Absolute Hammer load data

In the continuing saga of the .300wby; I think it's showing more promise with IMR4955, but i ran it a bit too hot today. so i'll back of a couple grains and go try again.

The new 7mag with the 172's though, still waaay under moa at 100 @ 3,115. Its running maybe a teensy bit hot but its so **** accurate i'll slow it down after my deer hunt in early september. Tested out to 550y today in high and gusty wind, and i still shot about moa, which is good for me.

the 6.5creed is shooting the 123AH's well finally; also good to 550.

Was a good day. Leaving next week for an above timberline early rifle deer hunt, hopefully I can put the 172s to work.
 
More testing with RL 26

Tikka T3
xcaliber 270 win 1-7 twist, 24" done by Crown Ridge
139gr AH
Win Brass 1x fired, neck turned, primer pocket uniformed, trimmed & full Length sized
3.388 COAL
1/8 turn crimp LEE FCD
CCI 200 primers

65-70 deg F.

60gr 3170 Note: Jump of 70 FPS from last run at 60 gr. Barrel is likely settling in now.
60.5gr 3172
61gr 3182 faint Ejector
61.5gr 3216 slight primer crater
62gr (compressed) 3229 slight primer crater
62.5gr (compressed) 3260 slight primer crater
63gr (compressed) 3272 slight primer crater + faint ejector

Shot groups at 60.0,60.5 & 61.0.
61.0 was 0.565" with 4 shots., also showed faint ejector marks that I didn't see until I got home and inspected the brass more closely.

I might re-do my 60.5 group (and grab some chrono numbers) since my execution was lacking a bit on that one (2 of 4 shots I didn't break clean on) and it seems to be sitting in the middle of a nice velocity node. Or, I'll just load 61.0 for now, and as @ButterBean says, let it eat ;).

For what its worth (and somewhat unexpectedly), RL26 is giving comparable speeds to the faster powders with much more predictable pressure signs. Maybe the heavier for caliber absolutes don't gain as much from faster powders?? OR powders need to be tested that are a bit slower than H4350/RL16/H100v? Who knows, season is rapidly approaching and I have ~7lbs of RL26 so I'll stick with it for now!
 
Last edited:
More testing with RL 26

Tikka T3
xcaliber 270 win 1-7 twist, 24" done by Crown Ridge
139gr AH
Win Brass 1x fired, neck turned, primer pocket uniformed, trimmed & full Length sized
3.388 COAL
1/8 turn crimp LEE FCD
CCI 200 primers

65-70 deg F.

60gr 3170 Note: Jump of 70 FPS from last run at 60 gr. Barrel is likely settling in now.
60.5gr 3172
61gr 3182 faint Ejector
61.5gr 3216 slight primer crater
62gr (compressed) 3229 slight primer crater
62.5gr (compressed) 3260 slight primer crater
63gr (compressed) 3272 slight primer crater + faint ejector

Shot groups at 60.0,60.5 & 61.0.
61.0 was 0.565" with 4 shots., also showed faint ejector marks that I didn't see until I got home and inspected the brass more closely.

I might re-do my 60.5 group (and grab some chrono numbers) since my execution was lacking a bit on that one (2 of 4 shots I didn't break clean on) and it seems to be sitting in the middle of a nice velocity node. Or, I'll just load 61.0 for now, and as @ButterBean says, let it eat ;).

For what its worth (and somewhat unexpectedly), RL26 is giving comparable speeds to the faster powders with much more predictable pressure signs. Maybe the heavier for caliber absolutes don't gain as much from faster powders?? OR powders need to be tested that are a bit slower than H4350/RL16/H100v? Who knows, season is rapidly approaching and I have ~7lbs of RL26 so I'll stick with it for now!
I
In the continuing saga of the .300wby; I think it's showing more promise with IMR4955, but i ran it a bit too hot today. so i'll back of a couple grains and go try again.

The new 7mag with the 172's though, still waaay under moa at 100 @ 3,115. Its running maybe a teensy bit hot but its so **** accurate i'll slow it down after my deer hunt in early september. Tested out to 550y today in high and gusty wind, and i still shot about moa, which is good for me.

the 6.5creed is shooting the 123AH's well finally; also good to 550.

Was a good day. Leaving next week for an above timberline early rifle deer hunt, hopefully I can put the 172s to work.
More testing with RL 26

Tikka T3
xcaliber 270 win 1-7 twist, 24" done by Crown Ridge
139gr AH
Win Brass 1x fired, neck turned, primer pocket uniformed, trimmed & full Length sized
3.388 COAL
1/8 turn crimp LEE FCD
CCI 200 primers

65-70 deg F.

60gr 3170 Note: Jump of 70 FPS from last run at 60 gr. Barrel is likely settling in now.
60.5gr 3172
61gr 3182 faint Ejector
61.5gr 3216 slight primer crater
62gr (compressed) 3229 slight primer crater
62.5gr (compressed) 3260 slight primer crater
63gr (compressed) 3272 slight primer crater + faint ejector

Shot groups at 60.0,60.5 & 61.0.
61.0 was 0.565" with 4 shots., also showed faint ejector marks that I didn't see until I got home and inspected the brass more closely.

I might re-do my 60.5 group (and grab some chrono numbers) since my execution was lacking a bit on that one (2 of 4 shots I didn't break clean on) and it seems to be sitting in the middle of a nice velocity node. Or, I'll just load 61.0 for now, and as @ButterBean says, let it eat ;).

For what its worth (and somewhat unexpectedly), RL26 is giving comparable speeds to the faster powders with much more predictable pressure signs. Maybe the heavier for caliber absolutes don't gain as much from faster powders?? OR powders need to be tested that are a bit slower than H4350/RL16/H100v? Who knows, season is rapidly approaching and I have ~7lbs of RL26 so I'll stick with it for now!
I did another ladder test today for my 25-284 using Rl19 with the 90 gr absolute ,5 shots all touching with a 5 gr spread from3392 too3698 fps compressed going back out this eve and finish I have room for another gr or so , I will post my final results I think I'll finish easy at 3750 absolutely no pressure pretty much a full case of Rl19 can't believe the accuracy
 
My old vanguard 25-06 is really liking them too. Did a velocity ladder with the 270wsm browning medallion with th 116's and h4350 with standard and magnum primers.. Ended up with a yawning 3450 but probably just go with it until components come back. Haven't shot groups but confident it will be another 1 hole grouper with a little tinkering. Even without the extra velocity, what an awesome bullet
 
Here is some chronograph data for the .308 151g AH. Rifle is a Kimber Montana rebarrelled with match chamber and 21" tube. 46.0g of 8208 XBR. COAL: 2.799". 1/8 turn crimp with the factory die. Velocity average over five shots was 3009fps. SD: 14fps. Accuracy 1.5" due to HUA syndrome. Zero pressure signs in this rifle. Prior pressure testing revealed pressure signs at 47.5. 48.0 and 48.5gr of 8208 XBR and same COAL.

Ymmv. I'll try to shoot groups tomorrow and report back soon.
 
I'm not disputing the results or anything, this is legit exciting. I'm just having a hard time believing 3450 FPS with a 178 grain in a .300 win mag and no massive overpressure. And I very much want to believe, i shoot a .300 win mag. I probably will end up trying to see for myself, don't want to seem
negative it's just that if there's one thing life teaches us it's that 9 times out of 10 if something seems too good to be true it probably is. But there's always hope for that 1 time....
Do you know what barrel length it's shot from could be the question?
 
Did you ever get any of the Absolute Hammers to try?
In the not too distant future, going in on an order with some fellow Saskatchewan people as shipping is prohibitively expensive as an individual. Ended up going a different route than the initial 300 win mag plan. For my first experience with hammers I've decided to get 100 of the 69 grain absolute hammers and 100 of the 70 grain Hammer hunters to try in an old savage 99 .243 I have, and this way to compare the two designs of basically equal weight as well.

I'm no longer skeptics, 77 pages of thread later haha. This many people can't all be wrong in their experience. A special thanks to @ButterBean, definitely influenced my decision.

I decided to go the .243 route for several reasons. First off, my 270 and .300 Winnie are bolt guns and they like almost anything i feed them, so in a way it wouldn't impress me all that much if the hammers did amazing things accuracy wise, they'd be one bullet among many that those guns shoot well, especially the 300. But that .243 is notably fussier, I don't know if it's because it's a rear locking lever action or because it's much older and the bore probably isn't amazing anymore, but it is capable of moa accuracy still but usually you need to really fiddle around to make that happen. We shall see if the hammers are as insensitive and agreeable as everyone says in a rifle where that would actually mean something.

additionally, the 243 is a cartridge I don't actually use for much of anything. The 270 and 300 don't really need any help as big-game capable rounds, but to me the .243 kind of does. I have three sons and a daughter and this rifle will probably be their intro to centerfire rifle shooting and if they get into hunting odds are this rifle will be used by at least one of them. If these bullets are as awesome as I've come to expect they will be based on the experiences of others, perhaps a little ways down the road of life my oldest son (currently still just 4 years old) will take his first deer with a hammer out of a savage 99. New awesome meets old awesome.
 
I just ordered some 154 dead blows to test in my 7ss
I went too my range today and finished testing the 25-284 25 in Douglas xx grade barrel custom 98 FN ., 90 gr absolute hammers cci 200 primers RL 19 . I shot 2 of each powder charge with no exessive pressure signs 91 degrees , I started at 60 grs at 3645 and 3673 fps 61 grs 3748 and 3770 fps 61grs at 3815 and 3806 fps final charge pretty compressed at 62 grs 3848 and 3842 fps .oal lenght 2.875 .004 neck interference no crimp as of yet I shot a total of 17 bullets with 1 outside of a inch most all others touching my original test was with h4350 but found some data on rl19 with 85 gr Nosler ballistic tips and went from there I'm glad I did because is was leaving 150 fps on the table . Looks like I can load it all the way too 62 grs of rl19
 
I went too my range today and finished testing the 25-284 25 in Douglas xx grade barrel custom 98 FN ., 90 gr absolute hammers cci 200 primers RL 19 . I shot 2 of each powder charge with no exessive pressure signs 91 degrees , I started at 60 grs at 3645 and 3673 fps 61 grs 3748 and 3770 fps 61grs at 3815 and 3806 fps final charge pretty compressed at 62 grs 3848 and 3842 fps .oal lenght 2.875 .004 neck interference no crimp as of yet I shot a total of 17 bullets with 1 outside of a inch most all others touching my original test was with h4350 but found some data on rl19 with 85 gr Nosler ballistic tips and went from there I'm glad I did because is was leaving 150 fps on the table . Looks like I can load it all the way too 62 grs of rl19
That's freaking smoking Bud, RL19 is good stuff but it makes big temp swings
 
Top