Hammer Absolute Hunter Bullet

[Ralt71]

Has anyone had any experience loading these up? I want to give them a try in my short barrel PRC. They claim above average speed, great accuracy, and they claim make a great wound channel on game. Hammer's load data shows nothing for their absolute hammer bullets and they claim they are tricky to load and come up on pressure fast. For my distances it's not super important, if they are this tricky to make happy I may just go with the Hammer Hunter or Hammer Hunter Tipped. Before I rule the absolutes out, just curious what this community see's or knows.

 

[FOTIS]

I have been loading them for years. One of my favorite bullets. The absolute hammers show very little bearing surface. It is possible to realize speeds up to 200 fps or even more pending on cartridge. Often you have to drop down the scale to a faster powder because you may run out of capacity before maximum pressures can be reached. Examples are:
257 Bee 90 gr absolute hammer---3800 - 3900 fps , some are using 4350 series propellants to realize this speed.

257 Roberts 90 gr absolute hammer----3400 fps H4895.

As far as accuracy goes I will testify to this. I have never left the range without at least one load, of my tryout loads, not grouping at least MOA on the first day from a sound rifle platform.

 

[FOTIS]

These are nowhere near max

They expand more easily than ANY other monometal bullet I have ever used to include the Barnes LRX. Think 1500 fps or so. Performance is very impressive! Think of all hammers like a monometal Partition. At high speeds the front portion will break off. Thus the petals, as secondary projectiles, will create huge devastation in tissue. The rear shank becomes like a cast bullet that plows through.
I load these for me and my friends. We just came back from Texas hog hunting and my friend was using a 178 gr in his 30-06 at 2900 fps. The damage done to the hogs he shot has to been seen to be believed. Robert's fist fit in the exit hole and Robert 6' 5" 300 lbs. Just ask Jim (JD338), he was there with us.

 

[Ralt71]

So in your opinion, should I just go with the absolute hammers and trust I won't get the finky they mention or should I maybe try those and the regular hammer hunter? In 6.5 they called out R23 as a good powder, which just so happens I have roughly 3 pounds of it left and I don't use it on any other loads. Would love to build something up and burn that powder.

 

[Ralt71]

We just came back from Texas hog hunting and my friend was using a 178 gr in his 30-06 at 2900 fps. The damage done to the hogs he shot has to been seen to be believed. Robert's fist fit in the exit hole and Robert 6' 5" 300 lbs. Just ask Jim (JD338), he was there with us.

What part of TX were you in? I was just down there for a couple weeks. Went down to San Saba 4/17 - 4/20 to hunt. We did a combo Turkey and Hog hunt. It was a good time. I love the Texas Hill Country. I wish the family ranch was down there instead haha

 

[FOTIS]

A lot of people overthink the AH, and Hammer bullets have to warn potential users who have little to no loading experience, because of possible legal issues---imagine that in our day........

I had a 6.5 PRC Ruger go wild. This is the load I settled one before selling it. Not a max load but good accuracy, and it did everything I needed.
I used RL 26 started low and worked up close to 3200 fps with the 123 AH.

I would suspect you can do the same with RL 23, obviously with less powder. Start at 51 (or a little higher) and go from there.

Or do a ladder, for example 51-56 or so one round each, and see what pressure is like .

 

[JD338]

I’m a believer. I saw it with my own eyes. Robert is a big dude and I witnessed him putting his big fist in the exit.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

What part of TX were you in? I was just down there for a couple weeks. Went down to San Saba 4/17 - 4/20 to hunt. We did a combo Turkey and Hog hunt. It was a good time. I love the Texas Hill Country. I wish the family ranch was down there instead haha

Dos Plumas Ranch. 5 years in a row. Going next year again, early May.

 

[Ralt71]

A lot of people overthink the AH, and Hammer bullets have to warn potential users who have little to no loading experience, because of possible legal issues---imagine that in our day........

I had a 6.5 PRC Ruger go wild. This is the load I settled one before selling it. Not a max load but good accuracy, and it did everything I needed.
I used RL 26 started low and worked up close to 3200 fps with the 123 AH.

I would suspect you can do the same with RL 23, obviously with less powder. Start at 51 (or a little higher) and go from there.

Or do a ladder, for example 51-56 or so one round each, and see what pressure is like .

I just ordered two samples packs, one of each. Had I been patient and read your post first, I would have just grabbed AH's haha

 

[FOTIS]

No biggie. If you need help just reach out anytime. Good luck.

The only drawback with them is price. In order to find the "right" copper, or blend of same, that expands in very low velocities, they had to look overseas. They shot tons of the stuff before settling on the right mix. I am not a metallurgist but that is how I understand it. From what I have read they found it in South Korea. Trumps tariffs raised the price considerably.

 

[Ralt71]

Dos Plumas Ranch. 5 years in a row. Going next year again, early May.

I only know about that ranch because of a project we did a couple years back. Have never hunted there or anything like that. I grew up on the other side of DFW from that ranch, but use to go right by it many times on our way to Midland.

My company did an expansion project on a compressor station right next to it, may even be on their land, and i was part of the start up on it. Three new compressors.

 

[FOTIS]

Cool. I like the owners, always have a great time and I do NOT have to drive 18 hours, like I use to to Texas hill country from Cheyenne Wyoming.

 

[AFG270]

I've been shooting Absolute Hammers in 5 different rifles for several years and all shoot great, 22-250, 243, 25-06, 6.5 cm and 280. All shoot great and were the easiest bullets load and find accuracy for. So far i have only shot coyotes and mule deer, but on game performance has been amazing, most have been DRT if i do my part. AH'S do like speed, I go light and fast. As Fotis said, you might have to go with a faster powder just to get enough in the case to find pressure. Good luck.

Check out the Hammertime forum, a lot of great guys willing to help, just like here

 

[FOTIS]

Ditto..... and got my elk with one last year with this load. These are the Hunter Hammers.

This year I am using this load in my new custom 8mm Rem Mag.

 

[FOTIS]

I've been shooting Absolute Hammers in 5 different rifles for several years and all shoot great, 22-250, 243, 25-06, 6.5 cm and 280. All shoot great and were the easiest bullets load and find accuracy for. So far i have only shot coyotes and mule deer, but on game performance has been amazing, most have been DRT if i do my part. AH'S do like speed, I go light and fast. As Fotis said, you might have to go with a faster powder just to get enough in the case to find pressure. Good luck.

Check out the Hammertime forum, a lot of great guys willing to help, just like here

Link

Hammertime Forum

Hammer Time forum is designed for outdoor enthusiasts to get together and discuss our passions. This is a place to discuss hunting, shooting, and other outdoor activities. Hammer Time is connected to Hammer Bullets™ and H D Custom Rifles and Ammunition LLC

hammerbullets.com

 

[FOTIS]

Has anyone had any experience loading these up? I want to give them a try in my short barrel PRC. They claim above average speed, great accuracy, and they claim make a great wound channel on game. Hammer's load data shows nothing for their absolute hammer bullets and they claim they are tricky to load and come up on pressure fast. For my distances it's not super important, if they are this tricky to make happy I may just go with the Hammer Hunter or Hammer Hunter Tipped. Before I rule the absolutes out, just curious what this community see's or knows.

From the Hammer forum Just an FYI

6.5 PRC
Bullet: 124gr Hammer Hunter
COAL: 2.950
Powder: VV N560
Primer: CCI 200
Brass: Lapua (new)
Barrel: 22" Benchmark Carbon Fiber
Twist: 1:8
Suppressed
Crimped

Pressure Ladder

56.0___3105
56.5___3148
57.0___3170
57.5___3151
58.0___3209
58.5___3240
59.0___3256
59.5___3275 ejector mark, slightly heavy bolt lift
60.0___3328 very noticeable ejector mark. Noticeable bolt lift. Stopped.

 

[longrangehunter]

I didn’t shoot any of the Absolute Hammers, but instead chose to use the Power Hammer 30 cal 165 grain bullets in my 30’06 that has a 1:9” twist.

I tested the 166 Hammer Hunters too, both behind H4350 and found them easy to find a load for.

Sorry that I don’t have any experience using them in a 6.5 PRC, but I have 25/7 PRC that one day I’ll get around to testing them in.

 

[Ralt71]

Cool. I like the owners, always have a great time and I do NOT have to drive 18 hours, like I use to to Texas hill country from Cheyenne Wyoming.

The hill country is a beautiful place though haha!

From the Hammer forum Just an FYI

6.5 PRC
Bullet: 124gr Hammer Hunter
COAL: 2.950
Powder: VV N560
Primer: CCI 200
Brass: Lapua (new)
Barrel: 22" Benchmark Carbon Fiber
Twist: 1:8
Suppressed
Crimped

Pressure Ladder

56.0___3105
56.5___3148
57.0___3170
57.5___3151
58.0___3209
58.5___3240
59.0___3256
59.5___3275 ejector mark, slightly heavy bolt lift
60.0___3328 very noticeable ejector mark. Noticeable bolt lift. Stopped.

This is very helpful, thank you! I got an email already that my order has shipped too!

 

[FOTIS]

Texas hill country is indeed awesome.

 

[Ralt71]

I didn’t shoot any of the Absolute Hammers, but instead chose to use the Power Hammer 30 cal 165 grain bullets in my 30’06 that has a 1:9” twist.

I tested the 166 Hammer Hunters too, both behind H4350 and found them easy to find a load for.

Sorry that I don’t have any experience using them in a 6.5 PRC, but I have 25/7 PRC that one day I’ll get around to testing them in.

If I’m understanding their website correctly, the Hammer Hunter and Hammer Hunter Tipped seem to be fine, it’s only their Absolute Hammers that I have seen their disclaimer on coming into pressure fast and have read from others on how finicky the load can be to make happy. I have some different ones coming, I’ll learn first hand soon enough haha