28 Nosler Hammer Bullets

Been trying to get a good hunting bullet to shoot really well in my Browning X Bolt 28 Nosler for over a year. It has a 1:9 twist. Tried the 155 gr Hammer Hunters and they shot accurately but were not stable. Steve at Hammer said I should try the 143 gr. Put them in front of some Retumbo and shot this group yesterday. Load development done! 3475 fps
 

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Been trying to get a good hunting bullet to shoot really well in my Browning X Bolt 28 Nosler for over a year. It has a 1:9 twist. Tried the 155 gr Hammer Hunters and they shot accurately but were not stable. Steve at Hammer said I should try the 143 gr. Put them in front of some Retumbo and shot this group yesterday. Load development done! 3475 fps
 
Nice grouping reading they are doing well out 600 + as well. I mis spoke previous I'm 1:9 twist with my 28 ( was looking up 270 info same time) But skeptical about velocity at 5-600 yards since what I've read shots have been under 400. Curious to see how your further tests go
 
I run the 143 gr & 177 gr Hammer Hunters in my 7 STW, which should be somewhat similar since they are ballistic twins. I use RL26 since I bought a big 8 lb jug back before it became extinct. The 143's are traveling a little over 3500 fps and the 177's are doing right around 3100 fps. I put a 1:8 twist carbon barrel on my rifle just so I could stabilize the 177's. I never hit pressure in either one because I didn't need to really push the limits. Both are "ragged hole" accurate.
If you're going to shoot the 124 gr hammers in your 6.5-284, look at H4831 or RL23.
 
So I got back to my home range and weather was perfect in East Texas. I had a sample pack of the 143 HH. I knew the gun shoots 97gr of rl33 and a 140 NBT fast and at a half moa all day, so I started at 91 thru 97 gr of same powder and a coal of 3.5" with the 143 HH, thats three pressure rings in neck. At 93 the bolt was kinda stiff and slight ejector mark, 94 it was real stiff and ejector marked good. With those two shoots I decided to load the remaining 13 projectiles with 92.1 gr of rl33. That load has zero pressure signs and shot this group at 290 yards
F000-B8-F6-A9-B0-4286-8581-BC196-F18-E9-EA.jpg
Thats .92' at 290 yds, roughly one third moa. I proceeded to shoot next round at 100 yds to see where it hit and it was an inch high of bullseye, then went back to gong at 290 yards and she hits dead center. Without a chronograph I figured its kicking around 3700 fps. Needless to say I ordered another 50 pack of 143s to add to the 8 or nine I had left after load development and verification of zero. If performance on game is anything like accuracy, I found my new projectiles for my magnum rifles.
773917-CB-430-F-4903-B4-FA-A6-E1-DC21-C7-CB.jpg
Here's data I put together for my records, hopefully this helps some others cut a corner or two with load development.
 
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