Speer Grand Slam Bullets

09 February 2002, 20:21

<Jim Lawrence>

Hello: I am begining to develop an elk load for my 30/06AI in a Winchester M70. I have decided to use the Speer Grand Slam 180 grain bullet as both my practice and hunting bullet. I have some experience with this bullet on deer and think highly of it. However, to judge this bullet accurately I need to here from other hunters and their experience with the GS. If you wish to respond by issuing your opinion on this bullet I would be very grateful. Thank you and great hunting. Jim

10 February 2002, 02:45

<Dave>

I have never shot an elk with mine, but I expect that your setup will do everything that you want.

Have you ever chronographed your loads? Just wondering how the GS did in AI.

10 February 2002, 04:33

<Bill>

Jim,

This is a Zebra taken with a 7 Rem and 160 Grand Slam at about 100 yards or so. Mashed the lungs and completely penetrated the animal, hitting shoulders along the way.

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www.rifleshooter.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

10 February 2002, 05:53

beemanbeme

I use Grand Slams and partitions depending on which one a rifle shoots the best. I am very satisfied with the performance I have gotten from Grand Slams. FYI, I use speer bullets of equal weight for my practice rounds. Rarely will you have to change your scope settings when you switch from "standard" to Grand Slams.

10 February 2002, 06:45

jrslate

Bill,

Can I put the picture of your zebra on our 7mm Rem Mag website?

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
The Safari Specialists
www.slatesafaris.com

10 February 2002, 09:51

old4x4

My father took my 375/284 to Newfoundland 2 years ago loaded with 285 gr Grand Slams and took an average sized bull moose with one shot. It walked in a 30' circle and dropped dead. It was a thru and thru shot. He's going to use them (carefully) in his 7-08 this year...

10 February 2002, 09:55

<Bill>

Joel,

It is a friends Zebra, I came to help load it on the truck. You are welcome to put it on your site.

I already have it hosted at http://www.rifleshooter.com/images/DavesPictures/zebragun.jpg so you can use that address if you wish to save memory and bandwidth.

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www.rifleshooter.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

10 February 2002, 12:02

<GAHUNTER>

Jim,

I used 180 Grand Slams on two elk and a mule deer over the last two seasons and have been very satisfied. In fact, I found the Grand Slams to be the most accurate "premium" bullet in my 300 Win. Mag. out to about 300 yards. I can't show you the bullets since I have yet to recover one.

I now shoot 150-grain Grand Slams in my .270 and have found them second only to Ballistic Tips in accuracy.

10 February 2002, 17:12

HunterJim

Jim,

I have shot a flock of critters in Africa with the .308"/180 Grand Slam from my .308 Win. I tried them at the recommendation of a guy I know who has been hunting elk in Montana for 30 years. He and his son use the GS in their .300s, and won't use anything else now.

I get about 85% weight retained on the bullets that I recovered.

jim dodd

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"if you are to busy to
hunt, you are too busy."

11 February 2002, 03:17

Tweesdad

250 gr. GS in .338 on Moose. 2 shots, 2 Moose. Neither took three steps. GREAT bullet.

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Jay
"For God and Country"

11 February 2002, 07:19

<Vasa>

Whem the Grand Slams first came out, a friend of mine used .30 cal. 180grs.GS-bullets in a 300WbyMag. The failed miserably - came apart - on Moose. We switched to Nosler Partitions. However, I've heard that the "new" Grand Slams are much better.

Vasa

11 February 2002, 13:33

KuduKing

quote:
Originally posted by Vasa:
...I've heard that the "new" Grand Slams are much better.

Speaking of the "new" Gand Slams..... what is this i hear that the NEWEST Grand Slam is no longer a dual-core bullet?

I too ma impressed with the Grand Slam, as redesigned about 10 years ago. It had dual cores... a hard rear section, and then a softer front section hot-poured on top of the rear. Worked great.

Now I have heard that Speer has changed it to a plain old single core Hot-Core style bullet. Why bother with it now and pay a premium price for a plain old Speer Hot-Core?

Can't understand why Speer would screw up a good thing. It's not like they were giving them away as it was a pricey bullet.

11 February 2002, 16:01

<6.5 Guy>

KuduKing,

If what you say is true, then Speer has not yet updated their website. This is from the cutaway drawing of the Grand Slam:

"4. Base-core is harder 5% antimonial lead.
5. The base-core is staked in with jacket material. 6. Softer, upper core is added as molten lead (Hot-Cor) fusing itself to jacket and base core."

Looks and sounds like the same bullet to me.

11 February 2002, 16:15

KuduKing

quote:
Originally posted by 6.5 Guy:
KuduKing,
If what you say is true, then Speer has not yet updated their website....

It may be that they haven't updated it. Another thead somewhere on here mentioned that a rep at Speer confirmed that the dual core design is O-U-T, but the website hasn't been updated.

Speer and Hornady are similar in some respects. Both were founded in the same era by men who were savvy and respectful of their customers. And both men are now turning over in their graves at the dismal customer service offered by their heirs.

11 February 2002, 18:25

Johnny Ringo

I have it from Guy Neill at Speer that the GS
IS now one core - one other change is a "heel fold" to help retain the core. I am not sure if the Jacket Ring is still used....(similar to the interlock)

Anyways, when Speer start offering the Deep-shok as a componant later this year, it will likely bury the GS, once word gets out how Good it Really is.

12 February 2002, 03:38

Terry Blauwkamp

I think the redesigned" GS is the way to go.

I have had too many of the front cores come out of them.

I think they will find that the one core is a better bullet.

I just shot a few fo the new 338 225 gr GS in my 338 Mag and was impressed with them.

I plan on field testing them in May on Plains Game.

12 February 2002, 10:45

Fritz Kraut

quote:
Originally posted by Johnny Ringo:
I have it from Guy Neill at Speer that the GS
IS now one core - one other change is a "heel fold" to help retain the core. I am not sure if the Jacket Ring is still used....(similar to the interlock)
.

As late as today I read some post in a swedish forum about some hunters, who were disappointed with the "new" Grand Slams. They had used the old ones with goos results, but one of them had separations on three out of four bullets. The mooses had dies fast enough, but the meat destroyment was remarkable compared with the old version.

This seems to confirm what other hunters have said here.

Fritz