I would like to hear from anyone who has practical experience with Sierra bullets, specifically the Game King. I am looking at different bullets for a project I'm considering and the areas I am interested in are expansion, penetration and weight retention. Also, how do they stack up against some of the other premium bullets out there?

I use Sierra bullets a lot. Specifically the:
308 150 SBT
308 165 SBT
308 165 HPBT Gameking (not matchking)
264 120 SBT
264 140 SBT
243 100 SPT

I will say that the accuracy is very good to excellent on all of these. I can not tell you about expansion as I have never recovered one from a dead animal. As far as penetration, I think they work just fine. The best I have done is shooting a large whitetail doe face on and had it exit (165 HPBT) out the rear ham. Good enough for me. I did not hit seroius bone though. I hope this helps.

As for premium bullets, I use 125 Nosler Partitions in my 264 Win Mag and 120 Ballistic Tips in my 6.5-06AI with great success and would not change because I have no need to. These shoot great as well.

[ 04-30-2003, 23:39: Message edited by: larrys ]

I AM A VERY BIG FAN OF SIERRA BULLETS. I HAVE USED THEM VERY EXTENSIVELY IN 22 243 7MM AND .30 THEY SEEM TO CONSISTANTLY GIVE ME BETTER ACCURACY THAN THE COMPETATION. I SOMEWHAT FAVOR THE FLAT BACE BULLETS AND I HAVE NOT HUNTED ANY REALLY LARG GAME, BUT AS FOR THE MANY, MANY WHITETAIL I HAVE TAKEN I COULD NOT ASK FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE. IF EXPENSION AND PENETRATION IS YOUR CONCERN THE OTHER MFG. DO AN EXCELLENT JOB ALSO.

Savage:
I'm sure the "premium bullet boys" will be chiming in soon, saying their's is the best, well to each his own.
I've been hunting with Sierra Gamekings for about 40 years and have taken Blacktail and Mule Deer, Elk, and Moose and never had to shoot them more than once. I really don't subscribe to what is written about weight retention. Penetration and what happens when the bullet enters, is what's important and Sierras have always performed very well for me. Being a Butcher by trade I have what you might call a "Unigue Perspective" as to what really works well.

[ 05-01-2003, 03:05: Message edited by: Marsh Mule ]

At high speeds, >3000fps, I see gamekings fall apart. But I still use them on deer. They are usualy the most consistent bullet I try. Accuracy is good to excellent. Maybe not the best, but overall, my favorite deer bullets.

I have only used the 225 gr/.358 and the
300 gr/.375. I have shot coyote, deer, and black with the 225/.358, launched from a .358 Win @2500 fps. They have always performed superbly. All shots have been 150 yds or less, and all have exited. One day I hope to recover one so that I can see how it expands/holds together. I have only used the 300/.375 at the range. I hope to take it elk hunting next season. Both shoot sub MOA out of my Sakos.

[ 05-01-2003, 02:14: Message edited by: DOCTOR LOU ]

Hiya 49494
I've used 50grn blitz and 55grn Gameking BTHP, both with a lot of success.
I use the 55grn in my 223 propelled by H4895 to max power/vel = Aprox 3500fps/ I use this round on red fox. From the first shot every contact has killed the target pretty much on the spot.
Fortune

I love the Sierra bullets, as do all my firearms.
When sighting in a rifle, or when it really counts, I go with the Sierra line, mostly MK's..
If mine wont shoot a MK, change the powder...sakofan...

Wow, you guys have had some impressive results. I had a 15 minute conversation with Dave Brown at Sierra this morning about a 338-06 in a 20" barrel and he said to go with 215 gr. Game King. It will be used primarily on moose and elk, possibly deer. I figure about 2600 fps with 65 grains of RL19 should be attainable. What impressed me about Sierra was their attention to detail in the manufacturing process and their close tolerances. That plus their excellent help desk. However, I don't have any personal experience with Sierra so I decided to ask you guys. I like what I see so far. I'll say one thing, the rest of the industry could take lessons from Sierra when it comes to how they handle customers. The other notable mention would be the gentleman from North Fork Bullets (I didn't catch his name), he was equally generous with his time. I have had some good responses so far, but don't be shy, keep the letters coming. One can never have too much information.

p.s. Sakofan, have you had any luck with finding a stock yet? Was MPI any help?

Thanks Dave, That's what I was wondering because outside of competitions, you don't hear about them a lot in the press. Have you ever used them on moose or elk? Some of the guys above have had some good results and it was interesting that Marsh Mule is a butcher so he would have a perspective that we don't. The bullets I've been checking out the most for this little project are 230 gr. Fail Safe, 225 gr. North Fork and the 215 gr. Game King.

I've always felt that Sierra was great at the bench, Speer in the field. You're hard pressed to top Siera for accuracy work, but I don't think they usually make great hunting loads. Several people I shoot with share this view. Just an opinion for what it's worth. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

When I start loading a new rifle the first bullet I always grab is a Sierra, very accurate bullets. Out here in elk country the Sierra opponents will tell you Sierras separate, and I have taken recovered bullets out of deer and elk and had the lead fall out of the jacket in my hand, important note being "recovered out of dead animals". I've never had an animal get away with a Sierra stuck in a vital place. A big bull shot in the ass with the most expensive bullet on the planet will still run off and die somewhere else. It's about the right place in this thread for someone who's read some Elmer Kieth to start talking about "Raking shots" , but with all due respect to a legend I'm not sure ole Elmer's hunting ethics would pass muster at an Elks Unlimited banquet. I've got absolutely no argument with the guy's buying premium bullets, technology has come a long way and there's a lot of neat stuff out there happening with bullets I just don't happen to think you have to spend a buck a bullet to find it. I also shoot a lot of other makes of bullet's, and as we all know the real deciding factor isn't what you like anyway,it's up to the rifle. I only have one beef with Sierra, I wish they'd make some stuff in .17 and .20 caliber.Everyone is leaving that to Hornady, Oh well I like them too.---Shoot Safe---montdoug

I agree with the majority of posters on this thread that "weight retention" and "penetration" are overly in vogue these days, and that, in most instances, conventional bullets like Sierras will do as good, or better, job than the "premiums".

Savage asked specifically about Gamekings, the boattail version. While there is a small theoretical ballistic advantage in boattails, there is no practical field difference. However, the boattail design creates a cup for the lead core which is SLIGHTLY more prone to separate the jacket and core than a flat base bullet. If concerned that a Sierra might be a bit too frangible for the game being hunted, I would recommend the flat base over the boattail.

I've always found Sierra's to be among the most accurate bullets, but do have a couple of guns that don't shoot them well. On average, however, I would give the accuracy edge to Nosler Ballistic Tips.

MMMMMMM, That's funny I alway's thought Sierra Bullet were Premium bullets at a reasonable price.
I have shot them for years and hasve nothing to say bad about them. But my favorite Elk bullet is still the Nosler Partition.

Of all the "gun" products ever made I have the greatest feeling for Sierra bullets. It's even an emotional one as I have shot in competition for many years and Sierra's have always come thru.

My feeling is that it's always a time saver to start out any load or rifle with Sierra's. It just eliminates a variable.

Now we get to the difficult part like stunt shooting of big game with tiny bullets or very big game with any cartridge. There the bullet is being strained and one should look to specialty bullets of course.

Today there are some companies that have bullets that might shoot as well as Sierra's. That's a good thing. My comments above are historical as well as a personal endorsment.

My one and only experience with Game Kings was in my wife's .257 Roberts. I loaded (rather moderately) some 117 grain SBTs for mule deer. They were plenty accurate (more accurate than she is anyway), but performance on the little 3-point she shot was not so good. On a nice broadside (just slightly quartering away) shot the bullet broke up into at least three pieces after hitting a rib. I found most of the core up between the shoulders and two pieces of the jacket - one in each shoulder. I discontinued their use and switched to Hornady Interlocks, which shoot just as good in that rifle and so far (after one deer and a great big gemsbok) hold together much better. I realize this was probably just a fluke, but it was enough to discourage me from using those bullets on big game. Those rounds are now relegated to coyote duty.

DesertRam;
I'm not being a "Smartass" here, but........
I'd be willing to bet that little 3-point pretty much dropped in it's tracks or didn't go more than 20 yards.

Savage46464;
I saw where you said your be shooting a .338, well you're in luck!
About a year or so ago Sierra has "Beefed-up" the jacket on the .338 and larger calibers beginning with the 250 grain bullets.

Also, at the bottom of this page is a link to a very good article:

A quote from this article:

"Ordinary softpoints kill elk easily from the side; stout bullets that zip through little deer also kill those deer. Recover bullets from game but don't pay too much attention to retained weight. Shrapnel lost in the vitals behaves like grenade fragments, often killing the animal quicker than a bullet that finishes like a catalog specimen."

An interview with a "Ballistican" written By Wayne van Zwoll, a most excellent read;
Enjoy,
MM

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammunition/best_biggame_bullets/

[ 05-01-2003, 21:52: Message edited by: Marsh Mule ]

Excellent article MM, thank you.

I want to add one more wrinkle:

I think most of the problems with poor performance on game with the Sierras comes when you push them too fast. The big Magnums often exceed the limit the bullet was designed for. A 180gr GameKing would probably be fine in a 308Win, but in 300WinMag and above maybe not.

The "Premium" bullet makers seem to be catching up in the accurarcy dept, without losing any toughness. That said, my WinMag loves ALL Sierras.

Marsh Mule, you are correct sir. The little feller only went about 30 yards before folding up. Nonetheless, I was not overly thrilled with the performance of that particular Game King bullet. At .257 velocities, on a small muley rib, I don't think it should not have come apart like that. That said, they're still damned accurate, I just can't bring myself to trust them on game when there are bullets that have proven themselves to me on much larger and tougher game.

Look in the latest Sierra manual # 5 under .358 win. Thats me with 500 lb bear shot with a sierra .225spbt. I've shot several bears with that bulet and havent recovered one yet and never had to track one. Ask for Rich at sierras hotline he can tell you anything you want to know based on experience.

Ever thought of asking the tech's for the "not so glowing reports"? They should provide you with both the good and the bad, but most (if not all) will only give the the good.

I've never used Sierra bullets for hunting, but there was a pretty long post (understatment) about the use of Sierra Match bullets for long range hunting. If you have a few days on your hands, do a search here and see what you come up with .

Turok

turok;
Please don't drag that "Match bullet for hunting" out of the closet!
Let that sleeping dog sleep!
I think if you talk to the "Techs" they will tell you what you want to know. It may not be what you want to "hear", but I don't think they will mislead you. Now if you were to talk to the "Salesman" that would most likely be a different story all together.

Well, for one thing, Sierra Gamekings are NOT premium bullets. However, for game no larger than big mule deer, I think the Gameking is fine! In calibers from 6.5mm up, (the only sizes I have used on deer), they are plenty tough, and I have had many pass-through shots with these bullets on deer (broadside shots). I don't think their weight retention is competitive with Nosler Partitions or other Premium bullets. However, they are very accurate and only cost half as much as a premium bullet. I use Sierras for load development, then switch to Noslers for hunting anything from elk on up. So far, my rifles all seem to shoot the same weight Noslers and Sierras into pretty much the same POI!

[ 05-02-2003, 18:33: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

I doubt that they would mislead you as well, but you do have to go out of your way to get the 'not so glowing' reports. That's just not the kind of info they will readily give you. I'm sure they would have the best info on that kind of thing. After all, when selling millions upon millions of bullets, there is bound to be at least one that didn't perform as well as was the user was lead to believe . That kind of thing happens with all bullets.

I mentioned the Matchking post because it does have a number of people who have extensively used Sierra's for hunting (target bullets or otherwise) and had good results. Ulitmately, spreading if info is the purpose of this BB.

Turok

As with most ammo companies, I do find they recommend a lighter bullet for specific game than I would use for a particular bore size. I believe the .338 was born to shoot a 250 - 275 gr. bullet.

That said, I've used the 250 SPBT for about 25 years, on everything from varmints to elk. I have never had a failure. Toughest test was the first buck I shot with this bullet. He was bedded about fifty yards away, facing away from me. I didn't have a clear shot into the neck I would have prefered in that position, so aimed down into the chest cavity. At the shot, the buck immediately went limp, and didn't move an inch.

I found upon approaching, there had been an unseen gopher mound in the grass between us, and the bullet had travelled through about 16 inches of semi-frozen dirt, before killing the buck. This is the only bullet I recovered from an animal in these years with this bullet. Retained weight was still 175 gr. or there about.

I consider them to be premium bulets.

Hi Waksupi and thanks for your letter. I am in agreement with you as far as bullet weight in the .338 WM goes as I have one. The caliber I'm planning is .338-06 in a 20" barrel, so for that reason I'm not entirely convinced that the .338-06 has enough juice for the heavier bullet. The intended use is for moose and elk and possibly deer. Most of my shots will probably be inside of 250 yards, but I would like to have the flexibility to stretch it out another 50 yards if I need to. If you or anyone else has some views on those bullet weights in that caliber, I would love to hear from you.

I had a 338-06AI for about 5 years. It shot pretty nice and the recoil wasn't bad at all. Mine had a 24" tube on it so I was getting 2650 to 2700 fps with the 225 gr bullets. I never really used the 250's much in the 06 case because they do take up a fair amount of space. For the most part I was able to get 2450 to 2550ish (hot) fps with them.

If you look through the manuals, you'll find that the 225's have a performance edge over the 250's in the 338 diameter. While I have no doubts the 250's are awsome in their terminal performance, if you really want to streach the yardage, then the 225 offers the best compromise of trajectory, velocity and hitting energy. The 225 in 338 is like a 180gr bullet to the 30 cals. I tend to think that the 250's are better used in the 35 calibers until the case volume increases somewhat. It's not a hard and fast rule, but just my preference.

Turok

savage 49494,
First, welcome to the site. In response too your question. Being an accuracy fiend, I used nothing but Sierra bullets for over forty years. I experienced several bullet failures over the years, but never an accuracy problem. About ten years ago Sierra moved from Californa to Missouri. It seemed there was a drop in the quality of their bullets at about the same time. The dip in quality affected the performance and appearance of the bullets. For years their bullets weight tolerance seemed to be +/- .3 grains for the hunting bullets and even tighter for the match bullets. The reduced quality control resulted in weight tolerances for hunting bullets going too +/-.8 grains and +/-.5 grains for the match bullets. I tried the new Blitzking .224, 50 and 55 grain bullets. The 50 grains were tried in a Rem. M-700 BDL .222 Rem. Both were tried in a Rem. M-700 VLS in .223 Rem. The 55 grainers were tried in a Rem. M-700VLS .22-250 Rem. Accuracy was only so-so in all three cases. Performance was lousy in all three. Prairie dogs hit center body as close as 125 yards with the .222 had .224 holes through and through. Dogs at over 200 yards with the .223 and .22-250 had the same result. That's pretty poor performance in my book. I switched to the Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets and had an immediate improvement in both performance and accuracy.

With hunting bullets, both Prohunter and Gameking, accuracy took a big dip and appearance went to hell. I've had failures with both bullets in .243, .277, .284, .308, .338 and .358 cal bullets. The flat base, Pro hunter, seem not too mushroom and the boattail, Gameking, shed the jackets too often to please me. I switched to the Nosler Partition bullets and had excellent results. Right now I've been playing with the Hornady Interbond bullets. I haven't been able to get out too run accuracy test because of a bum leg that has slowed me down a little. That has about been taken care of and I should be able too get out again soon. I'll give the results on the site when completed. I hope that this is of some help. Good luck.

savage49494,

Never used Gamekings on moose or elk, just whitetailed deer. And only once. 120 gr HPBT in 25-06. I took a shot at a big doe who had her head feeding in mountain laurel. The range was 30 feet. The bullet splattered on the front shoulder bone and she ran down the ridge in front of another hunter who harvested her. I have only used Sierra bullets on varmints ever since. Now I know some will say that the 25-06 spits ANY bullets out too fast for shots at that close range. Maybe so. If that same situation occurs again I'll let you know how well Barnes X 85 grainers work.

Seirra makes two choices in .338 bullets--215 or 250. The 250 may be beefy, but I doubt if the 215 is. The trajectory of a 250 out of a 20" 338-06 would, most likely, resemble a rainbow.
Most premium .338 caliber magnum factory ammo is loaded with 225 grain bullets.