barring surface that maybe a slightly faster powder would make sense. Im hoping the weather holds and I can get my bench out of storage and get it set up this weekend. Im lucky enough to be able to shoot off of my deck as well. Way better than travelling to the range and fighting the **** show there. My wife is fine until I get the, "are you frikin done yet?" LOL.
Bleeb
Well-known member
So I just ran a ladder test with IMR 7828ssc this morning. Temp was 42 degrees, minimal wind at my back.
I used 2x-fired Hornady brass, and seated the projectiles 75 thou off the lands for a COAL of 3.2770".
62gr - 2842 fps
62.5 - 2881
63 - 2881
63.5 - 2926
64 - 2954
64.5 - 2968
65 - 2995
65.5 - 3035
66 - 3049
66.5 - 3060
67 - 3095 - ejector swipe
67.5 - 3127 - blew out the primer! IIRC, that one felt a bit loose when seating the primer.
I started too low and wasted some $$, but I wanted to follow comparable starting loads. I should have stopped with the 67gr load when I got the ejector swipe, but 1/2 grain more shouldn't have resulted in a primer blowout. That's the first one I've had in 40 years of reloading! Whoa baby!
Pics for your viewing pleasure. The hole with the check mark was all me with a pull (I'm a lefty shooter). The two with an "x" were the last two hot loads.
Ndravetsky
Active member
Awesome. Thanks. I never had a blow out before. Phew! Looks like decent speed and grouping until your loads got hot. I got my bullets in the mail last night. If the weather holds I’m going to try this weekend to see how it goes. I’m going to start with N560 and if it’s lame I’ll try H4831.
Bleeb
Well-known member
Good luck. I don't think N560 will be lame at all. I'm going to be loading 4831sc in a few minutes, after I eat my ham sammich.
Are you running Hornady brass as well? Looks to me like the Peterson brass is holding up to an extra 100 fps.
