Hammer Hunters?

[Elkeater]

Just my experience with hammer hunters but I have not experienced what you describe. Actually just finishing up a week of hunting in Texas. We took 12 animals with .224 cal 63gr absolute hammers, 124gr 6.5mm hammer hunters, and 140gr 7mm absolute hammers. Shots ranged from 30 yards to 385 yards. Pigs, Catalina nanny goats, aoudad and two bison all fell to the hammers. Most of our shots were good. A couple not so much. Didn't matter. Only animal that didn't bleed was an aoudad ewe that was gut shot (wind was ripping at 20mph and she was 385 yards away. Little more wind drift than we realized). She only went about 75 yards and laid down in the brush. We knew about where she went so we gave it a couple hours went back and she was too weak to stand up and one of the guys finished her off. Bison were both shot from close range behind the base of the skull. Bang flop. Everything else was pretty standard lung shots and nothing went more than a few yards.

My guess is you may have gotten a batch of bullets made with the old copper that had some issues or your running them a little slow. Speed is your friend with hammers. Or just luck of the draw. No bullets are perfect so maybe you had bullets that didn't work.

 

[VTbluegrass]

Despite ample evidence to the contrary I refuse to use a 243 or smaller for deer. Bought a savage 243 I wanted to make a project gun but used it as is for a season. Shot great but the three deer I shot left weak to no blood and I had no exits. In eastern NC thickets this was subpar. I found all my deer but I won't use them again because my confidence will be in the basement.
My coworkers 11yr old twins around the same time shot a freezer full of deer and they had bang-flops on all but one that left a Stevie wonder blood trail.

Or you could consider the worst… you stink at shooting and your tracking skills suck. Hahaha
Sorry that was a joke

 

[birddog 68]

Now the question after the story: headed to MT this year elk hunting again in Sept. what can i expect if i decided to use the hammers?
Or stick with accubonds

I need to have 100% confidence in a bullet.
You had misfortune with said bullets and feel it wasn't shot placement? Easy answer is to use the accubond.
Confidence, confidence, confidence.

 

[Bwana Barry]

Story.. then the question:

So a few years ago i ordered some 284 Cal-143g Hammer Hunter to try on my 7mm Mag
they worked tremendously, and very accurate!

So while deer hunting in VA i shot 3 bucks.

Hiwever each one ran like it was NOT hit. Tracked but no blood trail… nothing.
In the spring while working on stands and trapsing through woods… we found each of them!
I sooo hate to do this.

Also on TX i shot a large 10 point.. same thing. No blood!
However just as i was giving up searxh thinking i missed..i saw one drop of blood on the underside of a leaf
Way back in thicket was the deer. One small perfectly placed shot, no exit.

I have since switched back to Nosler 168 AccuBond Long Range.. and no issues and great accuracy. Long and short range

I still have about 150 loaded Hammers.

Now the question after the story: headed to MT this year elk hunting again in Sept. what can i expect if i decided to use the hammers?
Or stick with accubonds

Thanks

I would love to read what other hunters using the same bullet in that calibre, have experienced.....you do not mention the range......

 

[Bwana Barry]

I would love to read what other hunters using the same bullets in that calibre have to say.....
You do not mention distance and /or speed.......

 

[Stonyman88]

Story.. then the question:

So a few years ago i ordered some 284 Cal-143g Hammer Hunter to try on my 7mm Mag
they worked tremendously, and very accurate!

So while deer hunting in VA i shot 3 bucks.

Hiwever each one ran like it was NOT hit. Tracked but no blood trail… nothing.
In the spring while working on stands and trapsing through woods… we found each of them!
I sooo hate to do this.

Also on TX i shot a large 10 point.. same thing. No blood!
However just as i was giving up searxh thinking i missed..i saw one drop of blood on the underside of a leaf
Way back in thicket was the deer. One small perfectly placed shot, no exit.

I have since switched back to Nosler 168 AccuBond Long Range.. and no issues and great accuracy. Long and short range

I still have about 150 loaded Hammers.

Now the question after the story: headed to MT this year elk hunting again in Sept. what can i expect if i decided to use the hammers?
Or stick with accubonds

Thanks

If you use those in MT I think you know what to expect, my Q is why would you use them?? You hit a Elk with they could go a long way before you NEVER find them

 

[mightyman]

"If you have had bad results with that particular projectile, why on earth would you take a chance on them again, especially on an animal three times the size of the game the projectile didn't work on according to what you wanted?? Go with what ya know!"

Just asked the question of the group to see if my experience was common or rare.
So im NOT going with the HH but with what I Know

4'elk taken, 4 Accubonds so… confirmed here! Going with accubonds

 

[[email protected]]

Story.. then the question:

So a few years ago i ordered some 284 Cal-143g Hammer Hunter to try on my 7mm Mag
they worked tremendously, and very accurate!

So while deer hunting in VA i shot 3 bucks.

Hiwever each one ran like it was NOT hit. Tracked but no blood trail… nothing.
In the spring while working on stands and trapsing through woods… we found each of them!
I sooo hate to do this.

Also on TX i shot a large 10 point.. same thing. No blood!
However just as i was giving up searxh thinking i missed..i saw one drop of blood on the underside of a leaf
Way back in thicket was the deer. One small perfectly placed shot, no exit.

I have since switched back to Nosler 168 AccuBond Long Range.. and no issues and great accuracy. Long and short range

I still have about 150 loaded Hammers.

Now the question after the story: headed to MT this year elk hunting again in Sept. what can i expect if i decided to use the hammers?
Or stick with accubonds

Thanks

Please do not use those here in Montana,
The 200 accubond lr. Or larger gr. Will do you good ,
I hunt with my own loads , using a berger hunting elite 205 gr or a nosler 200 gr accubond Lr .
The 205 berger has dropped 4 make deer bucks dead in their tracks , no need to find a blood trail.
Ps. Bullet entered but no exit wound, did not need to track !!!!
And zero meat damage .
Practice, practice , and leave your side by sides at home , elk scare easy ,

 

[[email protected]]

Please do not use those here in Montana,
The 200 accubond lr. Or larger gr. Will do you good ,
I hunt with my own loads , using a berger hunting elite 205 gr or a nosler 200 gr accubond Lr .
The 205 berger has dropped 4 make deer bucks dead in their tracks , no need to find a blood trail.
Ps. Bullet entered but no exit wound, did not need to track !!!!
And zero meat damage .
Practice, practice , and leave your side by sides at home , elk scare easy ,

Mule deer not make

 

[CRP003]

"If you have had bad results with that particular projectile, why on earth would you take a chance on them again, especially on an animal three times the size of the game the projectile didn't work on according to what you wanted?? Go with what ya know!"

Just asked the question of the group to see if my experience was common or rare.
So im NOT going with the HH but with what I Know

4'elk taken, 4 Accubonds so… confirmed here! Going with accubonds

Accubond LR

 

[CRP003]

Or I'll make it harder use Eldx. Use what works in your rifle and is showing the results you need.

 

[mightyman]

Case closed!
Accubonds it is!

 

[Drjones65]

I shoot the 180 GR HH out of my 300 WM and have never had an issue. In the last year I have been to Africa and taken a Kudu, Golden Wildebeest, Nyala, Sable, Eland and a Bush Buck. 5 of the 6 were one shot one kill. (Eland took 2 shots). I have been to Texas and shot a large Aoudad ram. Again it was a one shot one kill. In Utah I shot 2 cow elk. Again one shot one kill.
In my opinion Hammer bullets work exceptionally well.
On the flip side I used to use Nosler bullets out of my 30.06 - I lost a deer and an elk one season.
My personal experience with Nosler is not favorable which is what lead me to change to Hammer.

 

[jbur13]

Hiwever each one ran like it was NOT hit. Tracked but no blood trail… nothing.
In the spring while working on stands and trapsing through woods… we found each of them!
I sooo hate to do this.

Were your shots all close in? Like 25 yards?
I'm just wondering if they penciled through, high above vitals therefor allowing them to travel further without a blood trail? I did the same with a VLD a long time ago, never found the buck and he was 25 yards when shot. One drop of blood about a hundred yards away. Made me sick.