Speer Half-Jackets

[apolitical45]

Everywhere I go on the internet people "in the know" agree that the Speer Half-Jackets are effective on game and lament their loss. I agree and wonder why they have not been reintroduced or copied? As further evidence that I am the luckiest fool on Earth, my wife was always on the lookout for specific powders and such during the shortages and to this day is always thinking of me. She was at an estate sale last summer and came home with 160 of the 220gr. soft point and 200 of the 200gr. hollow point in .41 caliber. She knew exactly what they were and paid $18 for all of them. I shot a coyote with the 200gr. hp in September and it was spectacular. Max loads of H110 are the best in my 6.5" NMBH. I am thankful that we live in a time of excellent bullets, but these should make a comeback.

[taffin]

THEY ARE INDEED EXCELLENT BULLETS AND I RATION MY SUPPLY OF .38/.41/.44. THEY ARE , HOWEVER NOT HALF JACKETS BUT FULL JACKETS. NO LEAD TOUCHES THE BORE. LONG BEFORE THEY CAM ALONG THERE WERE TRUE HALF-JACKETS WHICH LEADED BADLY.

[x101airborne]

I used some in 44 mag to help a neighbor out with jackrabbits.
When shot head on it turned them into a canoe.
Loved those bullets!

[bula]

Yup, I've spoke of them here numerous times. Often called them 3/4 jackets or joked we should compromise and call them 2/3 jackets. But anyways, me and the Bull Dog miss them. 

[apolitical45]

I completely understand the argument, but those same "gun people" that I mentioned were "in the know" wouldn't know what you were after if you said you always keep your eye out for "Speer Jacketed HP/SP's". It is a fact that they are not half jacketed and indeed do not allow lead to touch the bore, for which I am thankful.

[bula]

No argument. Am only a "kinda in the know" guy. LOL. 

[mart]

Ever since getting into cast bullets I've been pretty uninterested in most jacketed bullets. However, I have always liked and continue to like, those Speer bullets no matter how you refer to them. Half, 2/3 or 3/4 jacket. I do wish they'd bring them back.

[bigmuddy]

I have VERY few of them left... and also would love to see them again. Back when they first "disappeared" I made a call to Speer to ask if I would ever see them again. I was told that the bullets were discontinued because the Gold Dot was just as effective.

As we know when these bullets were loaded all that could be seen was the soft lead. The jacket was inside the case. A friend (more like a brother from a different mother) would look at my loads and EVERY TIME refuse to shoot them in his gun because he didn't want to scrub lead out of the bore. No matter how many times I told him they were jacketed, he would not shoot them. Most hard headed man I ever knew.... I miss him every day.

Dan

[bradshaw]

The old Speer “1/2 jacket” SWC and semi-wadcutter hollow points were and are great bullets. Deerslayers for sure. Unlike the C-H Swag-O-Matic bullets of pure lead swaged in copper half-jacket, the Speer (as Dan notes) impose no core contact with bore. Thus, the old Speer doesn’t lead. Push the C-H swaged half-jackets much over 1,100 fps, they will lead. Beyond that, behavior similar. Years ago, Allan Jones told me, “Speer’s been trying to kill that bullet for years, but customers wouldn’t let it die.”

I agree the old Speer is a great design. A bullet which mashes to punch has forgiveness lacking in a hard solid. The late mountain pounder, Walter Verge----uncle to my also departed shooting partner Ed Verge----hung up his early Winchester Model 70 .264 Mag in favor of a Model 29 .44 Mag 6-1/2” and N-frame 6” .357, both loaded with the so-called Speer half-jackets. Old Walter put a sheet metal screw in the nose of the .357 hollow point for extra penetration. He had a huge collection of antlers, including six racks taken off whitetail doe. In true Verge tradition, Walter Verge was a crack shot; didn’t feel in the least handicapped on the track with a sixgun on his hip.

My assessment is not fond of Speer’s early attempts at what we now consider a “traditional" JHP with 3/4 jacket. The Speer so-called 1/2 jacket was a more accurate and a more predictable killer. All bullets must be seriously considered when put to the games we play. I’m just a lowly lead slinger who knows these bullets do what they were designed for.
David Bradshaw

[bula]

Amen. 

[mart]

I don't have a need for any Speer 44 caliber 225 grain HPs here in Alaska or I'd buy them, but here's a box of them on GB for a good buy it now price.

www.gunbroker.com/item/847239242

[matt56]

I love going to gun shows and finding out of production bullets for calibers I own. I bought a box of .41 220 gr half jackets pretty recently. Not sure what I’ll use them for but I like having options.

[leftysixgun]

Not to deviate from this thread but the seller of the half jackets also has the discontinued Hornady 7mm 175gr RN bullets

[jfs]

Good bullet.... Still have a decent supply in 41....

[kgb]

Has anybody here recovered one of these bullets from a game animal? A cast boolit buddy checked mine in .41 and said they were soft as pure lead, same with Nosler .41s.