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300 HAM'R
- Thread starter shooter65
- Start date
So what was the verdict on this??? Doesnt look like any results, accuracy, velocity on here about the 300 Ham'R. Talking to Matt over at Wilson Combat, this sounds really promising with near 308 gasser performance and a 400fps jump over the same bullet in 300blk....
I just grabbed a set of RCBS dies and a 14.7" 1:13 barrel from WC that just went on sale this week $100 off to run the exact same bullets I run in my 300blk (Sierra 125 TMK and Sierra 125 SMK). The results and data Ive seen from WC have been very interesting but havent seen much from the public on it.. Stay tuned for a full review and testing
I just grabbed a set of RCBS dies and a 14.7" 1:13 barrel from WC that just went on sale this week $100 off to run the exact same bullets I run in my 300blk (Sierra 125 TMK and Sierra 125 SMK). The results and data Ive seen from WC have been very interesting but havent seen much from the public on it.. Stay tuned for a full review and testing
Just got a reply from Tressa over at Wilson Combat about donating brass for this 300 Ham'R testing/review. Looking forward to get testing!
Wilson shipped my barrel and dies fast. I just finished putting my 300 Ham'R SBR upper together and making some brass.
14.7" 300 Ham'R Wilson Combat 1:13 SS Barrel
Mid Length Gas
Geissele Low-Profile Super Gas Block .750"
MEGA Billet SBU Upper Receiver
12" Slim MLOK Handguard
Rugged Suppressor 3-Port QD Brake
Toolcraft NiB BCG / Carpenter 158 Bolt
Rubber City Armory Adjustable Gas Key
BCM Large Latch Charging Handle
Wilson hasnt shipped my new Starline 300 HamR brass or Case Gauge yet so I had to make brass from LC 5.56. I setup the RCBS 300 HamR FL sizing die to touch the shell plate then backed it off a half turn. I then sized and turned down in 1/4 turn increments till the brass would chamber and extract smoothly from my AR. I dont have any factory ammo to fire to get 1x 300 HamR brass so I didnt have any brass to measure for setting up the die.
I made 100pcs of brass out of 1x LC '11 5.56 brass.
First thing I did was anneal the brass using Tempilaq 750. I then used my HF chop saw with a 300blk jig I modified to cut the brass at 1.61" +/- .005". I tried forming the brass without these first 2 steps and was splitting 50% of the necks. Annealing first, then cutting most of the neck off to get an overall length of 1.61" fixed this issue 100%. 1.61" chop long leaves enough to get a nice clean final trim where the case trimmer is just taking .002 or so.
After chopping the neck I did a quick chamfer/debur on my case prep just to remove the rough hanging brass from the chop saw. I then put the 100pc of chopped brass into a tub and sprayed them thoroughly with my Lanolin/99% alcohol mix and let sit for 15min.
Next up, I put together a 550c toolhead with a Mighty Armory "The Blue" decapping die in Station1, the 300 Ham'R RCBS FL sizing die in Station 2 set to form the brass and set the shoulder, then a 21st Century TiN mandrel in Station 3 to set final neck tension.
I then moved them to my Dillon XL650 setup with my Dillon 300blk toolhead and carbide trim die with the RT1500 trimmer. I setup the trim die so it doesnt size the case at all or touch the shoulder. Its just set to perform the final trim to the Wilson stated trim length of 1.595".
I then tumbled in CC, chamfer and debur the case mouth, and cut the primer crimp with a RCBS crimp cutter on my case prep center. Seated CCI 450's with my 21st Century hand primer. They are ready to load.
Gonna load up 50rd with AA1680 and 50rd with CFE Black. Wilson states CFE Black is the best powder for this cartridge but they say AA1680, Shooters World Socom, and CFE Black all work well in this cartridge. I only have AA1680 of those 3 right now but I have 8# of CFE Black coming next week.
The bullets Ill be testing and doing full load workups with both of these powders will be Hornady 110 Vmax, Barnes 110 TTSX, Sierra 125 SMK, Sierra 125 TMK and 150gr Soft Points.
Left to right
1st case 1x LC 5.56
2nd Case Annealed and chopped to 1.61"
3rd Case Formed case ready for final trim
Left to Right
1st Case 308win
2nd Case Ready to Load 300 Ham'R from LC
3rd Case Ready to load 300blk from LC
Wilson Combat Published 300 Ham-R Load Data Sept 2020
14.7" 300 Ham'R Wilson Combat 1:13 SS Barrel
Mid Length Gas
Geissele Low-Profile Super Gas Block .750"
MEGA Billet SBU Upper Receiver
12" Slim MLOK Handguard
Rugged Suppressor 3-Port QD Brake
Toolcraft NiB BCG / Carpenter 158 Bolt
Rubber City Armory Adjustable Gas Key
BCM Large Latch Charging Handle
Wilson hasnt shipped my new Starline 300 HamR brass or Case Gauge yet so I had to make brass from LC 5.56. I setup the RCBS 300 HamR FL sizing die to touch the shell plate then backed it off a half turn. I then sized and turned down in 1/4 turn increments till the brass would chamber and extract smoothly from my AR. I dont have any factory ammo to fire to get 1x 300 HamR brass so I didnt have any brass to measure for setting up the die.
I made 100pcs of brass out of 1x LC '11 5.56 brass.
First thing I did was anneal the brass using Tempilaq 750. I then used my HF chop saw with a 300blk jig I modified to cut the brass at 1.61" +/- .005". I tried forming the brass without these first 2 steps and was splitting 50% of the necks. Annealing first, then cutting most of the neck off to get an overall length of 1.61" fixed this issue 100%. 1.61" chop long leaves enough to get a nice clean final trim where the case trimmer is just taking .002 or so.
After chopping the neck I did a quick chamfer/debur on my case prep just to remove the rough hanging brass from the chop saw. I then put the 100pc of chopped brass into a tub and sprayed them thoroughly with my Lanolin/99% alcohol mix and let sit for 15min.
Next up, I put together a 550c toolhead with a Mighty Armory "The Blue" decapping die in Station1, the 300 Ham'R RCBS FL sizing die in Station 2 set to form the brass and set the shoulder, then a 21st Century TiN mandrel in Station 3 to set final neck tension.
I then moved them to my Dillon XL650 setup with my Dillon 300blk toolhead and carbide trim die with the RT1500 trimmer. I setup the trim die so it doesnt size the case at all or touch the shoulder. Its just set to perform the final trim to the Wilson stated trim length of 1.595".
I then tumbled in CC, chamfer and debur the case mouth, and cut the primer crimp with a RCBS crimp cutter on my case prep center. Seated CCI 450's with my 21st Century hand primer. They are ready to load.
Gonna load up 50rd with AA1680 and 50rd with CFE Black. Wilson states CFE Black is the best powder for this cartridge but they say AA1680, Shooters World Socom, and CFE Black all work well in this cartridge. I only have AA1680 of those 3 right now but I have 8# of CFE Black coming next week.
The bullets Ill be testing and doing full load workups with both of these powders will be Hornady 110 Vmax, Barnes 110 TTSX, Sierra 125 SMK, Sierra 125 TMK and 150gr Soft Points.
Left to right
1st case 1x LC 5.56
2nd Case Annealed and chopped to 1.61"
3rd Case Formed case ready for final trim
Left to Right
1st Case 308win
2nd Case Ready to Load 300 Ham'R from LC
3rd Case Ready to load 300blk from LC
Wilson Combat Published 300 Ham-R Load Data Sept 2020
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"promising" is the key word. Same weight bullets out of the same length barrel...not even close.
All 16" barrels-
Hammer-125gr 2450
Hammer-150gr 2250
TAC30/30 HRT- 125gr 2680- handloads
TAC30/30HRT-149gr 2470- handloads
308 Federal factory 149gr fmj -2620 - that is apx 350fps faster than the Hammer
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You dont say what youre comparing exactly but it looks like 300 HamR vs 308win? Wilson never said it matched 308win, they said its "nearing" 308win velocities and beating 300blk and 7.62x39 easily.. From Wilsons numbers it appears they are spot on with their claims.
Beating 300blk by over 400ft lb, 7.62x39 by 250-300ft lbs comparing the same 16" barrel and bullet weights.
From another Hide member Ive been talking to this week thats been using 300 HamR in Texas on deer and TONS of hogs says the cartridge is a killer and drops hogs right in their place every time. So it appears the caliber is doing what it was designed for and very well. He's shooting factory ammo and doesnt reload so we will see what I can do with reloads.
Yes my post shows each caliber and velocities from 16" barrels.
If you think 350fps is nearing then I was near screwing Jessica Biel last night.
I am interested in this caliber, but want to see more real world feedback. Do regular AR pmags and usgi mags work with it?
I've shot my new build the past 2 days for the first time. Waiting on my 300 HamR brass so I made some out of LC to play with.
So far, I'm extremely happy. Recoil is stupid soft. I started out with 27gr AA1680 and 110 VMAX. It was 2420 and zero pressure but STUPID accurate.
Today I bumped up a full grain to 28gr, testing the 110 VMAX again and the 110 TTSX....again zero pressure, not a mark on the case head and primers just as round as 27gr. Velocity jumped to 2550... ill keep going
I also tried a very conservative 23gr with AA1680 and 150gr Fusion. Was 2010 and zero pressure. Going to up this to 24.5gr
I'm very happy so far. Will keep pushing Velocity up till I see any signs if pressure. I'm also told this LC converted has 10% less capacity vs 300 HamR brass so i should be able to get more powder in the case once I have my factory brass.
110 vmax 27gr 1680 50yd 2420
- Nov 3, 2010
- 9,730
- 20,535
So same concept as 300 BO, but with more case capacity? Seems interesting for sure and I’ve been bored with 300 BO for a while. Would be nice to be able to use my stash of 30 cal projectiles still.
Same concept as the 7.62x40 Wilson Tactical, but with a slightly longer case.
7.62x40 WT and 300 HAMR are focused really on supersonic loads for hunting with wider projectiles that provide a lot of frontal area for impact on game. By using the existing 5.56 case head diameter and parent brass, there is no need to get a different bolt in the AR-15.
.223 Rem.........................6.5 Grendel...............6.8 SPC.......................300 Whisper..................7.62x40 WT.....................458 SOCOM
.300 Whisper was first envisioned as a subsonic cartridge that fits in the AR-15 originally using .221 Fireball brass. The .300 Whisper was originally called the .300-.221 or .300 Fireball by JD Jones of SSK. I’ve watched the development of all of these wildcats and SAAMI spec cartridges in the AR-15 since the 1980s.
300 HMAR cartridge dimensions:
Following. I have some pro hunters 125g on the way. I’m also looking for nosler AB 125g. I read somewhere Mr Wilson kind of foo-foo’d on that bullet and its length. But I read somewhere else a feller had luck with it
Following as well. I just found out about this caliber and am about to take the plunge getting geared up for it.
LOVING mine! Its shooting great with awesome speed. Im VERY happy with mine shooting 110 Vmax, 110 TTSX and 150 Fusion SP all with AA1680. Havent even tried CFE Black yet.
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I've got everything on the way now to build an upper and start reloading. I almost bought/built a .300 BLK upper last year but got distracted. Fortunately I bought all the important reloading components ahead of time. 
I don't think this has been referenced on the Hide yet but there is a 50+ page thread on the Texas Hunting Forum where Bill Wilson answers a lot of the common and not so common questions about the caliber. It's an informative and entertaining read:
texashuntingforum.com
I don't think this has been referenced on the Hide yet but there is a 50+ page thread on the Texas Hunting Forum where Bill Wilson answers a lot of the common and not so common questions about the caliber. It's an informative and entertaining read:
WILSON COMBAT 300 HAM'R
I was showing my Uncle my 6.8 build and he was telling me about a 300 Ham'r. I looked it up and from the Wilson's Combat website the ballistics look really good especially when compared to the 300 Blackout. Thought I would share. "300 HAMR 16.25 Barrel Sierra 110gr HP 2600FP...
texashuntingforum.com
Assembled the upper yesterday, then function checked, chronoed, and accuracy tested it in a steady 36F rain on my old DPMS 3-gun lower today. The Ranger profiled barrel is VERY lite at 1lbs 8-5/8oz. All I did to prep the brass was to graphite lube and run a mandrel through it, then prime & charge it. Bullet seating was interesting as I had to use my Hornady 300 BLK seating die and "feel" when I contacted the case shoulder without crushing the case. I'm still waiting on the RCBS HAM'R dies from Wilson. I was able to snag 18lbs of CFE Blk last week from Powder Valley, and that should be enough for ~5k rounds. Now I need to find some places locally to pig hunt.
COL= 2.255"
COL= 2.255"
What suppressor are you using?
Where has the factory ammo been coming from, haven't seen any?
Estimating of course, how far has this increased effective range over 300BO range?
Also didn't see it answered, but 300BO bolt and Lancer/PMAGS should work for the HAMR?
Where has the factory ammo been coming from, haven't seen any?
Estimating of course, how far has this increased effective range over 300BO range?
Also didn't see it answered, but 300BO bolt and Lancer/PMAGS should work for the HAMR?
Nomad-30 w/Keymo adapter and e-brake. DA 30cal flash hider is the brake.
Factory ammo is being loaded by Wilson Combat, some variants were in stock this week. When it comes in stock it tends to sell out quickly.
I had A1680 and lucked into 18lbs of CFE Blk and about 1.5k of projectiles this week.
Yes, the 300Blk mag variants from Magpul, Lancer, & D&H all work with the 300 HAM'R. Utilizes the 223/5.56 bolt, so just a mag & barrel swap.
Running the numbers in JBM for the Hornady 130gr SP (don't have 135gr FTX listed yet) with MV of 2085 vs 2400 the energy drops below 1k at 85yds & 195yds respectively. I realize that's comparing published data for a 16" and 18" respectively, but you can safely push the HAM'R to 2400 in a 16" barrel with CFE Blk powder. It is a MAX load though nearing ~60k psi.
The best place to answer your questions about 300 HAM'R effective range over 300Blk and terminal performance can be found here:
WILSON COMBAT 300 HAM'R
I was showing my Uncle my 6.8 build and he was telling me about a 300 Ham'r. I looked it up and from the Wilson's Combat website the ballistics look really good especially when compared to the 300 Blackout. Thought I would share. "300 HAMR 16.25 Barrel Sierra 110gr HP 2600FP...
texashuntingforum.com
Bill Wison has answered and continues to routinely post about the HAM'R.
I know this cartridge was never intended to be used subsonic but has anyone tried it?
I appreciate if subs are your intended goal then 300blk is the way to go but of you shoot 99% supers and 1% subs this cartridge could be the way to go.
I like the idea of easier to form brass than 300blk.
I appreciate if subs are your intended goal then 300blk is the way to go but of you shoot 99% supers and 1% subs this cartridge could be the way to go.
I like the idea of easier to form brass than 300blk.
I currently have a 300 HAM'R on order (ordered late 09/2020, told 3 to 4 months lead time, going on 5 months now). My understanding is that you can use 5.56/.223 magazines but not at their full capacity. There is a tab or something in these magazines that cause the rounds to not stack properly after some number have been inserted into the magazine. 300 Blackout magazines work perfectly. Also, Wilson Combat has recently come out with their own "multi-caliber" magazines that work with "5.56 NATO, .223, 300 Blackout and 300 HAM'R ammunition."
Multi-Caliber Magazine - AR-15 - 30 Rounds - Black
Our black multi-caliber AR magazine has a unique tube design that ensures superb function between 5.56 NATO, .223, 300 Blackout and 300 HAM'R ammunition.
shopwilsoncombat.com
Multi-Caliber Magazine - AR-15 - 30 Rounds - Desert Tan
Our desert tan multi-caliber AR magazine has a unique tube design that ensures superb function between 5.56 NATO, .223, 300 Blackout and 300 HAM'R ammunition.
shopwilsoncombat.com
The 300 HAM'R was designed to match (actually exceeds) the terminal ballistic characteristics of the venerable 30-30 Winchester in an AR15 platform. I've read that Bill Wilson originally called it the 30-30AR.
The .350 Legend is a straight-walled hunting cartridge used primarily for hunting deer in states like Iowa (where I live) that don't allow the use of high-powered rifles for that purpose. I don't have a .350 Legend but friends have told me that it is effective out to 200-250 yards max.
So I guess whether or not the .350 Legend is better than a 300 BO or HAM'R depends on what you want to use it for. Around here, the Legend is the only one of them I can deer hunt with.
Uh, I get ~2200fps from 125's in .300BLK w/16"bbl., (damn near that from an 8.5" as well).
I also get the idea that it's not for subs based on the twist and the fact load data cuts off at 150gr.
What am I missing? Because some of you seem pretty goddamn hyped up about this round but I'm not feeling it.
I also get the idea that it's not for subs based on the twist and the fact load data cuts off at 150gr.
What am I missing? Because some of you seem pretty goddamn hyped up about this round but I'm not feeling it.
Ive been testing it for 2 months now. Nope, not built for subs. It was designed for killing/hunting with energy equal to 30-30 in an AR. And from all the testing and reports its exceeded that..
In my testing so far with 110gr and 150gr bullets, its doing exactly what Wilson says, 400fps faster than 300blk. Lot more powder in the case vs 300blk.
From my testing though, is it some new super take the world by storm AR cartridge... No. It works as stated and gives you more speed for sure.
I’m definitely not impressed with ballistics I’ve seen. But in Illinois it works for deer hunting. I’d rather use my 7mm mag or 270. But the DNR don’t seem to agree with me.
What's the advantage to the 300 HAM'R over a 6.5 Grendel or even 6mm ARC? When the Grendel will offer better ballistics for the same bullet weight. I don't even see why one would use a 300BLK unless you were using Subs as again the Grendel would offer better performance.
Is it just that it's an easy conversion (barrel only) for an AR that can put bigger holes in deer, and easy to make brass from 223?
I get that they wanted to recreate the energy of a 30-30 in and AR but it's not like 30-30 is exactly the best deer hunting cartridge available on the market.
I can't remember, I'd have to unlock the ammo cabinet and look at one of the labels on one of the cans. It's been about 3 years since I've had to load .300BLK or 5.56 (divorce, move, surgeries so I didn't shoot as much over this time frame). But I recall it being a couple hundred fps slower than x39.
If you look at the Wikipedia page it lists the same velocity I think for 125's in a 16"bbl. Nice thing about BLK is you don't lose much in a short barrel either.
I'm not knocking the round and I can see how it could perform better but I'm just not seeing it with those numbers is all. And 400fps faster would indicate BLK only goes 1800fps for 125's? Uh-uh. Pretty confident 2200 is what I get and that's what's listed above. Right?
Sure, I can see how, but why are the numbers for 125's the same though?
Because 400fps faster would be 2600fps and now if it's actually doing that then okay, I get it.
I'll try and remember to get my BLK data tomorrow in the shop.
I personally havent tested any 125gr yet. Thats next. But I have been testing the 150gr.... And out of my 14.5" barrel Im getting over 2200 with no pressure where thats in the 1750-1850 range in a 300blk...
Wilson Combat offers a 125 gr. Sierra PH round with a velocity of 2540 fps (18" barrel).
Yea, either way its going to be faster. The 300 Ham'R case holds 9gr-10gr more powder...
2200 with 16" 300bo 125gr seems right.
I shoot 125 TMK's over 18.6gr H110 in my 10.5" Rainier Ultramatch 300blk and Im at 2150....
My CFE BLK powder came in from PV this week. I'm still trying to figure out which lot# I have. Any help would be appreciated reading the Hodgon code:
The MAX charge weight for CFE BLK is a little more than A1680 (26.0gr vs 24.5gr) and it does yield ~30fps more velocity.
Accuracy is just as good, if not a little better than A1680:
Very happy so far with the caliber. Now I just need to find some candidates of the porcine variety to test terminal ballistics on.
The MAX charge weight for CFE BLK is a little more than A1680 (26.0gr vs 24.5gr) and it does yield ~30fps more velocity.
Accuracy is just as good, if not a little better than A1680:
Very happy so far with the caliber. Now I just need to find some candidates of the porcine variety to test terminal ballistics on.
I built one when WC first started selling barrels to replace the kids 300bk hunting gun. I love the round. I built it for killing hogs and deer. I shoot it suppressed and it's a pleasure to shoot. I had a 300bk and I didn't like the terminal ballistics past 75 yards with the same pill. We have killed deer out to 150 yards without any problems. Most take a dirt nap right after the trigger is squeezed. I load the Ham'R with 125 NoslerBT. It shoots really well and I get sub moa if I do my part.
Nice! 300 HamR is very accurate.
I'm about to list my WC 300HamR barrel, dies and brass in the PX. I got it to test and compare to 300blk and it's much faster and with 110 VMAX it's stupid accurate.
I'm about to list my WC 300HamR barrel, dies and brass in the PX. I got it to test and compare to 300blk and it's much faster and with 110 VMAX it's stupid accurate.
This is a very odd cartridge for me. First, from a hunting perspective, it does too much damage (hold on) for most deer smaller than 200 pounds and/or inside 150 (most of the deer in PA). I have used my 16.25 (barrel swap in a DD V7) on 3 deer and was picking out petals for about half an hour. It just WRECKS whatever it hits. Some might think this is a good thing, and terminally, it is, but if you plan to eat your meat or feed it to your kids .300blk will do just fine inside 150 while preserving more meat and not leaving tunnels of sharp chunks most of the time. .300blk also has less chance of piercing the bowels which is a plus. And the PA woods and thick brush usually limits my distance to that range anyway. It has since become my rifle for beyond 150 yards and 200 pounds exclusively for large pigs. I use my 300blk with 110-120 Barnes vor-tx for anything smaller/closer.
As an HD or truck gun it just penetrates too much. I am not an over-penetration activist (I believe it is better to over than under) but if you watch the gel test vids it pretty much rips through two blocks, steel plates and a block, ribs and a block, etc. This round will without question go through pretty much anything you may encounter and keep going. Even I have my limits especially with my family nearby and a fairly populated neighborhood with pretty close neighbors. This may not be you, but it just makes me uncomfortable for that role.
The fact is, .300blk suppresses better, has less gas and flash, less recoil (although pretty negligeable), practice fmj rounds that are half the price or less for those of us who don't reload, shoots subs, can be shot from shorter barrels, has MANY more ammo and weapon manufacturers, built rifles/uppers can be had for much less (although I feel the $250 barrel option is an excellent choice), and can use .556 mags versus only .300blk. .300blk is just far more versatile and for an extra 250 fps or so i'm just not sure the ham'r is worth it if you're deciding between the two.
Now of course I own one, as I own many different calibers and I don't regret my purchase for $250. However I would have for $2k+. For bigger game out to 300 and/or if terminal effect is paramount than it's pretty darn good, but that's a slim niche for my uses when I have .300blk and .308. I find myself debating between it and my .308 even in that space as I can stretch .308 even further for field hunts. However I have chosen the ham'r each time mostly because I want it to fit somewhere not really because I feel it will do better.
I am certainly keeping it, but I often wonder why lol. Just my 2 cents.
As an HD or truck gun it just penetrates too much. I am not an over-penetration activist (I believe it is better to over than under) but if you watch the gel test vids it pretty much rips through two blocks, steel plates and a block, ribs and a block, etc. This round will without question go through pretty much anything you may encounter and keep going. Even I have my limits especially with my family nearby and a fairly populated neighborhood with pretty close neighbors. This may not be you, but it just makes me uncomfortable for that role.
The fact is, .300blk suppresses better, has less gas and flash, less recoil (although pretty negligeable), practice fmj rounds that are half the price or less for those of us who don't reload, shoots subs, can be shot from shorter barrels, has MANY more ammo and weapon manufacturers, built rifles/uppers can be had for much less (although I feel the $250 barrel option is an excellent choice), and can use .556 mags versus only .300blk. .300blk is just far more versatile and for an extra 250 fps or so i'm just not sure the ham'r is worth it if you're deciding between the two.
Now of course I own one, as I own many different calibers and I don't regret my purchase for $250. However I would have for $2k+. For bigger game out to 300 and/or if terminal effect is paramount than it's pretty darn good, but that's a slim niche for my uses when I have .300blk and .308. I find myself debating between it and my .308 even in that space as I can stretch .308 even further for field hunts. However I have chosen the ham'r each time mostly because I want it to fit somewhere not really because I feel it will do better.
I am certainly keeping it, but I often wonder why lol. Just my 2 cents.
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Sounds like you need to put some more thought into projectile choices for your task at hand.
Before settling on HAM'R I ran through the gamut on small frame AR cartridges for hunting. 5.56, 300blk sub/super, 6.8scp/spcII, 7.62x39 . . . I killed dozens of animals with each before shelving them and looking for something else because of the different significant shortcomings they all had in my eyes.
I've killed a few hundred pigs and coyotes over the last year with HAM'R using 110vmax, 110 controlled chaos, 125 TNT, 125 pro hunter, 130 HotCore, 135 Speer bonded, 135 FTX, 150 Speer bonded, 150 Speer BTSP #2022, & 150 Speer #2023 and a couple I'm sure I'm forgetting.
**don't forget that most of those projectiles are designed for use in different velocity windows. The terminal performance they offer at HAM'R velocities sometimes doesn't align with one's prior experience using them in 308/300 savage**
All of those projectiles killed but many did it in dramatically different fashion on similarly sized animals than other projectiles in the list that also hit in the same parts of the anatomy, from similar ranges. None of them were a real disappointment outside of the #2022 speer 150gr BTSP was not nearly as durable as I expected it to be when I wanted to try moving up to 150gr. All of those were devastating to hogs but not a one had the full expanded exit wound that I was looking for on an adult pig. It was leaving 3" chest entry wounds under the near side shoulder though so it worked real well in it's own way.
250fps velocity difference between BLK & HAM'R in similar projectile weights may not seem like much at face value. Working within the confines of a small frame AR platform though it's significant in both extending the range for terminal performance of a projectile and limiting the necessity for having to memorize holds for rainbow trajectories.
Within the confines of small frame AR design 300HAM'R dominates the BLK in super sonic loads across the board in weight ranges from 110-150gr & barrel lengths from 16-11.5". In similar barrel length Grendel in the 125gr range it is neck and neck velocity wise. After dumping 300BLK and looking for a new cartridge so I wasn't buzzard tracking so many animals I ended up settling on the HAM'R over Grendel because outside of a barrel all that I would be changing in the HAM'R is a standard $12 300BLK magazine. No questionable reduced face bolt swap, no $30-50 magazines or adjustable gas blocks etc like the 6.5 Grendel. After my prior experience with 6.8SPC/II I was over all that tinkering and sacrificing virgins game. I'm sure there are Grendel users who got lucky without tinkering but it's a bias I couldn't get by.
IMO, HAM'R shines with the 110-125gr projectiles and the 110vmax seems to be a real economy sleeper being pushed at 2650fps from 16" and staying together and leaving notable sized pass through shoulder and spine exits on big pigs. I loaded some in .308 long gun looking for the muzzle velocity where they started fragmenting like a varmint bullet and in that limited sample size of test animals it looks like 2800-3000fps at the muzzle is the point where it will grenade INSIDE a kill, depending on where you hit a 150-200# pig. Because of the environments I do most of my shooting in I prefer to stick with the 110CC for it's somewhat frangible performance after it hits anything significant. I've caught a lot of video of pedals and bases exiting animals only to travel 5-20yds in a slow lazy arch.
As an FYI for someone who may be cocking an eyebrow at the vmax velocity above, the factory published numbers by WC for light weight projectiles is figured using different powder for the ease of production without using compressed loads. The hand loader can use CFEBLK pretty much across the board while staying under pressure limits. The factory ammo velocities are slower because manufacturers can't make money taking the time time tamping down powder levels in every case on the production line before bullet seating. At the muzzle I'm getting the 2640fps about 0.5gr under published max load with CFEBLK. I hate spending too much time tamping cases down myself.
Before settling on HAM'R I ran through the gamut on small frame AR cartridges for hunting. 5.56, 300blk sub/super, 6.8scp/spcII, 7.62x39 . . . I killed dozens of animals with each before shelving them and looking for something else because of the different significant shortcomings they all had in my eyes.
I've killed a few hundred pigs and coyotes over the last year with HAM'R using 110vmax, 110 controlled chaos, 125 TNT, 125 pro hunter, 130 HotCore, 135 Speer bonded, 135 FTX, 150 Speer bonded, 150 Speer BTSP #2022, & 150 Speer #2023 and a couple I'm sure I'm forgetting.
**don't forget that most of those projectiles are designed for use in different velocity windows. The terminal performance they offer at HAM'R velocities sometimes doesn't align with one's prior experience using them in 308/300 savage**
All of those projectiles killed but many did it in dramatically different fashion on similarly sized animals than other projectiles in the list that also hit in the same parts of the anatomy, from similar ranges. None of them were a real disappointment outside of the #2022 speer 150gr BTSP was not nearly as durable as I expected it to be when I wanted to try moving up to 150gr. All of those were devastating to hogs but not a one had the full expanded exit wound that I was looking for on an adult pig. It was leaving 3" chest entry wounds under the near side shoulder though so it worked real well in it's own way.
250fps velocity difference between BLK & HAM'R in similar projectile weights may not seem like much at face value. Working within the confines of a small frame AR platform though it's significant in both extending the range for terminal performance of a projectile and limiting the necessity for having to memorize holds for rainbow trajectories.
Within the confines of small frame AR design 300HAM'R dominates the BLK in super sonic loads across the board in weight ranges from 110-150gr & barrel lengths from 16-11.5". In similar barrel length Grendel in the 125gr range it is neck and neck velocity wise. After dumping 300BLK and looking for a new cartridge so I wasn't buzzard tracking so many animals I ended up settling on the HAM'R over Grendel because outside of a barrel all that I would be changing in the HAM'R is a standard $12 300BLK magazine. No questionable reduced face bolt swap, no $30-50 magazines or adjustable gas blocks etc like the 6.5 Grendel. After my prior experience with 6.8SPC/II I was over all that tinkering and sacrificing virgins game. I'm sure there are Grendel users who got lucky without tinkering but it's a bias I couldn't get by.
IMO, HAM'R shines with the 110-125gr projectiles and the 110vmax seems to be a real economy sleeper being pushed at 2650fps from 16" and staying together and leaving notable sized pass through shoulder and spine exits on big pigs. I loaded some in .308 long gun looking for the muzzle velocity where they started fragmenting like a varmint bullet and in that limited sample size of test animals it looks like 2800-3000fps at the muzzle is the point where it will grenade INSIDE a kill, depending on where you hit a 150-200# pig. Because of the environments I do most of my shooting in I prefer to stick with the 110CC for it's somewhat frangible performance after it hits anything significant. I've caught a lot of video of pedals and bases exiting animals only to travel 5-20yds in a slow lazy arch.
As an FYI for someone who may be cocking an eyebrow at the vmax velocity above, the factory published numbers by WC for light weight projectiles is figured using different powder for the ease of production without using compressed loads. The hand loader can use CFEBLK pretty much across the board while staying under pressure limits. The factory ammo velocities are slower because manufacturers can't make money taking the time time tamping down powder levels in every case on the production line before bullet seating. At the muzzle I'm getting the 2640fps about 0.5gr under published max load with CFEBLK. I hate spending too much time tamping cases down myself.
DZ, very interesting information. You obviously have a lot of knowledge and experience I and others could find useful if you aimed it in the right direction. However I think you missed the points of my post and maybe didn't read it through. Please read the entire post below before replying.
I never wrote 300 ham'r was a poor round, in fact it certainly IS more terminal than .300blk, as I wrote. I simply will not use it on smaller deer inside 150 anymore as it is overkill when wanting to eat and feed the meat to my family. It ABSOLUTELY sheds its petals violently inside that distance, .300blk Barnes 110/120 vor-tx has not in my experience. Where I hunt deer in PA, none I come across are larger than 200 pounds or beyond 150 yards (most inside 75), therefore the .300 ham'r won't be used for that role anymore, as I wrote. As far as "Rainbow trajectory" goes there is practically no difference between the two inside 150 yards out of 16 inch barrels, at least not enough to worry about, so for my uses on deer its a mute point. I also wrote that although it was a debate for me between the .300 ham'r and .308 for pigs because of .308's ability to stretch out a bit further for field hunts (which is true), I still choose the .300 ham'r. That is a HUGE admission for me as I have used .308 since I was a young man and never thought I would want to replace it (still the devil on my shoulder though). I didn't mention that I usually shoot pigs in the 200-300 range (not always, but 75% of the time they fall in that range sometimes a bit shorter/further) as I hunt them in TX where my family lives, but that wasn't the point.
As I also wrote, I will certainly be keeping my .300 ham'r and will use it regularly when I head to TX, even if I question whether I really need it where and how I hunt as I have had no problems with .308. I sometimes feel I am trying to fix what ain't broke at the expense of my wallet.
It is good to see someone with seemingly strong knowledge respond quickly which is why I am here. But in the future, please read my entire post before replying. And although your extra info is great, it would have been more beneficial to post it separately on this thread and not as a reply.
I never wrote 300 ham'r was a poor round, in fact it certainly IS more terminal than .300blk, as I wrote. I simply will not use it on smaller deer inside 150 anymore as it is overkill when wanting to eat and feed the meat to my family. It ABSOLUTELY sheds its petals violently inside that distance, .300blk Barnes 110/120 vor-tx has not in my experience. Where I hunt deer in PA, none I come across are larger than 200 pounds or beyond 150 yards (most inside 75), therefore the .300 ham'r won't be used for that role anymore, as I wrote. As far as "Rainbow trajectory" goes there is practically no difference between the two inside 150 yards out of 16 inch barrels, at least not enough to worry about, so for my uses on deer its a mute point. I also wrote that although it was a debate for me between the .300 ham'r and .308 for pigs because of .308's ability to stretch out a bit further for field hunts (which is true), I still choose the .300 ham'r. That is a HUGE admission for me as I have used .308 since I was a young man and never thought I would want to replace it (still the devil on my shoulder though). I didn't mention that I usually shoot pigs in the 200-300 range (not always, but 75% of the time they fall in that range sometimes a bit shorter/further) as I hunt them in TX where my family lives, but that wasn't the point.
As I also wrote, I will certainly be keeping my .300 ham'r and will use it regularly when I head to TX, even if I question whether I really need it where and how I hunt as I have had no problems with .308. I sometimes feel I am trying to fix what ain't broke at the expense of my wallet.
It is good to see someone with seemingly strong knowledge respond quickly which is why I am here. But in the future, please read my entire post before replying. And although your extra info is great, it would have been more beneficial to post it separately on this thread and not as a reply.
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I read your whole post. Some of my post is a reply to yours, other parts are a reply to other posts in this thread and yet other parts are general information for any readers coming down the line to look at 300HAM'R results on the Hide.
The point about choosing the correct load for your needs does apply to your predicament in meat loss. You used a bullet around velocity 10-15% higher velocity than how you used it as engineered for blackout. One can use several of the other projectile choices I mentioned for broadside shots and not have the results you had with pedal shedding and meat loss.
When I'm not trying my hillbilly terminal ballistics test I try to head or neck shoot what meat animals and varmints that I ethically can. It saves meat and it saves me from trying to track down animals that like to wander off unless you unplug their CNS. You may not consider trajectory a factor in your use perimeters for your deer but it is for others with those smaller aiming points & probably is for your hog use. That specific comment wasn't necessarily directed at you when I typed it but was relevant to a HAM'R discussion IMO.
I've used a good bit of .308 as well over the years and most recently right after I left 300BLK. You're right on the recoil. The noise, weight, and recovery time for follow up targets took it off the table for my needs pretty quickly though so I went back to searching for something that fit in the small frame AR pattern. I find that I'm in a similar boat as you except that I am trying to figure out why I'm keeping so many 308 rigs around with having better long range calibers and the HAM'R.
The point about choosing the correct load for your needs does apply to your predicament in meat loss. You used a bullet around velocity 10-15% higher velocity than how you used it as engineered for blackout. One can use several of the other projectile choices I mentioned for broadside shots and not have the results you had with pedal shedding and meat loss.
When I'm not trying my hillbilly terminal ballistics test I try to head or neck shoot what meat animals and varmints that I ethically can. It saves meat and it saves me from trying to track down animals that like to wander off unless you unplug their CNS. You may not consider trajectory a factor in your use perimeters for your deer but it is for others with those smaller aiming points & probably is for your hog use. That specific comment wasn't necessarily directed at you when I typed it but was relevant to a HAM'R discussion IMO.
I've used a good bit of .308 as well over the years and most recently right after I left 300BLK. You're right on the recoil. The noise, weight, and recovery time for follow up targets took it off the table for my needs pretty quickly though so I went back to searching for something that fit in the small frame AR pattern. I find that I'm in a similar boat as you except that I am trying to figure out why I'm keeping so many 308 rigs around with having better long range calibers and the HAM'R.
