Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Input on Speer .243 100 gr SPBT?

I'm planning on using the Speer 100 gr SPBT bullet for deer this fall in a .243. I have them clocking along close to 3K fps. For those that have used this bullet, what is your experience with it?

It's fairly soft, like the other Speer BTSPs. I've loaded it for use in a few rifles for a handful of deer. It shot very well in every tested rifle. It busts ribs just fine, and I'd feel comfortable using it for a high shoulder or neck shot, but I'd not take any steep quartering shots with it. MV was 3050-3100, purpose-built as kids' deer loads. All deer died very quickly. Shortest was about 60 yards, and longest was 178.

In the past I used Speer bullet's quite a bit but other than 22 cal I never used the BT bullet's. One of the best bullet's around back then was the Speer hot core, if they make it in 24 cal. That core and jacket does not separate or even shoot loose in my own experience, great bullet.

They're not bonded and can indeed come apart.

Never had a negative issue with anyone I've used... and they did their intended purpose each time they connected with the deer...

I like Speer bullets although I concede, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra are more accurate 100 grainers than the Speer...

Your not the first guy to tell me that but I have shot them into newspaper and seen the result's of a number of them. I suggest your wrong, they don't come apart!

Glad you mentioned that. When I shot those Speer Hot Core's, I shot Hornady Spire point's at the same time and Sierra HP's. All were shot out of the same rifle. Sako L61 in 7mm Rem Mag. All were also shot at 100yds. For all the rifle I had then I found the Hornady's were more except that 7mm mag. Accuracy was better with the Hot Core's than with the Hornady's. It was a 154ge Hornady and 160ge Speer. Both bullet's retained 85%of their weight with the core in the Hornady being loose enough to turn in the jacket by hand but couldn't budge the Speer core. I settled on Harnady then for no other reason than better accuracy except in the 7mm , it got the 160gr Hot Core's. Actually at that time I was really finically obsessed with accuracy and the difference in the two was about 1/4" at 100 yds. Never would have cost me an animal. The 7mm mag with those bullet's never failed me and I was never able to get one back out of an animal. Then too I've used a lot of the more accurate Hornady's over the years and they ave never failed me either and have never collected one out of an animal. I love Hornady inter locks as much as the old Spire Points. And people can say what they want about the Speer Hot Core, they are a super bullet that has never come apart on me and I have done the shooting test for them into newspaper and know what I fund. I'd bet the majority of people talking down about the Hot Core have never fire them into a media to see what they did as I have done.

BTW, I had always found Sierra bullet's to soft for game, made a mess inside. The HP's I shot into the newspaper were 140gr and the HP closed up and the bullet simple bent in the shank. Then again, my favorite bullet to just shoot small groups with is the Sierra Match King! They work well on varmints also.

Speer .243 100 BTSP will definately kill deer. I see you live in Montana, that means you might have the opportunity for a large deer. Therefore, the Speer 100gr BTSP would not be my first choice because in my experience it is soft. Maybe too soft for anything but a rib shot. Speer BTSP are not Hot Cores, neither are they bonded. They are straight up C&C.

I think we're both right depending on the particulars of a given situation.

They're 18 cents or less,.. My apocalypse stash is looking like a Speer advert.

My daughter punched one quartering to us at about 100 yards and it traveled through about 3’ of deer. Buck made it about 25 yards and piled up. I’m a fan.

Dave

if you consider a bullet 'too soft', slow down the velocity...

if the velocity is backed 100 to 150 fps, then to adjust your trajectory, just up your elevation two clicks up on the scope and you're right back where ya started from for POI....

I load them in my wife's BLR 243. Her first ever hunt was 2 years ago. One shot, one dead mule deer. It was shot at about 70 yards and ran less than 10 yards before pitching over.

For several years (years and years ago) I used the Speer 130gr BTSP in a 270 as it was accurate enough in the rifle.
Killed quite a few deer but it’s not a tough bullet at all.
Final straw was when one blew up on a shoulder joint of a good WT buck at about 70yds (running and just where the bullet landed) and only made a 3 legged deer. Got a bit later when he laid down. Last time I used them....