Could you…

[nicholasjohn]

You may be absolutely right, the negative I always hear about solid copper bullets is the potential for not having adequate expansion, especially when you don't catch any bone, including ribs, on the way in. Also on longer shots when the bullet starts to slow there is a good chance you will not see the same mushrooming as you will when the bullets are at a higher speed. Like I said, this is just a guess because I have never actually used a copper bullet.

Here's my take on the supposed lack of expansion with mono-metal bullets : They usually make smallish exit wounds, at least in my experience. This doesn't mean they didn't expand. There was always plenty of tissue damage inside the body cavity - where the important plumbing is located. There was not a lot of blood-shot meat on the way in, and exits wounds weren't the gaping craters that I was used to seeing with lead-core bullets. They did always exit, ( even a few times when deer were shot the long way ) and they always killed the animals quickly. They just didn't blow them up or leave a nasty exit wound. The bullet I'm talking about is the Hornady GMX, 165-grain 30-caliber.

I'll be hunting this fall with the 143-grain Hammer Hunter in 284 diameter. I expect to see the same kind of holes in deer & elk that I've been getting from the GMX. I'll be surprised if I don't, because most of what I've read on this forum suggests that. The reason I'm switching is because the Hornady factory loads I had been using have become unavailable. Hammers are easy to get ahold of, I had read here that load development is quick & easy. I have found that to be true. They aren't sensitive to seating depth variation, so once pressure testing is done, the first load I tried in the high end of the node shot tiny little groups with good ES & SD's. I don't get screaming velocity with them, but they go plenty fast enough. I may try other powders after hunting season is over, and see if I can find an accurate load that is faster, but if i don't I won't sweat it.

 

[FEENIX]

Like it or not. something that I have not seen mentioned here is that as in California and I believe Washington, lead bullets for hunting are going to be banned in your state.

Ahh, the blue states.

 

[Peddler 76]

My two cents, I read everything about hammers and after having bad experience with new boxes of barnes. That being the bullets were out of spec. I talked the person I was loading for to give the hammers a try. I followed the book of hammer written by butter Bean. Stoked up a 6.5 CM with about as much STaBall as it would take, seated to the top crimp ring and put a one quarter turn crimp using a FCD. The little kimber with a 18 inch barrel shot 3248 average and made just under half inch group. If anyone has ever shot a kimber Adirondack you know how twitchy they are. I've now loaded
For five others and changed two of my tried and true hunting rifles to hammers. if I'd had more time I'd switch another. But I've deer behind my house that are becoming pest and need killing.

I'm available for adoption.