last nights results.
I really am perplexed about the 110gr vmax at these velocities but I can't argue against it's terminal effectiveness. Sometimes fist sized holes, sometimes moderate exits like you'd expect from heavy jacket cup and core.

ROFL! I partially agree but I'm glad you brought up the subject because for some reason I thought CFEBLK was one of their extreme powders. Since my best accuracy is about a grain less than the max load I'm not too worried but now I probably need to test the temp extremes to make sure the accuracy is the same. I learned the hard way about temp sensitivity with my favorite varmint rifle when I took it on a prairie dog hunt and got a stuck case while shooting in 100 degree temps.

I notice that above 27.0gr cfeblk or so it starts to burn really dirty and diminishing returns on velocity start to hit hard. Have you noticed similar behavior?
2650 seems to be about as fast as my 18" barrel wants to shoot regardless of charge, I havent had a chance to install my ruger american barrel yet.

I don't shoot long guns without cans so they are all a bit dirty IME with CFEBLK. I have not noticed any unburnt powder or excessively dirty rifles at charges above 29gr with the 110vmax or 110CC. This is from multiple 16" or 11.3" barrels. I try to wipe down the bolt and upper and at least run a bore snake ever couple hundred rounds.

It is extremely rare that I'll shoot a 5 shot group after I get a load developed and I'm not chasing group size then either. If it's below 1.5moa at 100 I just stuff them as fast as I can run the handle and keep the powder hopper filled.

I appreciate the Call Out!

Sorry for delayed response my plan for shooting went sideways when I hit the range Sunday. Forced to play RSO with the usual crowd (AK47's at 25 yards). A member came over to thank me for telling him to go buy a 300HAM'R. He now has three and is very happy! I fired a few rounds and was concerned by banding/ series of grooves that were circumnavigating the fired cases. This wasn't case head separation but more likely result of machine marks in the chamber. I called it a day and decided to go clean the rifle chamber and investigate.

I went back out today (Monday) with my 6 year old in tow. Plan was for light shooting to see if marking / etching continue while sighting-in new optic on rifle. Temp was 94F so cooler than yesterday, with gusty winds. My son turns to me as says, "Dad, you know what is good for hot days like today? Snow Cones... right?! We should go get some when we are done... Are we done, yet?" He's a gem.



Good enough for initial sight-in. I was using 26.9gr CFE Black and newly-formed cases. As to the etching, it is more pronounced when the gas block is closed down leaving the case to dwell in the chamber, I'll bust out the borescope tomorrow. .

You did take him for a snow cone, right? Kids are awesome, he'll be graduating high school before you know it so enjoy those snow cones while you can.

Looks like it's shooting pretty good.

How often do you get exits with varmint style bullets? I like the idea of getting good expansion but where I hunt, it's so thick that a good blood trail is almost nessasary to recover the animal if it runs more than 30 yards.

The majority of times on broadside stationary targets but I don't aim for a pig shoulder area with any projectile unless it's a follow up shot. Occasionally I'll get an oblique quartering shot with an exit through the neck or ribs. I've put 100+ hogs down with the vmax alone in the last few months and likely a bit more than that with 125gr TNT. I can't comment as to how other varmint bullets are working.

I'm curious to know why you guys are using varmint type bullets for pigs. Are you concerned about ricochets or did you get a special price on them or something? I can understand the TNTs because they're usually a dime a round less than the others but Midway had a price on the Speer 2022s that were the same price as the TNTs. The Vmax are usually a dime a round more. I realize you can kill a pig with a .22LR with proper shot placement but I prefer to not have to track anything I shoot so I reserve the TNTs for practice and coyote and smaller varmints and use the Speer 2022s for pretty much everything else. I can't praise that projectile enough...although I gotta admit it might not be the best in other guns...because out of my rifle I get dime size 5 shot groups at 50 yds and with a 150 yd sight in everything from 30 yds to 170 yds is within an inch of point of aim.

Question for Mr. Wilson if you have time. Recently there has been a discussion here about temp vs pressure with CFEBLK which begs the question about what temp you test with the factory rounds and are they OK to shoot in the 105 degree temps we've had here in Texas this summer?

I’m not the legend but I’ll give you a $ if you can pick the factory vs had loads from this brass. And my hand loads are 70+ fps spicier using compressed cfeblk than the factory.

The 100f+ did bump them up about 80fps on 110vmax and 60 for tnt

If my memory is right, Mr. Wilson is on the road this week so it may be a while before he chimes in. But knowing him, it may be anytime. He does like checking out this forum.

Early on in the development of the cartridge I did a test in Aug where I put some ammo in the freezer and some out on a steel plate in the sun, after an hour I shot them. I didn't notice any dramatic difference in velocity and/or pressure signs.

It's plenty hot in TX now, so when I get back from ID I could easily redo this test and post some velocity #s

All pressure testing of our factory loads is done at 70 degrees

Good to know and I would be interested in seeing the fps difference between 70 degrees and 100+ degrees. This time of the year unless I'm using extreme powder I normally keep my ammo in a cooler if I'm going to be doing a lot of shooting. Maybe we should all start bugging Hodgdon to make CFEBLK an extreme powder...if that's possible.

I feel dirty using this little thing.

Mainly from the mud and blood getting on me while a drag carcasses out of the wallow but Feelin Dirty is still dirty

Bering once again ate my video but it’s been so long since I’ve sighted down the glass at a hog I couldn’t remember how this is done. DJ wouldn’t be impressed but at least my was able to get these 2 out of the wallow and ended up staying reasonably clean in my PJs

110vmax from an 11.3” Ranger profile barrel,

SurRon???

It's a talaria sting. A lot of parts commonality but it sits a couple inches taller and has a bit longer range and bat capacity in stock form.

I went back and recovered all the carcasses from the killing spree this evening. It made me even more disappointed that my optic lost the video when it got into DJ numbers.

Big shout out to my bestest hunting buddies Buzzards helping me find the last 5 in the brush. It's just plain murder to walk in this stuff at night.

dizzy i'll say you ARE persistent. i haven't killed much lately cuz the hogs have died of thirst around here. even if they had a drink, it's hard for a hog to make a living when there's nothing to eat but dirt. nevertheless, i'll put together what i have even though it's not even enough to fill up a whole song.

NICE.

I have to collect the carcasses and get them to an approved dump spot so we're not constantly checking soaring birds for livestock loss, especially in this environment.

The numbers finally clicked in the Big Boss's head how much water and turf the ranch is preserving with the concentrated removal efforts. I ticked off #200 since close of turkey season a while back and it ended up giving me a lot of lattitued on how to get it done. This was the first chance I've had at a group this big for a long while. If I had your editing skills (and this scope was actually programmed correctly to record video) I'd make a ThunderDome edit.
16 enter, but 7 did not leave.

Any one thought about loading 125 SST’s yet or tried it?

Had a little squabble at the wallow while checking cattle with my ranch gun today.


kicked this fella out of the nest about 8 yards away. Suffered finding him in the optic I had left on 3x but still got on and hit him on the run around 20yds. ended up breaking his right rear hip but he went down like a brick so I started walking up to him.


At about 5 yds he decided he was coming up the creek bank to teach me a lesson so I came up quick on the gun and gave him my best go at a facing brisket shot. Impact knocked him @ss over tea kettle back down the bank. He needed another 5 yds shot to the heart to convince him he wasn't goin to win this one. Luckily that was on the mark and left a baseball size hole through the rib cage. Oddest rifle malfunction I've ever experienced followed when the ejected case bounced off my arm and landed backward in the chamber.

Yeah, one of the strangest malfunctions I've ever experienced. No this was not staged. Yes, while trying to clear it rapidly before he realized he was dead I knocked it farther into the chamber.


110gr VMAX
2780fps (Labradar measured) frontal shot into the shoulder at 5yds.
IMO, the vmax most underrated HAM'R bullet on the load recommendation page.

Nose is too long, can only be used if you buzz the polymer tip off to shorten

Wow, 2780fps from a 16", I'll bet your pressure is in the 65k PSI range !!!

It could be but it isn’t exhibiting any sign of it that I can find.
Pics of the brass are above right next to some factory WC loads fired from the same rig.
No sticky bolt or extraction issues etc.

If you were interested I’d pm you the load info. It’s barely under your published max loads for cfeblk but O do hand tamp each one to settle the powder so I don’t have seating problems or growth. I cranked out 600 before I moved down full time and I’m still shooting through them. They are slightly above your published velocity in my AR rifles but nothing extravagant.

Poor me, I had to go check water gaps at the end of the day today so I drug along the HAM'R Franken Boltgun hybrid.
Sneaking down the river bank I spied a couple slicked off yotes who weren't quick enough.
I can't recall anything I have ever owned that gave me the little kid walking a creek line with a Red Ryder vibe like this thing does