Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Speer soft point boat tail

I picked up a box of these in 150 grain .277. Anyone have any experience with them regarding accuracy and performance on game?

I used them one year on Virginia whitetail. I had shots at two deer, both inside 30 yards. The first shot hit ribs going in, and left four exit wounds. A second shot at the same deer hit it in the neck, 2" entry wound, and the exit was at least 4" in diameter. Nearly took its head off. The second deer was hit forward of the shoulder low on the neck and dropped at the shot with a 1" entry and 6" exit. While I probably used the bullet outside its design window, I won't be using it again. Very accurate, probably a great long range bullet. My MV was 2875 with that load.

In my experience, the Speer BTSP are fairly soft. They open readily and throw some fragments. Never had one stick in an animal, but I have had extraneous wounding from fragments, including a couple small exit holes near the big one. They hammer deer hard, even at modest speeds. Think they're an ideal deer bullet.

Your 150's have enough SD to put long holes through big stuff. They aren't Barnes, and they aren't bonded, but they will do a fine job on animals, and they are really easy to work up a load for, due to the tangent ogive.

I am sure they will act like a Sierra Gameking, some core slippage but if used within their intended uses you will not find a better deer bullet.

Pretty much my findings regarding the 145gr 7mm version. Great performance on whitetails and hogs at 7mm-08 carbine speeds (2,700FPS). Shoulder shots generally drop animals on the spot. Rib shots yield good blood trails.

I load them for my buddy's 300 Savage. It is good medicine for deer.

I've killed quite a few deer with the 130 gr version in the 270, as mentioned some core slippage but dead deer.

Dale

The core is loose in this one, but I only really use it as a practice bullet in my 338 Win Mag since it allows a little less expensive practive vs using 225 PT's.



That was 2900FPS at the muzzle. Still seems like it'd work fine.

I used the .277 130 gr BT spritzer for years, and only caught one. It turned itself inside out all the way to the major diameter of the boat tail. Best I remember it weighed about 68-70gr after words, can't ask for more than that.
Quit using them when for some reason they got hard to find around here.

Guys, Speer states that these are soft bullets designed to provide an alternative to the tougher HotCore bullets. They open faster with a larger expanded diameter. Just open the Manual and read it for yourselves. No need to speculate.....



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1 bear, 1 deer. So far so good. 145 gr. 7mm.

No one is speculating. The OP asked for real life experience and people are giving it to him. If you have nothing to add, please don't clutter the discussion up with your internet bravado. There are people who come here for information, not some jackwagon opening his mouth and saying nothing.

Ive used speer BTSP for over 30 yrs , shot deer, elk , moose, mountain goats , bighorns, black bear, grizzly, antelope coyote out of 30-06 22-250 7mm-08 280 and 264
I like them.

Exactly why I said they will probably act like a Gameking. Typical boattail, soft point, non bonded performance. Don't need a book to tell me that a boattail bullet expands readily, slips the core periodically and hammers the chit outta deer, I figured that out by killing game not speculating.

I used them a lot when culling and they were very reliable hard hitters in the standard (non magnum) cartridges. Very accurate too.
John

There is not a 264 BTSP on their website.

Ya they were speer product but not sure which, sold it in the mid 80s the 22-250 were 70gr semi-spritzer as well.

Same for me, decided to use them a year ago in my RAR I had cut to 18.5", using the 165 with 44 gr. Varget, have taken 5 Deer and 3 Hogs, all died fast with the same results as the 7mm mentioned above.

I bought a bunch of the 130 BTSP for the 7-08 and they shoot phenomenal! I haven't had a chance to use them on game. I plan mostly for hogs/deer/coyotes. I have 140 TTSX for anything larger.