Between these two 8 mm bullets: Hornady 196-grain PSP, the cup-and-core with slight internal flanges; and Speer 200-grain semi-pointed Hot Core, cup-and-core with lead poured into jacket, which penetrates more?

Target is bone and muscle of moose or elk sized animal. Range is 50 yards. Bullets' impact is 2200 ft/sec. How significant is the noticeable difference?

From the terminal ballistics wrbsite:

The rather recent 195 grain Interlock was designed specifically for the 8x57JS - not the magnums. It’s design allows the hand loader to tune the load to open (military) sight settings to some degree. This is a fast expanding bullet but cannot be expected to produce fast killing due to typically low impact velocities. Killing is nevertheless clean. Although designed as an all-rounder, the heavy Interlock is best suited to larger bodied animals to maximize target resistance and therefore maximize energy transfer. At best, the big Interlock is suitable for large bodied red deer and Elk, doing its best work inside 100 yards with a maximum effective range of around 360 yards, beyond which wounding is marginal.

Hornady’s 196gr HPBT Match bullet has a BC of .525. This is not designed for hunting and therefore needs to be altered accordingly (hollow point opened up) if it is to be used within this role. For some time I have recommended the use of the modified 196 grain bullet to 8x68S users wanting to reach out to long ranges and the 196 grain bullet has proven effective. In the 8x57JS, the modified 196 grain bullet has an effective range of around 450 yards, delivering best performance on larger bodied animals weighing over 90kg (200lb). If working up loads and drop charts, set custom BC at .500 or use the Sierra .30 caliber 175 HPBT to plot trajectories.

Speer bullets include the 150 grain Hotcor, 170 grain semi point Hotcor and the outstanding 200 grain Hotcor. The 150 grain Hotcor deserves special consideration, placed on the go to list along with the 150 grain Interlock and 170 grain SST. The sole advantage of the Hotcor bullet, is that it can tackle a wider range of body weights than the 150 grain Interlock while keeping bullet weight down and velocities high in order to maximize energy transfer. This is an excellent bullet for those who hunt light through to mid-sized deer species (Red stag / Mule buck) where there is concern that a very soft bullet may fail to achieve desirable results. The Hotcor does its best to stay together on tougher animals and is also extremely useful when hunting wild pigs which range greatly in body weights. The 150 grain Speer is capable of producing hydrostatic shock out to a range of around 110 yards, continuing to produce clean but sometimes slightly delayed killing (depending on shot placement) out to ranges of 270 to 300 yards, tapering off in performance thereafter.

Speer’s 170 grain semi point is another odd duck. Again we see this handicapping of the 8mm BC (in this case only slightly) which has not helped the old German in the popularity stakes, yet this bullet has its strengths. Both the Hotcor design and bullet form allow the bullet to deliver very high trauma while the soldered core helps maintain bullet integrity. The semi point does its best work inside 100 yards with slow killing occurring at ranges beyond 200 yards. This bullet is ideal for larger bodied animals weighing up to 320kg (700lb) at woods ranges.

Of the many heavy bullets that have come and gone over the years, the 200 grain 8mm Speer bullet is a truly excellent design. The 200 grain Speer is to some degree somewhat better suited to the 8mm-06 and magnums, but it can be put to use in the 8x57 with wicked effect if utilized at close ranges. This bullet can be used on mid to large bodied deer with great effect but can also be used on light framed game so long as ranges are kept very short (inside 50 yards). The 200 grain Speer should be driven as fast as safely possible, effective range for disproportionate to caliber wounding is around 200 yards but again, best performance is at very close ranges.

The 200 grain Hotcor is certainly an excellent bullet, but it does have limitations. The Hotcor develops a large frontal area of up to 19mm (.75”), delivering extremely high trauma but its frontal area can limit penetration. When used on large game in the 450kg range this bullet may not penetrate onside shoulder bones, the Hotcor does not blow up at 8x57JS impact velocities but mushrooms back and to a width that deep penetration cannot be expected on heavy game if round bone is struck. In the magnums, this frontal area is shed away - although this of course means a reduction in bullet weight and a loss in SD. In either case, if the 200 grain Hotcor is used on very heavy animals it can be best to utilize ‘meat saver’ shots, tucked very neatly behind the shoulder (within shoulder crease).

Many thanks for your reply.

Does the web site rely on hunters' experience, or are these results based upon ballistic testing, gel block, and other inanimates?

Have you used either bullet for any hunting?

What I think I read in your reply is that both bullets hold together much better when destroying meat. Hornady's 195-grain Interlock (I slightly miswrote weight) is significantly more fragile than the Hot Core. The Hot Core holds together until or unless it hits larger bones. It expands while holding together but mushroom's severely on elk/moose sized animals.

If I would want to minimize edible meat damage, I should search for [probably] more expensive bullets specifically designed for penetration with modest expansion? Have you any suggestions or recommendations?

I am not sure how they test. They are in New Zealand, and I think they both hunt and collect data. It's an interesting website, but they sure do seem to have a lot of data.

The closest I have come to either of those was hunting with a guy using factory Hornady 195 gr. 8mm ammo (no longer available in the US?!?!) to take a whitetail. I was not in camp when he got his deer. My involvement was buying the ammo and sighting in the gun, a sportered Mauser 98, for a friend. The guy shot the deer while I was elsewhere.

Hornady bullets have not held together particularly well for me, others have very different experiences apparently. I have never used a speer bullet, though I did just buy some to load for a 35 rem. Hopefully I will have something to show for it next Javelina season.

To minimize meat damage, I have gone to Barnes bullets and I try to avoid the front leg and shoulder, as those will ruin a bunch of meat when hit solidly. Barnes makes a 180 gr TSX which should serve your needs for penetration without blowing up.

Hope that helps, that's all I have to offer.

Both the Speer and Hornady as well as the Sierra are good game bullets and about equal, I prefer todays Sierras in standard bullets for deer..But my favorite is Nosler bullets for both deer and elk. also like Barnes TTSX..

.Most of todays hunting bullets work just fine..Bullet failure is pretty much bad info from the past that keeps raising its ugly head..I remember the old days when most bullets failed from time to time, I've had one failure in the last 50 years and the elk went 40 yards!! Many cases of bullet failure are misinterpreted or just clean misses!

Hornadys seem to have a bit better reputation for penetrating than the hot cores, although I doubt if there is much practical difference @ 8X57 velocities.
I decided to try some of these myself. If the shooter does his part either one should git er done.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/c...9111#reviews-heading

Ive used the 175 gr corelokts and Sierras on most of Africa's plains game up to and including Eland no complaints, its the full equal of the 30-06 and that's not light praise!

It sucks that the old core locks no longer seem to be available for reloading. They were one of the things that Remington did right.

quote:

Ive used the 175 gr corelokts

I think you mean 185gr corlokts.

They work well in my 8x57. But then I only push them at around 2500fps.

So far killed every thing shot with them.

185 is correct, mild dementia on my part if I recall