Those Hot Core bullets

[jro45]

The Speer Hot Core bullet for the 338. I have loaded the 200gr Speer Hot Core bullet. I haven't used it hunting yet. I would like to know if it holds up in game.
My 338 is the RUM. That bullet gives me a very tight group. Does anybody know?

[Coyote Hunter]

I used Grand Slams for many years (over 20) in my 7mm Rem Mag and never lost an animal.  The only one I recovered started life at 160g and ended up at 113g after destroying both shoulder joints of a 5x5 bull elk.

These days I prefer true premiums (primarily A-Frames or North Forks) but would be unafraid to use Grand Slams again.

[Cappy]

I've found that the Hot-Cors behave like any typical cup and core bullet.

[Don Fischer]

I have killed exactly one head of game with the 338 Win mag and it was with the 200gr Speer Hot Core. The range was about 75 yds and the hold was center ofg the chest right behind the shoulder. I was a bit off and clipped the shoulder. Biggest mess I ever saw. There was nothing left of the front half that resembled anything worth eating. Decided that I really didn't need that much power for anything. I'm not sure what would have happened had I got the bullet by the shoulder without hitting it.

I always liked Speer bullet's but I think in 338 a bigger bullet would be better. I used the 160gr Speer Hot Core in a 7mm Rem Mag and it was a wonderful bullet.

[Slamfire]

Hot Cores were Speer's answer to the opinion of many shooters that their ordinary bullets were quick to shed their cores. I experienced that with 105s in a .244. Now I get less expansion, and less penetration, which just about drives me nuts, how'd they do that? 

[Drilling Man]

  I've shot a lot of hot cores in varied cals....  I like them as good as or better than any other non-premium bullet.  Like all non premium bullets, push them too fast and they over expand...  This isn't a bad thing, they just weren't designed to be pushed as fast as come cartridges will drive them.

  As for the .338-200, i've shot hundreds of them and in my 338-06 they work pretty good at "that" velocity.  But, close shots out of a magnum or if used on heavy bone they will over expand.  Even at .338-06 velocities they expand well on deer sized animials.

  I've also used Gran Slams, and i wasn't impressed with them.  I remember shooting a moose with my 338-06 two times in the foreward part of the shoulder and although i did find the mose, both bullets broke up and did NOT exit.  I MUCH prefer to have my bullets exit, and that's why these days i hunt almost 100% with Nosler partitions.

  IMHO for anything bigger than deer, 200 grain bullets are too light in .338 cal....

  DM

[jro45]

Drilling Man,
  I 've shot them at 3260 fps out my 338 RUM to a paper target at 200 yds the holes made were normal size but thats not game. For this reason i'm asking

From what you have said they would not be any good at the FPS stated. About 2800 or 2900 FPS would be better right.

[Drilling Man]

From what you have said they would not be any good at the FPS stated. About 2800 or 2900 FPS would be better right.

  It all depends on what they hit.  My guess is like i said before, at magnum velocities they will be too soft and won't pentrate very deeply on any bigger animials.  28 or 2900 will be better than over 3000 for sure....

  Why not just choose a bullet designed for the velocity of your cartridge and size animial your going to hunt??

  DM

[jro45]

I going to get some of those 210gr Nosler Partitions to use. I was trying to find a good bullet other then the primium bullets but if those Hot Core bullets don't work, they don't work period. I'm pretty sure My 338 RUM will not push those noslers as fast as the Speer Hot Core bullets. I don't like those BT bullets that Nosler has in 200gr. I don't like any BT bullets because of the big hole they make coming out.