Bullet selection is driving me nuts....

[BEEMAN]

I actually have in my 28. Shot an axis buck, pencil in pencil out with very little blood loss. He ran a good ways and we got very lucky we found him. Stopped using them after that.

I'd also like to know which hammer bullet and shot distance. Hasn't been my experience, but stuff happens.

 

[Colin78]

It's been a few years but it was the 143 Hammer hunter. Was running them around 3200 - 3300 FPS,just don't remember exactly. Axis was not far, probably 100 yards. In the crease right behind the shoulder. I haven't talked about it much because Steve was extremely helpful to me working out the issues I had with my Christensen rifle and his bullets shot amazing when nothing else would. I think it was an isolated case and don't want to deter others from using his bullets. But I personally decided to move on to something else.

I'd also like to know which hammer bullet and shot distance. Hasn't been my experience, but stuff happens.

 

[BEEMAN]

I actually have in my 28. Shot an axis buck, pencil in pencil out with very little blood loss. He ran a good ways and we got very lucky we found him. Stopped using them after that.

I'd also like to know which hammer bullet and shot distance. Hasn't been my experience, but stuff happens.

 

[cajun]

It's been a few years but it was the 143 Hammer hunter. Was running them around 3200 - 3300 FPS,just don't remember exactly. Axis was not far, probably 100 yards. In the crease right behind the shoulder. I haven't talked about it much because Steve was extremely helpful to me working out the issues I had with my Christensen rifle and his bullets shot amazing when nothing else would. I think it was an isolated case and don't want to deter others from using his bullets. But I personally decided to move on to something else.

I had same exact thing happen twice with a 140 ttsx. I think the sd of a 7mm bullet in that weight is a little too stout in all copper for thin skin game.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I thought I had decided on Barnes LRX, yea I know, there BC is not good, but lots of folks rave about Barnes bullets and this is there long range bullet. So I tried it them out this year and wasn't overly impressed.

What happened?

i know I fiddled with them too and my rifle did not l8ke them at all. I could of pulled the plug from day 1, but kept fiddling with them……no matter what I did, 5 shot groups were over 1" from my custom 300 Sherman.

 

[SamuelBerryhill308]

Just my two cent but che k out hammer bullets or contact one of the guys there and they can help you out with what bullet would work best for the way you will be using the bullets.i know from my personal experience that hammer bullets are by far the best hunting bullets I've ever used.as a former nosler ballistic tip user I can say I won't ever regret switching to hammer bulelts.ive used othe brands of bullets even barnes ttsx and still like the hammer bullets the best I will say next to on game performance for the way I hunt in this order is the bullets I recommend hammer bullets first then nosler partions,barnes ttsx,hornady amax or nosler ballistic tip,berger classic hunter or vld and few others by federal or winchester but this is just my two cent

 

[fordy]

Gday colin78
Snox 801 data is good as nice numbers
This to me is the most critical part

I switched everything over form nosler and Hornady and berger to hammers.
I've killed well over 1000 hogs somewhere close to 50 audad, and over 100 deer and many other critters in between.
Large and small. They were the first bullet that did it all for me.
Also keep in mind you need to take the min FPS the bullet

This is pretty well me although I've taken vastly different critters & in my case my numbers taken with hammers are a extremely small % to my total numbers taken throughout my years prior to hammers but it's up there imo

I can't tell you how many brands & types I've used but it's a lot & bergers were a pill I used a lot of but the matrix was imo a better pill especially longrange & on smaller critters it just preformed better

This leads me into why
The reason is plane & simple it's consistency @ doing the same thing or close to it across various resistances & velocities ( my total numbers on matrix kills were no near that of Berger but I couldn't source them anymore so my learning stopped regrettably)

Hammers are no different they are just more consistent across the board of hunting scenarios I see in the field
& dosent matter what I hit the job gets done ( within reason but it's wider than a lot realise what I do in my tests )

Delving a little deeper into your result with your introduction to hammers
Yep that sux big time , could we have the actuals of what occurred eg pill impact velocity & your twist & measured if possible please

I've not had one pencil ( well until my last lot of testing for the prototype hammer & it's low velocity / real low resistance penciling is occurring ) but I've had some less than ideal results & this was a learning process for me on how I needed to assess what was needed & the pill's capabilities
This information has been relayed to Steve & we have also had big billy goat butt heads moments but he has taken on board & not only from me I'm sure but what I personally saw is adjustments made to stop it happening again
This is to help our fellow hunter to hopefully not get the same results as what I or someone experienced

Your Barnes lrx is a pill that has a smaller window for me personally than others no doubt from what I've read on here & with the utmost respect to those as long as they get a dead critter they are happy where I am not !!! , I want it dead in the quickest possible time & you sir may not be as anal as me but by the sounds of it your not one who fits with the but it's dead so it all cool crowd ( once again please accept my apology for being abrasive no offence intended )

The Barnes lrx have the best results when they are impacting @ or above 2300/2400 & below 2100 they are pretty hit & miss with a lot depending on what resistance it encounters on it's journey in the game
But they also have a top end limit of around 3300 where petals are lost now these mostly kill fairly well up here but the consistency drops off so we end up with less than ideal results that for me personally I don't like as Murphy get me some are lucky though

So really it's upto on what you'll use & guessing your done with hammers but I'd edge you to @least try the prototype when it's released as it is extremely consistent but if your sworn of hammers the shedding pill mono is the best design hands down on the biggest window before things go wrong
If it's a mushroom mono just stick a bit higher on the minimum velocity requirement & your kills will be pretty good

Bonded pills have there place just like a frangible but once again it's how the individual uses them will determine if a less than ideal result will eventually happen

To me I just like the odds in my favour as I don't like Murphy
Cheers

 

[NW NM hunter]

From what I read in your original description you like cup and core bullets like the nosler ballistic tip. Just want something with higher bc. If you want a similar tipped bullet I would look at the sierra tipped gameking or the hornady eldx. Bergers are also similar but not tipped. I personally run the eldx and have no worries about it. Also with cup and core the typical recommendation is to run heavy, it will reduce impact velocity and increase the mass of the bullet.

 

[codyadams]

I actually have in my 28. Shot an axis buck, pencil in pencil out with very little blood loss. He ran a good ways and we got very lucky we found him. Stopped using them after that.

I have heard 4 or 5 people on this forum over the years with similar issues, that had their hammer bullets properly stabilized within appropriate velocity ranges and recovered their animals after some work. However, considering the amount of them that have been used without issue, it is a pretty small percentage. But bottom line, all bullets can fail.

Under 500 ish yards bc won't make a huge difference. However if you don't want to compromise bc, some other long range capable bullets to look at that you haven't mentioned are badlands bullets, PVA cayugas, cutting edge, and apex afterburners.

Lot's of options these days. Good luck with your decision.

 

[snox801]

I ha r run a lot of cutting edge bullets. That's actually the last bullet I ran until hammers they are good Bullets for sure. Bc is good.
I really no big complaints.
Just over a larger group of game the hammers outperformed by a good margin of how fast game hit the dirt. So I stuck with them.

 

[snox801]

Thats $1400 in bullets lol.

I wish that was all I've spent on them.
Lol
I think that was just my last order. Some of the big bullets run the bill up quick.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I've been running more and more bullets from Hornady lately. Speer also seems to be popping up with decent stuff that is actually available. I have a couple of rifles shooting Nosler AB's, but the availability and pricing are a problem lately. If/ when I shoot those inventories down they will not be replaced.
I consider Barnes a mid range pill. They work well enough in my 270 and 375 that I have an option if I ever hunt in a lead free area.
It seems as though a good amount of guys are drinking Hammer "kool-aid" lately. They work well enough I suppose, but I do not have huge experience with them. I have thousands of bullets on the shelf already that work fine and cast my own for some cartridges too, so I'm rather slow to adopt newer stuff.

 

[TXWinBrown]

I shoot whitetail with a 25-06 using Nosler Ballistic Tips. Not once have I had an issue, most are DRT.

 

[Teri Anne]

I feel like a dog chasing its tail. Lol

I have always been a Nosler Ballistic Tip guy and they have done very well for me, but I have been wanting to step up my long range game for hunting so I have been researching bullets with a better BC and maybe that holds up better on game, because it's seems that is what everyone is talking about now right..... But it seems that just when I think I have found one that I will try then I find all these bad reviews, which I know, obviously, no matter what you research you will find issues. I also know I am way over thinking this, as I do with most things in life, and I should just pick something and go with it.

I thought I had decided on Barnes LRX, yea I know, there BC is not good, but lots of folks rave about Barnes bullets and this is there long range bullet. So I tried it them out this year and wasn't overly impressed.

So I thought ok, I love Nosler bullets, I'm looking for good BC, something that holds together well, so I'll try the accubond long range. Well crude, there are more bad reviews on them than good.

In all my research it seems like Berger bullets always come up. Yes there are some bad reviews, but when I dig into them, it seems that most are blaming it on a plugged tip, and those that insure the tips are cleaned out, some are even drilling them out, have great luck. What gets me here is it seems lots of people, with seemingly with lots of experience, recommend the target bullets for hunting. What? I even had a very well known and experienced nilgai guide highly recommend 215 Berger Hybrid Target bullets for nilgai over accubonds and Barnes. I trust this guy as he is very successful with his clients who often shoot his rifle with those bullets. And nilgai are probably, IMO, some of the toughest, thickest skinned, animals in North America.

I honestly don't know why I'm rambling on about this, I'm sure most of you are thinking just pick something that shoots great out of my rifle and go with it. But I kinda want to start with a great bullet and go from there.

Anyone else going thru this chasing of the tail trying to pick a hunting bullet?

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Not that it really matters but I'm currently messing with my 7 SAUM, 28 Nosler, and 300 WM.