But, in 1975, the company that still bears his name released what I consider to be the finest design of Speers lineup: the Speer Grand Slam. Their "heavy game bullets" are now all Trophy Bonded. Having posed the question on the various US forums the "best" seems to be either the Nosler Partition in 100 grains (personally I have my doubts because . values, it gives a useable trajectory and retains plenty of energy out to sane distances. Most were behind the shoulder with complete penetration. I could probably spend the rest of my days using a Nosler Partition as my go-to bullet (except where a solid is called for) without much concern. The Nosler Partition is a fantastic bullet; and, although it's virtually unchanged from the original 1948 design, it still gives high weight retention, wide expansion and deep penetration from nearly any angle, just as John desired. Unfortunately Federal Premium bought that bullet from Speer and . Copyright 2012 by Chuck Hawks. Location. I've never tried the Grand Slam but have always read and heard positive reviews on that bullet. The partition is one of the best dual core bullets ever designed. Both work really well in my experiencelike the protected point on the GS!! The Grand Slams worked well for me from the early '80s when I started using them until Speer changed the design, at which point I switched to North Fork bullets. I've been very successful with Accubonds, but these 145 gr Hot-Cors are giving me groups of 5 at <1" and there is just something cool about using them versus the ever popular (for good reason) Accubond. GS in .358 for my .35 Whelen. [This message has been edited by bulldog (edited 10-07-2001). In the post-World War II boom, three partners gathered in a Quonset hut and developed a bullet that would set the shooting world on its ear. TENNIS FOR STARTERS: ONE GRAND SLAM AND TWO MASTERS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2023. As such, it is more expensive Speer is known for discontinuing bullets and they always seem to drop the ones i use. not listed below. 100g HORNADY INTERLOCK V 100g SPEER GRAND SLAM (243) Thread starter mick b; Start date Jul 24, 2010; mick b Well-Known Member. Funny thing is, I still used 160 Partitions on that hunt. game and yet typically retain a substantial percentage of core for deep The bullet also has a patented expansion control ring that helps to control the expansion and ensure consistent performance. With its tapered, precision-drawn jacket and long nose, the rifle is designed to penetrate deeply and precisely, making it ideal for hunting anywhere in the world, regardless of the weather conditions. The traditional cup-and-core bullets, if they are of proper sectional density, can work very well on African plains game. In his thick Scottish accent, Ronnie Hepburn asked me a simple question: Can you shoot with all these midgies!?. Speer prospered and from such humble beginnings It is also a good performer, just . The 250g 338 I used to use was great (and accurate) with the old style. The few recovered bullets retained thier weight and expanded well. My 7-08 R25 actaully shoots the 150-160 gr bullets better with 4831 than the 4350. A bonus of these three .25/06 loads is they hit within a deer's hair of each other at 100 yards and within 3 inches at 300 yards. reduces penetration. jacket/core separation after impact, ensuring high weight retention. In fact, I'm not sure that they've ever had their heart fully into any sort of premium hunting bullet program, even now with their acquired 'Trophy Bonded' lineup, which seems to be very poorly and unenthusiastically promoted. They are a true Premium Bullet.. I like to start .010" off the lands if magazine restrainta allow it, then work up to the max charge unless I see signs of pressure. What are your experiences, good or bad, with the Nosler Partition or the Speer Grand Slam bullets on big game? Class 4 species can be quite dangerous and are the only category of game for which "solid" (non-expanding) round nose bullets are sometimes recommended, particularly for brain shots on hippo and elephant or to immobilize dangerous Class 4 animals by breaking both shoulders. Winchester Power Point, Hornady InterLock and similar bullets in terms of both The velocity and sd are what kill with the 270. Speer claims the Hot-Cor MagTip's for my .416 Rigby but haven't used it on game yet. . One was straight on the shoulder, breaking the joint and lodging in the off side shoulder. The Grand Slam has a cold core stuck in the bottom of the bullet and then a Hot Core poured on top of it. The Speer Grand Slam is an overlooked choice in a market saturated with good designs. As such, it is more expensive than the other Speer bullets. I'm not sure that Speer has ever had their 'Grand Slam' program quite fully together. The Mag Tip is the SAME jacket as the Grand Slam, but has a one piece Hot Core poured in it. That bulletthe #1400 .224-inch-diameter, 53-grain, flat-base, match hollow-pointjust happens to be the bullet my own .22-250 Remington likes best. Yeah, I read Speer's justification for the change. The NP is my go to hunting bullet aswell. recommendations. Just after World War II ended, he and Joyce Hornady were transforming spent .22 LR cases into bullet jackets. While I am not a user of Nosler products, they stand on their own merit. 308 Winchester 110gr FB Tipped Varmgeddon Ammunition View Details. I don't know about the 145 gr. Tough expanding bullets, such as the Woodleigh Weldcore, are usually recommended for heart/lung shots. Mine looks like 4.4 on my non digital calipers. This partition helps to keep the lead core from expanding on impact, which results in better penetration and accuracy. the quickest kills of medium size animals. Vernon Speer was a pioneer in the component bullet industry. I do know I got my Arkansas elk permit in 2001. A 90 grain .243 from any bullet line is probably going to be optimized for use on light framed medium game, such as pronghorn antelope and the smaller deer species. I quit using Nosler partitions years ago as the tips would get bent in the magazine of my 338 Win Mag just from the recoil of the rifle. I only used Reloader 22, so I can't say I"ve tried lots of different powders, but I could only get 2" accuracy. FLAT SHIPPING! past, perhaps this could be considered the most basic in a series on the It was created by John Nosler in 1949. Now it has one. If it wont shoot these, it wont shoot, he insists, and I dont know that hes wrong. Vernon Speer is really one of the unsung heroes of our current handloading nirvana, for sure. 28 Nosler 175gr AccuBond Long Range Trophy Grade Ammunition View Details. Its suitable for nearly all game animals that are hunted with soft-point (expanding) bullets, including feral hogs, pronghorn, elk, moose, bear and even Cape buffalo. jacket is made with a heavy heel section. Re: Nosler Partition or Speer Grand Slam Powered by UBB.threads PHP Forum Software 7.7.5. I could not get good accuracy with Speer Grand Slams. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. Federal brand as Federal's premium bullet and leaving the Grand Slam as Speer's The beauty is its simplicity, and I like the fact that Remington still offers a bunch of round-nosed choices for those of us who spend most of our time inside 150 yards or so. For over a month now I have been trying to develop a 140gr Accubond load for my .270 with no luck. I am trying to compare the two in terms of other hunter's experiences regarding accuracy and terminal performance on deer, moose and elk. Then, when I started hand-loading, spent many years switching back and forth b/t the Speer Hot-Cor and Nosler Partition. Hornady SST have also proven very effective on Class 2 game. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The Speer Grand Slam is one that interests me. meaning that there is no exposed lead tip unsupported by the jacket. used on Class 2 game. OK, enough of that rant. The bullet is the cheapest part of the hunt, but the most important. bullets, started making bullets during World War II using spent .22 rimfire expansion. an interesting assessment! The Grand Slams are still my favourite bullet for Moose and Elk. filling a drawn gilding metal jacket cup with molten lead, rather than the The bullet features a copper jacket that is bonded to the lead core and a hollow point design that provides for maximum expansion. Grand Slam was designed to compete with the other deep penetration premium The load we provide to civilians for personal protection is simply unparalleled. This is a old thread, but nothing has really changed. The Grand Slams I have were made in the early 80's so I'm assuming they are the old style, they shoot around 1" in about all calibers for me with several powders. I'm just a casual observer, the effete snob upon the hill with the fine wine and the opera glasses, gazing down upon your little battlefield, looking alternately aghast and bemused. As a result, the Speer Grand Slam bullet is a bullet capable of standing up to high pressures and temperatures as well as staying intact after being fired at its target. core and jacket are fused at the molecular level. Some bullets, such as the Nosler Partition, are offered in many brands of Perhaps on the other end of the spectrum, John A. Noslers brainchild was designed to combat all the inherent issues associated with weaker hunting bullet designs. Sub-minute groups all the way out to 300 meters. The grand slam managed to penetrate through both shoulders of a Zebra standing broadside amd keep on going. Allen: +1. Oct 20, 2010. Oh and by the way Corporate wants the rollout plan and new slicks by Tuesday. I have some of the old 285 gr 375s. flagship bullet. For example, the 150 grain Hot-Cor is a good choice for deer hunting with a .308 Winchester rifle and it is hard to see how the same caliber and weight bullet from the Deep Curl or Grand Slam lines would make any difference in killing power. For deer ive had stellar results with the sierra gameking and nosler ballistic tip. just sticking to nosler partitions for smaller game and barnesx for bigger at those speeds. Wed spent the majority of the afternoon chasing the herds of red stag around the Blair Atholl Estate, for which Hepburn was a game stalker, and wed set up a perfect ambush. The original had a hard rear core with a softer front section, and the inside of the jacket nose was fluted to initiate expansion. Dont waste your money! I have booked a trip for May 2024, with Motshwere Safari in Limpopo, so if there is anybody that has hunted with them, drop a line on how it was. (Speer pioneered plating the "old and new" GS differences in mfg would be interesting to note. You have entered an incorrect email address! this bullet a higher ballistic coefficient (BC) than a flat base bullet, making Similarly, the versatile Nosler Partition bullet is a perfectly You don't need my opinion to know they are good bullets. Ok so as a lifelong hunter and hand loader I have always shot premium controlled expansion bullets. So it looks like Midway just isn't going to stock. ------------------Victory through superior firepower! generic factory loads for non . I've read on multiple sites the 200gr Nosler Partition is the best for . No separation of of cores on impact. Joel SlateSlate & Associates, LLCThe Safari Specialistswww.slatesafaris.com, ray@atkinsonhunting.com atkinsonhunting.com. jacket and core together, something like the Hornady InterLock in concept. RUGER: I just would not even bother to make a switch; I've lost count of the deer and elk I've shot or seen shot with Partitions, and switching to the Grand Slam would be, in my humble opinion, of no advantage whatsoever. Mar 12, 2023. Speer introduced the Grand Slam in 1975 as their premium To summarize, Speer Bullets is the only manufacturer who can provide dependable, high-quality ammo for your rifle or handgun, no matter what kind of ammo youre looking for. The Sierra GameKing and ProHunter boattail and flat base, respectivelyhave a good, thick jacket, and give good expansion and penetration. Rocky Mountain elk or general African plains game, place multiple demands on I switched to Grand Slams which had a flatter tip and never looked back. Ive used the Grand Slam, in lighter bullet weights, as a deer bullet with nothing but good results. He just fell back on his butt and keeled over dead. Naturally, any bullet must be in a caliber and weight You could quickly become a fan. It looks like I'm fresh out fo the AGS and the regular GS I have (285gr) are in the solid yellow box so must be pretty old. The round is ideal for hunting or self-defense situations where maximum expansion is desired. name to reloaders. (Fusion I agree. 160 & 175 grain 7mm (.284) Bullets - Speer bonded + Sierras, OtoPro SoundGear Phantom and Impulse Review, Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder Review, Toric UHD 2.5-15x44mm FFP Hunt Series Riflescope Review, Hunting Big Mule Deer after Mid-October with Cliff Gray. I had good luck with the old Grand Slams, before they were cheapened, I mean, redesigned. also improved accuracy. Class 4 animals are heavy, thick-skinned game and the 9.3mm or .375 calibers are considered the practical minimum, while the over .40 caliber big bores really come into their own. Dec 20, 2009. Bristol. Vernon Speer was a pioneer in the component bullet industry. The reason I ask is I got four boxes of the 250 gr. I recently started working up loads using Accubonds and was very pleasantly surprised with their accuracy. I just ordered 500 285 gr .375 Grand Slams @ 50% off, $.30 each. I've never been able to tell the difference in killing potential from. 210 Grain. never seen much point in competing with your own product line and ATK has Highly accurate cup-and-core, polymer-tipped and Partition bullets cover most bases, and new bonded bullets and several . I hunt Elk with the .308, and out here we do get some long shots. Question: Grand Slam used to have two cores. You might try buying them directly from Speer. bullet jackets with their TMJ handgun bullets.) All rights reserved. I'm not sure that Speer has ever had their 'Grand Slam' program quite fully together. Bill Steigers (BBC) tested a bunch of 375 bullets, including the 285 gr Speer GS in the mid 1980s. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Including breaking shoulders on a 220 lb 8 pt. Despite their low muzzle velocity of 2782 fps, the bullets appear to have good penetration and excellent expansion, making them ideal for shooting at muzzle speeds of up to 8000 fps. of game, such as pronghorn antelope or Coues deer, at any range. bullets are already offered in .35 Whelen and .45-70 factory loads.) I recall the GS placed in the middle of the pack. The Partition used to be my go to hunting bullet for several years until I ran out of the batches that I had on hand. I emailed Speer but received no reply. The 168-grain, .308-inch-diameter, boat-tail, hollow-point MatchKing, especially when loaded in the .308 Winchester, remains a major player. I'm a semi-professional tennis player for 15 years, and I can clearly claim that tennis court is my 2nd home. I switched to Grand Slams which had a flatter tip and never looked back. core/jacket integrity and less chance of the core slipping from the jacket see mule deer's post above re: testing. When I ordered them last year they actually came in the Midway blue boxes they use for their seconds, but did say Speer grand slam. (2002-2003 I'd guess). If you have sticker shock check out the speer grand slam. They are almost the same design, but the Swifts are bonded to the jackey, where the Noslers are not. I then measured the Overall Length, and things cleared up a little. The Grand Slams I have were made in the early 80's so I'm assuming they are the old style, they shoot around 1" in about all calibers for me with several powders. why package the (essentially) same bullet in two packages? Got a good deal so basically shot them of for the Brass. Back then I was buying powder by the pound can, primers by the 100 box and bullets a box at a time. Those projectiles were breaking up on impact and were failing to penetrate into the vital organs. penetration after expansion. If all else fails I have a bunch of 375 H&H brass that I need to fireform to 375 Wby so they'd work to combine load development with brass preparation. That is one of the virtues of the .375 H&H, good performance (especially on plains game) with heavier bullets of about any decent construction. Lol it doesn't matter,,, try to buy either one of them right now. Despite their low muzzle velocity of 2782 fps, the bullets appear to have good penetration and . One of Vernon Speer's last accomplishments was the Hot-Cor bullet, which was introduced some 48 years ago. Testing the question if the 70GR Nosler Varmageddons are expanding properly after many reported "Pass through" kills. JavaScript is disabled. I like the Speer 145 gr size for all of the 7's for deer. "Hard" bullets intended for Class 3 game may not achieve quick kills If your quarry is deer, the Hot-Cor should be every bit as good. : ). And why use a premium bullet if you don't expect some possible stress? the a-frame being a bonded bullet in addition to partitioned. Bonded core bullets are all the rage, so new to the Speer I have used partitions for years, love the way they hang together for extra penetration. I switched to the Speer Grand slam, had many kills, worked well, however a little too robust for a deer. Hornady has some amazing premium hunting bulletsfrom the GMX, ELD-X to the DGX Bonded. Both the NP & Accubonds hit hard, and are accurate, but my preference is the tip of the Accubond. Mostly 120 grain Nosler Partition but two rifles love those Speer's and one the 120 Sierra's. Good luck. Hornady 270 Caliber Component Bullets, 145 Grain .277 Diameter ELD-X, 100 Per Box Md: 27356. Use sandbags or a commercial rifle 1) 7mm 150 grain Partition 35 count - $20 shipped to conusa. The Grand Slam is a Cup-n-Core with a three-part Lead alloy in the same tapered/fluted jacket as the SPEER Hot Core process. They are made with a thicker jacket and a heavier core than traditional bullets, and they have a sharp nose that helps them penetrate deep into targets. It wasn't long after that I heard they were changing them. He wrote up his findings, which I have around here (somewhere). Want a great practice/plains game bullet for your .375 H&H or .375 Ruger? Its a simple design, with few revisions from the late-19th-century jacketed bullets. for the small predators, especially coyotes, which prey on them. .277 150gr grand slams hammered an elk for my wife last year and shoot very very well. All-around Bullets for Class 2 and Class 3 game. at the same impact velocity, the Boat Tail will provide more expansion, which The ELD-X bullet is a technologically advanced, match accurate, ALL-RANGE hunting bullet featuring highest-in-class ballistic coefficients and consistent, controlled expansion at ALL practical hunting. . It shoots the 154 gr Hornady Interlocks the best so far. It also had a heal crimp that held the core in place. A homogenous bullet with limited expansion may be the best all-around choice for Class 4 game and the Barnes TSX has an excellent reputation in appropriate calibers. h4831-sc was much better than 4350 in her tikka. The Deep Curl I just don't see a good reason to go with Grand Slams for any sort of hunting use these days. However, they do make a variety of other types of bullets, so it is possible that they offer a bonded option as well. Weight associated with the cooling and consequent slight shrinking of the hot lead core. But these were 285-grain bullets at moderate velocity. The shank of the Grand Slam's tapered gilding metal jacket is up to 45% thicker than standard game bullets and a cannelure . One of the best reloading investments I've ever made was a Stoney point OAL tool and comparator kit. For example, bonded core bullets are "in" as I write these words. At the time, civilian hunters/reloaders were unable to buy Once you determine the This bullet competes with the Sierra Last year he got a bull moose one shot and it was done. The polar and Alaskan brown bears are the world's largest predators. ------------------To be old and wise..first you have to be young and stupid! than the other Speer bullets. Both will work, the partition is a way better bullet. The fact that Speer Bullets are so effective at defeating armor and stopping targets from falling makes them extremely effective. 150 - 155 Grain. retention in ballistic gelatin testing is claimed to be 70-75%. Their web site does not list the African Grand Slams, which IIRC were made with a tungsten core. Go figure. The Hot-Cor is basically a soft point bullet with an exposed All rights reserved. Actually, I kind of forgot this bullet, a 145 7mm from a 7-08: SPEER Grand Slam Premium Big Game Rifle Bullets. was the GS made differently in the smaller calibers. line is the Deep Curl bonded bullet. For a while the Grand Slam was challenged within the Speer I received an email from Midway saying that the Speer .257 120gr Grand Slam was discontinued. I'm thinking about using some 145 grainers in my 7-08 this fall. The .257 120gr Hot-Cor, .257 120gr Deep Curl and the .264 120gr Hot-Cor are three that come to mind. After talking to a few folks bout' who uses what bullet in there 7 mag for elk, the 160 nosler partition in federal factory load and 175 gr. Partition is the original American premium bullet and it remains a favorite of The Hot-Cor was in effect the first bonded bullet, as it was a poured, not swaged, core. So with one sight setting, a hunter carrying a .25/06 is ready to cover a lot of hunting ground, fast. Winchester brass, CCI 200 primers. Lets look at some of those designs and how they apply to the range and hunting fields. With factory loads you can't taylor bullets to rifles like us handloaders, so quite simply pick whichever your rifle likes and know your shooting a great bullet that will get the job done. THey're cheap and great for plinking and practice! Class 3 lists. I shot the bear with a Speer Grand Slam bullet. medicine and will out perform more expensive premium bullets. The bullet, as opposed to any other type of bullet, does not bond. 175 - 180 Grain. With a high ballistic coefficient, the steel-based Speer Bullet is known for its tough molecularly bonded construction. Bullets for Thick-skinned, Dangerous Game (Class 4). Boat Tail I hoping it just means that Midway is just not going to stock them. I plan on using the AB for most of my hunting this fall. that devour crops and even gardens. I used to use the Mag-Tip in my 300 Savage until it was dropped a few years ago. Accurate and DEADLY in my experience. Back then, I didnt keep or check weight retention in recovered bullets, but they seemed to hold together well. The Speer website lists them as "Currently Unavailable", but that describes almost everything these days. This bullet is designed to be a high-performance bullet capable of dealing with magnum cartridges high impact velocities while still providing enough expansion to be humane. Strange, I saw a similar message about the 220 HotCor for .358. 200 Grain. Use the one your rifle likes the best. 210 and 225gr Nosler Partition 225gr Speer Grand Slam 230gr Hawk Spitzer Hawk Precision Bullets PRICE LIST 225gr Hornady interBOND . bullets of the time, such as the Nosler Partition. A 100 grain .243 Core-Lokt would be an They kept our freezer full of deer and elk and I dont recall any failures with them. In recent years, the ammunition company Speer has come under fire for its production of the so-called grand slam bullet. for large animals and premium bullets, often constructed with lead cores bonded A Hot-Cor bullet is made by Shoot a few whitetails with 150gr grand slams out of a .308 win when I was a kid. When using these bullets in a magnum cartridge, I do prefer a healthy amount of bullet weight to prevent premature breakup, but Ill certainly attest to dozens of whitetails that fell to a 165-grain Hornady InterLock from my .308 Winchester. Speer produces four bullet lines and there must be a reason for this. In appropriate Another consideration is finding a bullet and load that your rifle shoots well from the list of acceptable bullets for the type of game you seek. The result is less expansion, higher retained weight and deeper