Speer Bullets thread

[Mike D Texas]

Gold Dots are highly underrated as a hunting bullet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[UPThunderbolt]

Absolutely, a good old cup and core bullet of traditional design is an absolute killer. Given the tendency to go for frangible bullets these days, I think you've chosen a good in between.

For what it is worth: I ran into an issue of inconsistency in the shape of the last box of .308 150 grain Speer hot core bullets I purchased. I don’t consider myself to be an advanced hand-loader, but I am fairly methodical. Among other steps, I measure the BTO on every round I produce.

With the last lot of bullets, I found my BTOs were all over the place. I could not figure out why. Eventually, I started examining individual bullets and, if you look closely, you can see they are not identical. I pulled all the bullets and put them back on the shelf. I switched to Bergers for my 30-06.

 

[Mauser]

I want to try a 375 boot tail. Anybody try thesm?

They seem to hit where you point them. Three shots, 50 yards (I was lazy).

 

[112Savage]

I’ve used gold dots 6.5mm and deep curl 6mm on deer. The deep curl seemed tougher and I caught most of them in the offside hide.

 

[Vern400]

I used 150/165 BTSP in my 308. Killed a lot of deer with them before swapping over to Sierra. They shoot good and work reliably. They were not quite as consistent as Sierra for bullet weight and that's why I switched. None of the deer I shot knew the difference. You do have to be careful not to push them too fast because they're not a hard bullet. At 2600 impact velocity they're fine.

 

[Formidilosus]

Anyone have thoughts on the spbt 130 out of 277 on elk? GRs model number 1458. Man they group good and have done great on whitetails.
Im working loads for my new tikka semi custom for elk and again, they outgroup the other imexpensive bullets- mainly hornady interlocks. Both shoot well enough.

They kill just fine.

 

[Balderdash]

I did some crop damage for a friend over maybe a 10 year span. Took quite a few with a 300 WM and cheap 180 Speer Hot Cores, which grouped very tight out to the 650 or so that I commonly shot them to. I figure total around 50 deer and an elk with that bullet. Also used the flat meplat 220grn .358's in a 35 rem and a 358 win. No problems and vast majority of animals were DRT. Had a few short tracking jobs with good blood trails.

Friend of mine has loaded the 225's in a 338 for 20+ years. A lot of moose and elk have fallen to that bullet for him.

For past 10 years or so have been loading higher BC bullets when available, but would have zero trouble loading and hunting with Speers again.

 

[Ganderzone]

If anyone knows where I can find some 6.5 impact 140s let me know.

 

[Mike D Texas]

If anyone knows where I can find some 6.5 impact 140s let me know.

How many are you looking for?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Ganderzone]

How many are you looking for?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Pm incoming

 

[UPThunderbolt]

For what it is worth: I ran into an issue of inconsistency in the shape of the last box of .308 150 grain Speer hot core bullets I purchased. I don’t consider myself to be an advanced hand-loader, but I am fairly methodical. Among other steps, I measure the BTO on every round I produce.

With the last lot of bullets, I found my BTOs were all over the place. I could not figure out why. Eventually, I started examining individual bullets and, if you look closely, you can see they are not identical. I pulled all the bullets and put them back on the shelf. I switched to Bergers for my 30-06.

View attachment 929609

We are at the tail end of the Michigan Whitetail season and I’ve been driven in from camp by a substantial snowstorm. I’m bouncing off the walls sitting in the house rather than being out hunting. With that in mind, I decided to revisit this threat. I got out my comparator and began taking measurements from the base of the bullets to the Ogive. The results are listed below. I’m not sure how I came up with an extra 15 bullets?? I may have mixed in a few from a previous lot?? That may explain the 15 bullets that are substantially different from the others.

0.444-0.445 inches: 13 bullets
0.446-0.448 inches: 52 bullets
0.449-0.450 inches: 29 bullets
0.452. Inches: 5 bullets
0.482-0.483 inches: 10 bullets
0.485-0.486 inches: 5 bullets


I hope this information is helpful to some of you.

 

[Comerade]

This is an old thread, but I do have a little info
270 wcf, Speer 150 grain Grand Slam on a 6 point bull Elk at 100 yards. Muzzle velocity around 2800 fps.
Bullet penetrated both Shoulders and was found offside under the hide.
Expanded to .525 and retained 125 grains. Good performance for a lest costly bullet, folks

 

[Balderdash]

Based on the many 180's I sent through game - see earlier post, I can't say I'm surprised.

Not too long ago I put up a hefty supply of 6mm Speer BT's for a 6 ARC that gets shot a lot. Paid something like $19 per 100, IIRC. I'd say where it was, but they were sold out when I finished shopping.

 

[T-Stick]

I have experience with the 243 100 grain BTSP on deer and woodchucks. They generally shoot .66 MOA at 300 yards. They are a great dual purpose bullet for varmints and deer. They open at long range and give adequate penetration at close range.
I also have experience with the 7mm 130 and 160 weights in 7mm-08. They hold .5MOA at 300 yards. They are great for deer.

I have a 277 150 grain load that pushes 3,000 fps with RL23 and shoots .5MOA at 300 yds. I have to not bloodied it yet with that load.

The BTSP are a great compromise between a premium bullet for close range and a frangible bullet for long range. In my experience the advertised BC holds true in the field for running elevation clicks.

Nathan Foster speaks highly of them also.

 

[T-Stick]

For many years I primarily used Hornady or Nosler bullets. In the last 5 years I started trying out the Speer BTSP bullets. The general understanding I had was that Speer bullets were not accurate. I can't speak to their history but in the last 5 years I've been weighing all my bullets and keeping hunting loads within a 3/10 grain variation. The Speer boatails have shown a lot of consistency. In one lot of 7mm 160 grain bullets I have found the same level of consistency as with the 7mm 162 ELDM.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have loaded speer bullets in the past but have not seen them for sale in any of the stores I frequent for the last 6-7 years. My biggest fear today is the current climate is to abandon everything that has worked for the last 5-6 decades in favor of little bullets that go very fast and blow up. Not that speer is one of them but the choices I have are very limited and speer isn't one of them.

 

[Highvoltage1]

I load the 90gr gold dots in a 270 win for the kids. Reduced recoil load, it shoots very well and hammers whitetails with little to no recoil.

 

[dasblanc]

A little late to the party. I was looking at my bullet collection and spotted some .284 160gr mag tips of which their no longer produced then I saw some
308 180gr GS's placing them beside each other they look identical. Did Speer rename the magtip or are they completly different bullets. I typicaly use 180gr bullets for bear in my 308 ackley encore pistol at 2400 fps kind of like a THORS HAMMER when going through both shoulders.

 

[T-Stick]

A number of Speer bullets are available on Midwayusa. The TNTs and HP varmint bullets are accurate and explosive at a very good price. You don’t need a boattail for varmints inside of 300 yds.
In my experience the currently produced BTSP bullets are uniform and consistent in weight. They are a great choice for wherever you might otherwise use an ELDX or Sierra BTSP. I've used them on two mule deer bucks in the last two years in 7mm-08 in 130 grain at 3,000 fps and 160 grain at 2750 fps for under 100 yd shots.

The 130 at 2850 fps impact balled up under the hide with a wide mushroom at around 50% retained weight. The 160s at a running 50 yards had a lung pass thru and then a followup shoulder shot to drop it before it cleared a range fence. The shoulder shot was a wide mushroom under the hide. On both deer the recovered bullet peeled way back and with the core and jacket still tight. In these instances they showed a controlled weight shed which makes them pretty ideal for the occasional close shot.

I have some great 300 yd targets with both of these bullets but they don't have 30 shots in the group so I won't bother posting meaningless data

 

[Sadie]

Any on game experiences with the impact bullets yet?