Non Gold Dot Speer JHP bullets... do they expand?

TTv2 · Mar 28, 2020

Speer makes a few different hollow point bullets for reloading. There's standard, Gold Dot, Bonded, and Deep Curl varieties, but I'm talking about their standard JHP bullets, which are are almost half the price of the Bonded or Gold Dots.

I'm more of a Hornady XTP guy, cuz I know those work, but Speer has a 20% off rebate going right now and I figure I should cash in on that while I'm looking for .38/.357 bullets and if I'm going to buy a hollow point bullet I want to know they will expand.

I've never used any Speer bullets for reloading, so I figure someone else probably knows if they work or not.

Specifically talking their 125 grain JHP, check link below.

https://www.speer-ammo.com/products/bullets/handgun-bullets/jacketed-handgun-bullet/4013

Demi-human · Mar 28, 2020

Depends on what you’re shooting them into I would suppose...

Yes. They will work. As advertised. Traditional Cup and Core.
Out of a .357 I imagine they would work very well.

Some don’t, but I prefer the thinner jacketed XTPs.

forty_caliber · Mar 28, 2020

I use the Speer "Sporting Handgun" bullets in my .45 Colt rifle loads. Highly recommended quality product. I don't have any scientific evidence about expansion and weight retention but I know for a fact that coyotes don't like them.

.40

TTv2 · Mar 28, 2020

Demi-human said:
Depends on what you’re shooting them into I would suppose...

Yes. They will work. As advertised. Traditional Cup and Core.
Out of a .357 I imagine they would work very well.

Some don’t, but I prefer the thinner jacketed XTPs.

Are the XTP's a cup and core design as well?

horsey300 · Mar 28, 2020

TTv2 said:
Are the XTP's a cup and core design as well?

Yes

25-20 WCF · Mar 28, 2020

I used the Speer 260 HP on Kodiak Island blacktails 20 years ago, fired out of a Ruger BH .45 LC. MV was about 1150 fps and expansion was minimal. Not unexpected of course given the small hollow point, hardened lead and a non-skivved jacket - in other words typical 1970s cup and core design performance. Nosler, Hornady and Sierra bullets of that vintage typically performed the same. On the same hunt I also used the Speer “flying ashtray” 200 HP. That bullet had a huge hollow point, dead soft lead and a weakened jacket. At 1200 fps it over-expanded with poor penetration - again not unexpected. How the .357” bullets behave at higher velocities I don’t know, but I do know that XTPs gave me better terminal performance than the Speer.

.

Demi-human · Mar 28, 2020

This is an expanded .452 300grn.

1/2" of OSB, ten feet of snow bank and a foot of thawed earth.

TTv2 said:
Are the XTP's a cup and core design as well?

Yes. They have thinner jackets and softer lead than most that result in hunting "failures".
I contend that a 300grn bullet exploding in a chest cavity is a massive success.
As many different ways to hunt as streams to a river...

JERRY · Mar 28, 2020

make sure you know that you are getting the real deal. about 10 years ago Double Tap was selling their 10mm loading with Gold Dots but they were actually Montana Gold bullets that performed lousy. When called on it they claimed that the Gold Dots were unavailable so they used a viable substitute, though they never told anyone about the switcharoo.

higgite · Mar 28, 2020

FWIW, Speer designates Gold Dots as “personal protection” bullets while the subject JHPs are designated for “target shooting” and the box says “Plinker”. Maybe that explains why they’re cheaper? I wouldn’t count on them in a pinch, but that's just me. ymmv

TTv2 · Mar 28, 2020

higgite said:
FWIW, Speer designates Gold Dots as “personal protection” bullets while the subject JHPs are designated for “target shooting” and the box says “Plinker”. Maybe that explains why they’re cheaper? I wouldn’t count on them in a pinch, but that's just me. ymmv

I know, but a hollow point is a hollow point and it should work if it's made by a reputable company like Speer and is driven at the necessary velocities.

I think I'll grab a box of the Gold Dots too and shoot them in water and compare the performance.

TTv2 · Mar 28, 2020

Demi-human said:
Yes. They have thinner jackets and softer lead than most that result in hunting "failures".
I contend that a 300grn bullet exploding in a chest cavity is a massive success.
As many different ways to hunt as streams to a river...

Well, I don't use XTP's for hunting, and I've seen a lot of the good results using those bullets in gel tests and meat target tests. Still, if I can get working .357 hollow points for 10 cents a bullet from Speer, I'll take them.

crestoncowboy · Mar 28, 2020

I've used them in 10mm on whitetail when XTP were unavailable years ago. I still have 200 or so of the 500 I bought. I greatly prefered the XTP. The speer didnt penetrate hyde or bone. The XTP tend to be a rather poor expanding bullet but do so pretty consistently over the 1000 or so I've used on game in 44 and 10mm. They (xtp)strike a good balance of bashing through bone and making a biggish wound channel IME

I never lost an animal with the speer so they are ok. Just not my first choice

TTv2 · Mar 28, 2020

crestoncowboy said:
I've used them in 10mm on whitetail when XTP were unavailable years ago. I still have 200 or so of the 500 I bought. I greatly prefered the XTP. The speer didnt penetrate hyde or bone. The XTP tend to be a rather poor expanding bullet but do so pretty consistently over the 1000 or so I've used on game in 44 and 10mm. They (xtp)strike a good balance of bashing through bone and making a biggish wound channel IME

I never lost an animal with the speer so they are ok. Just not my first choice

Not intending to use these for hunting, but I do appreciate hearing how they perform.

How was the expansion on the Speers?

crestoncowboy · Mar 28, 2020

TTv2 said:
Not intending to use these for hunting, but I do appreciate hearing how they perform.

How was the expansion on the Speers?

My apologies. I went and looked and the bullets I have were Sierra JHP (8460) . Not speer.

But the penetration of those was inconsistent.

Non Gold Dot Speer JHP bullets... do they expand?

TTv2

Member

Demi-human

maybe likes firearms a little bit…

forty_caliber

Member

TTv2

Member

horsey300

Member

25-20 WCF

Member

Demi-human

maybe likes firearms a little bit…

JERRY

Member

higgite

Member

TTv2

Member

TTv2

Member

crestoncowboy

Member

TTv2

Member

crestoncowboy

Member

Similar threads