I have shot both, Hornady Flat Base Spires and Speer Hot-Cor Spitzers myself at game, but my sample size just is not big enough to draw definite conclusions from. What is the conscensus here at the Campfire between the two when used on deer from standard calibers i.e. 243, 270, 30-06 etc?

Which design and weights tend to hold together and penetrate more dependably? Which seem to anchor game rapidly without shreading everything into useless pulp?

For me Hornady tends to be more accurate, but not always. I have gotten good groups with Speer too. Right now I'm just very interested in others experiences with Terminal Performance. Especially from folks who have shot game with both.

Thanks,
Mark in GA

mark,
i live over in spartanburg and would bet our deer are pretty much the same size.
the vast majority of my kills are done w/ the hornady .30 caliber 165 BTSP over 41.5 gr of H4895. MV is around 2550 from my 20" carbines. load is very accurate and punches a nice 1"-2" exit anywere from 25 feet out to 200 yards.
i have also used the amax match bullet on whitetail but they dont exit and you seem to want an exit.
every deer i have killed with the amax fell on top of thier feet.

I've used the Hornady interlocks for deer a long time and can tell you that it's as good as it needs to be.

I've tried Speer and didn't have the accuracy but gave up too quick as I suspect they're a fine bullet as well....my experience with them is very limited.

From 10 ft to a little over 100 yds here in Michigan and on Caribou in Quebec Hornady SPs have done all one could ask for me.
I`ve shot deer with the 150 and 165 gr 30 cal in a `06, 139 gr from my 7-08s`, 129 and 140 gr 6.5x55 & 260, and 32 spcl 170 gr. The `boo were dropped with 270 Winchester 130 gr SP. All were 1 shot kills.

I've never found any Deer, Springbok, or Kudu that could tell the difference.

I usually hunt w/ NPs but I have taken a deer & an antelope w/ the 145gr/7mm @ 3000fps. It's pretty "soft" @ high impact vel. but placed tight behind the shoulder, it does make a nast wound all the way through.

In my opinion there is too much agonizing over "terminal performance" on deer. Any bullet of current manufacture made with lead and/or copper and placed in the right spot will kill a dear; they aren't that tough.

I have a series of 4 from last year. Two deer were shot with 165 grain Hornady Interbonds out of a 30/06 and died just fine though with a lot of shredded meat. Two were shot with Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzers; both one shot kills with complete penetration and very little meat damage. One was with a 22-250 at 360 yards and the other with a 222 a somewhere between 80 and 100 yards.

From my limited data, the Speers are the best.

For "deer" cartridges producing up to 2900 fps MV, I use Hornady SPs. They are inexpensive, accurate and dispatch deer very well. I have yet to recover one (through and through penetration) nor have I had any indication of jacket separation. For cartridges producing 2900 fps or better MV (i.e 7mm Rem Magnum 160-175gr), I use Nosler Partitions. I have no experience with Speer bullets so I can't comment on them.

They both work just fine. And don't forget about the Rem Core Lokt. Whilst they were drummin' up those boutique bullets the "ordinary" bullet folks weren't setting on their hands neither.

While Hornady's offerings are never a poor choice.. I have to admit to having a preference of Speer Bullets overall, compared to Hornady....

however, that being said, I shoot a lot of Hornady...

Both are superior to Sierra for game bullets except when it comes to varminting...at least in my experiences...

Mark,

I've shot both Speer's & Hornady's and quite frankly can't tell much difference between the two when it comes to putting Deer down and good accuracy.

I tend to the Hornady 180 gr. Round Noses in .30/06 Sprg. and that bullet combined with pretty much any reasonably well-assembled load with 55.0 grs. of any of the 4350's, either H, IMR or AA will shoot accurately and kill Deer without any problems whatsoever - providing they get hit in the right spot.

I have killed a bunch of deer with both & see no difference. I have also had good results with remington corlocks & Sierra flat bases.. My only bullet failures have been Ballistic Tips & winchester 257 120 gr HPTS.

quote:

Originally posted by Terry Blauwkamp:
I've never found any Deer, Springbok, or Kudu that could tell the difference.

thats probably true, so...
ill opt for the most accurate.
Hornady.