RL 26 and lighter bullets

[NorCalRiceGuy]

Yep they like it but not for the 129, You are going to need to clear your head and start thinking outside the box

Truer words were 'ner spoken. For any who are reading this, for what it is worth, when it comes to load development and powder selections for Hammer Bullets, ButterBean knows it inside and out, up one side and down the other. What he tells you is gospel, especially when it comes to making the switch from traditional cup 'n' core bullets to Hammers, and most especially if the chosen Hammer is an Absolute Hammer. They are a whole other animal, entirely. Also, for what it's worth, I'm in the process of taking my 270 Win to 117 Hammer Hunters using H100V or possibly StaBALL 6.5. Need to do side by side ladder tests with those two powders as they are similar, but not the same.

Anyhow, long story short, trust the Bean! He won't steer you wrong.

Don

 

[ButterBean]

Truer words were 'ner spoken. For any who are reading this, for what it is worth, when it comes to load development and powder selections for Hammer Bullets, ButterBean knows it inside and out, up one side and down the other. What he tells you is gospel, especially when it comes to making the switch from traditional cup 'n' core bullets to Hammers, and most especially if the chosen Hammer is an Absolute Hammer. They are a whole other animal, entirely. Also, for what it's worth, I'm in the process of taking my 270 Win to 117 Hammer Hunters using H100V or possibly StaBALL 6.5. Need to do side by side ladder tests with those two powders as they are similar, but not the same.

Anyhow, long story short, trust the Bean! He won't steer you wrong.

Don

The H100V is gonna be your Huckleberry of those two, Have you got any H4350?

 

[Russell Sonner]

Ha! Ha! Ha! I was thinking outside the box when I used RL26 for the 120 GMX and 123 SST's. I will say after looking them Hunters up, I was reminded why I haven't tried them. I have never paid anything close to a dollar for a bullet but if I can find them locally at a decent price I will try them out. Do you run a 6.5x284 in the 129 Hammers? I just looked at the web site to see if the 129 was a Hunter design, they just call it 129 Absolute Hammer and recommend a 7.5 twist. My barrels an 8 so its probably ok but I would prefer the 124 Hunters. Also, on the page for the 129's they published two powders they tried, "We did well with rl-26 and n565 powders". What can I say, except RL26 is magic powder.

 

[NorCalRiceGuy]

The H100V is gonna be your Huckleberry of those two, Have you got any H4350?

One lb., more or less. Less, I think. Some RL 17, though.

 

[NorCalRiceGuy]

Ha! Ha! Ha! I was thinking outside the box when I used RL26 for the 120 GMX and 123 SST's. I will say after looking them Hunters up, I was reminded why I haven't tried them. I have never paid anything close to a dollar for a bullet but if I can find them locally at a decent price I will try them out. Do you run a 6.5x284 in the 129 Hammers? I just looked at the web site to see if the 129 was a Hunter design, they just call it 129 Absolute Hammer and recommend a 7.5 twist. My barrels an 8 so its probably ok but I would prefer the 124 Hunters. Also, on the page for the 129's they published two powders they tried, "We did well with rl-26 and n565 powders". What can I say, except RL26 is magic powder.
View attachment 298412

If they say 7.5 twist, they mean 7.5 twist. There is no "almost" or "close enough" with those bullets, at least when it comes to designated twist rate.

 

[ButterBean]

Ha! Ha! Ha! I was thinking outside the box when I used RL26 for the 120 GMX and 123 SST's. I will say after looking them Hunters up, I was reminded why I haven't tried them. I have never paid anything close to a dollar for a bullet but if I can find them locally at a decent price I will try them out. Do you run a 6.5x284 in the 129 Hammers? I just looked at the web site to see if the 129 was a Hunter design, they just call it 129 Absolute Hammer and recommend a 7.5 twist. My barrels an 8 so its probably ok but I would prefer the 124 Hunters. Also, on the page for the 129's they published two powders they tried, "We did well with rl-26 and n565 powders". What can I say, except RL26 is magic powder.
View attachment 298412

Your 8 twist will not work Nor will the RL26 and I mean no disrespect but from your comments so far the Absolute Hammer is not in your wheelhouse

 

[Russell Sonner]

If they say 7.5 twist, they mean 7.5 twist. There is no "almost" or "close enough" with those bullets, at least when come to designated twist rate.

Yea the SG is 1.31 for that 129 in an 8" twist. It's just marginally stable so at any distance it's going to start to wobble. But like I said the 124 is where my interest lies and it's recommended twist is 8" perfect for my barrel.

 

[Russell Sonner]

Your 8 twist will not work Nor will the RL26 and I mean no disrespect but from your comments so far the Absolute Hammer is not in your wheelhouse

I never had any interest in the 129, you brought that up originally. The SG for that bullet in my gun would be 1.31 so it's stability is marginal and would not group well so I would not want to shoot it for that reason and it was never in my wheelhouse. I am shooting 120's and 123's now and that is why I said the 124 Hunter would be the one I would be interested in. Hammer is the one who says RL26 works really well with the 129 Absolute Hammer and 7.5 twist.

 

[ButterBean]

I never had any interest in the 129, you brought that up originally. The SG for that bullet in my gun would be 1.31 so it's stability is marginal and would not group well so I would not want to shoot it for that reason and it was never in my wheelhouse. I am shooting 120's and 123's now and that is why I said the 124 Hunter would be the one I would be interested in. Hammer is the one who says RL26 works really well with the 129 Absolute Hammer and 7.5 twist.

Your right, they did well with RL26 but we have excelled with much faster powders, most shoot the 124 because of the twist requirements "Absolute Hammer and recommend a 7.5 twist. My barrels an 8 so its probably ok"
I was making clear for anyone else reading this that your barrel twist is not ok, And just to be clear the Bullets you are shooting now will have zero transferable load data with the Hammers and beings that you are not going to shoot them anyway due to the price per bullet why are you even commenting ? No offense intended

 

[Muddyboots]

Let's see:
License costs R or NR
Vehicles
RV's, travel trailers
Tents, wood stoves
Gear
Rifle
Optics
Clothing

$1/bullet too expensive to kill your quarry that you wait ALL year to hunt? Huh?

 

[ButterBean]

Let's see:
License costs R or NR
Vehicles
RV's, travel trailers
Tents, wood stoves
Gear
Rifle
Optics
Clothing

$1/bullet too expensive to kill your quarry that you wait ALL year to hunt? Huh?

Brother, You already know which road he's headed down

 

[Stammster]

I've run RL26 in my 270 Win with Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, and Speer 130s.

3250 fps from a 20" bbl with a full case of powder
2900 fps from a 20" bbl at 59 gr which is my most accurate load with RL26, and also doesn't push cup and core bullets too hard for sub 200 yd shots.

I've gotten away from using RL26 with 130s, as H4350 gives better accuracy and similar velocities (2900 fps) at 53 gr.

But for 145s and 150s, and smokin' hot 130s RL26 is still #1.

Can't comment on Hammers as my $0.15 bullets kill well enough.

 

[ButterBean]

I've run RL26 in my 270 Win with 130s.

3250 fps from a 20" bbl with a full case of powder
2900 fps from a 20" bbl at 59 gr which is my most accurate load with RL26, and also doesn't push cup and core bullets too hard for sub 200 yd shots.

I've gotten away from using RL26 with 130s, as H4350 gives better accuracy and similar velocities (2900 fps) at 53 gr.

But for 145s and 150s, and smokin' hot 130s RL26 is still #1.

Hammer Bullets ?

 

[Stammster]

^^^ Nope. Edited previous post. I'm a big fan of killing things via high velocity acute lead poisoning.

OP referenced desire to use RL26 on lighter bullets. Although he specifically mentioned the 129 hammer, I interpreted that he was also interested in 129/130 gr class in general. I've also run Barnes 129 LRX with RL26 in my 22" Model 70 at almost 3300 fps.