gltaylor
Global Moderator
(originally posted 6/7/2022)
Loading Hammer Bullets-What Have We Learned?
A question came up – “How do you load your Hammers and how did you start?”
I bet the vast majority of us started loading cup and core lead bullets. Some of us started loading to try and get more accurate ammo than what was available from the factory. I know this is what started me out. Cost was not the driving force. Better and repeatable accuracy was.
This is not about tools used or brands of dies. I’ve used about all of them over the last 50+years. This is more about the thought process of how to start and finish a load.
Initially (and still) most follow the “recipes” in established loading manuals. This is an excellent practice as loads have been tested for safe pressures in most guns. You take X bullet, at X weight, with X brass and primer brand, and load to recommended overall length. Start at a lower to mid-level charge, go up in ½ (or less) grain weights depending upon size of cartridge, and shoot groups til you find a good node. Generally works pretty well.
Keep in mind, there are three distinctly different types of hand loading:
• Loading for hunting rifles
• Benchrest
• Loading for ”wildcats”
This discussion is about hunting rifles.
In benchrest, rifles are typically single feed and bullets are seated from kissing the lands to jammed 5-6 thousandths. Neck tension is usually rather light to almost none. Feeding from a magazine is not an issue and a rifle typically has to be fired to unload it. If you open the bolt on a bench gun, you will most often pull the bullet out and leave it in the barrel, while spilling powder everywhere (NOT desirable!) Also in benchrest, most “chase the lands” as the throat erodes and moves forward. And boy do they shoot tiny bughole groups!
“Wildcats” are another story unto themselves. Wildcats are frequently used for hunting, so they share some of the characteristics to be discussed, with a large difference. Usually there is no loading data available for wildcats, until they become adopted by SAAMI and standards are developed for them. This is close to what hand loaders face when using Absolute Hammers and to a lesser extent, Hammer Hunters. Load data exists for a given cartridge and bullet weight, but the load data doesn’t quite fit Hammers. Hammers are much more ”slippery” than regular cup and core and many other mono (solid copper) bullets. They also develop far less pressure than other bullets. For this reason they often do better with much faster than normal powders for their weight. Some benefit from a faster start using Magnum primers. One would do well to read Steve Davis’ article on” How to load Hammers”.
All of the above is the reason we started gathering load data from users and publishing it for others’ reference. Most folks aren’t comfortable jumping out on their own when loading cartridges. They want some guidance.
Bullet Seating
We need absolutely reliable feeding as well as good accuracy in our hunting rifles.
To get good feeding, one frequently must seat the bullet somewhat down in the cartridge case to get an overall length of the loaded cartridge that the rifle will feed. This often means that an individual cannot get up close to the lands in their bullet seating. For years, this was thought to be detrimental to best accuracy.
Over the years, several articles written began to challenge the concept of chasing the lands in hunting and match rifles. Competitors began to see good results when their bullets were seated 20 thousandths or more off the lands and found that their accuracy nodes were actually quite large in bullet seating depths. Berger (of which I’ve used thousands) became aware of this and actually first tested the concept. Now Berger (and others) suggest testing for best accuracy in seating depth “nodes” of 20 thousandths or more (20, 40, 60 thousandths jump).
Hammers have thrown all of this out the window! The concept of the Hammer designs is quite revolutionary. You can read elsewhere about the design and concept of Hammer Bullets. Suffice it to say, seating depth is generally not an issue or even a concern any more. Obviously you don’t want to seat the bullet so it’s jammed in the lands. You just need to measure and make sure you have some clearance from the bore. “Jamming” Hammers can spike pressure - like any other bullet.
Hammer Hunters do have an ogive that you can measure in the traditional manner to determine the Ogive to base measurement. Absolutes are challenging in that there is not a caliber diameter ogive to measure. The bullet does not become caliber diameter until you get to the shank/body of the bullet. If you measure the OTB of a cartridge loaded with Absolutes, you will likely have a good bit of the nose of the bullet in the barrel. This doesn’t hurt anything, but you need to be aware of what you are measuring!
If you have to adjust seating depth to fine tune accuracy, it will be seldom and not very far. In my personal rifles, I have loads that jump from 20 thousandths to 159+ thousandths! The difference was in finding reliable feeding. Not accuracy. Accuracy expectations for all my rifles are ½ moa.
Crimping
Until I started loading Hammers, I did not crimp bullets (other than in pistols). I still have some (“wildcat”) calibers that I haven’t found Lee crimp dies for (and probably won’t). Typically a neck tension (bushing based interference fit) of around 3 thousandths seems to work well if you don’t crimp. If you use Lee Factory Crimp Dies (recommended), most find that a crimp of from 1/8th to 4/8th turns is beneficial (this is based upon Lee Brockmeier “Butterbean’s” video instructions).
Hammers are more ”slippery” (best I can describe it) than standard bullets. The PDR bands on the bullet reduce contact with the case neck (and barrel). Crimping seems to help the bullets get a more even and consistent start. My personal preference is to start at 1/8th turn. I also use the crimp die as a final tuning device to get the lowest SD/ES possible. Once I find an acceptable powder charge (accurate) at 1/8th turn, I change the crimp setting from1/8-1/4-3/8 and record the ES/SD. The lowest spread USUALLY/Not always gives me the best groups. Since I develop the load with a crimp, I don’t see a significant change in pressure while adjusting crimp on a full pressure load. I also do not see a significant change in velocity. At most, I’ve seen a difference of 20 fps in speed going from 1/8th to ½ turns on the FCD.
A question frequently discussed is where to seat and crimp bullets. As with lead bullets, it’s best to seat the Hammers so that the base of the bullet is at or near the bottom of the case neck. As with any bullets, seating the bullet deeply into the case reduces powder capacity and usually speed achieved. Seating deeply (jumping far) does not seem to affect Hammers, but it can reduce powder and speed. Steve recommends at least two PDR bands be seated inside the case neck. This is for ”grip” and bullet stability in cycling. Many seat the bullet so that the bullet can be crimped in one of the top two PDR bands. This is largely personal preference, because the bullets don’t seem to care. One thing that does seem to be a good idea is to seat the bullet so the Factory Crimp Die can form the case mouth crimp into the valley of a PDR band. In other words, don’t crimp right on top of a band.
Powders
This probably causes more confusion than anything else. Hammers don’t behave like “normal” bullets!
The best thing I’ve found (per Steve’s instructions), is to go to the same or next lightest weight lead cup and core bullet and see what the loading manuals say are best powders. I personally prefer Nosler and Hodgdon data for reference.
If you are loading, say, a 124gr 6.5 bullet, look at what the fastest speeds were obtained with on a 125 -115 gr lead bullet. Get that powder and a chronograph. Start below max charge with the fastest powder for the 115gr lead bullet (powder that got the highest top end velocity). You will also need a case fill of around 85 – 90% to give you room to work up. Fire a round and look at it’s speed and any signs of pressure. Typically, your Hammer speed is going to be quite a bit lower and there should be no signs of pressure. If this is the case, start your pressure ladder. Depending upon your familiarity with the powder and how it acts as it nears pressure, go up in ½ to 1 whole grain increments. For smaller cases (308 size), ½ gr increments is good. For Magnums, 1 gr increments saves components.
Watch your chronograph and look for any indications of pressure. As you approach listed expected speed, back off to ½ grain increments in the Magnum. You will likely be over the listed max in the manual at this point. Typically (not always) you will get primer indications of pressure or ejector impressions on the case head before you get any bolt resistance – but Not always. Sometimes pressure comes on very suddenly – especially with some of the new powders. If you get any signs of pressure (ejector marks, case swipe, bolt lift, etc), it’s prudent to stop. Drop back a full grain in powder – and shoot for groups. Hammers seem to perform best right up against pressure at highest velocity. Here I’m talking about accuracy, not the bullet’s performance in an animal. Hammers perform beautifully down to an impact velocity of 1,800 fps..
Another option, which is getting better and better, is to look at the member supplied load data for Hammer Hunters and Absolute Hammers. If your cartridge and bullet is listed, someone else has given you a head start. If your data is not listed, you can make assumptions based upon other cartridges that are similar in capacity and caliber. This is an example of the benefit of sharing your load data so it can be posted for others.
What Have I Learned and Changed?
• I no longer obsess over Ogive to Base measurements and chasing the lands
• I most often used powders that are faster than normal (traditional) for a given caliber/bullet weight
• I use larger powder charges than “normal”
• I frequently exceed listed book “maximums” in powder charge with Hammers (I would never do this with cup and core)
• One must trust your ability to “read” pressure and know when to quit. If you are ruining primer pockets in 3-4 firings, I promise you are too hot! Be careful.
• Hammers seem to operate best right up against pressure and at velocity, regardless of cartridge. Again, this is in reference to accuracy. Hammers do not require extreme speed to function properly. Nor must they impact bone to open properly.
• If working up Hammer loads in your rifle that has previously been used to fire cup and core or other brands of solid copper monos, before starting, clean the bore completely. Remove all carbon and copper fouling. Start the Hammers in a clean bore. Residuals from prior firing can adversely affect the performance of Hammers. Once you develop a load, you should notice very little copper fouling from Hammers.
• Develop your loads within the temperature range you expect to hunt/shoot. Since Hammers seem to shoot most accurately when operating right up against pressure, if the temperature gets much hotter than when you developed your loads, you are likely to experience pressure related problems more quickly (popped primers, swipe, bolt lift, etc.).
• Bullet seating with more tension (interference) is beneficial to Hammers (.003-.004). You can load either with or without neck crimping. Neck crimping is easier (to me), more consistent, and allows final tuning of a load.
• Sometimes magnum primers cause premature pressuring out. Going to a standard primer often allows smoother ignition, a better, more gradual pressure curve, more powder used and better velocity.
• If you are close to good groups, but not quite satisfied, changing brands of primers will often sort things out. (for example, changing from Fed LR to CCI LR or BR2 primers)
• “Tuning” a load is most often about tweaking your powder charge in very small increments. It is almost never about changing bullet seating depth. As stated earlier, you can do final tuning using your factory crimp die to get the smallest SD and ES numbers possible.
• Paying close attention to load density is a new parameter and provides very consistent results. Optimum is reaching pressure/accuracy at 90+% case fill. Slight compression of powder is fine. Powder needs to be up at least to the case shoulder if not at the base of the neck. If you pressure out before the powder reaches the case shoulder, go to a slower burn rate powder. If you go to a lightly compressed powder charge and don’t reach pressure, go to a faster burn rate powder.
• A hand loader needs to be familiar with burn rate charts. Burn rate charts show the RELATIVE burn rate of one powder to another. Keep in mind that there is no industry standard as to how to conduct tests for burn rates. Charts from different providers often do not agree. It is suggested that you choose one provider’s burn rate chart and use it for your selection/decision process. If you follow one provider’s chart, when you choose one powder over another, it should be relatively faster or slower than the other. When testing powders after a change, always start low and work up to see how the powder reacts in your rifle and with your powder charges.
• By simplifying your loading practices, searching member data and testing in bigger powder charge steps, it is typical to have a load finished in under 15 shots (sample packs). This is in stark contrast to older load development methods which involved many more shots, more components and much more gnashing of teeth!
Not directly loading related, but going to much lighter than traditional bullet weights and much higher velocity is a whole “nuther animal” (and topic)!
Necessary Assumptions:
The individual is a reasonably accomplished hand loader with experience at loading center fire modern cartridges. He/she has a basic understanding of reloading practices and safety, handling and assembling center fire cartridges. The firearm being used is in good working order, reasonably clean and free of defects. It is designed for the cartridge being loaded.
Follow prudent reloading practices. Use the best data you can obtain, start low and work up to your desired load gradually, while watching for indications of pressure.
Enjoy. Comments/Improvements welcome. This document is intended to assist those new to loading Hammer Bullets.
(6/7/22 Loading Hammer Bullets-What have we learned)
Global Moderator
(originally posted 6/7/2022)
Loading Hammer Bullets-What Have We Learned?
A question came up – “How do you load your Hammers and how did you start?”
I bet the vast majority of us started loading cup and core lead bullets. Some of us started loading to try and get more accurate ammo than what was available from the factory. I know this is what started me out. Cost was not the driving force. Better and repeatable accuracy was.
This is not about tools used or brands of dies. I’ve used about all of them over the last 50+years. This is more about the thought process of how to start and finish a load.
Initially (and still) most follow the “recipes” in established loading manuals. This is an excellent practice as loads have been tested for safe pressures in most guns. You take X bullet, at X weight, with X brass and primer brand, and load to recommended overall length. Start at a lower to mid-level charge, go up in ½ (or less) grain weights depending upon size of cartridge, and shoot groups til you find a good node. Generally works pretty well.
Keep in mind, there are three distinctly different types of hand loading:
• Loading for hunting rifles
• Benchrest
• Loading for ”wildcats”
This discussion is about hunting rifles.
In benchrest, rifles are typically single feed and bullets are seated from kissing the lands to jammed 5-6 thousandths. Neck tension is usually rather light to almost none. Feeding from a magazine is not an issue and a rifle typically has to be fired to unload it. If you open the bolt on a bench gun, you will most often pull the bullet out and leave it in the barrel, while spilling powder everywhere (NOT desirable!) Also in benchrest, most “chase the lands” as the throat erodes and moves forward. And boy do they shoot tiny bughole groups!
“Wildcats” are another story unto themselves. Wildcats are frequently used for hunting, so they share some of the characteristics to be discussed, with a large difference. Usually there is no loading data available for wildcats, until they become adopted by SAAMI and standards are developed for them. This is close to what hand loaders face when using Absolute Hammers and to a lesser extent, Hammer Hunters. Load data exists for a given cartridge and bullet weight, but the load data doesn’t quite fit Hammers. Hammers are much more ”slippery” than regular cup and core and many other mono (solid copper) bullets. They also develop far less pressure than other bullets. For this reason they often do better with much faster than normal powders for their weight. Some benefit from a faster start using Magnum primers. One would do well to read Steve Davis’ article on” How to load Hammers”.
All of the above is the reason we started gathering load data from users and publishing it for others’ reference. Most folks aren’t comfortable jumping out on their own when loading cartridges. They want some guidance.
Bullet Seating
We need absolutely reliable feeding as well as good accuracy in our hunting rifles.
To get good feeding, one frequently must seat the bullet somewhat down in the cartridge case to get an overall length of the loaded cartridge that the rifle will feed. This often means that an individual cannot get up close to the lands in their bullet seating. For years, this was thought to be detrimental to best accuracy.
Over the years, several articles written began to challenge the concept of chasing the lands in hunting and match rifles. Competitors began to see good results when their bullets were seated 20 thousandths or more off the lands and found that their accuracy nodes were actually quite large in bullet seating depths. Berger (of which I’ve used thousands) became aware of this and actually first tested the concept. Now Berger (and others) suggest testing for best accuracy in seating depth “nodes” of 20 thousandths or more (20, 40, 60 thousandths jump).
Hammers have thrown all of this out the window! The concept of the Hammer designs is quite revolutionary. You can read elsewhere about the design and concept of Hammer Bullets. Suffice it to say, seating depth is generally not an issue or even a concern any more. Obviously you don’t want to seat the bullet so it’s jammed in the lands. You just need to measure and make sure you have some clearance from the bore. “Jamming” Hammers can spike pressure - like any other bullet.
Hammer Hunters do have an ogive that you can measure in the traditional manner to determine the Ogive to base measurement. Absolutes are challenging in that there is not a caliber diameter ogive to measure. The bullet does not become caliber diameter until you get to the shank/body of the bullet. If you measure the OTB of a cartridge loaded with Absolutes, you will likely have a good bit of the nose of the bullet in the barrel. This doesn’t hurt anything, but you need to be aware of what you are measuring!
If you have to adjust seating depth to fine tune accuracy, it will be seldom and not very far. In my personal rifles, I have loads that jump from 20 thousandths to 159+ thousandths! The difference was in finding reliable feeding. Not accuracy. Accuracy expectations for all my rifles are ½ moa.
Crimping
Until I started loading Hammers, I did not crimp bullets (other than in pistols). I still have some (“wildcat”) calibers that I haven’t found Lee crimp dies for (and probably won’t). Typically a neck tension (bushing based interference fit) of around 3 thousandths seems to work well if you don’t crimp. If you use Lee Factory Crimp Dies (recommended), most find that a crimp of from 1/8th to 4/8th turns is beneficial (this is based upon Lee Brockmeier “Butterbean’s” video instructions).
Hammers are more ”slippery” (best I can describe it) than standard bullets. The PDR bands on the bullet reduce contact with the case neck (and barrel). Crimping seems to help the bullets get a more even and consistent start. My personal preference is to start at 1/8th turn. I also use the crimp die as a final tuning device to get the lowest SD/ES possible. Once I find an acceptable powder charge (accurate) at 1/8th turn, I change the crimp setting from1/8-1/4-3/8 and record the ES/SD. The lowest spread USUALLY/Not always gives me the best groups. Since I develop the load with a crimp, I don’t see a significant change in pressure while adjusting crimp on a full pressure load. I also do not see a significant change in velocity. At most, I’ve seen a difference of 20 fps in speed going from 1/8th to ½ turns on the FCD.
A question frequently discussed is where to seat and crimp bullets. As with lead bullets, it’s best to seat the Hammers so that the base of the bullet is at or near the bottom of the case neck. As with any bullets, seating the bullet deeply into the case reduces powder capacity and usually speed achieved. Seating deeply (jumping far) does not seem to affect Hammers, but it can reduce powder and speed. Steve recommends at least two PDR bands be seated inside the case neck. This is for ”grip” and bullet stability in cycling. Many seat the bullet so that the bullet can be crimped in one of the top two PDR bands. This is largely personal preference, because the bullets don’t seem to care. One thing that does seem to be a good idea is to seat the bullet so the Factory Crimp Die can form the case mouth crimp into the valley of a PDR band. In other words, don’t crimp right on top of a band.
Powders
This probably causes more confusion than anything else. Hammers don’t behave like “normal” bullets!
The best thing I’ve found (per Steve’s instructions), is to go to the same or next lightest weight lead cup and core bullet and see what the loading manuals say are best powders. I personally prefer Nosler and Hodgdon data for reference.
If you are loading, say, a 124gr 6.5 bullet, look at what the fastest speeds were obtained with on a 125 -115 gr lead bullet. Get that powder and a chronograph. Start below max charge with the fastest powder for the 115gr lead bullet (powder that got the highest top end velocity). You will also need a case fill of around 85 – 90% to give you room to work up. Fire a round and look at it’s speed and any signs of pressure. Typically, your Hammer speed is going to be quite a bit lower and there should be no signs of pressure. If this is the case, start your pressure ladder. Depending upon your familiarity with the powder and how it acts as it nears pressure, go up in ½ to 1 whole grain increments. For smaller cases (308 size), ½ gr increments is good. For Magnums, 1 gr increments saves components.
Watch your chronograph and look for any indications of pressure. As you approach listed expected speed, back off to ½ grain increments in the Magnum. You will likely be over the listed max in the manual at this point. Typically (not always) you will get primer indications of pressure or ejector impressions on the case head before you get any bolt resistance – but Not always. Sometimes pressure comes on very suddenly – especially with some of the new powders. If you get any signs of pressure (ejector marks, case swipe, bolt lift, etc), it’s prudent to stop. Drop back a full grain in powder – and shoot for groups. Hammers seem to perform best right up against pressure at highest velocity. Here I’m talking about accuracy, not the bullet’s performance in an animal. Hammers perform beautifully down to an impact velocity of 1,800 fps..
Another option, which is getting better and better, is to look at the member supplied load data for Hammer Hunters and Absolute Hammers. If your cartridge and bullet is listed, someone else has given you a head start. If your data is not listed, you can make assumptions based upon other cartridges that are similar in capacity and caliber. This is an example of the benefit of sharing your load data so it can be posted for others.
What Have I Learned and Changed?
• I no longer obsess over Ogive to Base measurements and chasing the lands
• I most often used powders that are faster than normal (traditional) for a given caliber/bullet weight
• I use larger powder charges than “normal”
• I frequently exceed listed book “maximums” in powder charge with Hammers (I would never do this with cup and core)
• One must trust your ability to “read” pressure and know when to quit. If you are ruining primer pockets in 3-4 firings, I promise you are too hot! Be careful.
• Hammers seem to operate best right up against pressure and at velocity, regardless of cartridge. Again, this is in reference to accuracy. Hammers do not require extreme speed to function properly. Nor must they impact bone to open properly.
• If working up Hammer loads in your rifle that has previously been used to fire cup and core or other brands of solid copper monos, before starting, clean the bore completely. Remove all carbon and copper fouling. Start the Hammers in a clean bore. Residuals from prior firing can adversely affect the performance of Hammers. Once you develop a load, you should notice very little copper fouling from Hammers.
• Develop your loads within the temperature range you expect to hunt/shoot. Since Hammers seem to shoot most accurately when operating right up against pressure, if the temperature gets much hotter than when you developed your loads, you are likely to experience pressure related problems more quickly (popped primers, swipe, bolt lift, etc.).
• Bullet seating with more tension (interference) is beneficial to Hammers (.003-.004). You can load either with or without neck crimping. Neck crimping is easier (to me), more consistent, and allows final tuning of a load.
• Sometimes magnum primers cause premature pressuring out. Going to a standard primer often allows smoother ignition, a better, more gradual pressure curve, more powder used and better velocity.
• If you are close to good groups, but not quite satisfied, changing brands of primers will often sort things out. (for example, changing from Fed LR to CCI LR or BR2 primers)
• “Tuning” a load is most often about tweaking your powder charge in very small increments. It is almost never about changing bullet seating depth. As stated earlier, you can do final tuning using your factory crimp die to get the smallest SD and ES numbers possible.
• Paying close attention to load density is a new parameter and provides very consistent results. Optimum is reaching pressure/accuracy at 90+% case fill. Slight compression of powder is fine. Powder needs to be up at least to the case shoulder if not at the base of the neck. If you pressure out before the powder reaches the case shoulder, go to a slower burn rate powder. If you go to a lightly compressed powder charge and don’t reach pressure, go to a faster burn rate powder.
• A hand loader needs to be familiar with burn rate charts. Burn rate charts show the RELATIVE burn rate of one powder to another. Keep in mind that there is no industry standard as to how to conduct tests for burn rates. Charts from different providers often do not agree. It is suggested that you choose one provider’s burn rate chart and use it for your selection/decision process. If you follow one provider’s chart, when you choose one powder over another, it should be relatively faster or slower than the other. When testing powders after a change, always start low and work up to see how the powder reacts in your rifle and with your powder charges.
• By simplifying your loading practices, searching member data and testing in bigger powder charge steps, it is typical to have a load finished in under 15 shots (sample packs). This is in stark contrast to older load development methods which involved many more shots, more components and much more gnashing of teeth!
Not directly loading related, but going to much lighter than traditional bullet weights and much higher velocity is a whole “nuther animal” (and topic)!
Necessary Assumptions:
The individual is a reasonably accomplished hand loader with experience at loading center fire modern cartridges. He/she has a basic understanding of reloading practices and safety, handling and assembling center fire cartridges. The firearm being used is in good working order, reasonably clean and free of defects. It is designed for the cartridge being loaded.
Follow prudent reloading practices. Use the best data you can obtain, start low and work up to your desired load gradually, while watching for indications of pressure.
Enjoy. Comments/Improvements welcome. This document is intended to assist those new to loading Hammer Bullets.
(6/7/22 Loading Hammer Bullets-What have we learned)
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