Hammer hunter in 6.5 WSM

[Red Rabbit]

With an Arizona cow elk tag for October, and hopefully a Coues whitetail permit after the June draw, I figured it would be enjoyable to try the Hammer Hunters in my 6.5 WSM.  I have read good reports about the Hammer Hunters on another forum.  Last week brought a box of 124gr hammer Hunter bullets and some new Norma brass in 270 WSM to the doorstep.  The brass was easily necked down with the 6.5 WSM dies.  A dummy round with the Hammer bullet seated 0.025" off the lands fits in the magazine fine.  Loaded some rounds with increasing charges of Ramshot Magnum and Fed 215M primers to check for velocity and pressure.  I hope to end up with a velocity around 3300 fps.  Time to social distance myself this week some place in the forest and find a good load.

[5guyshunting]

I would think 3300fps is possible with 124 gr. Bullet. My.270wsm load with a 140 gr. Bullet is at 3220fps.

[PRDATR]

Sounds like a plan.

[Red Rabbit]

25 minutes ago, 5guyshunting said:

I would think 3300fps is possible with 124 gr. Bullet. My.270wsm load with a 140 gr. Bullet is at 3220fps.

I was getting 3278 fps with the 125 Bulldozer and 68gr Magnum.  We will see what the test loads bring with the Hammer Hunter over the chronograph

[HuntHarder]

Yeah, you should be able to hit 3300 I would think.  I have the 145 Eld-x hitting 3150 after backing it down to be able to shoot it in PRS matches.  If I remember correctly I was initially pushing them @ 3250 before realizing I had to be below 3200fps.  This was in a 270wsm, but pretty much the same thing.

[5guyshunting]

I'm using 61.7gr of R19 in the 270wsm with berger classic hunter.

 

[johnrr65]

Nice

[5guyshunting]

I wasn't really searching velocity, I stuck with what I liked.

[lancetkenyon]

Should be doable.  I run the 131 Hammers in my 6.5SS and get 3260 easily with RL23.  Had 3321 before I hit pressure in my 26" 1:7.5".

I also run the 121 Hammers in my 25SST, and got 3360 in a 26" 1:7.5" w. H1000.  I settled on 3260 for accuracy and best ES.

You should get just a bit more speed in the WSM case if you have a 26" barrel.

[Red Rabbit]

Lance,

I figure I should get similar velocities between a 130gr-140 in a 270 WSM.  The Magnum load data for the 270WSM  tops the 130 gr at 3308 fps and 140gr at 319fps.  When I loaded the 125 Bulldozer I got best accuracy at 3150fps (0.260" 3-shot) but 0.386" at 3286fps, and worst at 0,805" at 3169fps.  Granted, these were only of one 3-shot groups.  My barrel is 26", 1in8"   What intrigued me about the Hammers was that the petals break off to act as extra projectiles (rather than lead fragments) and the flat front of the base to cause deep penetrating damage.  Steve's post and the article on wound theory were good information.

http://rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/ballistics/wounding.html

https://hammerbullets.boards.net/thread/431/hammers-work-on-game

I imagine that the petals also break off with the Bulldozer, but the center is not drilled as deep iirc

@ 5guys- nice group/load

[SunDevil]

WSM?  you succumbed to the hype?

[Red Rabbit]

13 minutes ago, SunDevil said:

WSM?  you succumbed to the hype?

Chris, yep, a long time ago 😉 I used this 6.5 WSM when we went on my 34A and 33 Coues hunts.  New barrel now though.  This is my third rifle in a WSM.

[SunDevil]

6.5 - you were ahead of the curve

[Red Rabbit]

I used my data from the 125 Bulldozer as a basis for the 124 Hammer velocity test loads.  The 4 test loads got 3174, 3252, 3367, 3392 fps.  No hard bolt lift and no flattened primers for any of the 4.  I did notice slight ejector marks on the base for the upper 3 loads, but not with the 3174 load.  So I will work around the first load and not push things much.

It looks like the case capacity of the 6.5WSM is close to the 6.5 RPM Weatherby, and less than the 264 WM.  The 6.5 RPM lists a factory load for the 127 LRX at 3225 fps, so 3200 is in the ballpark.

Next will be some 5-shot groups of various charges.

[firstcoueswas80]

Why leave 200 fps on the table,  Doug?