Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Speer Boattail My go to when I start loading a new Cartridge

These are very good reasonably priced bullets and always have some loaded in my main hunting guns. One of my favorites is the 7mm 130gr loaded in the 708. Perfect deer medicine.

They pair well with IMR 4064.

The relatively short nose profile also helps minimize jump to the lands in some instances where magazine box confines are a limiting factor. I've had Remington 7mm-08 factory rifles where the 145 Speer BT can reach lands and still be under 2.82" OAL. Loaded just a bit off the lands, they generally shoot pretty dang well and perform nicely at 7mm-08 velocities. The reasonable pricing doesn't hurt either. I bought a bunch of 150gr .30cal bullets for my .308 hog rifles and 160gr 7mm bullets for my 7mmRM, but I'm still working on shooting up my other loads on hand. I bet they'll shoot fine.

I like Speer as an option. I use the 200 grain spitzer in my 338-06. Those allow me to shoot it a little more economically since they’re about 44¢ each versus the $1.50 each of the others. While I don’t use them exclusively, I definitely have them ready so I can shoot more and not go broke. They group very well anyways.

The 52 grain HPBT in 224 is a good alternative too.

130 grain spitzer in .277 is a great bullet for the 270 Winchester. Of course usually most 130 grain are good there with 4831.

Not that I’m a cheap bastard when it comes to bullets, I still use the awesome expensive stuff, but it’s nice to use less expensive to start out load development or get some practice done.

Those 130 Speer SPBT's are working pretty well in my 7mm-08 with StaBALL6.5. Their prices are good too. I've also been using a combination of Speer 145 Hot Cor's and Varget in my 7-30 Waters.

7mm Speer Hot Cor 145 gr shoot under .5 inch in my 7mm-08 just have not used them on game yet, anyone used these on deer or elk?

Have used them in a 280 since the late '60s. Never has a bad result, deer, caribou, pigs, antelope.

145 btsp work exceedingly well in my 284's. I tried them in a 7mm Rem mag and surprise, they work in that too.

Nothin wrong with those

I use 165 grain in our 30-06s. They group well and perform well on deer for us. The economy of them is nice too.

I've had good results with speer's 150's, 170's, and 200gr in my 8mm's. Even caught one (frontal chest shot)on a 200 lbs whitetail buck. I prefer them over Hornady at this point. Price making the biggest difference.

I have several boxes of the hot cors. They are very accurate on my old 270.

I use those in my Kimber Mont. 325wsm. I put a nice pass thru in a bull moose in Canada at 450 yards. He wasn't happy about it and just fell over and died right there.
They shoot sub moa with IMR 4350 and VVN160 .

I like the 165 gr. Speer HoC core in my .308 Win. After a long spell trying to find a load that would work in a Ruger M77 RS tanger it turned out that Speer bullet was the only one useable. Kind of a strange situation but it is what it is. Also works quite well in a Winchester M70 XTR. My .280 Rem. loves the 160 gr. older two core Speer Grand Slam and I'm lucky enough to have a lifetime supply. I also shave the newer version but haven't tried them yet. I also have the regular Hot Core 160 gr. 7MM bullet to try in a 7x57. I have used the .30 caliber Hot Core in a Ruger #1 .300 Win. Mag. with excellent results on elk. Regardless of price those bullet just plain work. What's not to like?
PJ

Jambuster, do you usually get exits even on shoulder shots or angled shots with that 130 spbt? Reason I ask is that with Speer's across the board the bt's are a soft bullet compared to the HC. I never used the 130 BT, but my way of thinking is that I would go with the 145 if I was going with Speer's bt bullet. But never used either, so what do I know.

I have used quite a bit of the Speer 165 btsp in 30 caliber. I like it. 165's can be a bit stout for deer but in the Speer BT it works pretty well even if hit a bit back in rear lung. Soft bullet.

I used the 130's in my 708 for years here in West Tennessee for the small deer we have. Usually about 125 pounds. I still do when I am here. Usually they pass through leaving about an 1 1/2" hole . I don't specifically remember shooting any in the shoulder because I shoot a little farther back. I load this same load for my grandsons and I will ask them.

My baby daughter married a boy in south Mississippi and since then I have used the Speer 145 BTSP because of wild pigs we encounter. I haven't killed any big pigs with them yet. My grandson has killed 3 or 4 pigs with the 130's on pigs up to about 150. Bullets pass thru and leave a 2 to 3" exit.

I think they are soft . If I was hunting tough game a lot like pigs I would us a hot core. Right now I am developing a 140 gr hotcore load for my 6.5 Creedmoor specifically for pigs.

I've tried the 130 btsp and the hot cor in my 7mm-08 and haven't been able to get them to shoot good in my gun. I've got some of the 145 btsp but haven't tried them yet.

I have taken just one deer with a hand loaded 145 grain SPBT, over IMR-4350. Bullet performed great. Deer went about 25 feet. I’ll be using this combination more in the future.

I shoot a lot of Speer but Im still mad they quit making the 220gr for the 35's.

Anyone use the 6mm 85g tbsp? Thinking about this in my Howa 6ARC. Price is right.