Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Speer Hot Core vs. Deep Curl

What's the differance between these 2, if any?

One seems to be replacing the other..... The main difference is the construction and speer dropping other proven bullets for the new design.

Speer is using there gold dot/uni-core knowledge of there pistol bullet line and incorporating it into rifle bullet lines.

I like the new bullet, but the bastards got rid of some good standby hot core bullets in the "this is better" move. I have used hot cores for years in various calibers and trust them completely. The 7mm 160 speer spitzer WAS a hell of an accurate, affordable and very deadly bullet for my .280, but it seems to be extinct now.....

Full curl bullets follow the same "gimmic' as the gold dot/uni-core/fusion bullets. The gold dot/uni-core/fusions I have shot from my .44 and a 7 mag perform well. Shooting very accurate and not yet having one come apart when shot at different bullet stopping mediums. I have killed no game with them yet, but my tests show the fusion/gold dot/uni-core/full curl are very tough, and expand very well. Hate to say it, terminal performance seems to be more consistent than the good ol' hot core.

I think we will see a day where speer will just have the one line of hunting bullet, chit canning there grand slam, mag-tip and hot-core altogether. I believe the full curl is the step in that one bullet direction.....

Boomwack wrote,

<<<The 7mm 160 speer spitzer WAS a hell of an accurate, affordable and very deadly bullet for my .280, but it seems to be extinct now..... >>>

Wideners did have some in stock recently. #1635 flat base 160 grain Hot-Cor. I like those bullets also and use them in my 7mm-08

That's good to hear ther is some showing back up, midway was suppose to have some 160 gr. 7mm Speer spitzers by now but the date keeps get'n pushed forward....dinks.

Hard to switch from somthing ya' have used for so long and worked so good.... 160 gr Nosler partitions covered the void speer created for me and my .280. Had used partitions off and on, but now its full time employment for the partitions .

I've seen many positive comments about that particular old Speer, but I was never able to get it working to my satisfaction in two 7mm Weatherbys. The 154 Hornady always shot better.

Boomwack: you might want to try the 160DC. The 1st two Deep Curls I have tried (257, 120gr and 277, 150gr) been very accurate. I've been a long time Hot Core fan, too, and have been very frustrated with the way Speer has stumbled thru introducing the DC's and dropping the HC's. But the DC's look to be great bullets at a reasonable price.

I tried the partitions as well but they didn't shoot as well as the Speer does. As a matter of fact that particular rifle only liked the Speers and wouldn't shoot any other bullets worth a darn.

I used Hot Cores years ago, great bullet. What is different about the Deep Curl? Price the same?

Don: Different manufacturing process. Jacket is bonded to the lead core. Prices vary somewhat, but are generally close to the equivalent Hot Core from what I have seen.

Speer has different data for the DCs as opposed to the rest of their line ! As I understand it the Deep Curls are a plated bullet , not bonded but mono .

The plating is bonded to the lead core, I have never used the hot cores. I have used the 180 grain deepcurls in my 300 win mag and they are the most accurate bullet in my rifle. The one thing that I did notice about the deepcurl is that they seem to have a slightly larger diameter than other manufacturers. My dad shot a couple of deer with them a couple of years ago. He said they worked fine, I was not there.

They are plated, but the copper alloy is plated to the lead core. It is definately not a mono.

"DeepCurl utilizes Speer's ability to electro-chemically bond the jacket to a lead core, resulting in great weight retention and excellent penetration to drop even the toughest trophy animals."