Hammer Bullets - what makes them so great?

[BRI]

Late to the party but my experience with them on 5 deer, 4 antelope, 4 elk with 7mm 131 HH and 143 HH and 152 grain 308. Small entrance holes, small exit holes and overall not much for a blood trail. Love the accuracy and lack of blood shot meat but worry some of the animals could easily have been a lost animal without snow on the ground. Not planning to shoot them this year and trying a different bullet.

 

[mtmuley]

I've never needed a blood trail for a properly hit animal. mtmuley

 

[Addicting]

I've never needed a blood trail for a properly hit animal. mtmuley

You also haven’t shot a bunch of animals with hammers. Hitting them with a 200g accubond out of a RUM is a whole different experience.

 

[mtmuley]

You also haven’t shot a bunch of animals with hammers. Hitting them with a 200g accubond out of a RUM is a whole different experience.

Shot enough to know they work. I killed a pile of animals with a .30-06 and Core-Lokts. Didn't need a blood trail. I've used lots of different bullets in 45 years of killing stuff. Properly hit animals die quickly no matter the bullet. In my experience of course. mtmuley

 

[Addicting]

Shot enough to know they work. I killed a pile of animals with a .30-06 and Core-Lokts. Didn't need a blood trail. I've used lots of different bullets in 45 years of killing stuff. Properly hit animals die quickly no matter the bullet. In my experience of course. mtmuley

BS, actually use Hammers then I may take you seriously on these comments. Otherwise your Monday morning quarterbacking.

Lead anything and Hammers are not comparable at all. @BRI experiences far out weighs your opinion on how well you think they work.

 

[WapitiBob]

Never had a 143 Hammer pencil thru an animal.

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[mtmuley]

BS, actually use Hammers then I may take you seriously on these comments. Otherwise your Monday morning quarterbacking.

Lead anything and Hammers are not comparable at all. @BRI experiences far out weighs your opinion on how well you think they work.

Ok. You have no idea what I've killed with them. You don't like them. I already knew that. Lots of hunters do. Besides, didn't you get offered a full refund and a new box of bullets to replace the "bad" ones? As far as I know, BRI hasn't lost an animal. Anyway, good thing there's choices. mtmuley

 

[The Hedgehog]

I have a box of them. Looking forward to trying when I have some time. There’s some expected inherit differences between lead and mono bullets and I’d like to have ability to use either or, depending on circumstances and requirements in a rifle.

About 10th down on my list of worries in my ammo will be “bullet failure”.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Late to the party but my experience with them on 5 deer, 4 antelope, 4 elk with 7mm 131 HH and 143 HH and 152 grain 308. Small entrance holes, small exit holes and overall not much for a blood trail. Love the accuracy and lack of blood shot meat but worry some of the animals could easily have been a lost animal without snow on the ground. Not planning to shoot them this year and trying a different bullet.

Just out of curiosity, did you use the gutless method on these animals or did you open them up to see what the bullet did? If you opened them up, what did the chest cavity look like (assuming heart/lung shots)?

 

[brockel]

I’ll be testing out the tipped version. I think that will fix my issues that I have seen with the bullet. But at nearly $100 a box after shipping playing around isn’t near as fun

 

[Addicting]

Ok. You have no idea what I've killed with them. You don't like them. I already knew that. Lots of hunters do. Besides, didn't you get offered a full refund and a new box of bullets to replace the "bad" ones? As far as I know, BRI hasn't lost an animal. Anyway, good thing there's choices. mtmuley

I did get sent a new box but no refund. I mixed up what I had loaded and the new bullets. I had another failure to open on impact. I couldn’t tell what lot they were from. After discovering this I pulled all of them and sold the unloaded new lot. I gave up on them. I have nothing against how Steve runs his business.

I am in the same boat as @brockel post. The tips more than likely would of fixed my complaint. However they were not available then. From Steve’s own words the bullets didn’t need them. So if I’m the minority why do they now come with them after he was adamant they were unnecessary?

Where I have the real issue is you are the #1 fan boy on here for Hammers for the last 3 or so years. You told me yourself you were not running them because your current supply of accubonds and how well they work. You even asked me to sell you my 200s if I decided to get rid of them.

If they are so great in your mind you can criticize other’s experience then I would expect you to of switched years ago. Post pics of how well they worked on your kills. You have not to the best of my knowledge posted anything of yours.

I did all of that plus more testing on road kill and ballistic gel. There can be a delay on entering the animal, especially if the tip has any nic or dent in it. That has been proven over and over again.

 

[BackofBeyond]

I want one more 10 round group versus another bullet to see if the 125 HHT will be my elk load this year.

Tale of the tape will be accuracy and consistency.

 

[mtmuley]

I did get sent a new box but no refund. I mixed up what I had loaded and the new bullets. I had another failure to open on impact. I couldn’t tell what lot they were from. After discovering this I pulled all of them and sold the unloaded new lot. I gave up on them. I have nothing against how Steve runs his business.

I am in the same boat as @brockel post. The tips more than likely would of fixed my complaint. However they were not available then. From Steve’s own words the bullets didn’t need them. So if I’m the minority why do they now come with them after he was adamant they were unnecessary?

Where I have the real issue is you are the #1 fan boy on here for Hammers for the last 3 or so years. You told me yourself you were not running them because your current supply of accubonds and how well they work. You even asked me to sell you my 200s if I decided to get rid of them.

If they are so great in your mind you can criticize other’s experience then I would expect you to of switched years ago. Post pics of how well they worked on your kills. You have not to the best of my knowledge posted anything of yours.

I did all of that plus more testing on road kill and ballistic gel. There can be a delay on entering the animal, especially if the tip has any nic or dent in it. That has been proven over and over again.

Nope. I don't post my kills. Yep I like my Accubonds. And the 181 I've used. I also hunt with other rifles. As do my kids. I was shooting prototypes before you even knew what a Hammer was. I don't care if you dislike them. I am also not going to get into a LRH type pissing match with you. Have a nice Sunday. mtmuley

 

[longbow51]

Never had a 143 Hammer pencil thru an animal.

View attachment 29475200

You messed up the best part!

 

[338win]

Since this thread is already spicy I’m gonna derail with a question. I am used to Barnes ttsx and lrx. 145 7mm, 190 lrx 30 cal, and 225 338. Never have had a lot of meat damage or “explosive“ results. Almost always bullet dia entry and silver dollar exit

I am thinking about getting hammers for my 300 win. The owner recommended I think a 150 or 166? And push it fast. I have concerns on moose sized animals on hard quartering shots. Do those light 30 cal bullets hold together well enough for bone or would the 180s be better? Looking at some of the photos here it seems a shoulder hit would grenade that whole quarter

 

[noharleyyet]

I've never had a complaint from a 200+ sized feral hog hit by a 92g HHunter at 3480...nary a squeal. They've ran farther with an almost length-wise 45 cal 325 Flex Tip X in em...

I don't use Hammers in everything...just everything I've loaded for lately. I'd switch the 7 Mashburn elk tool to Hammers if it wasn't etched for and didn't tightly cluster Scenars.

 

[MThuntr]

I am thinking about getting hammers for my 300 win. The owner recommended I think a 150 or 166? And push it fast. I have concerns on moose sized animals on hard quartering shots. Do those light 30 cal bullets hold together well enough for bone or would the 180s be better? Looking at some of the photos here it seems a shoulder hit would grenade that whole quarter

These 143 Hammers (~3260fps) went through both shoulders of a moose at 125 yards and stuck under the skin. 1 for sure went through the big joint just below the scapula. 300WinMag velocities will definitely be faster for a 150 or 166. Personally I get ~3200fps with RL26 out of the 180s which is only about 150fps slower than the 166s. The 160s can be pushed pretty dang hot (like 3375-3400fps) with some relatively easy to get powders. If you have a Tikka then the 160s is where you want to be.

 

[jryoung]

Hoping to finally put one into meat instead of paper this season.

Loaded the new 154 tipped in my son's 30-06. These were ladder tests of Varget, benchmark and H4350 all with .5 gr increases.

 

[longbow51]

Well, this has been a fun academic discussion until today. Just got back from the ER , and dinged 3 ribs, or as Chuck Yeager famously said prior to his record breaking flight, busted a couple of the SOBs.

And of course, Thoracic 3,4,5 on the right side. Back during Covid, I suddenly developed an urge for a new rifle with hard to find brass and primers; not bullets, though. Hammer had plenty. Steve and I were talking about loads for my .204 Ruger with the 31 gr HH. He assured me it would be OK for deer and hogs.

Heck, he took a .17 Hornet to Africa.

Sure not shooting my .300 WinMag this season. A buddy is overrun with WT does. Maybe just fill the freezer.

And the ER Doc asked if I had any pain meds at home, like Tylenol or Aleve. I said you know, I believe I do.

I got home and looked; thought it was Aleve, but it must be an off brand. It says Beefeater's. Weird.

 

[338win]

These 143 Hammers (~3260fps) went through both shoulders of a moose at 125 yards and stuck under the skin. 1 for sure went through the big joint just below the scapula. 300WinMag velocities will definitely be faster for a 150 or 166. Personally I get ~3200fps with RL26 out of the 180s which is only about 150fps slower than the 166s. The 160s can be pushed pretty dang hot (like 3375-3400fps) with some relatively easy to get powders. If you have a Tikka then the 160s is where you want to be.

View attachment 294895

Was the whole shoulder scrapped or did you still get meat off of it? With heavier Barnes I generally only lose a few inches around the hole.