Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Speer Hot-Cor ??

I've looked a the 257 Roberts +P data on the Speer site. They show several powders pushing the 100 Hot-Cor between 3000- 3100fps. But, I cannot find a recommended Max - Min speed rating for reliable expansion.

Is the 100gr Speer Hot-Cor a bonded bullet? If so, what is the Max and Minimum FPS for reliable expansion?

The hot cores are tough bullets, not bonded. I shot a lot of them in a 25/06, perform very well on deer and antelope. I also shot a lot of deer, lung shots with the Speer 100g btsp with a hot load of R#17 and a win primer.

120g Speer hot core is one heck of a bullet. Often, when a barrel will not like a nosler or a sierra, they love a speer.

Hot Core bullets are not bonded.

Not bonded, but if I remember correctly, the lead core is POURED into the jacket instead of inserted solid like some cup and core bullets. Because the core is molten (hence "HOT" core), you end up with a core that is nearly soldered in place.

This is my recollection from some reading a while back...I cannot immediately cite the source so if someone recalls better, please correct me.

No, the core isn't "nearly soldered" in place. This can be demonstrated by putting a Hot-Cor in a vise, nose up, then using a hacksaw to cut directly even just a quarter of the way into the bullet. The jacket can then be easily peeled off the core, just like a swaged bullet.

However, the Hot-Cors do hold up pretty well on game, particularly some models. I still have a 165-grain .30 from a .30-06 handload that I shot into a quartering-away whitetail buck over 40 years ago. It ended up in the buck's far shoulder, retaining 85% of its weight. In general have found the 165 .30 to work pretty well, especially in cartridges like the .308 and .30-06.

However, they can also come apart. Killed a similar-sized whitetail buck during the same era with a 105-grain from the .243 Winchester. The range was about 250 yards, and the bullet's jacket came off immediately--I found just inside the entrance hole in the buck's ribs during skinning. But the core had kept on going, cracking the bottom of the spine and dropping in the buck. Killed a lot of deer with that bullet way back when, loaded to around 2800 fps.

Of course, bullets can change over time. Elmer Keith got peeved when Speer started using a thinner jacket on the now-discontinued 275-grain .338 Hot-Cor. He said the original heavy-jacket version worked great, always retaining a lot of weight, but the second model did not.

War Eagle is correct. I've used the 165 gr. Speer Hot Core on about 18 deer now and have only recovered on bullet. Shots ran from 35 feet to 250 yards on decent sized Mule Deer. The recovered bullet came from the deer shot at 250 yards and retained about 65 % of it original weight. I did shoot one cow elk with the 200 gr. Hot Core from my .300 Win. mag. but that bullet was not recovered.
Paul B.

Thanks JB.

My recollection was pretty fuzzy and figured you would set me straight if I was off.

You may have actually read that somewhere. I read a magazine article 2-3 years ago that claimed Hot-Cors are bonded.

Do you recall the particulars (range, entrance, exit) for this shot?

I've used the 150 grain hot cor in a 270 winchester for years. One of my favorite bullets.

That is why I asked.

At the bottom of this article they list the Hot-Cor as bonded.

https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/bonded-vs-non-bonded-bullets/83517

Speer advertising also used to imply they were bonded--or at least that the core wouldn't "slip"--but that was a long time ago.

I wonder whether that was the author's mistake or an editing slip up? I guess it doesn't matter. The editor should have caught it. Still, it's been floating around cyberspace for five years.

I’ve always been happy with the results of hot cors. 87 gr in 250 Savage and 130 in 270.

Second the 87 grain Hot Cor bullets in the 250 Sav.and in the 25-45 Sharps.

Critters don't like them at all.

The 35cal 250gr Hot Core is a great bullet. For hunting it's all you need in Alaska,from 2500fps to 2800fps they perform wonderfully. For guiding when shots are usually hurried and poor angle's I use a 280gr Swift A Frame. I've never tried the Grand Slam?? no reason why?

They work here, too, in everything from the "little" Rem 600 in 358 Winchester to my SAKO L61R Norma Magnum.



Accurate and dig deep. No regrets.

Ted

difference between Speer grand slam and hot core?
here is a few recovered grand slams from a 30-06. four are from elk and one from a moose. most shots on elk were pass throughs and not recovered. all shots on deer were pass throughs.

the interesting story is the 2 on the very right. i shot an elk broad side twice. one went clear through and one was found under the hide. i noticed some hair knocked off and felt around for the bullet and cut out the right hand bullet and is not a speer as grand slams have g s stamped on the bottom. some more fishing found the grand slam literally beside the unknown bullet. there was no scaring or gristle and the unknown was obviously over a year old.

A local Montana friend used the 250-grain Hot-Cor from his .35 Whelen on elk for several years--until one came apart and failed to penetrate very well on a rear angling shot that entered just behind the ribcage. He finally got the elk, but decided to spend a little more money on a different bullet.

Magazines can sometimes rival the internet for misinformation.