Sellier & Bellot bullets

[BFaucett]

What is the difference between the SPCE bullet and the soft point?

Semi-Jacketed Soft Point Cut-Through Edge bullet. (SPCE)
"The cut-through edge locks the jacket and lead core together, while also producing a clean entrance wound and distinct, easy to follow blood trails. Appropriate for light to medium game."
source: https://www.sellierbellot.us/products/rifle-ammunition/rifle-ammunition-spce/

Semi-Jacketed Soft Point bullet. (SP)
"A lead core with a precisely engineered jacket results from its controlled expansion and high weight retention.
source: https://www.sellierbellot.us/products/rifle-ammunition/rifle-ammunition-sp/


Sellier & Bellot (USA) Rifle Ammunition
(They offer other bullets besides the SPCE and the SP.)

https://www.sellierbellot.us/products/rifle-ammunition/

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[mauser98]

For those who thought the S&B 8x57js 196gr is a soft bullet, think again. Put my brother in law on a fork bull moose (around 800 lbs) this weekend, 225 yard shot broad side. Two pass throughs, one on lungs, one in the heart and out the off side shoulder and one recovered in the rib cage on the off side. Recovered bullet weighs 171gr which makes 87% weight retention. Great performance for a cheap cup and core.

 

[pilar]

Unfortunately, no 6.5x55 TXRG in the USA yet. Most of the projectiles went into 6.5 CM production and the small amount of 6.5x55 that was loaded went to the European market. Tariffs have complicated things lately so it's unclear now what we'll be bringing in this summer.

It’s too bad that S&B loads the 120gr 6.5cm so slow , imo this size bullet in 6.5cm might be more effective @ 3000fps , seem like they don’t load for modern rifles

 

[Rolly]

I too like the SB140 grain sp bullet in my 275 Rigby/Ruger custom. My best groups have come from SB factory ammo.
I have found that reloading the brass is difficult. The 7x57 brass bases won’t fit in the standard shell holder for the reloading press. If you find a shell holder that holds the bases, the newly placed reloaded primers don’t seat below the case primer pocket edge as they should. They are a bit proud. That hasn’t caused me problems per se, but it is a bit unnerving to see rub marks on unfired primers after cycling reloaded brass thru the rifle.
I have since just started scraping my fired SB cases and will reload only my non SB cases.
I will however, continue using their factory ammo.

 

[Flbt]

It’s too bad that S&B loads the 120gr 6.5cm so slow , imo this size bullet in 6.5cm might be more effective @ 3000fps , seem like they don’t load for modern rifles

My 6.5x55 likes the s&b 140gr sp
It’s worked good on a few deer out to 200yds or so.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I too like the SB140 grain sp bullet in my 275 Rigby/Ruger custom. My best groups have come from SB factory ammo.
I have found that reloading the brass is difficult. The 7x57 brass bases won’t fit in the standard shell holder for the reloading press. If you find a shell holder that holds the bases, the newly placed reloaded primers don’t seat below the case primer pocket edge as they should. They are a bit proud. That hasn’t caused me problems per se, but it is a bit unnerving to see rub marks on unfired primers after cycling reloaded brass thru the rifle.
I have since just started scraping my fired SB cases and will reload only my non SB cases.
I will however, continue using their factory ammo.

Run your fired/ deprimed S&B cases through a primer pocket swage just as you would primer crimped military cases & hard seating primers goes away. Worked for me.

 

[Rolly]

Run your fired/ deprimed S&B cases through a primer pocket swage just as you would primer crimped military cases & hard seating primers goes away. Worked for me.

I tried that as well as using a specific tool to increase the pocket depth. Didn’t work.

 

[Rolly]

I tried that as well as using a specific tool to increase the pocket depth. Didn’t work.

The primers weren’t hard to seat at all. They just wouldn’t seat deeply enough. I believe it is due to the case head and rim being out of spec.

 

[fourfive8]

A primer pocket swage is not designed to increase depth. Try an end mill tool like one of these - available from one of the reloading supply outlets like Brownells/ Sinclair

 

[steve white]

Maybe that batch of primers was out of spec, as in too tall. I have never had a primer not seat after using a Sinclair pocket swage.

 

[PerH]

SPCE is made for driven hunts with the cut edge as to mark where the shot hit as some hair will be cut off on hide side . Incase of trackers need to come .
Have shot a case of them in 8mm before . Made lot of splinters in wetpacks .

 

[steve white]

When I look back over my hunting career, most kills were made with cup and core bullets (after all, I started back when the earth was flat and we didn't have premium bullets). When they are well made cup and core hold together well enough, and in shedding weight, they transfer energy. S&B still fill that niche and I have never lost an animal because of them. S&B engrave well onto the lands, resulting in good accuracy. Most that I have shot were long/heavy enough that they plowed straight ahead even if distorted a bit in the nose against heavy bone. They provide a wide performance range between close/higher velocity and far out there/lower impact velocity. They are in a word, balanced. And they are proven.
Soon they will move to monometal designs by law. I don't know if the kill rate will even go up.

totally random, but I like the way SPCE cut neat little cookie cutter holes in targets.

 

[7x57Joe]

I have some 139 grain S&B in 7x64 that have a steel jacket and was wondering if the SPCE was steel also?

 

[steve white]

I suspect some have steel in them because an indoor range in Dallas checks with a magnet, and some of my bullets failed. They forbid me to use those in their range, don't know the reasoning--sparks, maybe?

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I suspect some have steel in them because an indoor range in Dallas checks with a magnet, and some of my bullets failed. They forbid me to use those in their range, don't know the reasoning--sparks, maybe?

Weird that they have steel in them, I read your post and went and stuck a magnet in the two boxes of projectiles I have here, none were magnetic.
Gumpy

 

[BFaucett]

Weird that they have steel in them, I read your post and went and stuck a magnet in the two boxes of projectiles I have here, none were magnetic.
Gumpy

Same here. I purchased two boxes of S&B 8x57JS 196 gr SPCE in May 2025. I just now tested both and nothing was magnetic.

my photo

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[mark-hunter]

I am not using S&B ammo for hunting, for years.

However, due to price I was buying them for range practice. I stopped that as well.

Recently a rifle range and gun shop owner I know well, tells me the quality of S&B ammo is down, and he has a problem zeroing S&B ammo for clients. Grouping is erratic.

I do not know if it stands for export ammo to the states, but caution advised.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I am not using S&B ammo for hunting, for years.

However, due to price I was buying them for range practice. I stopped that as well.

Recently a rifle range and gun shop owner I know well, tells me the quality of S&B ammo is down, and he has a problem zeroing S&B ammo for clients. Grouping is erratic.

I do not know if it stands for export ammo to the states, but caution advised.

@mark-hunter

I recently bought three boxes of these and still have one box left. They behaved well.

I am also using their 173Gr SPCE factory loaded soft points in my 7x57mm Mauser. Both of these are performing well.

Did the quality drop sometime after 2023 ?

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I don’t use their factory ammo, just the projectiles in my 8x68, the projectiles are all new stock as far as I’m aware. My friend uses there 150 gn factory in 308 and they are super accurate in his rifle.
Gumpy

 

[steve white]

The color/artistry on the ammo box changed fairly recently....I'll just save those for last, and by the time I might use up the rest, I might also be dead.