Hey captdavid, It is an excellent bullet when used at those velocities and placed appropriately in the front 1/3 of a Deer or Hog. Don't think I've used one on Black Bear though.

If you haven't tried H-414 in your 7x57, Mr. Ray swears by it. I know it is the Powder of choice in my 7mm-08 and the Internal Volumes are not that far apart.

Actually the very best bullets for on-Deer performance in my 7mm-08 are the two 130gr Speers - Hot-Cor Flat Base and the SPBT.

I've got some of the 145gr Speer Hot-Cor bullets loaded for my 7mmRemMag that have performed right well too. Though they are not a true "Bonded" bullet, they hold together well enough to normally provide Exits when shoulders are encountered.

That 7x57 is a fine cartridge and coupled with the 145gr Speer SPBT should work very well for you. Nothing at all wrong with some of the "older design" bullets when they are used properly.

Best of luck to you.

Yup, an excellent choice, though I have had best accuracy results with Re15 and H4350.

For deer at 200 yds or less, I actually like the 140 Rem PSPCL at about 2600 fps. A pleasant load that is quite accurate; the bullet holds together very well at this modest velocity.

IN one 7 x 57 I have I loaded up some 160 grain Speer Mag Tips in that one, with a load of 40 grains of IMR 3031 for an MV of 2650 out of a Winchester Featherweight.

I look at it as a 250 yrd rig with a Leupold 3 x 9 scope on it, with Weird heavy German Number 1 cross hairs.

But Deer or Elk, it doesn't matter with that combo at 250 yrd or so. For Elk since they are a bigger target, I would not hesitate to add a 100 yds to that Point Blank Range if the shot was clear.

Cheers and good shooting
seafire

I have shot Speer bullets for years in a lot of different rifles. In my favorite 7 x 57, its a 600 ZKK Brno. That rifle likes a 160 gr Speer Sp, over around 48 gr of IMR-4350 in a Remington Nickle case and a Federal 210 primer. Shoots very well and works well on the few deer elk and moose I have shot with it. The 160gr Speer SPs was one of Jack O'Connor's favorite bullets for the 7 x 57 and he and his wife shot a lot of game over the years with that bullet. I think the 145 will do you well. While I would go with a flat base bullet, if those boat tails shoot well enough out of your rifle, should do fine in just about any kind of white tail you are apt to get a shot at.

That Speer 145-grain bullet is a very good game bullet, as are their 130 grainers in .284" diameter. In a rifle like the Ruger No.1A, the 130's will give you .270-like performance. So will the old 125-grain Remington PSPCL's that they used to make for the .280 Rem., if you can still find some at a gun show or such place!

Is it just me or do we not hear much about Speer bullets? Anyone use the 145 spbt at around 27-2800fps on smallish deer? capt david

I used the 160gr Magtip and the 130gr soft point to take several deer with my 7mm-08, no complaints from the deer

This year I used the 160gr Magtip fueled with W760 for my first deer with my new 7x57. A fifty yard broadside shot and a ten yard blood trail, brought home the venison. I couldn't find an entry wound but it blew a 2" hole out the exit side shoulder and junked the vitals in between.

Speer bullets seem to work just fine.