Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Speer Hot Core

I loaded 130 gr Sierra boattails to about 3000 fps in my .270 back in the day when Sierras were the "thing." I shot several deer, elk and antelope with that load and never had a loss; in fact, most were one shot kills, DRT.

When I started loading for my 7x57 in the early 80s, I began playing around with different bullets and loads: 140 and 160 gr Sierras, 139 and 154 gr. Hornadys, 145 and 160 gr Speer Hot Cores and then, because they were suddenly all the rage, I bought some Nosler Partitions.

I butcher all my own game, and truth to tell, if I noticed any real difference in performance between Noslers and the others, it was that the Noslers seemed considerably more destructive of tissue. I wasn't happy about that, so went back to the 154 gr Hornady.

Two years ago I bought a box of 7x57 Federal Power Shoks loaded with 140 gr Speer Hot Cores to an advertised velocity of 2660 fps, and shot clean through 2 deer at the same time with that bullet, killing both. The distance was about 80 paces.(It was a freak accident - another doe was hidden in a screen of brush directly behind the doe I was aiming at. I mentioned that incident in another thread here last year.) Both were double lung shots with minimal meat loss.

The point, I suppose, is that cup and core bullets of good sectional density driven at moderate velocities hold together pretty well - at least on thin-skinned game.

Now if I were going to whack a moose with my little Mauser, I'd give serious consideration to a tougher bullet, but for the game I hunt - and the way I hunt - cup and core bullets are just fine.

Wayne: I agree with Brad; I have used the 130 Speer HotCore on deer and antelope a good deal, from the 270 Winchester and have noticed that for a cup/core bullet it does a good job. They expand nicely and penetrate pretty well,mostly exiting IME.They "behave" somewhat tougher than some other cup/cores.

My old buddy John Duarte(an early mentor, and who posts on here),told me this many years ago.

For quite some time they were the 130 gr bullet I'd reach for in a new 270, to see if the thing shot,and mostly they did fine.

Of all the 130 grain bullets I used for hunting in the 270, only the Speer Hot-Cor performed to my satisfaction.

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Like ANY make of bullet, some work in some calibers and not in others. The make/manufacturer of a bullet means zilch...For instance I have found the 130 gr. Speer bullet to be excellent on deer in the 7x57, 284 and 280, but the 270 gr. 9.3 Speer bullet is too soft on any animal..

I see this in all makes of bullets, some of their bullets work in certain calibers and not in others..The 200gr. Nosler in a 06 or 300 is a tougher bullet than the 220 gr., and that should not be, but the 210 .338 Nosler penetrates better than the 250 gr. Nosler..I have observed this in ALL makes of bullets.

Too many folks think if one manufacturers bullet works then they ALL work, such is not the case, but I have never seen this in print or stated by anyone but myself, so take it for what you think its worth as I have done no studies, just made note of many kills and come to this conclusion.

Ray,

Absolutely dead on. If others haven't seen fit to write about this phenomenon, it's because they haven't been paying attention, or just assumed the we all knew it. We ALL don't, obviously, or people wouldn't think the TSX was a cure-all in every caliber. It's not.

Wayne

ODD indeed. This has always been my admittely 2nd hand opinion of Hot Cores yet the last site I visited to check reviews of this bullet they were universally denounced as the worst bullet as far as jacket separation is concerned. 9.6 and 270 cal's.

I also have had nothing but fine results from Speer Hotcor's. I have used the 105 gr. 6MM, the 150 gr. 277, the 150 and 180gr. 308, and the 250 gr. 358. My favorite elk bullets were the 180 gr. out of my 30-06 and the 150 gr. out of my 270. I have never had a single instance of these bulets failing to give good penetration. This said I have made a habit of not hitting the onside shoulder just to test bullet integrity. I still consider the 150 gr. 30 caliber bullet at 2850 fps to be one of the best deer combinations known to man.

Rick, hard to argue with success. Amazing what works consistently if speeds are kept under 2900fps isn't it.

I have had excellent results with the unheralded Ballistic Tips from my 7x57. I think a lot of the high velocity long range hype is misplaced when most of your shots are less than 200 yards with most being under 125 yards. I have a 7MM RM that is super accurate but seldom have a hunting scenario that would really show it's qualities off, meaning where shooting opportunities would be over 300 yards.