Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 160 gr Speer Hot Cor?

I am in the process of finding loads for 3 possible 7mm guns for an elk hunt this fall. The 160 gr Speer wasn't one of my first choices, but it currently is shooting best in my 284 win (med load about 2850 fps) and also is shooting very well in my 7wsm (about 2950 fps). Would any of you experienced elk hunters have reservations using this bullet at these velocities on elk? I'll probably keep bugging you guys all summer - Kinda fired up about it.
Thanks,
Greg B.

Nope if they shoot good go hunting.The elk will be yours.Nuttin wrong with Speer Soft Point bullets.

It will be just fine. I've never killed an elk with a 160gr speer so how do I know. Because I've killed them with a 160gr Sierras and a 154gr Hornadys out of the .280AI, and experience and logic tells me there will be no difference if you can shoot. Having said that, if you can get the 160gr Nos.Partition to shoot less than 1.5" or so use it and go kill yourself an elk.

Its one of my favorite bullets, I have a 7 x 57 that will shoot that one in to groups you can cover with a nickel. Load is a case full of IMR-4350, and it dumps game very well. It should work, Jack O'C. use that one a lot and so did the Mrs and they shot a lot of elk and other stuff with that bullet.

I think alot of Speer's HotCor bullets. Especially in standard cartridges. I don't forsee the 7mm rem mag taxing a cup and core bullet of that weight enough to make it break up. I have had good accuracy and performance from the HotCors in 7mm.

NO

bd

Speer bullets are soooooo underrated.

I've always found them to shoot very well in many different calibers.

The 145 and 160 HC in .284Cal are a favorite of mine.

WN

You're right. The 250gr 35cal is a great bullet. I wish they made something like that in 270gr 375cal, not boat tail.

Some of my favorites bullets for big Red Deer and Wild Boar, in my 7x57s are the Speer Mag-Tip 160 and 175 grs. At 2750 and 2600 fps respectively, they are extremely fine bullets, doing a very good job inside the animal, with a performance in par with the Nosler Partition in the same weights.
Regards

PH

I have used the 160 Speer hotcores many times in a 7x57 and a 284 Savage at about that same velocity, and was satisfied with its performance at those velocities, might be a tad soft in the big magnum calibers at faster velocity. Most bullets that are not premiums or super premiums perform best at 2800 FPS and below IMO...

However the bottom line with me is "premuim" or "super premiums" when hunting big game like elk, I want that edge every time, so I pretty much use Woodleighs, Northfork, GS Customs, and Nosler partitions, on elk and African plainsgame in any caliber..

Elk hunts and Safaris are expensive and I want to have the ability to take any reasonable shot presented, and that includes a going away shot thus my choice of premium bullets.

As to accuracy, I wouldn't get to carried away with a small differnce in accuracy for elk hunting as you have about 2.5 feet of lung and that doesn't require a tack driver..A 2 inch gun is more than accurate enough for elk hunting..

I have used the 160 Speer hotcores many times in a 7x57 and a 284 Savage at about that same velocity, and was satisfied with its performance at those velocities, might be a tad soft in the big magnum calibers at faster velocity. Most bullets that are not premiums or super premiums perform best at 2800 FPS and below IMO...

However the bottom line with me is "premuim" or "super premiums" when hunting big game like elk, I want that edge every time, so I pretty much use Woodleighs, Northfork, GS Customs, and Nosler partitions, on elk and African plainsgame in any caliber..

Elk hunts and Safaris are expensive and I want to have the ability to take any reasonable shot presented, and that includes a going away shot thus my choice of premium bullets.

As to accuracy, I wouldn't get to carried away with a small differnce in accuracy for elk hunting as you have about 2.5 feet of lung and that doesn't require a tack driver..A 2 inch gun is more than accurate enough for elk hunting and I would put more emphsis on bullet construction with a heavy bullet..I like the 175 gr. bullet at 2600 to 3000 FPS for elk and larger animals and 2600 is plenty IMO..