Question about Hottenstein bullets
- Thread starter ity60107
- Start date
gabe ledesma
Member
ity60107. i dont use 68GR BT mine ar 66GR Hottenstein BT bullets, but i do believe they ar made with the same jackets. My barrel is also a 263 neck 4 groov Krieger . I have noticed that in my barrel the Hottenstein bullets have ben working good with 52 1/2 clicks of 133 powder and good neck tension on the bullets using a 259 bushing and just touching the lands. My barrel has a short throught about 40 and for some reason this bullets shoot better with a short throught than with some of my longer throught chambers that i have with some of my other guns also having a 263 neck. It took me some time to find me a load with thes bullets ,but when i found what i was looking for they shot nice. I am also looking foreward like many other shooters in this forum for the new LT32 powder that should be out soon. I just noticed that this is your first post, welcome friend. Gabe
Last edited:
82boy
Patrick Kennedy
Welcome to the site.
Hottenstien bullets are great and have had many wins and records behind them. The only problem with them is with the boat tail, and seating them out to the lands on a standard JGS 1045 reamer chamber with .060 freebore, there is barly any bullet sitting in the case. I know that Lowel Hottenstien uses a JGS reamer with a .040 freebore, just so he can get more of his bullet into the case. With them you want to do as any competition bullet, start from a jamb and move them in or out to see what works best in YOUR barrel. Most people that shoot N133 usualy shoot witht he powder up into the neck, as mentioned 52 1/2 clicks is usualy a good place to be, On my measurer it 52 1/2 clicks is about 29.3grs. I find that in krieger barrels most bullets shoot best at around .005 to .008 off the lands.
Hottenstien bullets are great and have had many wins and records behind them. The only problem with them is with the boat tail, and seating them out to the lands on a standard JGS 1045 reamer chamber with .060 freebore, there is barly any bullet sitting in the case. I know that Lowel Hottenstien uses a JGS reamer with a .040 freebore, just so he can get more of his bullet into the case. With them you want to do as any competition bullet, start from a jamb and move them in or out to see what works best in YOUR barrel. Most people that shoot N133 usualy shoot witht he powder up into the neck, as mentioned 52 1/2 clicks is usualy a good place to be, On my measurer it 52 1/2 clicks is about 29.3grs. I find that in krieger barrels most bullets shoot best at around .005 to .008 off the lands.
ity60107
New member
Question-about-Hottenstein-bullets
Hi Guys,
Thanks Gabe & Patrick thanks all for welcome to me happy to see that my question isn't fall on deaf ears. To Gabe I believe the 68grs are made with the same jacket .825. as 66grs as well but is your barrel 1-14" as mine? Why Your choice for 66 since most of using Hotten shoot 68gr? Do You find better 66? Take measuring to the pressure ring this lot bring up to .2433, I just started loadind by 28,00gr to 29,5gr of 133 and moving a bit inside neck that is tensioned .257 but not moved to jam yet. Jam it means for me that point onto the lands such as any bullet will pushed back. Even more .257 because neck walls are .0082 thickness do you think too thin? I ever shoot so thin and never pushed to jam any bullets because all my rifles and berrels all Krieger are shooting fine out off lands but now trying Hotten i still not find the way. Shooting groups of three rounds each some impact in one hole and sometime one flyer goes on. Of course i will try jam next.
Carm.
Hi Guys,
Thanks Gabe & Patrick thanks all for welcome to me happy to see that my question isn't fall on deaf ears. To Gabe I believe the 68grs are made with the same jacket .825. as 66grs as well but is your barrel 1-14" as mine? Why Your choice for 66 since most of using Hotten shoot 68gr? Do You find better 66? Take measuring to the pressure ring this lot bring up to .2433, I just started loadind by 28,00gr to 29,5gr of 133 and moving a bit inside neck that is tensioned .257 but not moved to jam yet. Jam it means for me that point onto the lands such as any bullet will pushed back. Even more .257 because neck walls are .0082 thickness do you think too thin? I ever shoot so thin and never pushed to jam any bullets because all my rifles and berrels all Krieger are shooting fine out off lands but now trying Hotten i still not find the way. Shooting groups of three rounds each some impact in one hole and sometime one flyer goes on. Of course i will try jam next.
Carm.
82boy
Patrick Kennedy
The best advise I was EVER given was from Jack Neary, he state that you need to "Go thin to win." and "N133 likes neck tension." I shoot a .262 chamber and cut my brass to .0083, and I use a .255 bushing. It works for me.
Lowell's bullets,
I get the pleasure of seeing Lowell many times during the year and watch how he tunes his bullets. What most people don't realize is when Lowell and Ken show up at a match, it is normally with bullets that Lowell just pointed up the day before. This goes against conventional wisdom but he's been making these so long, he knows where to start and by the looks of things, where to go with the seating depth and powder charge.
I would type what Lowell tells people but in reality, it's just best to get that info from him. So the next time you order some of his bullets, just ask him where to start.
Hovis
I get the pleasure of seeing Lowell many times during the year and watch how he tunes his bullets. What most people don't realize is when Lowell and Ken show up at a match, it is normally with bullets that Lowell just pointed up the day before. This goes against conventional wisdom but he's been making these so long, he knows where to start and by the looks of things, where to go with the seating depth and powder charge.
I would type what Lowell tells people but in reality, it's just best to get that info from him. So the next time you order some of his bullets, just ask him where to start.
Hovis
Tom Berridge
New member
I have never seen these bullets advertised anywhere, where and how do you buy them ?
Tom
Tom
Tom Berridge
New member
Thanks for the replys guys,wow that is some back log !
gabe ledesma
Member
To Gabe I believe the 68grs are made with the same jacket .825. as 66grs as well but is your barrel 1-14" as mine? Why Your choice for 66 since most of using Hotten shoot 68gr? Do You find better 66?
Hi carm. Yes my Barrels are 1-14 and 1-13 1/2 with a 237 bore dia. As far as using 66GR instead of 68GR, that's just a weight that i have used and like. Back when i made my own Bullets the Bullet that I made for myself was a 66GR flat base with my Niemi Dies. Some of my friends that i made bullets for liked 67 and 68GR also. What i would recommend to you is don't just try BT try some FB bullets also. Berger is making a 65 that is showing good results, its called a colum bullet. Carm one more word of advice, just because we both have the same brand of barrels with the same neck and maybe even the same gunsmith mean that they will shoot the same, or want the same load. some Barrels ar hummers and some ar Bummers. Talk to your Barrel and see what it wants.Gabe
Hi carm. Yes my Barrels are 1-14 and 1-13 1/2 with a 237 bore dia. As far as using 66GR instead of 68GR, that's just a weight that i have used and like. Back when i made my own Bullets the Bullet that I made for myself was a 66GR flat base with my Niemi Dies. Some of my friends that i made bullets for liked 67 and 68GR also. What i would recommend to you is don't just try BT try some FB bullets also. Berger is making a 65 that is showing good results, its called a colum bullet. Carm one more word of advice, just because we both have the same brand of barrels with the same neck and maybe even the same gunsmith mean that they will shoot the same, or want the same load. some Barrels ar hummers and some ar Bummers. Talk to your Barrel and see what it wants.Gabe
Last edited:
Good advice!
ity60107
New member
Hi Gabe and guys all,
I heard good reference on Berger Column and know that some shooters are changing to it are You doing this change? Why not shooting Your bullets if good. With an appropriate reamer You can make a very good work. Sorry for so many questions but since I have had only Fowler's bullets to shoot and after my friend Jef left I finish all bullets stored had to move tovards other option. Thats why my choice dropped on Hottenstein and now have some troubles for tuning my rifles. Jef were a great frinds and gave me many suggestion on shooting an tuning my rifle with his great bullets.
Thanks all. Carm
I heard good reference on Berger Column and know that some shooters are changing to it are You doing this change? Why not shooting Your bullets if good. With an appropriate reamer You can make a very good work. Sorry for so many questions but since I have had only Fowler's bullets to shoot and after my friend Jef left I finish all bullets stored had to move tovards other option. Thats why my choice dropped on Hottenstein and now have some troubles for tuning my rifles. Jef were a great frinds and gave me many suggestion on shooting an tuning my rifle with his great bullets.
Thanks all. Carm
Joe Maisto
New member
+1
gabe ledesma
Member
I heard good reference on Berger Column and know that some shooters are changing to it are You doing this change? Why not shooting Your bullets if good.
Calm. The reason i don't shoot my Bullets anymore is that i sold my Bullet Dies years back. Yes i have tried the column bullets and do like them, i have one barrel that welcomes that bullet. I only have a few boxes left of my own bullets that i made,so i am looking also for a good replacement, I have tried just about every bullet made out ther,so far in BT it is Hottenstein and in FB the column. some of my barrels like FB and some BT. Gabe
Calm. The reason i don't shoot my Bullets anymore is that i sold my Bullet Dies years back. Yes i have tried the column bullets and do like them, i have one barrel that welcomes that bullet. I only have a few boxes left of my own bullets that i made,so i am looking also for a good replacement, I have tried just about every bullet made out ther,so far in BT it is Hottenstein and in FB the column. some of my barrels like FB and some BT. Gabe
ity60107
New member
Hi Guys,
today went to the range following Your suggestion...You are right!! Found the best seating as 0.006 out of lands and around 29.5 of N133 it seems to be fine just I have to refine a bit for the best... bughole!! Recapitulating: Hotten 68gr.BT,
0.0084 as neck walls for .263 Krieger, bushing .257, seating as 0.006 out of lands, around 29.5 of N133. This is the way to tuning my rifle now and for anyone want try it. After this test as Gabe suggested to me next step will be FB bullets!
Thanks all Guys for help.
Carm
today went to the range following Your suggestion...You are right!! Found the best seating as 0.006 out of lands and around 29.5 of N133 it seems to be fine just I have to refine a bit for the best... bughole!! Recapitulating: Hotten 68gr.BT,
0.0084 as neck walls for .263 Krieger, bushing .257, seating as 0.006 out of lands, around 29.5 of N133. This is the way to tuning my rifle now and for anyone want try it. After this test as Gabe suggested to me next step will be FB bullets!
Thanks all Guys for help.
Carm