I have a Lee FCD for the 6.5 Grendel if you need it
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First Hammers
- Thread starter Seabeeken
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sierracharlie338
Well-Known Member
I don't normally crimp but thinking I might with the Grendel ammo. What's your thoughts?
Crimp, It's a proven process and helps everything
sierracharlie338
Well-Known Member
10-4 will reach out when I get ready to load em!
dougduey
Well-Known Member
I knew I could count on you my friend
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
Since most [if not all] of the Hammer bullets contain a substantial number of "grooves" as it were, wouldn't it be just as expedient to use the crimp feature that's built into your seat die? Seat your bullet until the case mouth is approximately halfway up the width of one of the grooves and then just run that case back up into your seat die after it's been readjusted to give full or partial crimp. This might require having a second seat die. You can adjust the amount of crimp by either using a spacer [assuming that you can find a set of variable thicknesses] or one of the Redding shellholders that are of variable thickness. The Lee FCD would be best used if your bullet has no cannelure or if the cannelure it does have is way off from where you want your bullet to be seated.
Regarding item 12 it seems that Hammer advises caution when working up a load [esp. for the absolutes] because it is easy for pressures to get away on you if you're not careful. It seems to me that if the bullets were releasing at lower pressures that they would just tell you to use the same weight of powder as you would for a lead core based bullet of identical weight. The same advice pertains when loading other monolithic bullets.
Seems to me that one way to "increase" pressure is to do like they suggest for the Absolutes and drop back to a "faster" powder. Maybe something like IMR4955. I was out the other day and had 5 different powders with Barnes 100 grain TTSX in my .25-06. 53 grains of IMR 4955, 54 grains of Reloder 19, 55 grains of Reloder 22 and 56 grains of Reloder 23 and IMR7977. Based subjectively on bolt lift and primer [Federal 210 match] appearance, pressures weren't excessive. Best results on the target were with the IMR4955 and Reloder 19.
I don't have any .25 cal Hammers, but I'm going to try something similar with the 6.5mm 123 grain Absolutes one of these days.
Yes the Roll Crimp will work, No It will not work as well or be tunable as the LEE FCD, I'm not telling folks to do this because I'm guessing at it, There has been tons of bullets and time invested in this procedure and I give this information out freely because it works , As for #12 you are Tuning the Powder Ignition Dwell Time with the Lee FCD
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately it seems that Lee doesn't cater to the 6.5-06 or 6.5-06AI crowd. Looks like whatever one can get from the seat die might be it as far as crimp goes.
They will build anything you want as they have a custom shop
7stw
Well-Known Member
I can tell you, that you are in for a good ride. Butterbean tirned me onto some 92 grain Hammer Hunters, for my 25.06AI. Well, not only do they have the most devastating terminal performance on game animal's I've ever seen, they are extremely accurate. Easy to load with, excellent support from Factory, and good info on this site. I inadvertently shot two deer this past season, with one shot, and the performance on the second one was as good as the first one. I too have a 7mm, which im about to get some for. Keep in mind, I've always been a Barnes fan , but these gems are as put by others game changers. Enjoy.
BTW, these are honest 1/4 minute shooters in my 25.06AI. @3736!
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Seabeeken
Well-Known Member
Hunters
shinbone
Well-Known Member
"Tuning the Powder Ignition Dwell Time" - A very concise explanation of how crimping works!
