Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .30 cal Vintage Speer 165 gr RN

Picked up some vintage speer 165 gr rn to try in my 30-06 on white tails this fall. Most shots will be under 150 yrds. Usually use 150 gr hornady interlocks. Anyone have experience using them ?

One of the ‘fastest, deadest’ deer I ever killed fell to that bullet. 300 Savage, 40ish yards, broadside shot, ballpark 2600 fps. The deer folded at the shot and I lost it in recoil. I actually wondered where it went until I walked up on it. Good, accurate bullet, should be good for your purposes. It was a 125 pound dressed 4 point in VA, so not a big deer.

Old70

I have a stock pile of them. It is the ONLY 30 cal bullet I use for deer. I have never been anything but pleased. You were lucky to find some for sale.

I believe Gnoahh has a few boxes of Speer 165 gr RN squired away......NICE snag of those old bullets.

I got a couple boxes off gunbroker. Wanted to try something different this year. Hopefully will drop them so I don't have to ask the neighbors permission to track them. Going to try around 2800 fps

Any bullet will drop em where they stand if put in the forward and high shoulder area.

165gr. Sierra Game King over a max. charge of IMR 4350 is my go to deer load in .30-06, never fails to produce a clean kill on whitetails.

Those Speer 165 RN .308 were some of the most accurate bullets I ever shot out of multiple rifles........My 300 Savages,308s,30-06s all loved them,but the deer didn't...........Killed truckloads of game with them....They were discontinued years ago,which was a true shame..........I still may have a half a box of them left somewhere........Pretty soon there won't be any RN bullets manufactured at all except for 30-30 bullets.......Custom bullet makers are about the only way to get them and they ain't cheap..........

I have a box of the 150 grain version. Been thinking about loading some up for my 308 and trying them this year. I used the pointed version on a great many deer. Great bullet.

WTF?

I use Sierra 165 bthp or Hornady 165 interlock in my 06 both hammer deer a$$ I don’t see why your choice wouldn’t

Did the vintage say if they were hotcor?

Yes says hot core on the box.

Hotcor is the Speer version of Remington Corelok but better

Yes he does, and they aren't going anywhere but down the barrels of my rifles! I've killed deer with Sierra 165 BTHP's and at short range with high velocity they've always delivered spectacular kills, but with significant meat loss. (As a result the infrequent times I actually employ them anymore for wood's hunting I load them down considerably.) The 165 Speers are better IMO for full throttle short range .30-06 work. I just wish they were still available.

There’s a box of them available on Gunbroker. They’ll cost you a little over a buck a pop though….ouch!

I believe I’ve told this story before on the fire but….

Many many years ago when I was about 11-12 years old my only rifle that wasn’t a 22 was a browning BAR 30-06. I asked for some 165gr bullets for Christmas so I could begin reloading for it. Mom and dad got me two boxes of those 165RN speers but they wouldn’t cycle in the BAR. About 30 years and two moves ( by my parents) later dad and I found about 23 of those bullets in his garage. I asked if I could have them and took them home and loaded them for my old savage 99 in 300 savage over RL15. Three shots went right at an inch about 1.5” high at 100 yards. I took the biggest deer (at that time) ever shot on my farm that year. The shot was about 75 yards and the old buck dropped in his tracks. I’ve since acquired an old bolt action 300 savage and a few more boxes of those 165RN speers and that’s the only bullet I feed them. Great bullets. I wish they still made them.