Help me choose a Hammer bullet

[Koda_]

How do you select which bullet weight to use for hunting?

I will be handloading for a new 280AI for elk hunting, 8 twist 26in bbl and want to use a Hammer Hunter. I'm looking thru the various weights they offer and kinda stalled out on picking the heaviest hitting or choosing a lighter flatter weight, or maybe just stay in the middle for an all around compromise. Does it really even matter?
I have the basics down but I'm still somewhat new to handloading and have never owned a 280 before. I'm playing around in a ballistic calculator but don't really have a metric to judge a starting velocity for each weight.
Hammer Hunters: 143, 146, 155, 169, 177gr.

Would just like to hear everyones random advice on what metrics do you use to select a hunting bullet?

 

[powermax]

I'd run the 143 HH

 

[Elkeater]

I would choose based on your maximum desired range. Basically the way I did it was decided I didn't want to shoot past 600 yards on animals. So I said ok I need to get to 600 yards with the minimum 1800fps velocity to expand a hammer. Then I looked at the expected velocity for the cartridge I was using and picked the lightest bullet I could to keep BC high enough to get there.

For example in my 7-08ai I thought I could reasonably get a 140gr absolute hammer to 2900-2950 fps so I ran those numbers in My ballistics calculator and came up with 1800fps past 600 yards. But the 130s at 3100 were a little closer to 1800 fps impact velocity than I wanted to I opted to start a 140gr a little slower but be confident at 600 yards with better retained velocity and wind drift. FWIW I drive those 140gr absolutes over 3k.

 

[Koda_]

I would choose based on your maximum desired range. Basically the way I did it was decided I didn't want to shoot past 600 yards on animals.

Good point. I should have put this in my OP but I do want to shoot out to 600yds and am trying to estimate impact velocities in a calculator, I just dont have a good idea of what would be a typical, average starting muzzle velocity would be in the weights Ive listed?

Ive played around with some estimates and see all of them should be at or above 1800fps at 600yds so then it makes me lean towards the flattest trajectory the 143g.

 

[adk hunter]

143 HH and leave more room in the tank for fuel. RL-23/26 and H4831in that order.
Buck in my Avatar was struck like lightening with the 131HH but that was due to twist and close range dynamics.

 

[Koda_]

143 HH and leave more room in the tank for fuel. RL-23/26 and H4831in that order.
Buck in my Avatar was struck like lightening with the 131HH but that was due to twist and close range dynamics.

What muzzle velocity are you getting with the 143HH?

 

[Elkeater]

Good point. I should have put this in my OP but I do want to shoot out to 600yds and am trying to estimate impact velocities in a calculator, I just dont have a good idea of what would be a typical, average starting muzzle velocity would be in the weights Ive listed?

Ive played around with some estimates and see all of them should be at or above 1800fps at 600yds so then it makes me lean towards the flattest trajectory the 143g.

The nosler data lines up pretty well with the hammer hunters. Look at the 140 class nosler load data and that should get you close to what to expect with a 143gr hammer hunter.

 

[adk hunter]

Didn't have chronograph at the time. The groups were killer with load work up in the 8-12 shots per secession. sometimes less!

And yes, that is my "random advice metric"

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I shoot the 143HH in a 7WSM - 8.5 twist, which has similar case capacity. I can get 3,300 fps with RE26 in a 25" Broughton bbl. That should be a rather formidable load for elk hunting, even though I think elk "deserve" a 30 cal mag.

 

[BEEMAN]

Your 26" 280 AI will shoot a 140 AH well over 3300 FPS. Mine does this velocity with a 23" barrel.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I use ignorant prejudice. I like the looks of the Hammer Hunter 131. Therefore those are the ones I fire in my 7-.338RUM. I use Retumbo to get 3,680 feet per second. Five shot groups at 300 yards run 2 1/8" - 2 5/16".

So far I fired one shot while hunting. It took out the heart of a doe 300 yards away.

 

[bigngreen]

I chose by twist rate and then target, I always am after elk so always try to shoot as heavy as I can so I really, really like the 177 but I push them with lager magnums.

 

[Bob Wright]

I think your 143HH will perform well on elk but it must fit into that bracket of no slower that 1800. Your shot placement should be precise so that requires low SD and a good chrono to test every shot during development. Targets at the max range for that 1800 min velocity will be the final arbiter.
You can buy sample packs if you want to test different bullets.
Just drive one of the "final choice" bullets as fast as your rifle likes it. My first hunt using this bullet and I was convinced it worked as advertised.

 

[cabelasken]

Your 26" 280 AI will shoot a 140 AH well over 3300 FPS. Mine does this velocity with a 23" barrel.

I was able to obtain 3300 FPS with this bullet, but in my gun Accuracy was superb at 3200 FPS. It accounted for two elk this year in my spare 280 AI loaned to another hunter and my son in law's 280 AI. 5 shot groups with this recipe are averaging 1/2 MOA