Author Topic: Speer Hot-Cor - Ready For Saturday (Read 1322 times)

firstshot · « **on:** November 10, 2005, 03:24:55 PM »

Deer season opens Saturday and I guess I'm as ready as I can get. I've got 145 Grn Speer (HotCor) Spire Points loaded on top of 48.0 Grns IMR 4350 and my Rem 700 Mtn LSS 7MM-08 is shooting them like a champ!

Here are 100 Yd (0.688") & 200 Yd (1.318") groups. Dark lines = 1/2", light lines = 1/4"

You don't hear a lot about Speers being very accurate (in fact you don't here much about Speer at all), but the 145 Grn SP's are very accurate in my gun. Never shot these on game before, so I sure hope the on game performance is up to par with their accuracy!

At any rate, there is no room excuses if I miss!

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

rickt300 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 10, 2005, 07:04:35 PM »

I have always been a fan of Speer bullets, especially the Hotcor versions. Great on game performance and I have gotten excellent accuracy from them.

Bearwolf31 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2005, 08:24:23 AM »

The 150gr speer hot-cor works wonders on hogs in my 308 and is just as accurate as the hornady SST's as well. They have always held together just fine too, even on very close shots (<10yds). It's hard to beat em, just wish they were a little cheaper in price.

firstshot · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2005, 12:50:05 PM »

I'm very glad to hear you both have had good results with the Speer's. A lot of folks haven't tried them, but all the ones that have seem to have nothing but good things to say about them.

This is my first season with the 7MM-08 and first time to try out the Speer HotCor's. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this combo works out. Got my climber set up this afternoon and will be in the tree before daylight in the morning.....can't wait!

PS: Pictures disappeared because ReloadersNest quit letting folks link to pics on their site. Anyone know a good place for pics that will let you can link to the pics?

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

jro45 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2005, 06:53:04 AM »

How much velocity can those Hot Core bullets take? I have read that they are suppose to go from 2400fps to 2700 fps. Don't know if this is true or not. Or is it 2700+ ?

firstshot · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2005, 07:24:13 AM »

jro45

I've got the 145 Grn HotCor's loaded to a muzzle velocity of 2,830 FPS.

I took an 8Pt with them this morning. The shot was about 75Yds, broadside behind the shoulder. Complete pass through with about a quarter sized exit hole. Deer went about 25 Yds & dropped. I was real pleased with the bullets performance.

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

jro45 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2005, 08:46:02 AM »

Thanks, that sounds good enought for me. Your 8pt.

muzzleblast525 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2005, 09:03:12 AM »

I bought two boxes of 130 grain for my 7mm-08 a couple of weeks ago just to try out. Loaded up with 40 grains of Varget and it shot well. Took hunting and got a 12 point. Very accurate for me and did a job on the deer..... :lol:

firstshot · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2005, 10:24:43 AM »

muzzleblast525

Congrats on your 12 Pt!! :toast:

I've heard good things about the Speer 130's as well. I decided on the 145's since they shot so well in my gun and around here there is always the chance of a black bear or big hog in which case I figured the extra weight would help penetration.

Did you get a complete pass through with the 130's?

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

Lone Star · « **Reply #9 on:** November 13, 2005, 03:00:35 PM »

The Speer HotCore bullets perform a bit differently than conventional jacketed bullets. They develop smaller muchrooms and show slightly smaller wound channels along with deeper penetration. I have recovered few of them from game, but mostly from expansion media. The mushrooms are small and the jacket folds back against the bullet shank. They are a great big game bullet.

Their expansion velocity window depends on the bulelt and its design. The 180FN for the .35 Remington expands well at well under 2000 fps, but some of the pointed bullets designed for the big magnums probably need a bit more speed to open up well.

firstshot · « **Reply #10 on:** November 13, 2005, 04:36:13 PM »

Loan Star

Judging from the exit wound, which was at least a quarter size in diameter (maybe a little bit larger), it seems like the 145 Grn HotCor expanded quite well. I didn't think to check to see if a rib was hit on the way in or out, but based on the size of the exit, I would think that at least one rib was probably hit on the way out.

With a 2,830 FPS muzzle velocity, I would estimate that the impact velocity was around 2,680 FPS. As far as wound channel is concerned, well....kind of hard to tell as there was nothing left of lungs but mush.

Just courious....what weight and caliber were the HotCor's you recovered from game & media? What kind of game? Can you give a little more detail on the on game performance?

By the way, here is a pic of me, my huntin buddy and my basket rack 8PT. He's not a wall hanger, but I'm sure he'll taste just fine.

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

Lone Star · « **Reply #11 on:** November 14, 2005, 09:45:46 AM »

My media testing was with 180 and 250-grain .358" HotCores. I've shot deer and caribou with the 180s and a moose with the 250. Expansion on the deer was okay and this was the only bullet recoved in any shape to compare. It looked just like the one from my recovery testing and was launched at 2175 fps, impact velocity ca. 1950 fps. Expansion on the moose appeared minimal untill the 250 hit the spine....

Also used 130 HCs in a .270 on deer and caribou. Complete penetration in all cases. One Speer BT bullet with same load and placement expanded violently and stopped inside the caribou. The BTs are not HotCore bullets and are softer, designed for greater expansion. Still, a dead caribou.

All recovered HotCore bullets looked almost exactly like the one shown on page 304 of Speer #11.

firstshot · « **Reply #12 on:** November 14, 2005, 10:55:02 AM »

Thanks Lone Star....I appreciate the followup!!!

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

rickt300 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 14, 2005, 04:49:03 PM »

I shot a nice 9 point whitetail yasterday with a 180 grain Magtip thru the neck and out thru the shoulder blade. Nice round 3/4 inch exit hole. The deer was facing me at an agle and I was above him. The bullet plowed thru agood bit of bone befre it exited. The rifle is a 30-06 and the load is 59 grains of H4831 primed with a CCI 250 for a bit better than 2800 fps in my 2 groove barrel. The range was 125 yards.

longwalker · « **Reply #14 on:** November 15, 2005, 07:59:39 AM »

I purchased some speer bullets to reload my 25-06. I tried the 100 grain SPBT bullets and have not looked back. These bullets gave me the speed/ trajectory and terminal effects I bought the 25-06 for. I use them for everything from Prairie dogs to mule deer. I do need to place the shots, and wait for the right opportunity.

When I built my 338-06 I again chose Speer Bullets this time a 200 grain HotCore bullet. On game animals it is excellent. The 225 BT shoot a little better groups, but I have enough 200 grainers to go through before switching over to the 225's.

On close in, less than 100 yards, deer the bullets expand and pass through. All my deer last year simply dropped. I don't expect this all the time but three deer on three different days surprised and gratified me.

Speer Bullets may just be a very well kept secret.

longwalker

jro45 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 18, 2005, 09:25:38 AM »

Do your Speer Hot Core bullet boxes have Hot Core written on them. The ones I ordered and have don't have Hot Core written on them just 200gr
Spitzer SP, but I order them under the Hot Core number.

firstshot · « **Reply #16 on:** November 18, 2005, 10:20:23 AM »

jro45

I don't have the boxes as I weigh out all the bullets to .1 grn and put all the same weights is zip locks labeled with the weight; however, I certainly do not recall seeing "HotCor" anywhere on the boxes. To the best of my recollection they just said "145 Grn Spire Points".

I do know that the SPBT are NOT HotCor's.

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

jro45 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 20, 2005, 03:15:30 AM »

Thanks firstshot

papajohn428 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2005, 09:05:56 AM »

Anytime I have a rifle that seems finicky or just plain won't shoot, I break out the Speer Bullets. I shoot a lot, so cost matters, and the Speers are a bit pricier than the bulk Remington bullets I shoot most of the time. But in a finicky gun, they will usually tell me if the gun is a shooter or a future trade. I'm particularly fond of the 180-FN in 35 caliber, I've never shot a 35 that didn't LOVE that bullet. Now they are all I shoot in my Marlin 336.

If Speer bullets are a secret, someone has let the cat out of the bag! I've been shooting them for 20 years.

PJ

Idaho_Hick · « **Reply #19 on:** November 21, 2005, 07:00:43 AM »

I will second that only the flat base big game bullets are Hot Core.

jro45 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 27, 2005, 10:07:05 AM »

The ones I bought were very reasonable. I couldn't beleave that these were Speer Hot Core bullets. Thats why I asked so many questions.