I have always had good luck with Hornady bullets, and I usually load heavier bullets for whatever cartridge I am working with. Lately I have heard and read that Speer hot core bullets may stand up a little better than Hornady interlocks. Currently I am loading and load developing for two .358 winchesters and a couple of .35 whelens. So far i have been impressed with the 270 Speer in my 9.3x62 but Only considering the 250 hot core and the 250 interlock what do you fellow nutz feel would be the toughest bullet for big moose and griz ?? I am asking because I shoot alot of practice [Paper targets] and am not interested in spending $60.00 for a box for so called premium bullets.
Hornady vs. Speer
- Thread starter bunny
- Start date
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
I use both hornady and speer and I like them both. I don't know about which is toughest - I'd say they'll both do the job, particularly at velocities you'll be throwing them around with the calibers you describe. I don't think you need any real expensive high velocity bullets shooting what you've got.
BTW - Try Tradex (sponsor here) for a good deal on 9.3 bullets, they've got the best selection and prices I could find. I just bought four boxes of 270gr speer hot-cor's from them.
BTW - Try Tradex (sponsor here) for a good deal on 9.3 bullets, they've got the best selection and prices I could find. I just bought four boxes of 270gr speer hot-cor's from them.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I use them both and have had equal success with both. I'd be hard pressed to pick one over the other and I think for the most part it's like deciding between Chev or Ford. A matter of personal preference more than anything.
I use the Speer in my 350 and the Hornady in my 35 Whelen. Just because that's which each rifle prefers. - dan
I use either in the Whelen depending on what the rifle likes best.
I used speer hot core boattail 7mm - 145 grain in my 7x57 for a while but was not entirely satisfied with their performance on mule deer. They were quite accurate though as I recall.
44Bore
I used speer hot core boattail 7mm - 145 grain in my 7x57 for a while but was not entirely satisfied with their performance on mule deer. They were quite accurate though as I recall.
44Bore
I use the exact same two, the only issue was a straight on shot at a deer at 85 yards. The .308 fragmented into 20 bits, but talk about bang flop. No problems with the .303
Ive taken an end mill to both makes and am convinced the hornady is the better constructed of the two, thicker jacket and interlock ring are discernable differences , also the speer hot core does nothing to promote core /jacket adhesion as they fall right out (at least the 270 's in 9.3 do) so theoretically at least I'd say Hornady wins
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I did a similar check, but with a slightly more 'early American' method or approach
. I sliced some 30 cal of both brands with a hacksaw and the Hornady jackets did 'seem' to be thicker. I'm not sure but there may be a difference in metallurgy to compensate. On game and in some basic expansion tests I've done with stuff in the 30 cals, Hornadys held together a little better and my experience with Speer Hot Core were similar to your results. I do like the overall results using Speer GS's though.
A bullet by Hornady 'sort of' compareable to the Speer Hot Core that I really liked
is the Hornady Interbond. My son in law lent me his custom Sako 375 H&H and although I didn't use it on game, paper testing and in some expansion testing, I was impressed with the accuracy and how well the 300gr RN-IB held together. Too bad the IB's aren't available in more calibers. I've since picked up some 500gr RN-IB's to try out in my 458WM but haven't got around to it, yet.
The interbonds in the larger calibers "held together" so well that Hornady staged a company and industry rep buffalo hunt in Africa, shot some buffalo, looked at the results then came home and discontinued the line. While they were at it, they scrapped the new matching "solids" that weren't all that solid. Last time I looked they were back to "new old pattern" solids. I don't know what, if anything, they did about the big interbonds. I do know that for a while it was cheaper to buy interbonds for plinking bullets than interlocks.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Good info and thanks. As I mentioned, my use of them was somewhat limited but with what I did try, they seemed to do well. Any detailed info on their buffalo hunt results or findings??
They had it up on their website for awhile and a writeup in I think Peterson's Hunting. Initially they put up a brave face but had to conclude that what they were seeing was bullet failure.
The product line was changed when the Austrailian source of copper plated mild steel that they used for jacket material in their solids dried up.Woodleigh uses the same material. Anyway, they abandoned the lessons of the past, ended up with a jacket material that resembles cartridge brass in makeup for the solids and made the big interbonds out of the same thing. Bottomline was that they came apart on buffalo, and if they aren't good for buffalo they aren't good for much. There's easier ways to kill an antelope or moose without soaking up 40-80 foot-pounds of recoil. The steel jacketed solids were restored eventually, and I don't know what they ever did with the softs. After I started shooting A-Frames I quit careing.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
They had it up on their website for awhile and a writeup in I think Peterson's Hunting. Initially they put up a brave face but had to conclude that what they were seeing was bullet failure.
The product line was changed when the Austrailian source of copper plated mild steel that they used for jacket material in their solids dried up.Woodleigh uses the same material. Anyway, they abandoned the lessons of the past, ended up with a jacket material that resembles cartridge brass in makeup for the solids and made the big interbonds out of the same thing. Bottomline was that they came apart on buffalo, and if they aren't good for buffalo they aren't good for much. There's easier ways to kill an antelope or moose without soaking up 40-80 foot-pounds of recoil. The steel jacketed solids were restored eventually, and I don't know what they ever did with the softs. After I started shooting A-Frames I quit careing.
Thanks. And again, I appreciate the info. My initial reason for using them was just something different to try while I had use of my son in laws 375 H&H. My daughter & son in law are in Africa as we speak but for me, it's a little out of my reach.
I'm also in the process of changing over to one of todays premium bullets in a few calibers, my 308NM., '06 and 7x61 S&H. After seeing the 'differences' or results of the Sierra SBT's I have been using and Barnes, I'm going to Barnes TTSX in those three calibers. Thanks again
.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I recall your thread as well as the great pictures. I guess the main aspect that had me first decide to change over to Barnes from Sierra SBT's is the anount of difference in meat lost because of the lead core fragmentation, in particular at closer ranges.
In the past few years I've been successful in AB Mule Deer draws and hunts with my daughter & son in law. I was using either my '06 with 180gr SBT's or my 308NM with 200gr SBT's while my 'partners' were using 300WSM's with Barnes. Some of the hits were at compareable ranges and in similar placement on the animals and the difference in blood shot or damaged meat seemed to noticeably less with Barnes.
I wanted to ask what people think of Sierra's Gameking bullets compaired to Hornady interlocks?
Hornady is easier to find around here, but Sierra's shoot better out of my rifle.
Sticker
Finger Toes
Regular
- Location
- Yellowhead County
I've found the Sierra's shoot well but don't hold together well. I've heard them refered to as frag grenades by other hunters.
mike shickele
Regular
I spent a great deal of time sectioning bullets about 10 years ago, and that really opened my eyes. Horady interlock all the way! BTW they work as expected on game too. If you ever want an eye opener, read the Weatherby literature about factory loaded weight retention, it's a real eye opener.
Mike
Mike
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
The accuracy results I've had using Sierra Gamekings or SBT's is what has kept me using them over the years. Fairly recently when I got my 112BVSS Savage in 25-06, at my next component 'shopping trip' at P&d, I picked up a selection of different bullets to test. The first one I tried was the Sierra 117gr SBT and one of the first three shot groups, witnessed, at 185 yds was under 1/2"!! After shooting a couple more groups of compareable size, I never did try any of the others. I did put good glass on the gun but that kind of accuracy surpassed my expectations.
Again, overall I've been more than pleased with Gameking/SBT accuracy but they do seem to come apart more than I'd like at closer ranges, hence, the start of experimenting with Barnes.
