Help tightening up Hammer groups

[ButterBean]

Loading the 151 gr Absolute Hammer in a 30-06 in front of VV-N550, Lapua 3x fired brass and FGMM LRPs. Did .5 grain velocity work up and backed off .8 after I found pressure.

Loaded .3 grains ether side of that and shot three round groups a 100 yards today. I will start by saying the wind was howling at the range and played a factor for sure I'm just not sure how much. Wind was straight in at 15-20 with gusts from 25-30 ranging from 1/4 to 1/2 value. I did try to wait for heavy gusts to pass between shots but winds were inconsistent.

Groups weren't bad, right at an inch and velocity is good at 3217 fps average with a 22" barrel. My initial load for the rifle is a 180 Berger EH same powder brass and primer and is a sub MOA load out to 500 (as far as I have run it to date). I obviously plan to-re shoot in better conditions but wonder if I should adjust seating depth a bit or maybe take a closer look at charge weights. I know from folks here that the Hammers aren't typically as sensitive to seating depth as other bullets so am I going down a rabbit hole by working seating depth without first looking at shooting again in better conditions and/or charge weights.

Thanks in advance for all the sage advice.

As said above .003-.004 neck interference , sreat to the last PDR groove and tune with the LEE FCD, I have a video's on YouTube

 

[Priley]

No its not through the roof , It's perfectly fine, SMH

Without an expander ball or mandrel you have way to much neck tension and you will build pressure

 

[ButterBean]

Without an expander ball or mandrel you have way to much neck tension and you will build pressure

Not with Hammers, You are incorrect and once again I'm shaking my head

 

[ButterBean]

Without an expander ball or mandrel you have way to much neck tension and you will build pressure

And as far as that goes you can pull the expander ball with any bullet for that matter and be perfectly safe

 

[Priley]

What difference does bullet brand make on neck tension? Please enlighten me....

 

[ButterBean]

It's this simple, no matter what brand of bullet you are shooting removing the expander ball will not create an over pressure condition and I mean no offense but you are wrong and have been misled or you are assuming, regardless you are wrong

 

[hydehunter]

you might also try Fed 215 m primers, when I changed from Fed LR match primers the group when down to .400 groups with the HH152 gr using IMR8208 powder and an 18" barrel suppressed and getting 2844fps

 

[LongWalker]

I am using the FGMM 215s

 

[nealm66]

I wonder sometimes if the rifling isn't grabbing them bands very well in some cases even though twist rate is adequate

 

[nealm66]

Just thinking out loud lol

 

[Priley]

If that is true why does your velocity go up when you have more neck tension? I'm not arguing I am purely stating what I have found after 40 years of reloading and competition. I have seen loads that acted perfectly fine without a crimp then after adding a crimp and only a crimp blow a primer. That tells me that the same load spiked in pressure magically...

 

[nealm66]

I guess it's because of the groups I've had during a velocity ladder

 

[ButterBean]

If that is true why does your velocity go up when you have more neck tension? I'm not arguing I am purely stating what I have found after 40 years of reloading and competition. I have seen loads that acted perfectly fine without a crimp then after adding a crimp and only a crimp blow a primer. That tells me that the same load spiked in pressure magically...

It does increase pressure, I never said it didn't, what I said is you can remove the expander ball and still be perfectly safe and your pressure will not be through the roof, in your 40 years of competition surly you know that .004-.005 neck interference is used quite commonly, as for loading Hammers they are a completely different animal and you need to clear your mind of the engrained common reloading practices, while they will work they are far from optimal

 

[PddPdd]

Not to take away from what ButterBean has already stated but here is another way to think about it...

The bullet is the expander if the neck wasn't expanded by a die or a mandrel before seating the bullet.

Try pulling a bullet from a loaded round and measure the neck ID with mandrels or something with equal accuracy. I think you'll find regardless of how undersized the neck was before seating your bullet, the neck will now measure about .001 to .003" under bullet diameter depending on how many firings the brass has seen since it's been annealed.