I've been using grand slams for a couple of years now in my 300 Winnie because they shoot very, very good. I've used them for elk, whitetails and mule deer. I can't tell you how they performed other than to say I have yet to recover a bullet because of complete pass-through, even on two elk.

Lately, I've seen posts dissing them as not being a "premium" bullet. For sure, their price is nowhere near, what say, a box of A-Frames is (about half the price). But, I am almost certain that had I shot those elk with most any non-premium bullet I can name I wouldn't have gotten the penetration I got with the Grand Slams.

I am getting ready to start working up loads for the Winnine and for a new WSM to be used on moose, caribou and a future African plains game trip. I was planning on using the Grand Slams, but recent posts have gotten me to wondering if maybe I shouldn't go with A-frames, at least for my Africa trip. I've ordered a box of 180s and will see how they shoot.

What do you guys think? Is the Grand Slam a premium or not?

The Grand Slam is Speer's attempt to wedge into the premium market. There are hunters who have used both the Grand Slam and the Nosler Partition, and saw little or no difference on performance on game. I haven't used the Grand Slam just yet, but it's on my list of bullets to try.

TXLoader

GAHUNTER -

I'd post over at the African Big Game Hunting forum - they've got field experience on just about every premium bullet out there.

R-WEST

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"it is up to God to judge these terrorists; it is up to us to arrange their meeting" Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

GAHunter,

I have a friend who is a dedicated elk hunter; he and his son live in Montana and shoot .300 WMs -- they love the Speer Grand Slam bullet. Based on their experience, I took some of the Speer 180 grain Nitrex to Zimbabwe last fall to shoot in my .308Win. I shot a bunch of impala for leopard bait, and mostly the bullets exited. I did recover one bullet shot from hip to shoulder, trapped under the hide on the far side. It retained something like 85% of its weight. This is the same performance I get with Nosler Partitions.

The Swift A Frames and Winchester FailSafe bullets I have recovered have all retained in the 90s. So where do you draw the line as to what constitutes super premium?

After I got back from the last hunt I got some of their African Grand Slams and AGS Solids to try in my .376 Steyr next time out.

jim dodd

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

[This message has been edited by HunterJim (edited 01-29-2002).]

This Zebra was taken with a 7 Rem and a 160 grain Grand Slam. Shot at about 80-90 yards the bullet penetrated both shoulder and the vitals and still managed to exist.

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www.rifleshooter.com

Save a plant, shoot a deer!

they are close enough for Govt. work.....

They are a tough bullet and I wouldn't hesitate to use them on anything up to and encluding Eland, Alaskan Bear or on Lion, in proper calibers.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I'm not exactly sure what a "premium bullet" is except they cost a whole lot more than "standard bullets". If that cost over a GS is justified, you can't prove it by me. I shoot GS and partitions inter-changably depending which is most accurate in a particular rifle. I haven't any retained weight or mushroom info as the bullet exited on everything I've shot with it, but the resulting animals looked very dead. A 300win and a 200gr GS is a very sudden combination for most everything here in the new world.