5000 FPS Pursuit, 18gr Dead Blow Hammer

[Zen Archery]

Fire forming case tomorrow afternoon. Testing 3 powders for velocity on Thursday. Keeping my fingers cross things will run smoothly.

You probably can't see it but the hollow point is LOADED with oil!!!

 

[Zen Archery]

The build. Total length is 46"

 

[Calvin45]

Murder Hornet

Because goldfinch doesn't sound nearly as cool

 

[Calvin45]

Maybe I missed it somewhere…what's the parent case? .22 Nosler/6.8 spc?

 

[30378wbymag]

It's .17gr Stinger that's why I painted yellow and black but nope haven't named it good idea!!!

Reminds me of Bumblebee from the Transformer movies!!! As I recall, Bumblebee was pretty BAD ***...

 

[30378wbymag]

There are only 2 examples of successful handloading efforts toward 5000 fps that I'm presently aware of.

There's an article about a guy who broke 5100 with a 30 grain Berger out of a .22-284

There's a few YouTube videos by a guy named Glen Butler I think who got over 5000 with a 300 win mag using accelerator type sabots handloading. Got a 55 grain doing 5k. I believe at those speeds it melted half inch holes in AR500!

Hey Calvin, read some of the accounts with Roy Weatherby and the US Army back in 1959 using the .30-378 and light weight alloy bullets!!! They almost achieved the velocity of the powder they used back then, nearly 6k FPS. I've gotten 4300 out of my 26" BBL .220 Swift, this will be a fun one to watch...

 

[Calvin45]

Hey Calvin, read some of the accounts with Roy Weatherby and the US Army back in 1959 using the .30-378 and light weight alloy bullets!!! They almost achieved the velocity of the powder they used back then, nearly 6k FPS. I've gotten 4300 out of my 26" BBL .220 Swift, this will be a fun one to watch...

Oh I forgot about those tests haha! I
Have indeed read them and given your title I'm not surprised to hear you mention them as well. That was will a ridiculously light bullet and they were studying the behaviour of hypervelocity shrapnel to make better armor if I'm not mistake…a freakishly fast rifle being a better study tool as you can't tell real shrapnel exactly where to hit. Thanks for the reminder.

What I also find interesting is that PO ackleys humorously named .22 eargesplittenloudenboomer (a .22-378) didn't break 5000 fps. Diminishing returns is real and there's a line you cross where not only do you gain nothing, you start losing. People humorously or seriously talk about .30-50 bmg or 17s based on huge belted cases…won't work.

Zen's 17 seems like a well thought out endeavour with a clear goal though.

 

[Zen Archery]

Welp…. That was unexpected. Apparently 5000 FPS is a fire forming zone.

 

[Calvin45]

Welp…. That was unexpected. Apparently 5000 FPS is a fire forming zone.

Heck yes!!!!!! Congratulations man I'm so happy for you, almost did a little happy dance over here and had to restrain myself from yelling out loud. My family does not share my enthusiasm.

 

[Physhstyx]

Way to go ..

 

[Calvin45]

And just like that 5000 is now boring…call me when you hit 6K

Just kidding obviously, I'm just ecstatic about this!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

What I also find interesting is that PO ackleys humorously named .22 eargesplittenloudenboomer (a .22-378) didn't break 5000 fps. Diminishing returns is real and there's a line you cross where not only do you gain nothing, you start losing.

It's not actually all that difficult. Over at the AccurateRelaoding forum Saeed got 5,278 ft/sec by shooting a 30gr Berger bullet in a rather Plain-Jane 22-243. He used RE15 to get there.

 

[Calvin45]

It's not actually all that difficult. Over at the AccurateRelaoding forum Saeed got 5,278 ft/sec by shooting a 30gr Berger bullet in a rather Plain-Jane 22-243. He used RE15 to get there.

Cool! I had heard about it with a. .22-284. The point wasn't that it's difficult so much as that there's a very real point beyond which adding more powder won't make it go faster

 

[Zen Archery]

If y'all want perspective on how small the 18gr Dead Blow Hammer is that's a small rifle primer next to the bullet.

Todays the real test day. Let's see how accuracy holds with velocity!