Called Speer this morning about the grand slam bullet

[gerry]

The Grand Slam was my favorite bullet, took some nice animals with them. I stopped buying the new ones when I had a 165 gr G.S./300 WSM come apart in bullet testing. Switched to Nosler bullets now mostly along with a few Swift and Barnes. The Mag Tip is a great bullet for the price like was all ready mentioned. I really want to try the Deep Curl in my 260 Rem when they make it across the border, Deep Curls in 358 and 375 are planned according to the Customer service guy I talked to, so you might want to email them so maybe they come out quicker

 

[CatskillCrawler]

Assault was certainly not the intent! I don't have enough horsepower to fight any battle with Dubyam. Just an exchange of views and experiences.

I've e-mailed Speer concerning a 225gr DC in .358 a few times. This was their latest reply:

"Mr. Roberts

Thank you for your email.

No plans that I am aware of. However, I will pass on your request to our R&D Engineers for their consideration. Linda


Linda Olin
CCI/Speer Technical Services
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501"

Here's one of the Fusions we recovered: http://www.noslerreloading.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=17415

The other was from a .270Win which double shouldered a WT buck at 40 yds and was found in a tree. It looked the same but lost one of the petals. It weighs 90gr. Never got a chance to measure/weigh the .338 bullet but I'll try to remember the next time I run up to Maine.

 

[300WSM]

I have lots of ties throughout the industry and I've never heard that.

It would be business dumb and silly for them to drop such a marquis product that has so much history and proven performance.

I'm not sure they could survive a move like that.

That would be on par with Nosler dropping Ballistic Tip bullets. :roll: Could you imagine?
When I think of bullets...there are names that just jump and of course are mainstays.
Nosler/Ballistic tips
Speer /grand slam
Barnes X
Hornady/XTP and Interlock
Winchester Silver tip
Remington Core Lokt

Unthinkable and not survivable if any of those were dropped even if something else performs better.

 

[257 Ackley]

Dubyam, my post wasn't directed to assault you either buddy, just wanted to show you what they look like..
That usually tells a decent story of how "tough" a bullet is.. I don't know if I will get to it shortly, but I know Joel has been working with the 225's out of his 338-06.

I have done some early testing on the 225 grain and initial tests look very promising with R15 (what else is there) . I am looking forward to some warmer weather so I can set up the chrony and check velocities to go with the groups. I will have a big dilema since the 210 PT shoots really well in this rifle also.

 

[tecumseh]

I've read somewhere that Speer changed the way that Grand Slams were made for cheaper production, but I don't remember how... Maybe no longer the dual hardness on the core, maybe something else. That's why I'm getting away from them in my Whelen.

I didn't even think too ask them what process they're using now to make them? I'll make a note to ask them about that if I ever need to call them again about anything.

 

[35 Whelen]

Very interesting to sift thru all this data.................... its always cool to listen to other point of views.
I am in Scottys boat with the Hot Cores in .358; they are a very good bullet and this is really behond debate when you look at that 15 year study that included over 20 different guys shooting them in the Yukon at Moose over the study . They used every bullet available in .358 Winchesters , 35 Remingtons, 35 Whelens and even 358 Norma Mags and in the end the one bullet that consistantly stayed at the very top of the heap was Vernon Speer's 250gr bullet. For me all of us can have an opinion but when you can compile that much data with recovered bullets from literally hundreds of Moose shot at so many different distances and velocitys and get that result. Then that out weighes any kind of bullet test, I have ever heard of . That is real world, actual results period.
I too am very interested to know; if they are planning on taking that proven bullet into the new deep curl process, to save money . Of course if it were to improve its total performance, that could be a good thing; but we cant comment on what it could be. But we can comment on what it is now.
As for GS bullets; that is a bad subject for me to get onto; as in our bullet testing many years ago when that bullet was first introduced; it actually finished dead last from our testing into wet phone books for penatration, and by a huge margin! :shock: Many guides in Alaska, had lots of problems with them on Bears and they were sorta considered a joke by everyone around 1985, time frame. I think that they redesigned that bullet, more than once, and I am sure it is alot different now, than it was then . But because of my original experences with it we walked away from it and have never looked back .
Others that have had good luck with that bullet will of course not agree with that, and I appreaciate that as well, and am only printing what our own experences with the GS were at that time. :|

 

[SJB358]

Assault was certainly not the intent! I don't have enough horsepower to fight any battle with Dubyam. Just an exchange of views and experiences.

I've e-mailed Speer concerning a 225gr DC in .358 a few times. This was their latest reply:

"Mr. Roberts

Thank you for your email.

No plans that I am aware of. However, I will pass on your request to our R&D Engineers for their consideration. Linda


Linda Olin
CCI/Speer Technical Services
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501"

Here's one of the Fusions we recovered: http://www.noslerreloading.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=17415

The other was from a .270Win which double shouldered a WT buck at 40 yds and was found in a tree. It looked the same but lost one of the petals. It weighs 90gr. Never got a chance to measure/weigh the .338 bullet but I'll try to remember the next time I run up to Maine.

That 338 bullet looks identical to mine. Seeing the penetration that occurred with that bullet puts alot of faith in them...

 

[roysclockgun]

About six years ago, I took my one and only bull elk using 180gr Grand Slam bullets that I loaded for my Tikka White Tail Hunter in 30-06. While the bull was not a great trophy, I felt good about getting him, because I was on a self guided hunt, outside Parachute, CO., at 11,000 ft.
By the third day of the hunt, I had seen only cow elk and doe Mule Deer. Each morning I rose early, had breakfast and saddled the horse for the hour's ride that it took to get to the parks in which I was hunting. I stayed up there all day, dozing during the middle of the day. I had used my range finder and my note book to range nearly every prominant point that I could see.
305 yards down the mountain, was a bare knob that I had noted in my range book. Nearly dozing off again, at 4:30 P.M. I suddenly realized that a cow elk was standing atop the bare knob. I had piled up tree limbs to mask my outline and to get some semblance of a rifle rest. Laying the crosshairs on the cow, I counted her and six more come over the knob and walk toward broken ground, where I knew that they would disappear from my view. Last in line was the 4x3 bull. The shot was down hill, so I knew that at 305 yards, I would not need to hold high at all. As he began to walk down off the steep knob, his head and back were to me. The first shot clipped the base of his rack and lanced down into the chest area. He stumbled while the other elk cut a hard left and headed for the quakies. Now on a slight upgrade, his chest was presented and my second shot took him center of mass, in the chest. Still, he staggered on, now coming head on toward me, but nearing the swale, into which he would disappear from view. My third shot took him just under his left eye and he piled up without taking another step. Even so, he was gone from my view, down below my line of sight, in the swale. Was he up and moving again? I had no way of knowing. Holding my position, I scanned left and right where I thought that he would emerge, if he had regained his footing. I saw no bull. I waited three minutes by my watch and rose to check out the spot where I was certain that he had gone down. Traversing some rough ground, as I made my way down, I found him lying where I had last hit him. By time I got him field dressed, it was full dark. I was able to turn him so he'd drain out down hill and put my underwear on the antlers and butt. Dunno if that works or not, but I read it somewhere, and nothing got to him that night. Most people would not approach my underwear either!!
Early next morning, I went up again, this time with the rancher and I on horseback and two pack horses. When we quartered him to pack him out, the rancher remarked that all three hits were killer shots. I, of course, continued to fire until he went down.
I really did not look that hard for any of the 180gr. Grand Slam bullets, but I wish that I had.
I feel that the bullets did their part. The image of the bull will be with me until the Lord calls me home!
Steven L. Ashe
DeLand, FL

 

[SJB358]

Great story Steven! I love them elk hunt stories!

 

[DrMike]

Steven,

Elk hunting can definitely get into your blood. A person could do far worse than to hunt with the Grand Slam loaded in a cartridge that will carry the freight.

 

[roysclockgun]

Dr. Mike et al,
I would go again, but my friend who owns the mountain on which I self guide hunted got too old. The so called pros that I used knew where elk were, but never got me in front of a bull on two trips. Once in Darby, MT. I won't give his name, but the guide was a real nut case and had no people skills. He did not realize that an older hunter like me wants to hunt,but not to die upon the mountain by being pushed too hard.
The other guide was in Durango, CO. He was about the same. Twenty three years old and hot to get me in front of a bull, but pushed way too hard. We had bull trumpeting in front of us, but I only saw cows and spikes.
The self guided hunt was the best, even though I only bagged a mature bull that was without a world class rack.
Maybe some day, I will run up on an elk hunt with someone who can let me go at my speed and not theirs!
Steven

 

[35 Whelen]

Yea this is an age old problem with guides Roy they are young and full of piss and vinegar and want to show the client how far they can walk in a day and it doesnt work with most folks.................. of course they can out walk the client. I used to give them pep talks about the reason the guy is hiring you is to help him get game not to walk the heck outta him. It is a sure sign of inexperence thats for sure. Of course the guide will always argue that if the client could walk faster or higher he could have gotten him a much better trophy........................... its an unsolveable problem . By the time the guide grows up and realizes that is NOT the way to handle an out of shape client it is probably too late in the game for him anyways. We had guides that ran with weights on their ankles everynite and pumped iron for hours in the evenings to prove their manhood.............. it was a big asset packing moose quarters but not for public relations! I just bought a plane ticket today to hunt in Alaska for three weeks and then in the Cascades in prime Elk bugling time on horseback with a good friend outside of Seattle. We wont be shooting any Elk, except with cameras, but setting up camp for later and checking out the country side. I think I am almost over killing them anyway as I love to watch them and call them in and just dont need the meat anymore as most of our moose hunters leave me tons of meat now! Hopefully we will have a nice Moutain Goat to mount for the Lodge and lots of storys when we get back! I have been walking 3 miles a day since 1st of the year with my birdogs everyday but think I better step it up as my friend in Wa is 4 years younger and it terrific shape and very lean so he will be able to walk me into the ground easy. I got the Total Gym out last nite[was hoping to find Kristy Brinkley in the box but she wasnt!} and will start hitting it 20 mins a day, from now until I leave in late August so I dont embrass myself too much!

 

[DrMike]

I have often commented on the fact that the mountains in British Columbia has grown steeper during the past thirty years, and the rivers are wider and swifter than ever before. It really can't be me, because I haven't changed. It has to be that the tectonic plates are moving fairly vigorously and pushing up the Rockies! Steven, I enjoy hunting with younger men, but I have more than once had to tell them to go on, and I'll be along when I'm along.

 

[roysclockgun]

I enjoyed those reports and hope that the Grand Slam remains on the shelves.
Steven