Just got my hands on some Hammer Hunter 166 grn .308

[GimpyPaw]

Just received 100 bullets from Hammer Bullets. It's going to be a few months before I've got them loaded, tested, and can give an accuracy report, but tonight I went through and sorted every one by weight. I also checked a dozen of them for length and diameter (mostly I checked the ones that were either high or low on weight).

If you want to see the web site:
https://hammerbullets.com/product/30...hammer-hunter/

Initial impression was that somebody loves their work. These things are just as pretty in person as the pictures on their web site. They have a nice finish, no deformities or blemishes, and were packaged very securely. Somebody is also damn proud of these things, as you'll pay in the neighborhood of $1.20 / ea for these pills.

On the initial weight check, the highest weight was 166.76 grn, with the lowest coming in at 165.98 grn., for an extreme spread of .78 ​grn.

Out of 100 I sorted them into 3 piles:
166.76 to 166.41 = 17 ea
166.40 to 166.20 = 67 ea
166.19 to 165.98 = 16 ea
* Read last paragraph for more details on weight difference

In checking length, I was amazed almost every one of them came in exactly at the 1.407" as listed in their spec. I only found one, the one that weighed 165.98, that was shorter at 1.406"

Diameter wise, again they were very consistent at .308, with a few of them hitting at .3075. The weird was that both the heaviest and the lightest were the ones that came in at .3075, leading me to wonder were the weight difference might be.

The last check was to take the VLD seating stem out of my L.E. Wilson chamber type bullet seater and use that to measure the point of interface on the stem to the back of the bullet. This seating stem does not touch the tip of the bullet, but instead contacts the ogive. To my surprise, the difference between the high weight batch and the low weight was only .002", not enough to explain much of a weight difference.

My only thought was there could be a difference in the depth of the drilled hollow point. I don't have a way to measure that, but I straightened out a small paper clip that just barely fit in. I slipped it into the heaviest of them all and "spurt", out comes some liquid. The hole is so small that an air bubble must have trapped some oil in there. I got out as much oil as I could and put it on the scale again. 166.54 grn

So after cleaning out the oils from the heavy group it changes the weight spread as 166.54 to 165.98, for a variance of 0.56 grn. It also changed the sorting pile to as follows:

166.54 to 166.41 = 5 ea
166.40 to 166.20 = 79 ea
166.19 to 165.98 = 16 ea

Update:
After going through every bullet and removing the oil, I weighed all of them, again. The 3 piles are now sorted as:

166.54 to 166.41 = 5 ea
166.40 to 166.20 = 55 ea
166.19 to 165.98 = 40 ea

[JD Miller]

Are those no lead boolits?

[GimpyPaw]

Originally Posted by JD Miller

Are those no lead boolits?

Correct, they are solid copper. I normally shoot 180 grn, but with solids my 1:10 twist barrel (Sako) is just on the edge for stabilization of a 180 grn solid. I decided to try the 166 grn because it's well inside the twist rate for my gun. This is the twist rate calculator I used.

https://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/

[GimpyPaw]

I have a load worked up for these bullets, and I have to say, I'm impressed.

First off, there is no published data on loads for these. The Hammer Bullets web page has a forum, and users have posted their loads there. Other than that, you're on your own for work ups. I used Gordon's Reloading Tool and selected data for the Barnes 165 TSX. I picked a moderate load of Vihtavouri N560, loaded up 5 seated so all drive bands are in the neck, and 5 with 1 drive band exposed.



There's a flyer in there, but in my defense, that was after I had already taken 60 shots with my 300 win mag. I flinched that one to the left. I decided on the longer seating depth, and with no signs of pressure I bumped the powder up 0.6 gr. A week later I was back at the range:



3 shots to adjust the sights, then I used a ballistics ap to adjust for a 200 yard zero. Temp was 91f, cross wind was 12-15 mph.
3 shot group with a horizontal spread of .746", and a vertical of .297"

I then switched to the 200 yard range, and put a 4 shot group a little low and to the left (didn't adjust for windage with the longer distance) horizontal = 1.947", vertical = 1.745"

I let the barrel cool completely, and caught a lucky dead spot in the wind. Since somebody had repainted the 8" steel plate on the 200 yard line, I thought the least I could do was acknowledge his efforts and ring the gong a few times. I put 3 shots right in the center of the plate.



Using my thumb as a reference, that's roughly a .833" 3 shot 200 yard group.

Final load data:

300 Win Mag
Sako Action, McMillan carbon fiber stock, glass bed. 2.75 lb trigger pull
Case: Norma, once fired.
Case prep: Annealed, flash hole and primer pocket uniformed. Trim to 2.610" Shoulder bump .002" in LE Wilson bushing die, .333 neck bushing
Bullet: Hammer Hunter .308 166 gr solid copper
Powder: Vihtavouri N560 (PM for charge data)
Primer: Fed 215 M
COAL: 3.553"
Velocity: Estimated 3152 fps (Will update once I get it through a chrono)

[4thIDvet]

Dang good shootin Gimpy my buddy just got a .308 I will pass on your workups. Thank you.

[GimpyPaw]

Just got back from the range. They chrono at

3211
3202
3211

Average of 3208 (if my math hasn't failed me)

[Sanders]

That's some dang good accuracy at 200.

[GimpyPaw]

Sunday I was at the range working up a load for my 300wm using 205gn Berger Elite Hunters and Retumbo. I had just dialed in the scope at 100 yds and was about to move to 200 for some ladder testing, but I still have about 10 of these 166gn Hammer Hunter loads. These were worked up for a different barrel, but they chamber fine, so I thought I would check how they fly in the new barrel.

It's only a 3 shot group, but still ...

[aviator]

That's darned good.