What to build for blacktails? Hammer bullets, low recoil, 700 yard effective range

Sitting here with post hunting season blues and pondering my next build.

This will be for rugged terrain blacktail deer hunting and I am required to use monos. I am a big hammer fan and will be sticking with their offerings, no need to debate bullet choice. Have tried other monos and they just do not compare with the terminal performance of a hammer. Longest shots will be 600-700 yards with average shots from 400-500 yards, all near sea level altitude. I like to stay around 2000 impact velocity. These are small bodied, thin skinned deer that weigh at most 120lbs. Bullet weight and ft lbs are not really a consideration, most likely will be shooting a heavy for caliber hammer in .224 to .264 caliber.

Rifle will be a lighter contour 24-26in on a tikka action. Total weight in the 7-9lb range. I do not hunt with muzzle brakes and need to be able to spot my own impacts at longer range. For me that means about 12lbs max ft/lbs recoil. Barrel life is not really a consideration.

Some chamberings I am considering are 22 creedmoor, 25-284(had one and used 135gr Berger's, still have some brass), 25-06(have a 1:7 twist barrel and lapua brass, moved away from it awhile ago as it didn't shoot the 131 blackjacks very well), 6-284, 6prc, 25prc, 22prc. Open to hearing others and would like to hear experience with any that I have mentioned.

Thanks in advance for your experience!

I did a 25-06 1-7 twist barrel trying to achieve the same thing you are. I'm shooing the 110 hh at 3250fps with retumbo. I haven't hunted with it yet but it shoots under 1/2" at 100 yards. I was using a 1-10 twist 25-06 with 100 ttsx Barnes and haven't had the best results on black tail so that's why I changed to this.

I use the 110 HH in my 260 Rem on California blacktail/mulie with no problems. 3210 FPS at the muzzle and has been more than adequate for shots between 300-400 yards.

6.5saum/300rum said:

I did a 25-06 1-7 twist barrel trying to achieve the same thing you are. I'm shooing the 110 hh at 3250fps with retumbo. I haven't hunted with it yet but it shoots under 1/2" at 100 yards. I was using a 1-10 twist 25-06 with 100 ttsx Barnes and haven't had the best results on black tail so that's why I changed to this.

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I was shooting the 110gr BDIIs from mine at about 3200. Ballistics wise it was a good combo but terminal performance at 500 was not ideal. Was more like a Barnes with a small exit wound on a shot through the ribs; buck wasn't even sure he was hit until I put the next one through his shoulder blade. With hammers I've had a little more dramatic wounding on softer hits through the ribs..might need to screw that barrel back on and see how it does with some hammers.

willfrye027 said:

Sitting here with post hunting season blues and pondering my next build.

Some chamberings I am considering are 22 creedmoor, 25-284(had one and used 135gr Berger's, still have some brass), 25-06(have a 1:7 twist barrel and lapua brass, moved away from it awhile ago as it didn't shoot the 131 blackjacks very well), 6-284, 6prc, 25prc, 22prc. Open to hearing others and would like to hear experience with any that I have mentioned.

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In case you did not know, Black Hole makes 145s, https://blackholebullets.com/see-products

Components are still not that easy to find. I'd stick with what you have 25-284 or 25-06. If then check out Hammer Shared Load Data or Absolute Shared Load Data.
Distances you mentioned you'll need to stick to Hammer Hunters or Absolute Hammers.

FEENIX said:

In case you did not know, Black Hole makes 145s, https://blackholebullets.com/see-products

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Im tempted to try some, although I've already got a few thousand Bergers and a fresh 25cm barrel on the way to shoot them. That is my go-to combo for steel and hunting out of my home state. but very interested in how those end up shooting for you! 145gr might be a little heavy in the creedmoor case but imagine they would shine in the 284/prc/wbc/saum

This build does need to be for a lead free offering.

willfrye027 said:

Im tempted to try some, although I've already got a few thousand Bergers and a fresh 25cm barrel on the way to shoot them. That is my go-to combo for steel and hunting out of my home state. but very interested in how those end up shooting for you! 145gr might be a little heavy in the creedmoor case but imagine they would shine in the 284/prc/wbc/saum

This build does need to be for a lead free offering.

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The 145s shoots very well out my .257 WBY; ~.75 MOA at 200Y on my initial range outing with powders I already have open. Load development is not yet finalized. I have some BD2s and Cayugas to try.

I'm a big fan of the 25 caliber.
Probably the only one with a Savage Axis II in 250 Savage shooting the 115gr Berger VLDs.
Even my short range benchrest rifle build is 250 Savage.
(Think i finally found a stock for it)

Of the cartridges you listed, with components on hand even, it would be a toss up between the 25-284 and 25-06.

Another option in a totally different direction would be a 7mm-08.

12 ft/lbs of max recoil, is essentially a .243. So, in an 8lb rifle, that means you get a 100 grain bullet at 3200 fps running about 45 grains of powder.

SArnolds .260 load is about tops for that recoil level, with all the .25-06 loads listed above over that 12 lb Mendoza Line… even in a 9 lb gun.

A 100 grain mono, at 3200, ain't exactly 700 yard deer medicine…. even if they are Coues Mule Deer.

I personally would go with a 6.5 anything. The .257 have a much more limited selection and as with everything can be hard to find. So many variants of the 6.5 bullet.

I also feel the 6mm gets a little light when shooting that far but a 105 Hybrid will do the job.

I'd say to consider a 7 SAUM or the new 7 PRC but that sounds like more recoil than your looking for. I have a 7 saum rigged out at 8 pounds and didn't care for the recoil with a suppressor. It was tolerable but deffinately not spotting shots running a 180 hybrid at 2840.

6mm Remington with a 26" barrel, 8.5lbs ready to hunt, using temp stable powder for those 105 degree days during CA deer season.

101gr HH using H4350 to 3200fps. At 700 yards 1860fps and 775 ft lbs of energy. 10.6 lbs of recoil

Using my Ruger #1 in 25-06 as an example...but you wouldn't want to lug that heavy pig up and down mountains...

90 AH using RL16 it shoots 3611fps. At 700 yards 1875 fps and 702 ft lbs of energy. In an 8.5 lb rifle, you would have 11.3 lbs of recoil.

Just some examples, while not meeting your 2000 fps parameter, they come close and stay within the recoil constraints. The Hammers are supposed to function just fine down to 1800 fps, so the above 2 examples have a little bit of margin left at 700 yards.

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If looking to stretch out to 600-700 yards maybe consider a 280AI and the 143 HH. I had one built for my Son as a 8th grade graduation present. We built on a trued Rem 700 action, Bartlein barrel, and AG stock. Rifle was put together by Karl at Kamfeld Custom rifles and it has been a tack driver with the 143HH. Checking my Revic app we hit 2000 fps at 725 yards with 1320 ft-lb's of energy. Also, Blacktails grow much bigger than 120 lbs, the buck in my avitar is my boy's Blacktail from last year and is being mounted on a small mule deer form. Best of luck and cheers, Jason

Your recoil limit is a problem, limits you to 243w or 243 AI, 6 creed etc. 25-06 will be well over that. Most the rifles mentioned are well over 12lbs of recoil.