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Sierra bullets tend to be very accurate alright, but they are NOT premium hunting bullets, and they are not in league (in terms of reliable, consistent terminal performance) with other bullets that are indeed premium projectiles, such as Nosler's Partition, Swift's A-Frame, Speer's Trophy Bonded, Winchester's Fail-Safe Barne's X, Northforks, or Woodleigh's. They are not even as tough or consistent on game as Hornady's Inter-Loct or Speer's Grand Slam.

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My feelings exactly. I have witnessed failures from Sierra and I will not use them.

Examples:

1. 308 Win (savage 99) vs antelope buck:

150 gr Sierra Gameking at 2750 fps. Range was 150 yds. Game was shot ran about 50 yds and died. Bullet entered rib area behind shoulder and came apart. The whole jacket was found under the skin of the "NEAR" shoulder adn the lead part blew up the lungs. This was my gun dealer doing the shooting and he kept the jacket in a little ziplock baggy to remind himself of that day.

30-06 165 gameking at 2750 fps.

Shot at mule deer doe at 45 yards. One entrance wound behind near shoulder and 3 exit wounds. Upon cutting her open all we founds were sharpnel! She did not travel far.

7mm Rem mag 160 gr Gameking vs Elk. Bullet was traveling 2900 fps + and hit bull elk (100 yds or so) on shoulder. Found some blood and lost elk (after 5 miles of tracking in knee deep snow).

Granted the first 2 animals were harvested. But still the bullets did not act like they should have. The 3rd example is a perfect example what these bullets are possibly capable of. Because of the third example the first 2 are NOT acceptable to me.

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Entire start-up bullet companies have been founded upon the very realities that it appears Sierra does not want to face up to, and I'll bet that cowboy you talked to on the other end of the phone was a straight 'company man' who hasn't shot jack for big game himself, and wouldn't admit to a Sierra bullet failure if the evidence was shoved right under his nose.

Sierra bullets tend to be very accurate alright, but they are NOT premium hunting bullets, and they are not in league (in terms of reliable, consistent terminal performance) with other bullets that are indeed premium projectiles, such as Nosler's Partition, Swift's A-Frame, Speer's Trophy Bonded, Winchester's Fail-Safe Barne's X, Northforks, or Woodleigh's. They are not even as tough or consistent on game as Hornady's Inter-Loct or Speer's Grand Slam.

I shot my first head of big game with Sierra bullets some twenty-five years ago, and I've had a mixed-bag of nicely mushroomed bullets that held together as well as blow-ups, even on mule deer and pronghorns. In my experience, elk and similar large animals are not the type of critters I want to hunt with Sierra bullets, and I don't care what bullet or cartridge you're talking about. For my purposes, Sierra bullets are at their best on smallish whitetails and varmints.

I don't see any constructive value in going with Sierra for big game (even trophy deer) in the first place. I've had superb accuracy with many of the premiums, especially Nosler Partitions, and absolutely reliable performance on game of all sizes -- no ugly surprises, no failures.

When it comes to big game, statistical accuracy in and of itself can be a foolish and bitter bargain if it comes at the expense of terminal performance. I'll go with a premium that produces 1" groups and consistent performance on game any day of the week over a tin-foil bullet that is unpredictable, but produces 1/2" groups.

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AMEN!! But be careful, you may upset rickt300. He doesn't seem to care for premiums and thinks it's too much to ask for a bullet to perform at 10 yards to 400 or something like that. I have had great success with a bullet, ballistic tip 150 in a 270, that has done exactly that. Hmmm. Partitions do a hell of a job at close and long range, thanks to their soft nose.

There is a local gunstore here and the guy also builds rifles, one at a time. I told him that I planned on working up some loads with the Sierra's in my 2 new custom BDL's with Shilen barrels. He stopped me in mid speach and said, Sierra's are fine for punching paper, real accurate, but there are much better bullets for hunting. He has a couple of mulies and elk hanging in his gun store. He said he shot the biggest elk at 50 yards with a 300 Win, 180 Sierra Prohunter. He tracked it for about 250 yards, walked up to about 25 yards and had to shoot it again. He emptied the gun on it. He stated that the first 2 shots hit great but the penetration only went in one lung. (??) He vowed to never hunt with the Sierra's again.

Even I didn't have that bad of an experience. I did kill one doe in Alabama with the 140 HPBT GK from my 270 over a max of AA3100 (I had forgoten about this doe). The bullet performed great but it was only a 90lb doe. Decent size for the south.

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Lastly, I do not elk hunt and I do not know from firsthand experience exactly what it takes to efficently harvest a large elk. Jim

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And there is no bullet maker whose bullets have won more matches than Sierra. Denial I think not. I really believe 95% of the stories about the non bonded, non priemium bullet failures are operator error not bullet failure.



RiverRat

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This issue had nothing to do with shooting matches. No one has denied the accuracy of match grade Sierra bullets.



Operator error??? Do you mean it is the shooters fault that they hit a bone or something? Explain this please. If that is the case, would you also argue that if a hunter is using a bow and arrow and he shot a buck and the broadhead didn't penetrate well for whatever reason that That is also shooter error? Case in point: I bought some expandable broadheads right when they were becoming more popular in the early 90's. Damn they are accurate but I didn't get near as many pass throughs, something I really feel is a better outcome when archery hunting. So, would you say that this is my 'error?' Or is it the nature of the broadhead? Before I tried some expandable/mechanical broadheads, I used Muzzy and Thunderhead fixed blades and had pass throughs on EVERY deer I shot. I don't know about you but I certainly would never blame myself for the lack of penetration the mechanical broadhead demonstrated. Shot placement was good on all accounts. So please explain the whole operator error thing to me please.

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2) If by "operator error" you mean the shooter should not place the shot where the bullet can easily fragment, such as the shoulder area.....
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Well, If that is what he means....I am sure Sierra has a job for him in the ballistics dept. (see the first post on this thread)

The point is to be able to shoot the big game animal with a hunting bullet in any lethal area and know that the bullet will not come apart. Not like that guy from Sierra told me "You're gonna have to get them a little further out there!"

Excuse me Mr. 6x6 800 lbs elk. Can you go stand bradside at 300 yds so my Sierra Gameking will not come apart on your muddy hide and ribs?!

Come on now! Sierra...take a reality pill will yah?

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Think about the 1000s upon 1000s of big game animals harvested before the so called "Premiums" came out. You didn't hear too many of those fellas complaining.

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Actually, lots of people DID hear them complaining. Again and again and again. People like Nosler. He complained a bit now didn't he? Hence the conception of the partition. And that was a long time ago. The fact is, a 243 has killed an elk at 200 yards with a soft bullet. Another fact is, there are better choices out there. Another fact is, you can ask several big game hunting guides across America and get a myriad of opinions...I did.

In terms of meat damage, well, I don't give a hoot if I mess up the 4 oz. of shoulder meat. Woopee doo. It's a very very small sacrifice for the backstraps, loins, rump and neck roasts! I've cut up so many deer and ultimately decided that what little is on the shoulder is sometimes hardly worth the hassle. Some of you will agree, some of you won't. I really don't care. I wouldn't go on a $5000 elk hunt and worry about a couple of pounds of ruined shoulder meat. Sorry, I'm there to trophy hunt. And if I want to follow a blood trail, I'll bow hunt. When I want them to drop, I use a rifle. AND I SHOOT THEM TO ANCHOR THEM BY GOLLY!! So, I want a bullet that I KNOW will hold together if aiming for bone, not one that does SOMETIMES, like a Sierra or any other softer bullet.

You kill them your way and I'll do it my way. FWIW, with all the doe tags available, I have more than enough tasty meat.