Author Topic: Speer Bullets (Read 1095 times)

Varminter · « **on:** June 30, 2005, 05:45:33 PM »

Has anyone used the Speer Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets? Or the Grand Slams? I'm trying to work up a load for my 270 to hunt with this fall. I would like to keep it in the 130-140 grain range. All suggestions are welcome and price is no object so please feel free to recommend any bullet.

Questor · « **Reply #1 on:** July 01, 2005, 01:26:38 AM »

What are you hunting? Those bullets are made for larger game than whitetail deer. However, they may be a good choice for using the .270 on whitetails at relatively close ranges where you don't want the bullet to blow up or expand excessively. I picked Nosler ballistic tips for my last .270 application, but then the situation involved shots that were most likely to be over 200 yards. I've used Speer Hot Cor bullets on deer-sized animals at close range and they work fine. Not very expensive either.

I've had good luck calling the bullet companies. Speer in particular. Just tell them what you want to do, they may ask a few questions, then they give good advice. Generally the people on the other end of the phone line are hunters too.

Lone Star · « **Reply #2 on:** July 01, 2005, 02:42:16 AM »

IMO the standard HotCore bullets are plenty for deer. Note that due to their design they will generally penetrate deeper than more conventional bullets like those from Sierra or Hornady. They expand into smaller mushrooms for deeper penetration, yet still make ample wound channels. If I don't need the more violent expansion I get from Nosler Ballistic Tips, the Speer HotCore bullets are most often my choice.

lostsniper308 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 01, 2005, 03:42:15 AM »

i bought a box of 165gr BTSP from Speer. Usually loaded 165gr Nosler BTs but the price was right. Have yet to test these bullets on Speers Boat-tail line-up of bullets.

Are Boat-Tails inherently more accurate than say the Speer hot-cor bullets or similar.

Varminter · « **Reply #4 on:** July 01, 2005, 04:28:20 AM »

I bought some of the Speer 130gr. BTSP and they have done pretty well as far as accuracy goes but i do not plan to use them for hunting.

As for the Hot-Cor bullets i've heard a few bad reviews about them and i think i'm gonna shy away from them.

I'm gonna be hunting deer and hogs. Shots on deer could go well past 200 yards but most likely will be around 150-175 yards. Shots on hogs could get to 150 yards but most likely are going to be around 100 yards.

I want something that is going to penetrate deep and i thought one of these two would be my best bet.

What about fail safes?

Lone Star · « **Reply #5 on:** July 02, 2005, 05:27:01 AM »

I'd be very interested to read the "bad reviews" on the HotCore bullets if you don't mind. I'm always looking for reliable bullet performance data. Hard to imagine how these bullets would fail to work if loaded within their intended velocity window....but use what you believe in.

The Speer BTSP bullets are of conventional construction - soild cores pressed into jackets. They will open faster into larger mushrooms than the HotCores will, and are intended for lighter game and longer ranges. Like the Sierra BTs they will at times shed their jackets, which the HotCores cannot do.

In general BT bullets will give higher retained velocity and less drop at long range, but the differences are usually slight for real world use. The smallest groups in competiton are fired with flat based bullets, but BT bullets rule at very long range. At 100 yards it is more a matter of what bullet the particular barrel likes than it is bullet base design.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #6 on:** July 02, 2005, 03:42:41 PM »

If BT bullets are more inherently accurate that flat based bullets, why do bench rest shooters use flat based bullets almost straight acrost the board?

? The different trajectory between BT and FB bullets does not compute in the real world of hunting. And please don't bore me with any HYPOTHETICAL advantage a BT will give you out at 600 yards or so. :grin:

The first elk I killed was with a 200gr Speer Hot Core bullet from a 30-06.

Lone Star · « **Reply #7 on:** July 02, 2005, 04:03:57 PM »

Who are you responding to beemanbeme? Certainly not me, since you just about repeated what I did write. Hmmm...

How often have you shot at 600 yards? Some of us have done it a lot, particularly in highpower competition using scored targets which do not lie. Be bored if you wish, but, there are real and measurable advantages to BT bullets for this kind of shooting - ask any of the thousands of highpower shooters. Like I implied before, for field shooting of game, any BT advantages are so small that most hunters won't notice - there are too many other variables when hunting for them to overcome first. :wink:

Duffy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 02, 2005, 07:25:52 PM »

My hunting partner and his wife use the regular speer 150g spbt and so far it's been 6 rounds and 6 deer. He'll be dead before he gets through that box I loaded for him.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2005, 07:15:03 AM »

I guess I'm getting old and dyslectic (spl). The statement was: ARE BT bullets more inherently accurate than FB's" and I read BT ARE etc,etc.

However, my statement stands on its merit that in the real world of HUNTING the differeence between FB's and BT's doesn't compute. I would advise seeking the bullet your rifle shoots best regardless of profile. I have two match grade .223's. One shoots the 52gr SMK (a BT) and the other prefers the 53gr flat based bullet.

cal sibley · « **Reply #10 on:** July 03, 2005, 07:24:23 AM »

As a youngster I was told "Sierra at the bench - Speer in the field." I think that may still be true today. I use the Grand Slams in my moose rifle where it performs well. Speer makes an excellent hunting bullet. I don't feel that same excellence is present in their accuracy bench bullets. Sierra and lately the Nosler Bal.Tips seem to have a lock on that segment of the market. Just one mans opinion. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Duffy · « **Reply #11 on:** July 03, 2005, 10:05:40 AM »

Ooops! that's what I get for not reading everything fully :oops: . I once asked the Sierra reps why they still made flat bases when the BT were suppose to be the hot ticket and he said because some rifles just shoot FB bullets better! Sounds good to me!