Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Speer bullets, why not much interest?

This is just my observation from these forums, seems like everyone is into Nosler or Barnes. You never hear anyone mention Speer bullets, and Speer has not come out with anything new for a long time.

I recently bought some Hot-Cors to try in my 338. And picked up some Grand-Slams to try in my 300. Both were on sale so I thought I would try them. Just wondering if everyone knows something I don't?

I thought I read something about the new Grand Slams not being as good as the old ones?

Thanks!

As you say, they haven't had a "splashy" new product in a long time. They don't really advertise as much as some of the others and they keep kind of a quiet profile. But their bullets keep selling and keep working. Very well, I might add.

I think Mule Deer is pretty high on the Hot-Cors, for deer sized game, as an under 2800 impact velocity boolit. i believe they are just a little harder than Interlocks.. 721

i like 'em for my purposes, nothing bigger than deer.

I've been using the 120gr Hot Core in a 257AI, and the 145gr Hot Core in a 280 for several decades. Many, many deer and a couple of caribou. Always textbook performance.

I do worry a little, though. As you say, they are very low profile. Hopefully they are doing ok financially and will continue to sell bullets! Sometimes I think it might be wise to stock up!

We've run this one around before but it still bewilders me. I've been shooting the Speer's since I started loading back in the early 60's. Probably used them in over 90% of my first development loads for many calibers, rifle and handgun.

I still hunt with the .308 150 gr. Boattail in spite of advice to the contrary. And Speer's continually turn out to be some of my most accurate loads for paper punching.

Somehow they just don't get any respect. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

All I used for years were BT hot-cores until I noticed the jackets shedding. I then used the then new Grand Slam and one came unhinged on the hip of a buck (exploded). A bad shot indeed but I decided I wanted a more hold together bullet. Started on Partitions and never really looked back as long as I can seconds. I do think the hot-cores are fine in normal shot presentations and less than 3000fps applications. In fact I am low on .277 bullets but have a bunch of 150's and am going to load some for a new 270wsm.

Killed a nice hog with a 150 grain speer grand slam.

I have not bought any since they "re-designed" the grand slam though.

The speer 358 cal 250 grainer is widely repsected aroud here for its performance in th Whelen.

BMT

Speer boat tails aren't hot cores.

Oops. You are correct. Been so long I forgot that fact. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
Not that it matters much. I have sectioned hot-cores and can't really see a difference.

I've been very happy with Grand Slams (pre-new design), but am a little concerned over the design changes.
Will be switching over to TSX's and maybe Partitions as my supplies run out.

I don't know how much difference there really is, but Speer says the BTs are of lighter construction and are designed to open easier. I hope I get to shoot a deer with a 150 grain .308 Mag-Tip this season. I've got a nice load with that one for my 300 Savage.

Speer is a mover and shaker in Law Enforcement ammunition sales, where they have excellent products. Their new line of �Short Barrel� handgun ammunition was a stroke of genius if you ask me, an idea way overdue.

As for the rifle side, they�re still plugging along in what seems to be a shrinking market. I�ve always had good luck with Speer Hot-Cor�s and last month I picked up a box of .277 130 grain Grand Slams, that I�ll put to use this year for deer hunting.

I've shot quite a few hot cores in my .270 and haven't had good experiences with them on deer or elk. I shot a mulie doe in the chest as she was looking at me. She ran about 30 yds before piling up. When I opened her up it looked like she'd been shot with a shotgun. Had the same thing with an elk shot broadside throuhg the lungs. It killed them but I decided to quit using them before I had a really bad experience. I think maybe they would work better if you kept them under 3000 fps. I've been using the grandslam for several years now. I have killed several deer and three antelope with them. I haven't ever recovered a bullet to see how it performed but, they all dropped in their tracks. Except one doe antelope shot through both shoulders that ran about 50 yds. I like to keep everything around 3000 fps and I just don't think the hot cores stand up to that.

I'm not a gun writer and didn't mean to step on any toes. Just thouight I'd tell my experience with speer bullets.

I have had goodluck with 200gr .30 cal Hot Cores.

In a few chamberings I've tried speer vs hornady in the same bullet weight and found the hornadies to shoot better. So, whenever I have a use for a cup core bullet, hornady is still my usual first choice.

I do use the 350 gr hot core for plinker loads in my 458 lott, and can't imagine any Alaskan game shaking it off at 2500 fps.

This past season i used a 140gr Hot Core in a 6.5X55, i would guess around 2,700fps to kill a decent sized whitetail buck. The bullet was very accurate from my rifle and the deer died pretty quick but the bullet did not exit. This was the first time useing the swede that it didnt fully penetrate, and on a lung shot. The deer died quickly but it was a bitch tracking him in the thick mountain laurels. I dont shoot more than 3 or 4 deer a year so i think im gonna stick to premiums, but the hot core was accurate in my rig.

I used .284 145gr boattails in my 7 Rem Mag initially, and just recently ran out. The only game I ever shot were deer and an unfortunate raccoon (he and his luckier buddy made a little too much noise on a hillside about 100 yards from where I was gutting a deer). Never lost one, but also never felt that the bullet was built for 7 mag velocities.

One buck in particular stands out in my memory. It was a close shot, as in <50 yards, and I had accidentally left the scope on 9X from a range session. I had only a moment to shoot and the placement was not that great. The bullet blew up on the front shoulder. The heart and lungs were shredded from bone and bullet fragments, but there was no typical "wound channel". It was clearly a case of primarily bad shot placement and secondarily the wrong bullet for the job, but the deer piled up anyway.

I'm not drawing any conclusions on speer bullets in general, only that the 145gr boattail is not very good for point blank range in a 7 mag.

Speer knows it needs to buy new machines to improve its bullets. But its parent company, ATK, is more than tight with money. So Speer keeps plugging along, making yesterday's bullets.

They are coming out with a new handloading manual that will be out by the first of the year or so.