Hammer load...HELP!

[emp1953]

What distance are you shooting at? can you take a couple of shots someplace at 250yds or so at paper. Wondering if the bullets are not stabilizing (twist rate issue) At 100 are the holes on target perfectly round, at 250 are they still perfectly round.

 

[adam32+P]

What distance are you shooting at? can you take a couple of shots someplace at 250yds or so at paper. Wondering if the bullets are not stabilizing (twist rate issue) At 100 are the holes on target perfectly round, at 250 are they still perfectly round.

108 yards and a 1/8 twist so they are more than stable.

 

[ButterBean]

What do you mean the bullet shoulder? Like even deeper than the drive bands?

Bury the bullet to the last PDR groove, you wll need as much neck interference as you can get 003-.004, call me if you need 812-264-6183

 

[Eric H]

I always go to https://bisonballistics.com/calculators/stability before buying any bullets. The closer to 1.5 the better. The 109gr would be better suited for your rifle than the 99gr. Check it out.
99gr

109gr

Both are calculated at 2800fps. Run the numbers on some heavier hammer bullets.and see what you get. Just my humble opinion.

 

[adam32+P]

Bury the bullet to the last PDR groove, you wll need as much neck interference as you can get 003-.004, call me if you need 812-264-6183

That's where I had it the first time and it was a 6" group. But, it wasn't crimped. I'll try it at that length again and crimp.

 

[HARPERC]

@Eric H, Respectfully, many of us run the Hammer's at SG's much higher than that with repeatable positive results. To the point we are now purposefully seeking SG's above 2.

I'm not saying another bullet won't work better, but I don't think in this case SG is the issue. Twist not measuring quite what is stamped in both custom, and factory barrels has been more of an issue.

@adam32+P call @ButterBean, or the shop, I think it will relieve some of the stress.

 

[trubkir17]

It will happen, the crimp on the neck of the brass case is not going to contain 60k psi. The neck expands from pressure for one, and there is a portion where the crimp is of zero significance because the bullet is neither in the neck nor in the rifling, and the throat is over bullet diameter, usually by about a thousandth or more depending on the reamer design. Expanding gasses will go around the bullet. Very knowledgeable people such as Kirby Allen even note this as an occurrence.

Sometimes it might matter, often times it probably doesn't. Light bullets in long Weatherby throats may be an example of it not mattering. I'm not certain if it is what is affecting his accuracy so badly, it could be many things, but it does happen. Hopefully he can get it figured out though, and either get them shooting or switch bullets to something that will!

Thank you for the reply. Now that I am deep in the "Chamber Dynamics at point of ignition" rabbit hole can you point me at any articles on this subject?

 

[Northkill]

I just worked up a load for a 6.5x55 with a 99gr hammer and W760...started at 47gr and had a slight ejector mark at 51gr. I went back to 50gr and loaded 5 up with the first drive band showing. 2.8" OAL...lands are at 3.275 but the bullet is too short to make it anywhere close to that.

6+" group, all over the place. It was hot out so that didn't help but factory core lokts managed 1.5" at 108 yards so I don't believe it's a rifle issue and I was shooting the RUMs 1/2-3/4 that day so I think I was doing fine.

Back to the drawing board...I went to 3.0" OAL, that's about as far out as I can go to have enough bullet in the neck. I crimped them this time. I also tried another powder.

Best I could get was 2.5" for 5 rounds.

I'm going to bump up the powder charge a little and try again.

The crimping definitely helped but it's still not acceptable. Rifle is a factory Howa with a carbon stalker stock and a Vortex in DNZ mounts/rings.

The extremely long throat isn't helping but I would like to get it to at least MOA.

I posted this over on the Hammer board first but haven't gotten any help there so figured I'd try over here.

Blaine Painter had the same thing happen with my sons 22 Creed trying out the 70 gr Badlands. Gave up on it after 25 loads of different seating depths and charges. Crazy groups. It went on to shoot the 80.5 Berger at 0.234 MOA no problem. Should have tried a Hammer. I might come back to that BD again sometime to play some more.
BTW - I'd contact Steve or someone before wasting too much time here. They are generally easy to reach is my experience.

 

[hydehunter]

call Steve at Hammer really nice guy and see what he thinks and if you want ton try another bullet ask him if you can exchange the ones you already have he will probably say no problem. god luck

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I think there might be something to the long throat and blow by. Not sure though. @GLTaylor had issues with this in a 7 rum trying to run little bullets. I didn't think his issue showed up till he was hitting close to 4k fps.

Right now I am leaning to powder or primers. We had a rifle a couple of years ago that was shooting 6" at 200y with what appeared to be a very nice load. We swapped to a diff primer and took it to 1".

Not sure what powder you have, but I think Varget would be a great bet. Start at 39g and work up. If this is a modern action you should be able to get to 3300 fps nicely. Old, 3200 fps. Varget is a great powder for this size cartridge with the Hammers. Don't remember what primer you are running, but a mag primer would probably be good.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I gotta add, we will get this figured out or we will refund your money. It doesn't do us, or you, any good to sell you bullets that you can't use.

 

[adam32+P]

I think there might be something to the long throat and blow by. Not sure though. @GLTaylor had issues with this in a 7 rum trying to run little bullets. I didn't think his issue showed up till he was hitting close to 4k fps.

Right now I am leaning to powder or primers. We had a rifle a couple of years ago that was shooting 6" at 200y with what appeared to be a very nice load. We swapped to a diff primer and took it to 1".

Not sure what powder you have, but I think Varget would be a great bet. Start at 39g and work up. If this is a modern action you should be able to get to 3300 fps nicely. Old, 3200 fps. Varget is a great powder for this size cartridge with the Hammers. Don't remember what primer you are running, but a mag primer would probably be good.

I don't have Varget unfortunately. I have a couple others to try and other primers. I'm using wolf LR right now but will switch the magnums. I won't make it out till tomorrow but I'm not giving up yet.

 

[dogz]

Hang in there Adam and for giggles try another bullet at the same time just to see how your other loads are working. Have you loaded for this rifle b4?

Best of luck to ya, as Les Brown would say..."it ain't over until you win"

 

[RockyMtnMT]

On that note. Is the rifle clean of copper from other bullets? If not that can cause weird issues too.