Did I miss info on you shooting the 99 gr Absolute in a rifle?
Please provide info on barrel, brass, primers, powders, etc. so I can include both loads in the data sheet.
Thanks, G
Introducing the Absolute Hammer
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Please provide info on barrel, brass, primers, powders, etc. so I can include both loads in the data sheet.
Thanks, G
The 99's are the standard Hammer hunters
Sorry I haven't shot any absolutes yet. Was just making a comparison as to the speed compared to my 300 win shooting 215 Berger's. Will place a order when all AH are available. Shipping won't be cheap to Canada.
RockyMtnMT
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Ok, I guess I should post our test load results. I thought I had posted some. As with everything we do, we push to see how far it will go. Do not duplicate our top end loads. These should be worked up to with caution.
We did some testing of the 123g AH in a 6.5 Creed. The data from this rifle is not good data. It has always been slow and shown pressure too soon. It has a large chamber that is rough, so brass expansion is excessive and it becomes hard to eject before true pressure is achieved. It did gain about 130fps over the 124g Hammer Hunter. Powders to look at are still Varget, Blc2, XBR8208.
We then loaded the 178g Absolute in our Remington Long Range 300 wm. Gunwerks brass, F215m, and oal of 3.6" to feed from the mag. Started with our known max load of 78g rl23, for the 181g Hammer Hunter. This will net about 3300 fps from most rifles and these components. 78g gave us 3239 fps. This is about 70 fps less than would be expected, indicating that pressure is very low. There was no chance to increase this load as it is half way up the neck even using a 6" drop tube. From here we had to decide where to go. Not knowing what to expect we looked at Hodgdon data for h4350 and used the 63g start load with rl16. Figured we did not want to get in trouble too quick. Had a vel here of 2808 fps. Showing very low pressure. We then made some quick jumps to 72g and then went 1g at a time from that point on. 72g showed a vel of 3171 fsp. We went up to 79g where we got a good ejector mark but still comfortable bolt lift. We considered this a very top end load at 3450 fps. We then decided to try 6.5 StaBALL to see if it would render higher vel. After the data that we had now collected we started at 75g and worked up from there. 75g produced 3288 fps, very on par with rl16. We worked it up to 80g and a vel of 3430 fsp. Added a crimp and gained another 10fps for 3440 fps. We felt that this load was a lower pressure than the rl16 load with the same vel. These results put the 300 wm very solidly in the 300 rum class of performance.
Next we loaded a 6.5-06ai with the 123 Absolute. This is an old Ruger rifle that was rebarreled with a 28" McGowen 8" twist. We used Peterson 270 win brass trimmed and fire formed. Seated at 3.315 col and F215m primver. At this point we felt like we had a pretty good grip on where to go. Hmmm. We started with 55g H100V and a vel of 3460 fps. Worked up from there to 57g and a vel of 3570 fps. This gave a good extractor mark and a pretty good crater in the primer. Primer pocket still tight though, so a very top end load. We backed the load off to the 55g and loaded a batch of ammo for the owner of the rifle that will be using it in MO. Probably should have started this load at 52g and worked up. This is why we say experienced reloaders that are comfortable with wildcat loading should work with the Absolutes. It is very easy to get into trouble just jumping into a load that looks good on paper.
Next rifle up was my 280ai 22" Proof 8" twist. Again Peterson brass and F215m primer and the 140g Absolute. Loaded at 3.442" col. We felt good about our choice of powder on this one going with H100v again. We started much more conservatively this time at 56g. This is the max listed load for a 140g on Hodgdon data. 56g yielded a vel of 2820 indicating very low pressure. We jumped up to 59g and began our load work up. We worked up to 64g where we pierced a primer with a vel of 3427 fps. The old Winchester model 70 action is notorious for cratering primers and will be sent in after hunting season to get bushed. I will then run that load, but until then I am going to hunt this fall with 63g at a vel of 3387 fps. This by the way was producing a raged, if you could call it that, at 200y. I have never shot that small a group at 200y.
Next we loaded a 30-06 with the 178g Absolute. Rifle is a stock Remington Long Range 26" barrel 10" twist. We started with H100v and Win brass with wlrm primer. col of 3.56" to feed from the mag. Started at 54g and a avel of 2754 fps. Worked this up to 60g and a vel of 3036 fps and a slight leak on the primer. Switched to Lapua brass and F215m primers. Started at 58g with a vel of 2947 fps. Worked up to 62g where we got a vel of 3117 fps and a bit of a leak on the primer with an ejector mark. Backed off a g to 61g and a vel of 3080 fps shooting just over an inch at 200y. We also tried N555 and it was too slow and bulky to get any where near pressure. Tried 6.5 StaBALL and worked it up from 60g to 64g and a vel of 3090 fps but the es was too high. Settled on the H100v load putting the 30-06 squarely in the 300wm realm for performance.
Talked with @Fiftydriver driver today. He did a load work up in a 7mm Allen mag with the 155g Absolute. He found results very similar to us with the cartridges at 90g plus of powder. He typically would see about 3500 fps with a 160g Accubond. He made it to 3600 fps with the Absolute with noticeable pressure and settled on a load at 3560 fps with 99g Retumbo. So not much of a gain here. I think the powder weight and the bullet weight combined are giving the pressure signs so the gained vel doesn't come to be in the big boomers. More testing needed.
We did some testing of the 123g AH in a 6.5 Creed. The data from this rifle is not good data. It has always been slow and shown pressure too soon. It has a large chamber that is rough, so brass expansion is excessive and it becomes hard to eject before true pressure is achieved. It did gain about 130fps over the 124g Hammer Hunter. Powders to look at are still Varget, Blc2, XBR8208.
We then loaded the 178g Absolute in our Remington Long Range 300 wm. Gunwerks brass, F215m, and oal of 3.6" to feed from the mag. Started with our known max load of 78g rl23, for the 181g Hammer Hunter. This will net about 3300 fps from most rifles and these components. 78g gave us 3239 fps. This is about 70 fps less than would be expected, indicating that pressure is very low. There was no chance to increase this load as it is half way up the neck even using a 6" drop tube. From here we had to decide where to go. Not knowing what to expect we looked at Hodgdon data for h4350 and used the 63g start load with rl16. Figured we did not want to get in trouble too quick. Had a vel here of 2808 fps. Showing very low pressure. We then made some quick jumps to 72g and then went 1g at a time from that point on. 72g showed a vel of 3171 fsp. We went up to 79g where we got a good ejector mark but still comfortable bolt lift. We considered this a very top end load at 3450 fps. We then decided to try 6.5 StaBALL to see if it would render higher vel. After the data that we had now collected we started at 75g and worked up from there. 75g produced 3288 fps, very on par with rl16. We worked it up to 80g and a vel of 3430 fsp. Added a crimp and gained another 10fps for 3440 fps. We felt that this load was a lower pressure than the rl16 load with the same vel. These results put the 300 wm very solidly in the 300 rum class of performance.
Next we loaded a 6.5-06ai with the 123 Absolute. This is an old Ruger rifle that was rebarreled with a 28" McGowen 8" twist. We used Peterson 270 win brass trimmed and fire formed. Seated at 3.315 col and F215m primver. At this point we felt like we had a pretty good grip on where to go. Hmmm. We started with 55g H100V and a vel of 3460 fps. Worked up from there to 57g and a vel of 3570 fps. This gave a good extractor mark and a pretty good crater in the primer. Primer pocket still tight though, so a very top end load. We backed the load off to the 55g and loaded a batch of ammo for the owner of the rifle that will be using it in MO. Probably should have started this load at 52g and worked up. This is why we say experienced reloaders that are comfortable with wildcat loading should work with the Absolutes. It is very easy to get into trouble just jumping into a load that looks good on paper.
Next rifle up was my 280ai 22" Proof 8" twist. Again Peterson brass and F215m primer and the 140g Absolute. Loaded at 3.442" col. We felt good about our choice of powder on this one going with H100v again. We started much more conservatively this time at 56g. This is the max listed load for a 140g on Hodgdon data. 56g yielded a vel of 2820 indicating very low pressure. We jumped up to 59g and began our load work up. We worked up to 64g where we pierced a primer with a vel of 3427 fps. The old Winchester model 70 action is notorious for cratering primers and will be sent in after hunting season to get bushed. I will then run that load, but until then I am going to hunt this fall with 63g at a vel of 3387 fps. This by the way was producing a raged, if you could call it that, at 200y. I have never shot that small a group at 200y.
Next we loaded a 30-06 with the 178g Absolute. Rifle is a stock Remington Long Range 26" barrel 10" twist. We started with H100v and Win brass with wlrm primer. col of 3.56" to feed from the mag. Started at 54g and a avel of 2754 fps. Worked this up to 60g and a vel of 3036 fps and a slight leak on the primer. Switched to Lapua brass and F215m primers. Started at 58g with a vel of 2947 fps. Worked up to 62g where we got a vel of 3117 fps and a bit of a leak on the primer with an ejector mark. Backed off a g to 61g and a vel of 3080 fps shooting just over an inch at 200y. We also tried N555 and it was too slow and bulky to get any where near pressure. Tried 6.5 StaBALL and worked it up from 60g to 64g and a vel of 3090 fps but the es was too high. Settled on the H100v load putting the 30-06 squarely in the 300wm realm for performance.
Talked with @Fiftydriver driver today. He did a load work up in a 7mm Allen mag with the 155g Absolute. He found results very similar to us with the cartridges at 90g plus of powder. He typically would see about 3500 fps with a 160g Accubond. He made it to 3600 fps with the Absolute with noticeable pressure and settled on a load at 3560 fps with 99g Retumbo. So not much of a gain here. I think the powder weight and the bullet weight combined are giving the pressure signs so the gained vel doesn't come to be in the big boomers. More testing needed.
bolt gun light pressure maybe could stuff another 1/2 grain in very pleased with the HH I will just stay with this one in this rifle
Tried RL 23 in my 300 WM.
73.0: 2,970
73.5: 2,992
74.0: 3,005
74.5: 3,029
75.0: 3,052
Speed is on par with Nosler data, but I was hoping for more. Accuracy was sub 1/2" @ 100 yards. Best group was .24" @ 75 grains with ES of 3. ES was 10 or less for all groups except one (71 fps) resulting from apparent mistake on my part. Zero pressure signs.
jeremy.b
Well-Known Member
Huh, that's interesting, I'm glad Steve weighed in on their work on the 300win. Looks like they had to drop to even faster powders in the rl16/staball range. That's a decent jump in burn speed for the 300 win!
RockyMtnMT
Official LRH Sponsor
We started our load development with rl23. Can't get enough in the case. What brass are you using?
sounds like you can go a little hotter I load one each in 1/2 gr. increments till I find pressure and back off a little shoot a group there and then adjust for accuracy or a faster powder may be in order
Steve's data was just uploaded to the spreadsheet. you'll need something way faster than RL 23!
Got my shooters world precision in today. 6.5 creed fits 46gr to the neck shoulder junction. I'm loading these to 2.87 oal and my lands are at 2.927 oal. SW recommends a max of 41.4 with a 123 smk. I started at 40.5 and went up to 45 in .5gr. 45gr had a tiny bit of crunch when I seated it, guessing I could go up to 46 and they'd probably stay where I seated them. Hopefully I'll get to shoot these and the h4895 loads I have this weekend and get some more creedmoor data for others.
RockyMtnMT
Official LRH Sponsor
.308 Cal-151gr Absolute Hammer™ - Hammer Bullets
A 1-12" twist rate Absolute Hammer™ that will be fantastic in the 308 Winchester. Imagine 3200 fps in the 308 with a bullet large enough for any of the North American big game. Absolute Hammer™s are designed with an ogive that does not get engraved by the rifling. This results in much lower...
hammerbullets.com
RockyMtnMT
Official LRH Sponsor
.308 Cal-162gr Absolute Hammer™ - Hammer Bullets
This Absolute Hammer™ is designed for 1-10.4" twist or faster. The nose on this bullet is short enough to fit nicely in the 300 Winchester Short Magnum with the ability to hit about 3400 fps! Re-loading the Absolute Hammer™s should be done by experienced loaders only because they will not line...
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