I'm a big fan of the Lancer smoke colored mags. Very reliable and easy to see how many rounds you have. I embarrassed myself once by grabbing a solid black mag that only had 3 rounds left. I have to admit I've only used them for the 300 Ham'r so I can't testify how they would handle 5.56 if you're seeking dual capability.

I'm another one that joined to post to this thread. It took me about a week, but I just finished all 100+pages worth of posts. Whew! Worth it, and I ordered my own 11.3" Wilson barrel, etc. a few days ago. A large part of my decision WAS based on WC excellent customer and product support demonstrated in this thread! Now, just the wait.

I will mainly be hunting deer and hogs. I like exit wounds, and I like good blood trails. Basically, I plan for the game that DOES run even on a good shot OR for a potential less-than-perfect-placement shot. "Plan for the worst; hope for the best." I'm a meat hunter, so I don't like "too" much meat damage. The forum chat of wasting shoulder meat made me want to cry....lol. So, I like "enough" but not "too much" damage. You know: MAGIC!

I do have some questions, though.

1. It seems the 150gr Speer Gold Dot started as a recommendation and then faded in popularity. It doesn't seem to be a suggested round now. IS that because it builds up pressure a little faster - or something else?

2. The 150gr Speer BTSP also seems to have dropped a few notches in popularity. Is this because it needs a faster impact velocity for optimum performance or something else? IS the 150gr SST just that much better in most people's opinions?

3. Are most people seeing a similar POI for the 130gr HHC and the 130gr FNHC? (I understand each barrel is unique, but I'm asking on "typical" expectations.) I ordered some HHC with my barrel coming, but I generally like FN rounds for 150yd or less shots. Shrug?

4. Is the 125gr CC punching out decent sized exit wounds without taking a leg with it?



5. I was surprised at the very few references to cast lead projectiles. I remember two: an unidentified 150gr NOE mold and an Accurate mold. Both were nothing-to-brag-about 3MOA loads for those forum users. I don't recall a velocity included, so maybe they were just trying to push them too fast? I've got 16 30-caliber bullet molds, so maybe one (at least) will work and be fairly accurate. At least powder capacity is a little less of an issue since I won't need more than 2000fps to make me very happy - if accurate.

Silly me, but I forgot to include a bullet seat gauge to help me eliminate cast bullets that don't fit (DARN IT, but I'll probably be ordering again after I test out this first barrel!), so is there a good pointer for WHAT to measure to see if a bullet should fit? (I'm not talking COAL - I got that....lol.) Is there a specific maximum "Cartridge Base to Bullet Ogive Length" I should use? Ogive to tip length maximum length constrained by COAL?



Thanks,
KJ

I'm another one that joined to post to this thread. It took me about a week, but I just finished all 100+pages worth of posts. Whew! Worth it, and I ordered my own 11.3" Wilson barrel, etc. a few days ago. A large part of my decision WAS based on WC excellent customer and product support demonstrated in this thread! Now, just the wait.

I will mainly be hunting deer and hogs. I like exit wounds, and I like good blood trails. Basically, I plan for the game that DOES run even on a good shot OR for a potential less-than-perfect-placement shot. "Plan for the worst; hope for the best." I'm a meat hunter, so I don't like "too" much meat damage. The forum chat of wasting shoulder meat made me want to cry....lol. So, I like "enough" but not "too much" damage. You know: MAGIC!

I do have some questions, though.

1. It seems the 150gr Speer Gold Dot started as a recommendation and then faded in popularity. It doesn't seem to be a suggested round now. IS that because it builds up pressure a little faster - or something else?

2. The 150gr Speer BTSP also seems to have dropped a few notches in popularity. Is this because it needs a faster impact velocity for optimum performance or something else? IS the 150gr SST just that much better in most people's opinions?

3. Are most people seeing a similar POI for the 130gr HHC and the 130gr FNHC? (I understand each barrel is unique, but I'm asking on "typical" expectations.) I ordered some HHC with my barrel coming, but I generally like FN rounds for 150yd or less shots. Shrug?

4. Is the 125gr CC punching out decent sized exit wounds without taking a leg with it?



5. I was surprised at the very few references to cast lead projectiles. I remember two: an unidentified 150gr NOE mold and an Accurate mold. Both were nothing-to-brag-about 3MOA loads for those forum users. I don't recall a velocity included, so maybe they were just trying to push them too fast? I've got 16 30-caliber bullet molds, so maybe one (at least) will work and be fairly accurate. At least powder capacity is a little less of an issue since I won't need more than 2000fps to make me very happy - if accurate.

Silly me, but I forgot to include a bullet seat gauge to help me eliminate cast bullets that don't fit (DARN IT, but I'll probably be ordering again after I test out this first barrel!), so is there a good pointer for WHAT to measure to see if a bullet should fit? (I'm not talking COAL - I got that....lol.) Is there a specific maximum "Cartridge Base to Bullet Ogive Length" I should use? Ogive to tip length maximum length constrained by COAL?



Thanks,
KJ

#3 I don't really see any POI difference between the two and the amount of exposed lead on the RN HAM'R HOT-CORE is actually more than the FP so they actually initiate expansion even faster than the FP

#5 I don't have any experience with cast or plated bullet in the HAM'R

I keep a stock of Speer 150BTSP and Hornady 150SST for special occasions where higher BC is required and the target weight is more than 400lbs.

My "do it all" choice is 135FTX. For bulk shooting I use 125TNT and Accura 120gr.

Thank you, sir. Those answers cleared up a lot from the old posts for me. It will help me make my decision WHEN I can find what I want in stock. (That's why I work to get a load/mould for everything so I can still shoot something when we go through these semi-regular shortages.......

#3 is great info to know. Being a cast hunter, the wider meplate is just attractive to me. Call it a habitual attraction. Anyway, I think my order has 500 of the 130HHC in it, if I remember correctly. It is going to be what I try out first on deer/hogs!

#5 Any suggestions on exactly what SHAPE to look for on what is "likely" to chamber before I start just randomly shoving bullets into molds or ordering a special mould? I know to avoid "long bullets" - like the high BC coppers - but what is "too long" and what is "short enough" to fit - or is anything that is short enough to fit in the mag with a proper crimp LIKELY to fit?

My confusion is that I'm not sure if the "doesn't fit" problem is an COAL thing only OR a chamber shape thing, too.









Thank you. I'm "planning" on 130gr FNHC or HHC for most hunting, but I would like a heavier option "in my back pocket." The cast option is because I do like to hunt with cast AND it keeps me shooting whenever we hit these times of shortages. (This is my fourth - and worst - to go through, so I've learned to ALWAYS have a cast bullet option ready for every caliber.

-KJ

NATCHEZ HAS CCI #450 Small Rifle Primers INSTOCK AS OF MAY 17 10:42PM EST.

Yeah but they're still charging scalper prices...over twice what I paid for the last ones I bought. Fortunately I was able to buy a case so I've probably now got a lifetime supply.

Due to our recent purchase of the New Ultralight Arms (NULA) assets there will be a super lightweight high quality 300 HAM'R built on a mini action this fall available from Wilson Combat.

NULA

For those policing mags/ammo, why not these

Lancer Translucent Hybrid mags

It listed 300 BO on the package, hmmm

Hey guys - question on the Lehigh 125gr CC.

In my testing with the 95gr and 110gr CC, I have found the permanent wound channels to be relatively similar, but the temporary cavity is slightly bigger on the 95gr due to increased velocity but it doesn't penetrate quite as much as the 110gr. Conversely, the 110 has a slightly smaller temporary cavity, but penetrates a little more than the 95gr.

I haven't tried any 125gr CC's yet, but based on your experiences, would you say that the 125 would follow this trend and would penetrate slightly more than the 110gr?

Thanks!