Introducing the Absolute Hammer

[NorCalRiceGuy]

Thanks for sharing your pics, impressive performance.
I know that knowing the drop through your range results can give you a good idea of the velocity (esp. if the BC is what you think) but a chrono is good in my view in that big velocity spikes with a small increase in powder charge can indicate pressure spikes, it's good to check your vel. in different temps to see if your powder is temp sensitive, a chrono is great in many ways.

Your results indicate I may need to give the AH a try in my 300WM, thanks!

Thank you. I'm not a long range shooter per se, simply a hunter who likes to reload so I limit my shots to under 500 yards. Longest to date is 418 yards on a bull in Oregon that went 10 steps and then fell over from a heart shot. As much luck as skill but lots of practice and familiarity with the rifle made it all come together properly. Same with the deer and elk on this past trip, too. Yet as I get older, 68 now, the shorter the ranges become for the sake of the animals involved, which is why I really appreciate and like Hammer bullets for their spectacular terminal performance.
Now off to Texas with my shotgun for some Sandhill crane hunting next week...

 

[mtwood24]

What's the details on your load and setup?

I built it off a savage that used to be a 338 Winchester, didn't want to fight the magazine length with seating depth. H-S stock and DBM. 26 inch McGowen barrel. Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 and a timney trigger. Nothing special, but it shoots lights out. Shooting the 172 AH over 65.5g h-1000. I will play with the faster powders when I can actually find some and try to achieve the projected velocity gains of that bullet. I am super impressed with the bullet performance so far though.

 

[mtwood24]

The 7 saum with 172 AH strikes again! 455 yards and 1 shot. These bullets flat perform on game.

 

[snox801]

Dang
One of the good points about Wyoming is all the BLM.

First time I've ever heard black lives matter as a good thing?

 

[WYOHTF]

First time I've ever heard black lives matter as a good thing?

So you got to see a sign maybe on the Upper NoWood

 

[snox801]

I'm not sure? I'm from Michigan and we don't have anything like blm except for black lives matter. Lol

 

[Nomosendero]

I'm not sure? I'm from Michigan and we don't have anything like blm except for black lives matter. Lol

Funny, I never thought of Wyoming that way!

 

[CMP70306]

Took my first deer with the 123gr AH and I will admit it took me for a loop yesterday. Took a broadside shot on a doe at about 50 yards and while it looked like
when I went to track the deer I could only find little drops of blood as I tracked her up hill. The drops got steadily more but nowhere what I typically see on a lung shot deer. She ended up making it 40 yards up the hill and died in a blowdown just over the top.

When I get her back to the house to quarter I was surprised by the damage compared to the lack of blood. My shot was two inches behind the front shoulder, the lungs were shredded, the heart had a couple holes in it and the guts must have taken a piece of shrapnel or two. The only thing I can think of is that the heart hit caused it to fill the chest cavity up rather than pump out the sides.

Either way the bullet performed as advertised and I noticed that the fragments that hit the ribs on the exit side deviated about 5" from the main exit hole. On a similarly designed bullet in a 30-06 with a 10 twist the fragments only deviate by an inch or two around the exit hole so it looks like twist seem to play a part in the performance as well.

 

[snox801]

I've had a string of deer do that even with my 20 gauge slug gun. Seems to be the shot placement. Same spot as what you are talking and a bit high. Chest cavity full but not much blood to track.

 

[Korhil78]

If you shoot an animal lower in the chest cavity, it will leave a better blood trail. If it's a level ground shot that is. The chest cavity will fill with blood and will only spill out of your bullet hole if it gets up that high. Out west you don't have level ground shots often.

 

[dougduey]

Now off to Texas with my shotgun for some Sandhill crane hunting next week...

If you've never hunted cranes before, get ready for a really fun hunt. The "ribeye of the sky" is darn good eating, too.
I assume you'll be in the Texas panhandle for this hunt. FYI, It was snowing in Amarillo and Lubbock yesterday
Good luck on your hunt.

 

[NorCalRiceGuy]

If you've never hunted cranes before, get ready for a really fun hunt. The "ribeye of the sky" is darn good eating, too.
I assume you'll be in the Texas panhandle for this hunt. FYI, It was snowing in Amarillo and Lubbock yesterday
Good luck on your hunt.

Thanks, Doug. I hunted them last year for the first time and it was a hoot! Needless to say, I couldn't wait to go back. We will be hunting near Lubbock but the area is expecting warmer weather next week so not a problem. Besides, having hit minus18 degrees last week in Montana, it should be balmy by comparison.

 

[dougduey]

Thanks, Doug. I hunted them last year for the first time and it was a hoot! Needless to say, I couldn't wait to go back. We will be hunting near Lubbock but the area is expecting warmer weather next week so not a problem. Besides, having hit minus18 degrees last week in Montana, it should be balmy by comparison.

Just looking out for my Northern California brethren (I've become soft after moving out of snow country) Have fun and be safe.

 

[NorCalRiceGuy]

Just looking out for my Northern California brethren (I've become soft after moving out of snow country) Have fun and be safe.

Thanks again. I know the feeling after living at Tahoe for a few years. Snow country is fun to visit but the winters can get long when you live in it.