Speer says one thing and I find another

[slickrem]

As I read the # 13 manual, along with an older manual, they showcase their grand slam as their "flagship" bullet. Also their "hot core" bullet.

I'll start with the hot-core...

I file down a bullet in half and place in my bench vise to work out the core... and it comes out just like a swaged pressed cup and core. Now... they say it's a "hot-core" process. Um, if it's molten lead poured into a copper jacket, me having plumbing experience knows, when you solder a joint the right way, oxidation is next to non-existent, and it's impossible to separate the joints.

Onward to the "flagship" GS...

I also filed in half a GS, to find that what they show you in their manual does not show in the cross sectioned bullet I filed. It shows a lock ring similar to the Hornady interlock ring but more pronounced. But nothing what I found in my cross sectioned bullet. Tonight I pulled the lead core out to find it too comes out from the jacket as like the hot core core.

They mention that up to .25 doesn't have the GS features?? So why call it a GS? LOL

Maybe I'm missing something, but I doubt it.

Please don't GS me...

 

[Guy Miner]

File a Nosler Partition down and I suspect you'll find a "Partition." :mrgreen:

 

[1Shot]

My experience with the Grand Slam is that yes it does have a lock ring but the front half of the bullet is a soft lead and the back half is a really hard lead. The front expands and stops at the ring and the hard rear part does not expand and it's weight helps it penetrate.

 

[Darkhorse]

I shot a bull elk with a 175 grain 7mm Grand Slam bullet back in '96. The entire "softer" front end was completely gone leaving just the rear portion. It had no curl left, it looked like a pistol bullet.
Not what I expected but it killed the elk.

 

[Elkman]

When the GS came out I bought a box of them to try. I was looking for a cheaper alternative to the Partition. I was shooting a 300 WM. After a couple of deer and an elk I went back to the Partition. The performance of the 180 was good out past 200 yards, but explosive in close. Speer said they were designed fo 06 velocities.

 

[slickrem]

guess you don't need a mag at close range do ya?

 

[Partisan]

I remember reading somewhere that Speer stopped doing the dual lead alloy cores for the GS bullets.???

You can pick-up Nosler Partition Blemished bullets at or less than the cost of the GS from Shooters Pro Shop. You would be hard pressed to tell that they are Blemished. A lot of people on this Forum use Nosler Blems.

 

[Billyram]

I've shot my share of Speer bullets, found them to be accurate and deadly.

I haven't dissected any of them or found but one inside of a animal. The rest were full penetration. The Gran Slams were more accurate in some rifles than partitions.
Billy

 

[slickrem]

I remember reading somewhere that Speer stopped doing the dual lead alloy cores for the GS bullets.???

You can pick-up Nosler Partition Blemished bullets at or less than the cost of the GS from Shooters Pro Shop. You would be hard pressed to tell that they are Blemished. A lot of people on this Forum use Nosler Blems.

I remember reading somewhere that Speer stopped doing the dual lead alloy cores for the GS bullets.???

couldn't have been that long ago.... I read it in my #13 Speer manual.

 

[slickrem]

the only weight they ever have is 250 on SPS.

 

[Elkman]

Skickrem guess you don't need a mag at close range do ya?

Nope. The 300 mag is over kill inside of 300 yards. I found out that in about 1970

 

[gerry]

I remember reading that when the Grand Slam first came out it wasn't tough enough but somewhere in the 1980's they were much tougher. I will also point out that the Ballistic Tip had the exact same thing happen. When I was using the G.S. bullets in the 1990's and early 2000's they performed very well in 260 Rem (140's), 30-06 (165's and 180's) and 308 Norma Mag (180's and 200's) Other's I hunted with used the 7mm 160 and 175's with excellent results. In the 308 Norma I even shot a couple of moose with the 180 gr Mag Tip that also performed very well and ended up being a real favourite until the discontinued them.

The G.S. bullets from 6.5mm on smaller did not have the dual core at any time, they were tough enough without. The jacket's were quite thick which helped them hang together well Over time all the rest of the G.S. bullets went to the one piece core and sadly were not as good as the dual core bullet when hitting heavy bone. ATK just about drove them into the ground and it is good now that they are out from ATK's umbrella now and have a chance to be a great bullet company again.

 

[slickrem]

I stand on the truth, when it comes to integrity, of anything....

so when I find out something is not what they say it is, well, I loose faith in them.

PT's are what they say they are.. and ya can't loose faith in that.

Gerry, you mentioned hitting heavy bone, so yeah that's a concern, especially when their are few opportunities to take the quarry. So the Kieth way of raking shots comes into play, I need that bullet of integrity.

You mentioned ATK... so it boils down to expense of the GS having a dual core with a jacket lock. Shame, it had to be that way, Speer had a great thing going.

 

[Guy Miner]

I've got 50 or so, maybe fewer .375" 285 grain Grand Slams. Unsure when they were made. I'd bet 1980's or early 1990's.

Have been kind of itching to try them, but... I've got hundreds of other .375 bullets, so who knows when I may get around to shooting those GS's. Have always been curious about them, they sure look like good bullets!

Guy

 

[Thebear_78]

That 250gr hot core is about the best 35 when bullet I ever used, it held up really well to whelen velosities and killed really well.


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[Guy Miner]

That 250gr hot core is about the best 35 when bullet I ever used, it held up really well to whelen velosities and killed really well.


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I have read that, here and there, for 30 years or more. It must be about perfect for the Whelen or the .350 Rem mag from what I've read.

Guy

 

[SJB358]

That 250gr hot core is about the best 35 when bullet I ever used, it held up really well to whelen velosities and killed really well.


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For sure. I'll echo that. You can't beat the price of them either.

 

[Thebear_78]

I found this one laying behind a drift wood log I shot at about 100 yards out of a whelen at 2450fps. Weighed 231.8gr and went clear thru the 12-14" log

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[slickrem]

I found this one laying behind a drift wood log I shot at about 100 yards out of a whelen at 2450fps. Weighed 231.8gr and went clear thru the 12-14" log

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This is positive reinforcement, to make me confident that encountering bone, will be no issue. Thanks for posting.. bear!!

 

[slickrem]

When the GS came out I bought a box of them to try. I was looking for a cheaper alternative to the Partition. I was shooting a 300 WM. After a couple of deer and an elk I went back to the Partition. The performance of the 180 was good out past 200 yards, but explosive in close. Speer said they were designed fo 06 velocities.

Hmmm... you had to experience this BEFORE speer told you this huh?