Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Hammer bullets

All this Hammer talk and with the price of modern projectiles I’m thinking about trying them in my 35 Whelen. I like heavier bullets for the close work rifles.

What real world experience does anyone have with Hammer bullets in 35 Whelen or .338WM?

Good thread with a lot of info. 👍

Nothing on animals, but the 220's shoot real well in my Ruger 35 Whelen at around 2800. Hoping I can get them out and get some animals down with them soon.

Thanks Beretzs…. I might have to give them a shot (pun intended). I was looking at their 254gr 358 Hammer and was thinking about trying that one but maybe I’ll look at the 220 too. My .338’s are shooting the 210 TTSX or 225 TBBC so my Whelen was going to be used for the 250-280. I have a box of 280 A-Frames for close work but I wouldn’t be upset if the 254 Hammers were accurate and became my primary load for those rifles. I tend to find 1 or 2 loads that work for a particular rifle and that’s all I’ll use. In my .308’s it’s a 150 TTSX or 168 TSX. In the .338’s it’s the 210 TTSX or 225 TBBC. For the Whelen I have 300+ of factory loaded Remington 250gr PSP and 250 Roundnose as well as a couple hundred 200 core-lokts that I’ve been shooting for the once fired brass. It’s not a good time to be looking for uncommon loadings like the Whelen since brass and bullets are hard to find. I’d found a stash of factory Remington in the Whelen and have been buying it all since I’m getting it for $27 a box. 🫢….. I can’t buy the brass for that even it was available.

the biggest thing to remember is what twist is your rifle with what Hammer bullet they say to use.

Hammer bullets are excellent killers of game. I shoot the 222 grain Hammer Hunter @ 2911 FPS out of my 28" barreled 1885 Highwall 10 twist. They are very accurate and kill deer 🦌 like a lightning bolt


Shot from 185 yards

Not much meat lost there....sure that was a Hammer, not a Berger??

I'm dam sure as I've never used or bought a Berger

Hammer must be the Darling of the day, as some folks might think that bullet too "frangible".

Loaded up some 143 Hammer Hunters this year to try out of my 28 N. 3500 fps with H1000. 400 yard shot on this Bull, he made it 30 yards. Shot was slightly quartering, found the bullet under the hide, mid body on the other side.

Great shooting 2five7, beautiful bull! You guys sure have awesome elk hunting!

Is your 28 N a 7mm?

KB

How is it that Hammer can fill orders and the big guys can’t put a damn thing on the shelves? It makes zero sense to me. David beating Goliath. Hammer deserves the praise and should be proud. The big guys should be embarrassed! They are getting out worked. Hammer gets a lot right, especially with regard to customer service and manufacturing capacity. Bravo Steve.

Awesome stuff! That’s a screamer!

Great bull as well.

^^ THIS ^^ this is part of the reason i now use Hammer bullets

That was actually a serious question. How can Hammer keep stuff in stock and Berger can’t?

Finally have a one hole max load figured out for my .243ai using the 88 Hammer Hunter. Looking forward to smashing some deer with a 88HH traveling over 3400fps.

That's a sweet video and great shot! I'm always awed by watching elk videos because so many don't even look like they react to the hit. Elk hunting is on my bucket list. Until then, I'll enjoy videos like this one.

Yes sir, the 28 Nosler is basically a 7 RUM shortened for normal long actions.

I shot a 330 pound pig from about 25 yards with a 130 grain Shock Hammer from a 6.5mm wildcat. The muzzle velocity averages 3,190 feet per second. The bullet entered just to the left of the left shoulder and traveled diagonally, exiting 30" from entrance on the right side behind the diaphragm. Three of the petals exited about 3" from the shank exit. Their exit holes made sort of an equilateral triangle.

Hammer bullets is the only brand I use now. I guess I killed a truck load of game with them in the last six or seven years. Most are deer so there are no captured bullet shanks to photo. earlier this year I did recover a petal from the doe I shot about 300 yards away. The other petals and shank exited. To my surprise the deer ran at the shot. I am used to seeing them drop at the shot. But then I normally shoot for the lungs. The 131 grain Hammer Hunter took out the heart. Many hunters told me a heart shot animal almost always runs. By the way the rifle is another wildcat. It is like a 7RUM with the shoulder pushed back about .100" to produce a longer neck. The muzzle velocity runs about 3,680 feet per second.

That big 7 has to be a light switch. Man that’s quick.

Hammer Bullets look like great monos and I think I might try some but I suspect Berger makes and sells more bullets in a week than Hammer does in a year.

That's no slam on Hammer Bullets and they look like a great small bullet maker but scale is a thing.

Those Hammers look interesting for barrier blind loads in the 5.56.

Even TTSXs don't expand enough without hitting bone in the 5.56 for my tastes.