Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Speer 165 gr Grand Slam 30 cal

Interested in real-life experiences with this bullet on truly big game, not deer, sheep, etc. I hear lots of stories, but no actual hunting results from folks who have actually used the bullet on elk for instance.

Friend of mine is thinking about loading some in his 30-06 for moose and bear, only because he found a box of 50 in the bottom of a plastic tote.

Thanks,
Ted

I've been loading that exact bullet for years.
It has taken shiras moose, cow bison, elk, deer and antelope.
Great bullet, have not had any issues with it.
I load it for my 300wsm.
It will put down a cow bison in one shot and dropped my biggest elk in his tracks.
I

I killed elk and a few deer with the old Speer Nitrex factory loaded 165 gr GS with a .308 Win. Nothing ever complained that it was inadequate. Not sure I’d spend the time developing a load if I only had 50 bullets unless more were available. I heard they were discontinued. Happy Trails

Humm, might need to get your "hearing " checked, Speer has them on their website. Haven't heard myself they were discontinued.

Are they first generation, in the amber colored clear plastic boxes with sliding lid and not the newer flip top black plastic boxes?
I think Mule Deer said some of the earliest new generation Grand Slams could be found in those older boxes too, so I guess that's not a 100% indicator of which generation of Grand Slams they are. It sounds like a somewhat old box of bullets though.

I am a huge fan of the original Grand Slams though I've not used the 165s.
150 grainers from a 300 Savage (on deer, so outside of your question) and both 180 and 200 grainers on 7-8 elk, a bull moose and a bull caribou from a .300 Win and .300 H&H, including an Alaskan Roosevelt elk that was easily the size of an average moose, or a big quarter horse. They are/were simply awesome performers on bigger game. One separated from it's bottom core on the moose, but all the others (that I recovered at least) mushroomed well and put a serious hurt on the animal. I'm guessing the 165s would act the same from .30-06 speeds and I would have zero issue using them, if they are indeed the older style. The newer style would probably be acceptable too but I've never played with them.

I think I saw discontinued on a retail website a while back. Local shops only had odds and ends. Sportsman’s warehouse had them marked way down a while back. I have been wrong before and I can prove it! Happy Trails

PS, if MidwayUSA lists for $13.99, that smells like discontinued.

Perhaps you are not wrong but I did just order some from Speer, new boxes so maybe the old box is being phased out.
165s are great for big game, bison down to antelope, have taken them all with my 300wsm and 165 gr grand slams.

I’ve been using Barnes in most loads, but I think I may buy some 165 gr GS for my .308 Win. and .300 Savage. They sure worked before. Happy Trails

As wytex said, they certainly work, but damn I like 200gr Partitions at 2700 fps in my '06, they happen to be available at SPS for 25 bucks a box right now, I'd buy 500 and give those 165's to someone else.

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I just got off the phone with him.

They are, indeed, the early ones in the clear amber box. We are going to load them up to use in his old Husqvarna Faetherweight. Fifty isn't a lot, but certainly enough to develop a load and have enough left for several years of hunting.

A stomach full of 4350 should be about right.

Ted

Not my rifle, and I would probably do that too if they were available here. In the meantime, we'll see how the Grand Slams work in his Husqy.

My '06 rifles are raring to go with what's left of the old plain vanilla 200 gr Speer spitzers. That is one fine bullet on everything from gophers to grizzlies.

Ted

Ten-4 Ted, I've heard good things about the old 200gr Speer hot-cors for decades, I have no doubt you'll get your friend pointed in the right direction.

165 grain almost anything with 57 grains of IMR 4350 will drop moose and under with a well placed bullet in the engine room. I've loaded them for friends' 30-06s for years. Accurate in most every rifle we have tried and effective killers.

My personal favourite is a 168 Barnes TSX in front of 57 grains of H414.

Have never used a 165g .30 Grand Slam but did use the 160g 7mm Grand Slam for 20+ years starting in the early 1980s and again in 2016. Have taken more elk with that bullet than any other. Last one, a 6.5, took 4 steps. Most took less. A high percentage took none at all and noe went more than a few steps.

Haven’t used the 30-165’s, but the 120’s in a 25-06 are hell on deer and pigs. They are a great bullet! I haven’t heard anyone complaining about a Grand Slam.

I use the 180s in my Wby and they kill like a lightning strike. Most deer don't even twitch after dropping straight down. Never had one take one step yet. I have some of the 165s too but they didn't group well in my rifle.
I need to try them in 30-06.

Midway has been listing s lot of items as Discontinued that aren't lately.

For instance. They list the factory 160 accubonds load from Federal in 7 rem mag as Discontinued.


Directly from Federal they say this is BS

Well, got a text that about 1300 pounds of moose is laying on its side about thirty miles south of Dawson. One 165 GS did the trick.

Ted

Excellent!
I'm a big fan of GS's.

Nice! Thanks for the report Ted, also eases my mind should i ever use my 7x57 with the old style 175gr GS's on truly large game.