Share Your Hammer Loads

gltaylor

gltaylor

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Steve Davis
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(originally posted by Steve Davis, 5/26/2020)

I want to start this thread as a place to look up what others have done with their rifles and Hammers. Since these are individual recipes, they should be approached with caution when used.

When you post your load, give powder, primer, brass, coal, barrel length, and twist. Give your start load and your finish load. (Edit: Also add stability factor at sea level at 60 degrees in the last column. You can use JBM or BERGER for this). Then add any notes that you think are needed.

I am making this a sticky so lets try and keep this to be just loads and put conversation about the loads in another thread. So if you have a question about the load tag the poster in another thread. I think we can get a pretty good library going.
 
CALIBER: .______________375H&H
BULLET:________________299 SHOCK HAMMER
POWDER:______________ CFE 223
PRIMER: _______________GM215M
BRASS _________________R-P
COAL: _________________3.60"
BARREL LENGTH: ______24"
TWIST: ________________12
______________________GRAINS_____FPS
START CHARGE: ______70.0________2571
FINISH CHARGE: ______72.5________2621
STABILITY FACTOR:_________2.3
 
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CALIBER: .______________8MM REM MAG
BULLET:________________198 HAMMER HUNTER
POWDER:______________ MRP
PRIMER: _______________CCI250
BRASS ________________NOSLER
COAL: _________________3.655"
BARREL LENGTH: ______24"
TWIST: ________________10?
_____________________ GRAINS____FPS
START CHARGE: _____ 78.0________2934
FINISH CHARGE: _____82.0________3071
STABILITY FACTOR:__________1.8
 
CALIBER: ._________ 45/70 govt
BULLET:___________ 300gn Shock Hammer w/crimp
POWDER:_________ IMR 4198 GRAINS: 49.5
PRIMER: __________ CCI 200
BRASS ____________ Starline
COAL: _____________ 2.594"
BARREL LENGTH: _ 18.5"
TWIST: ____________ 1:20
FPS:________________ 2130
STABILITY FACTOR:_ 3.08 using Bison Ballistics calculator
3 shot group was .750" @100 yards
 
CALIBER: .______________7x57
BULLET:________________90 gr & 101 gr
POWDER:______________ Varget
PRIMER: _______________WLR
BRASS _________________PPU
COAL: _________________not recorded, loaded with first band exposed, no crimp
BARREL LENGTH: ______22"
TWIST: ________________12
Temp 55F
Elevation 4412 ft

90 gr
Charge Velocity Web Dia
47 3130 0.4710
48 3240 0.4712
49 3273 0.4712
50 3357 0.4712
51 3431 0.4715
52 3436 0.4718

101 gr
45 3003 0.4710
46 2992 0.4710
47 3096 0.4712
48 3152 0.4713
49 3207 0.4712
50 3341 0.4717

Analysis: there were no heavy bolt lifts, no bolt face smear, primers are flat but I have no experience with Winchester primers. I resorted to a micrometer to measure the case diameter at the web. Looking at Hodgdon data suggests 3250 max in a 24" barrel about 70 fps less with my 22". I arrived at 48 grains for the 101gr and 50 grains for the 90gr.
 
New ADG Brass workup
Cartridge: 28 Nosler
Bullet: 177g HH
Brass: New unfired ADG
Primer: GM215M
COAL: 3.565
Barrell: 26" Proof
Twist: 1:8
Temp: 35-40 degrees
Elevation 4580

RL 33 MV
83g 3050 es 10 group .33
83.5g 3082 es 37 group .80
84g 3090 es 19. group .55
84.5g 3096 slight ejector mark
85g 3105 ejector mark no signs with bolt lift.
Noted: MV seemed 50 fps slower in the new ADG brass than in the Nosler Brass I have previously used, which was surprising.
I'm too stupid to know how to calculate stability factor.
 
littlebighorn said:
Noted: MV seemed 50 fps slower in the new ADG brass than in the Nosler Brass I have previously used, which was surprising.
Click to expand...
Normal/expected: Virgin cases needs to be blown out for your chamber. 50FPS is not bad at all to be honest.

If you have some Virgin ADG brass, water weigh internal dimensions compared to your once fired ADG, compared to fired Nosler cases.

If you have Hornady Comparator you’ll see shoulder difference also.
 
Rapidrick,
Thanks for the load data. With that much case head expansion - bet you ruined the primer pockets on the last few loads of both bullets!
 
You can re-measure the heads. They won't have changed much. Generally, over .003 or so case expansion=trashed primer pockets. Use a go/no go gauge or try seating a primer in the stretched head cases. Bet they're loose or will just about fall out?
 
gltaylor said:
You can re-measure the heads. They won't have changed much. Generally, over .003 or so case expansion=trashed primer pockets. Use a go/no go gauge or try seating a primer in the stretched head cases. Bet they're loose or will just about fall out?
Click to expand...
Note my expansion is less than .001, they are .0007 and .0008.
 
280AI, 140g Absolute Hammer
26in bbl, 7 twist
Nosler AI brass, CCI BR2, H4350 58.5g at 3116fps
no crimp, COAL 3.345"

Pressure ladder
55g, 2894
56g, 2937
56.5g 3015
57g, 3026
57.6g 3069
57.9g, 3112
58.5g, 3116fps
58.8g, 3118
59g, 3153 faint sticky extraction
59.3g, 3149
59.5g, 3179
59.7g, 3169 sticky extraction
60g, 3202 sticky extraction
60.3g, 3216 sticky extraction
60.5g, 3225 sticky extraction
60.7g, 3233 sticky extraction
61g, 3253 sticky extraction

Notes: brand new rifle barrel settling in along the way gave me some velocity readings I felt were inconsistent. The sticky extraction was a new sign for me, bolt lift was normal. I also tested IMR4831 56g (2821) thru 60g (3035) with no pressure signs but decided to stay with Hodgdon.
 
Libbylogger said:
CALIBER: ._________ 45/70 govt
BULLET:___________ 300gn Shock Hammer w/crimp
POWDER:_________ IMR 4198 GRAINS: 49.5
PRIMER: __________ CCI 200
BRASS ____________ Starline
COAL: _____________ 2.594"
BARREL LENGTH: _ 18.5"
TWIST: ____________ 1:20
FPS:________________ 2130
STABILITY FACTOR:_ 3.08 using Bison Ballistics calculator
3 shot group was .750" @100 yards
Click to expand...
This is great information! Thank you! where did you start your load and did you try to push it any harder? Also did it seem to like a certain distance off the lands that lead to that COAL? That's just a tad over saami spec is only reason I ask. Trying to get a quick load with these worked up for spring bear season here in Alaska.
 
This is a load I did not ladder, but it's a bullet/cartridge combo that is not listed in the Hammer Hunter Load Data, so here it goes:
Cartridge: 300WSM
Bullet: 160g HH
Powder: RL 17
Brass: Winchester
Primer: WLR/WLRM
COAL 2.860/2.855
Barrel: 23". 1:10
Temp: 38 degrees
Elevation: 4580
Grains MV Primer COAL
67 3242 WLR 2.860 .77" group ES 14
67 3250 WLRM 2.858 .65" group only
 
7mm Rem Mag
160gr Shock Hammers
26” barrel
1-9.5 twist
COAL 3.245”
Powder: N560
Win case 2x fired
F215M primers
Light crimp
70 degrees
1400ft elevatin
Grains - MV
64.5 - 3080 fps
65 -3130
65.5 - 3155
66 - 3170
66.5 3194
67 - 3231
67.5 - 3229? Primer flat, light ejector mark.
68 - 3254 light bolt lift, primer flat. Light ejector swipe
68.5 - 3243 heavy bolt lift. Strong ejector marks. Flattened primer. Stopped

Settled on 65.5gr N560 for best groups for a hunt load. Will play with seating depth later. Note COAL of 3.29” was to long to start as bullet was touching the lands on this rifle.
 
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375 Ruger
299 gr Shock Hammer
23” barrel
1-14 twist
COAL 3.30”
Powder: RL15
Hornady cases 3x fired
F215M primers
Light crimp
70 degrees
1400ft elevation
Grains - MV
65 gr - 2503fps
66 gr - 2535
67gr - 2565
68 gr - 2586 primer starting to flaten
69 gr - 2620 recoil picking up. Slight ejector marks, light bolt lift.
70gr - 2645 heavy bolt lift, primer flat and rebounding around firing pin, strong ejector mark. STOPPED

Settled on 68 for an all round hunt load and 50 yard groups.
 
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22-250 Remington
44 gr Hammer Hunter
22” barrel
Twist? Probably pretty slow, it won’t stabilize monos over 50 grains.
COAL 2.32”
Powder: Varget
Sig case 1x fired
F210 primers
No crimp
70 degrees
1400ft elevation
Grains - MV
34 gr - 3516 fps
35 - 3623
36- 3750
37 - 3846
38 - 3954! slight ejector mark. Primer still rounded. Had a little more room to go to crack 4k.

Settled on 36.5 as a hunt load for the little ones at ~3800fps. Stellar grouping through the whole ladder.
 
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Libbylogger said:
CALIBER: ._________ 45/70 govt
BULLET:___________ 300gn Shock Hammer w/crimp
POWDER:_________ IMR 4198 GRAINS: 49.5
PRIMER: __________ CCI 200
BRASS ____________ Starline
COAL: _____________ 2.594"
BARREL LENGTH: _ 18.5"
TWIST: ____________ 1:20
FPS:________________ 2130
STABILITY FACTOR:_ 3.08 using Bison Ballistics calculator
3 shot group was .750" @100 yards
Click to expand...
Would you mind sharing what rifle this was? Marlin lever action or maybe a Ruger #1?
 
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