Folks:

For those who have used it, what is your experience of this bullet on game? I'm not wanting to turn my 7x57 into a 7RM; I'm just wondering how you've found this bullet to perform on game at standard C&C velocity.

Thanks

RM

I've wondered the same thing Mike. The price point is certainly attractive on the 130's, but I can't recall anyone posting about them . Although... in that weight range it's hard to beat the 120 bt, it just flat works.

Works great at typical 7x57 muzzle velocities, say 2900 fps.

Which one, boat tail or Hot Cor?

Sorry. Hot Cor

Thanks, John. Do you have a favorite powder?

The boat tail Speers are deliberately made softer.

Mike,

Any powder in the 4895 burn-rate class works well. As I recall, the last time I loaded that bullet was with IMR4064.

Thanks, John.

No personal exp. although I have a box on my bench that was bought on the recommendation of a few guys at work shooting 280, 7/08s etc.They like 'em.

I experimented with the bullet since I read a Outdoor Life Jack O'Connor article citing 50 grs IMR 4320 @3100 fps from a 22" bbl. He said the load was at 53,000 PSI He didn't blow up Eleanor's rifle so I thought it would be worth a try. Bob Hagel published 3115 fps with H414 in a 22" bbl. Ray Atkinson a former fire member said he received 3200 fps in his Brno 21 & 22 using the powder. I never got to 3100 fps but close with 50 grs of H414 in WW cases, 3060-3070 fps in a VZ 1924 Mauser with a 24" McGowen barrel and a Win M 70 with a 24" Buhmiller bbl. A Ruger 77 with a 22" bbl gets 3025- 35 fps.

As in the case with all three rifles it was impossible to seat the bullet anywhere near the lands, but I got respectable accuracy of 1.25" - 1.5" for 5 shot groups at 100 yards. This did not surprise me because I get good or better accuracy with 115 - 120 grain bullets. In fact,a Ruger 77 will print less than 1" 5 shot groups with a 115 grain Speer HP.

When I reduced the powder from 50 grs to 48.5 grs I got better accuracy MOA at about 2950 fps and that is what I hunted Mule deer with and killed 1/2 dozen bucks with a Ruger M77. Range variation was 200 to 275 yards. Couple here.

buck on right.




My Dad used the same load in his Ruger 77

Nice! Thanks.

I've used both the Hot Cor and the BTSP in a 7mm/08. Whitetail deer did not agree with either of them at all. I did recover one of the BTSP's from under the hide of an offside shoulder. It was fully expanded, but intact. The deer dropped where she was standing. One thing I noticed about both bullets was that accuracy was very nice out of my rifle. Would not hesitate to use that bullet again, out of the 7/08.

I used the flat base 130 in a model 88, 284win. On a couple of blacktail here in Oregon.
It worked just fine and should be a good choice

Rev, I killed a lot of whitetails with the 130 7mm's.. But I shot them out of a 7mmRM.. They did fine on those deer.. Shot some antelope also.. Nothing larger..

Like Alan, I've had good successful results with those Speers in both the 7/08 and the 7 x 57...

and YES, even with reduced velocity loads....

Thanks for all the responses. Two questions

Does anyone want to share a favorite powder (as well as cartridge it's used in)? MD recommends something in the 4895 range, like 4064, for my 7x57. What have y'all used?

Also, for anyone who has found one in game, do they seem to hold together well?

Thanks

I have not used the 130s but other Speer hot cores did well in different cartridges. The hot core I think is an underrated bullet. It was always designed as a hunting bullet and has a slightly thicker jacket than some other cup and core designs. The hot core process while it doesn't bond the core seems to get rid of air gaps and any lubricants that can cause the core to shed the jacket more easily.

One PH I hunted with swore by the 180 Hot Core in the 300 WM. They would buy 50 lbs of them whenever they came to the states and used them for back up and culling up to game the size of Eland.

The Speer reloading data shows ten different powders that achieve 2900+ fps with the 130 in the 7x57 making the old cartridge equal to some of the more anemic factory loads for the 270 Winchester. https://www.speer-ammo.com/reloading

Those loads from the new Speer manual aren't fooling around.

Thanks.

Well Mike you got lots of advice so here's some more. Quit jacking around with 130 Speers and go to the 139 gr flatbase Hornady SP, it flat works in the 7x57, 7-08, 280, and 7 Rem Mag. F... the rest shoot the best. MB

I used the 139 gr flat base Hornady SP in my Sako 7m/08 for 26 years on red and sika deer and never lost an animal. Found the boat tail version didn't hold together as well although it still killed well. A government deer culler I knew used the Speer 130 FB and he swore by them. They were issued factory ammo but he preferred using his own handloads in a 7x57.

Two things.

A good friend used the 130 grain Speer flat base in his 280 for years and had excelent results. Velocity around 2950 fps. Shot mostly deer inside 100 yards and it worked great.

Secondly,I used W760 in the 7x57 almost exclusively,always got good accuracy and velocity,mosty with 139 grain Hornadys and 140 Ballistic tips. They killed so well there wasn't much need to shoot anything else.I always used the flat based 139 Grain Hornady,super accurate and kills quick,usually exits too.

Well, I burn a lot of 4064, 4895, 3031 in just about EVERY thing I shoot.

Rev; I’m a little late to the game but here’s my two cents worth.

I started using the 130 grain Speer boat tail in a Ruger 77 bought new in 1978. I gifted the rifle to my sister in law in the 90s. The 130 grain Speed has killed a lot of deer and a bullet has never been recovered. No signs of “blow ups”, deer die pretty quick if the bullet is in the right place.

The bullet is accurate in the rifle 200 yards 3 shot groups in the 1.5-2 inch range.

I will not pass on loading details as this rifle has a “slow barrel” which i think means slightly oversized in this case as several grains of powder over maximum in the manual results in velocity 100 FPS below maximum manul loads.

I can see no reason why the bullet would not work for hunting deer sized game.

All the best and merry Christmas

GRF

Folks:

Thanks for the comments. A friend of mine who now lives and works in Japan is planning to climb Mt Fuji on his 60th birthday, so he and I drove to Bass Pro this week for him to buy a pair of boots. While we were there I picked up a bottle of 4064. I've had an unopened box of Hot Cors for several years, so will put together some loads and see how they shoot.

Thanks again.

Well hogs are about the best Test Medium out there, ha. You should do well with them. Back in the 80's, I talked my boss (oilfield) into buying one of the Mod 700 7mm Mausers and the dies. I loaded the Speer 130 BT, I forget the powder, to the old Speer Manual max. It was accurate and I zeroed it to 100yds ( per his request). He put his spoiled brat of an 8yr old in a stand, by himself, and he worried a poor buck to death with it. Shot him all around the edges, etc. He wasn't impressed with the rifle/round, but I could never convince him to "give the rifle to me", ha. I don't know what he ever did with it. I still feel it was perfect for those East Texas deer ( they look "a whole lot like" your Florida deer! ha)

Pigs make are pretty good test media, you're right about that. They have a lot of dense meat in their neck, and have pretty heavy shoulder bones. Frankly I think the gristle-plate on old boars is often overdone in some of the things I've read, but it's no doubt there and will certainly help to slow down a bullet. I figure that since a bullet has to go through the shoulder to reach the heart, a heart shot on a big old boar will be a pretty good test. I know that bullet will work fine on our southern deer.

A note about 4064: Have mentioned using 7mm-08 data for "modern pressure" 7x57 handloading, and last night was reviewing some range notes for my present 7-08, a tang-safety Ruger 77 Compact (as I recall the model was called) with a 22" No. 1 contour Douglas barrel. The max charge of IMR4064 listed in the new Speer manual, 45.0 grains, gets decent accuracy with the 130 Hot-Cor at slightly over 3000 fps.

Thanks, John, I appreciate that. I was planning to use the updated Speer information as a guide. BTW, it looks like they've standardized their velocity tests using a 24 inch barrel. At first I was wondering why the incremental increase in velocity between the old manual and the new one with the exact same load. The old manual used a 22 inch barrel for the velocity tests, the new one uses 24.

Sierra's accuracy load for their 130-grain Match King also shows 4064. It looks as though 4350 might be a tad slow, but Big Game might be a contender. I have a couple of pounds of it as well.

Man O Man RoundOak.... what a nice Mule Deer....WOW