Anyone played with the 338 Hammer Bullets?

[yorke-1]

My 338/408 Improved is done and ready to roll and I'm looking for different bullets to test. I have a pile of 300gr OTMs that I expect to be the go to bullet but I'd like to test out a few others. I'm curious what people's results have been with the 338 Hammer bullets so far.

I've been following the updates on the 375 bullets and I'm pretty optimistic so far. I am a little surprised by the BC on the 307gr 338 bullets though. From the looks of them I would have guessed the BC to be higher than the Berger 300s which are proving to be about .410 (G7) in my testing.

My rifle has a 1-9" twist so the 300gr solids may not be the best choice. I have a couple of the Cutting Edge bullets as well as some Flatline bullets to play with as well. I'd like to test the Rocky Mountain bullets too. I'll probably burn up this barrel just testing bullets and then rebarrel next year with a 1-7" twist if the longer bullets are worth it.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

My 338/408 Improved is done and ready to roll and I'm looking for different bullets to test. I have a pile of 300gr OTMs that I expect to be the go to bullet but I'd like to test out a few others. I'm curious what people's results have been with the 338 Hammer bullets so far.

I've been following the updates on the 375 bullets and I'm pretty optimistic so far. I am a little surprised by the BC on the 307gr 338 bullets though. From the looks of them I would have guessed the BC to be higher than the Berger 300s which are proving to be about .410 (G7) in my testing.

My rifle has a 1-9" twist so the 300gr solids may not be the best choice. I have a couple of the Cutting Edge bullets as well as some Flatline bullets to play with as well. I'd like to test the Rocky Mountain bullets too. I'll probably burn up this barrel just testing bullets and then rebarrel next year with a 1-7" twist if the longer bullets are worth it.

There have not been many of the 307g bullets out there yet. Roy is in the middle of testing them now. Hopefully he got the dies he needed so he could load them. We have one customer that is a member here that shot them very well out to 300y that I know about. They shot 3/4" for him at that range. As far as stretching them out, I have not heard from him. I will have my rifle done soon so that I can get out and play with them. I have a hundred of them sitting on my shelf in the reloading room waiting.

What altitude are you at? My rifle that is getting fitted with a new Lilja is also a 1-9" twist. I have just enough altitude to run them well depending on how cold it is. Where we hunt there is enough altitude to run them down to about 0*F. We have in the works to design a .338 specific to the 9" twist that I expect to come out about 290g. This may be where I end up for hunting. After all the terminal performance testing that we did, I will never again hunt with a bullet that is under 1.5sg stability factor. I'll certainly shoot marginally stabile at inanimate objects as they will definitely shoot accurately.

I'd love for you to give them a go. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Steve

 

[royinidaho]

I finally got the 338 test rig set up and determined a powder charge of 50 BMG of 102 grains behind 300 Bergers and SMKs. This prior to loading some of the 338 Hammers. (Not about to waste Hammers doing pressure tests.)

This will happen in the next day or so.

As the Hammers take up a bit more room in the case than other 300 class bullets, I'll probably be switching to RL-33, Retumbo, H-1000 etc.

Turns out the barrel I'll be using is also a 9 twist. Should be interesting.

I'm at 4488 ASL and right around 25.5"Hg.

I'll zero the rifle at 300 then move out from there.

I put a 395 HH into my bullet catch at 1126 yards. Man was I ever shocked when I went out there to dig the bullet out of the media. I'm about to post those results on the 375 Hammer Hunter thread.

 

[yorke-1]

I'm anxious to hear your results. I'm ordering up some of the 307 grain bullets to try. What case are you using on your 338? The 102gr of H 50BMG sounds like too much to cram into a standard Edge and not enough for a CheyTac based round.

Andrew

 

[royinidaho]

I'm anxious to hear your results. I'm ordering up some of the 307 grain bullets to try. What case are you using on your 338? The 102gr of H 50BMG sounds like too much to cram into a standard Edge and not enough for a CheyTac based round.

Andrew

Lapua

 

[Doublezranch]

Here is a beautiful 375 version of the Hammer bullets. This is the 375 cal, 394 grain Hammer Hunters. Here the Hammer is pictured with a couple of validated 375 cal bullets. These Hammer bullets are extremely consistent, no fluctuations in shape or weight. It's truly wonderful craftsmanship. Excellent Job Steve!

Pictured below is... 260 Accubond, 350 SMK, and the 394 Hammer.

 

[royinidaho]

Had a little issue in a 9 twist with the 305 gr 338 HH Steve is doing a bit of redesign.

I'm confident in a 8 or better twist they're will be fine.

Theater heavy 375 Hammer Hunter is shooting mighty awesome out to 1126 (as far as I have shot it, so far). Headedi to 1660 shortly.

Terminal performance is awesome at their 1126 yard distance.

I'll collect one at 1660. I fully expect awesome performance.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Here is a beautiful 375 version of the Hammer bullets. This is the 375 cal, 394 grain Hammer Hunters. Here the Hammer is pictured with a couple of validated 375 cal bullets. These Hammer bullets are extremely consistent, no fluctuations in shape or weight. It's truly wonderful craftsmanship. Excellent Job Steve!

Pictured below is... 260 Accubond, 350 SMK, and the 394 Hammer.

Thank you.

If you notice when you bump them together they clink or chime a bit. It only happens with the long for cal bullets. So I always know that when I am cutting bullets and they chime when they are bumped together, I am cutting REAL bullets.

These bullets are just plain fun.

Steve

 

[yorke-1]

Thank you.

If you notice when you bump them together they clink or chime a bit. It only happens with the long for cal bullets. So I always know that when I am cutting bullets and they chime when they are bumped together, I am cutting REAL bullets.

These bullets are just plain fun.

Steve

They're like wind chimes for shooters!

I'm going to give the .338s a good hard run from the 338/408 and see if I can get them spinning fast enough out of the 9" twist to stabilize.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

They're like wind chimes for shooters!

I'm going to give the .338s a good hard run from the 338/408 and see if I can get them spinning fast enough out of the 9" twist to stabilize.

Give them a good run. If they run well, you will be the only guy with a big enough gun to run them. I cut the new one last night with the minor changes and feel pretty good about it. It is within 3 grains of the original, so your load data should hold fine. No change in baring surface just changed the location of it. More or less.

As per our phone call yesterday I will send a new replacement box as soon as I confirm that they are stabilizing properly.

Steve

 

[yorke-1]

I got a chance to test the 307gr Hammers yesterday and the 9.3" twist on the rifle just isn't fast enough. These are the first 3 shots at 100 yards from the 338/408 Improved with the bullets moving at 3275fps.



Two went into one hole, number 3 was already tumbling. This was only at 321ft elevation so I didn't really expect them to stabilize from the 9.3" twist. Those first 2 shots had me pretty excited though!

 

[royinidaho]

Those offerings are very close to stabilizing and an 8 twist should do the ticket.

I wasn't able to get even two shots to be close. Only one of 3 was round.

Steve is making some adjustments for the 9 twist.

I trimmed some off of the 305s and took em down to 288 velocity went way up but my method of changing them wasn't scientific enough. I shortened the back and modified the boat tail.

Me thinks trimming the front will be better but that will screw up a lot of things which are best not messed with.]\

 

[RockyMtnMT]

We redesigned the bullet and kept the weight within 3g of original. Change the location of the baring surface forward some to move the center of gravity forward. A little weight forward should do the trick. I have not had a chance to shoot them yet to confirm, but I think we got it. I should be able to get out to get some shooting done later this week.

Steve

 

[royinidaho]

Steve,

If you would like to sent me some after you have proved there concept there could be run for long distance with the 375s.

It takes a bit of time and effort when stretching things out towards a mile and beyond.

Am busy these most of them rest of this week working a horse trade. Tearing a mare for a big molly about a days Trevelyan away.

If there molly doesn't bust me up I'll be heading to their back country to go for their mile and more.