waht kind of luck have you guys had with these? I hear alot about the performance of the premium bullets, and not much about these.I wonder why I shouldn't just shoot these and save $$, if they work. Rifle in question is .300 win mag, load is for deer maybe elk some day. Thanks

Sierra is all I've ever loaded. Game kings for hunting rounds and Match Kings for, well you get the picture.

Up to 200 yards, I've noticed little difference, on paper, between GK and MK. (30-06)

I've used a lot of Sierra Bullets Game Kings in particular. They have been among the most accurate. I've never had any problems with them. They have performed very well for me. I wonder how my father's generation ever got along without premium bullets. But some how they made it.

I have used extensively 165gr HPBT game king in my 300 Wby. Mag. at 3300 ft/s of MV. The results have been wonderful on medium size game (big red stag, african plains game and big boars).

Well they had the winchester Silvertip, Remington Corelokt, Petersen Belted, And The Nosler Partition. And theey were are premium bullets.

For me? They suck!!!!!

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...2&an=0&page=1#888802

quote:

load is for deer

It really don't take much to kill deer.....they are not truly big game

But IMO that's as far as I'd use a Siera bullet.

For real big game the premium bullets deserve some thought.

I have taken my fair share of deer with Sierra Gamekings. Some one shot kills. Never lost a deer with them. But I agree with Vapo that you might want to check out something like a Nosler Parition or A-Frame or X Bullet when it comes to Elk.

I have used the Sierra Gameking 165gr BTSP in 30:06 for years without any problems for deer.

chain,

I've used .308" 150, 165 & 180 Sierra's SPBT's & HPBT's for all kinds of game in .308 Win., .30/06 Sprg., .300 Win. Mag & .300 Weatherby Mag. They work just fine and deliver great confidence building super accurate loads also. If I was gonna load for up to Elk in a .300 Win Mag. I'd suggest starting with the 180 SPBT's although I've always gotten the best accuracy from the 165's.

Yeah, there's plenty of premium bullets out here and I use them as well, like others have already said here; I kinda wonder how I managed all those years to kill game up to the size of Elk, Red Stags, Mule Deer & Wild Boar without the least little hickup. If you believe all the hype now we apparently need a small box of expensive bullets instead of a larger box of less expensive bullets.....

I totally agree with 22WRF...he nailed it. I have been in on three elk taken with the gamekings and the results have, at best, been pathetic. This was a friend of mine with me on a 2 on 1 guided hunt (three seperate occasions). I watched all three elk drop. Each elk required multiple shots to finally bring down, one took 7 (seven!) shots to "reduce him to posession"! Post mortum necropsies showed minimal expansion, shed cores on almost all of the bullets, and disentigrated bullets when they impacted shoulder blades. No way would I use them. The guides all pleaded with the guy to switch bullets, to no avail.

That is my experience with only three elk...take it for what its worth. I have taken three nice bulls as well...one each with a Trophy bonded bearclaw, Partition and Accubond. My results were measureably superior.

My 2 cents.

Gamekings are fine for deer. Use the HP bullets, they have a tougher jacket.

IF & when I get a chance for a shot.
Fully intend to compare the .200gr GK on elk in my .300win. To a 200yard surface blow up with a 180gr Core Lokt.

George

Hi There

I used 85Gn Gamekings in the .243 for a good while, pleased with accuracy and performance on UK Roe and fox, never used the .243 on Red Deer, always considered that to be 7x57 job!



T260

there are better bullets, and worse...

gameking works excellent for me in the 358win, which is a 225gr spbt ... harder than any hornady lead bullet and very accurate.

I probably wouldn't choose them as my goto bullet in 30 caliber, those.. 180gr TSX for elk in a winmag would be my first choice

jeffe

Thanks for the info guys? I have trieed premiums, Accubonds were good, I couldn't get any Barnes bullet to shoot well. I was just trying to head off the increasing copper costs. Thanks again

quote:

Originally posted by chain:
Thanks for the info guys? I have trieed premiums, Accubonds were good, I couldn't get any Barnes bullet to shoot well. I was just trying to head off the increasing copper costs. Thanks again

The legend lives on!

The Gameking, which is Sierra's moniker for boattail lead tipped pointed soft point, is just fine for deer.

However, the nature of the boattail (other than the Nosler solid base design) tends to cause a bullet to shed its core a little more readily than the flat base design. If you want to hunt larger game than deer with Sierras, I would recommend using their Pro Hunter, which is essentially the same bullet with a flat base.

I would have no qualms whatsoever about using a Sierra .30/180 Pro Hunter for elk. I might prefer a Nosler Partition or Accubond, but would definately prefer the Sierra to some of the so called 'premium' bullets that may start their expansion just about the time they exit the offside hide.

a couple things I left out of my first post on this.

DID this bullet that came apart come out of a dead animal shot with it????

IF so, it worked, didn't it??

Three things I won't ever do: shoot/hunt with factory loaded ammo period!!

Nor will I pay for, or use a "premium high priced bullet".

Shoot game thru the meat or bones.
I was taught to never ever shoot game of anykind anywhere unless I could put the first bullet thru both ribs/lungs.

So far, I've only been hunting since about 1958 and killed many deer, way over 50, 14 elk, dozen or so antelope and I've yet to lose one. I believe that is because of my teachings and the fact I don't screw around with my shots.
IF I can't shoot them thru both lungs, I flat don't shoot at all.

So far, the only time I've had to make a finish up shot was when that core lokt blew up on the ribs of my cow elk in 2000.

Try it, think you'll find it works. AND won't ruin any meat either, as shoulder shots always do.


George

georgeld

You hit the nail on the head. I've shot both deer and elk with Sierra Gamekings. All one shot kills with 7MM Mag, 30-06 and 300 Weatherby. No seperation of core and jacket. All nicely expanded velocities were from 2700 fps to 3000 fps. The bullets I used where 160 gr, 180 gr and 200 gr.

The fellow I bought my .300 Weathery from was selling it because using it he shot a deer at 100 feet in the front shoulder both shoulders were a total loss. You have to use common sense and shoot them were you're suppose to. It's that simple.

Jay:
Thanks for the agreement.

Shoot 'em with a cannon is fine, just don't shoot 'em in the meat!!

Works everytime. Do hope you got a good buy on it.

George

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Jay:
Thanks for the agreement.

Shoot 'em with a cannon is fine, just don't shoot 'em in the meat!!

Works everytime. Do hope you got a good buy on it.

George

Yes the price was more than fair a steal you might say. It's my Elk gun now and shooting the 200 gr Gameking. Takes them down like the hammer of Thor.

quote:

Originally posted by chain:
Thanks for the info guys? I have trieed premiums, Accubonds were good, I couldn't get any Barnes bullet to shoot well. I was just trying to head off the increasing copper costs. Thanks again

how far did you set them off the rifling? the box says .065 minimum and work back...

I generally get my best groupd around -.075-.080

jeffe

Jay, I think I was right in there at about .080 but they were just all over the place. However that was before I got work done on the rifle. I will try them again. I have heard that they really foul a barrel. Are they higher maintenance than any other, the Barnes I mean?

Chain,
My $.02 on sierra game kings
An aside first,
I load for a bunch of diferent chamberings from
17 caliber to 45 caliber. I started reloading in 1995, and killing numerous hogs and deer in 1999. I'm more of a meat hunter than trophy hunter. I shoot my limit of whitetails each year and sometimes 30+ hogs a year. Each year I pick out 5 or six different cartridges and bullets that I want to try. I develop loads for the different cartridges and rifles using a particular bullet and I test these out on hogs and deer, not elk or dangerous game.
I first started loading with Nosler ballistic tips. My experience has been that Nosler Ballistic tips are super accurate but destroy a lot of meat under 200 yds with 270-358 calibers. Next I gravitated to Nosler partitions. I did this because to my way of thinking, If the animal I shot wasn't "dead right there" I wanted a bullet that would pass through and expand enough to leave a blood trail should I have to track it. Partitions to this day are my favorite bullet. Only one rifle that I have owned (a kimber 8400 in 300 wsm ) did not shoot these with great accuracy. Being the whore that I am have tried Speers, Hornady SSt's, Interlocks and Interbonds, Barnes X and triple-shocks. The speers have been my least favorite as far as accuracy. The hornady are a little better in the accuracy department but to my mind are a little more frangible than I like. Barnes x are hard to get to group with any consistency. Triple shocks are super accurate but I have not had the best experience with these. Examples, I shot an 180lb axis buck in the right front shoulder at approx 90 yds. It was quartering away from me. While cleaning I found the bullet against the skin on the left hind quarter. Perfect expansion. The buck went down at the shot. About 30 seconds later he got up and ran abuout 30 yds and down again. It took him several minutes to expire. I probably shot have given him a finishing shot but I didn't want to mess up his hide. In my mind it took an awful long time for this buck to expire. Also, out of +/-150 or so animals killed in the last 8 years I've only lost two animals. These were both hogs shot late in the evening with barnes triple shocks. The only thing I can figure is that I must have hit them high. My observation is that the triple shocks exhibit a tiny entry wound and a 1/2" to 3/4" exit wound. If I hit them high, I guess the fat or gristle sealed up the exit wound and they didn't leave a blood trail for tracking.
Now to the sierra game kings.
I purchased a winchester super grade in 300 wsm from a friend early last year. He gave me a box (20) of his reloads. These were 150 grain flat base sierra game kings loaded over 72 grains of H-414. His load data indicated he had chronographed these loads at +/- 3270 fps. I shot two of the rounds to see how the rifle shot. I have 5 rounds left. I shot 5 deer and six hogs and two turkey with this rifle last year. Every one of the animals and turkey were DRT (dead right there). Not one took a step from where they were shot. Not one of the bullets exited. In the past I have always wanted the bullet to pass through in case I had to track. But if they drop where they're they are shot you really don't have to worry about tracking. I'm going to try some gamekings this year in 6mm rem, 270, 35 whelen, and 375H&H to see what kind of results I get. Although I'll keep experimenting, I don't think you can go wrong with gamekings on hogs and deer
GWB

Ain't nothin better than Sierra Gamekings. If it draws air a gameking will kill it. Sierra Rules-All others drool! Jim

I am going to try some 180's and some 200's Thanks guys.

I gotta chip in on this. Used em exclusively for a long time. Many one shot kills on muleys, used a 250 GK in 375 on elk, perfect performance with a good shot. I do like Noslers, but the GKs are fine.

GW:

You've killed about 30% more animals than I have, plus the only hogs I've shot have been for farm butchering so those don't count as they were head shots up close, or muzzle touching their forehead w/.22s.

But, shoulder shots are meat shots. I don't make those shots at all. Some do, I don't.

So far, the only wounded animals I've ever had get away was ONE prairie dog with a front paw shot off. I tried to nail him three more shots and it just wouldn't hold still long enough. Then dove in the hole when I hit another one that had come up just behind him and got hit. I still feel terrible about it. But, I did kill that one about 3-4 days later when I went back out the next time.

I've never had to track any game I've shot very far either and NONE got away. Can't tell you how many I've tracked that did get away that others have shot. A good many, that's for sure. As no matter when I see blood, I'll track it til I find it dead, or lose it, many times I've found gut piles where the shooter has finished them up. That pleases me very much, as I like to see others successful, that's what I'm hoping for when I start tracking someone else's bleeding game. Nothing else matters at those times when I find a blood trail than to kill a suffering animal, or find it dead, I've also helped a number of others finish dressing them out too.

Nearly all the lung shots, especially on elk that I've made have run hard for 75-200yds. I never take my eye's off them til I get there. Soon as I shoot, or they get out of sight I'm headed to where I saw them last. Then IF needed, will pick up the trail. But, like I said, none have gone more than maybe 225yds. The only time I've had to make a second shot was in 2000 when a 180gr CoreLokt blew up on the surface of a rib shot cow elk at 200yds.

After that, I called Paul Box at Sierra and talked it over. He recommended I switch to their "elk killer bullets". 200gr SPBT, sent me a sample of them. As they shot well in my gun, bought 300 of them. So far, I've been able to hunt only two yrs, and didn't get a shot either time. So far I can't say if they work, or not as I haven't shot anything with them yet. I do have lot's of faith in them, and will hold that in mind until they prove themselves one way, or the other.

I shoot an old 1917 Enfield .300WinM, w/26". Far as lands, I don't pay attention to that. Just load til the length looks right and lock the die at that point. Then I do very slightly crimp everything. Solely for one reason. Was loading up one morning on the way hunting and dug in a pocket after shells and cut a knuckle rather badly with the sharp mouth on a loaded round. Since then, I've crimped everything just enough to take that sharp edge off. They are not crimped in bullets that way and I don't claim they are as that's not my purpose, or goal.

Far as accuracy with my hunting rifles I only have one desire in mind. "all shots must hit a typing page sized target at 300yds." Anywhere on the page is fine, groups don't matter that much on game. But, within a FOOT of my aiming point is a must.

The only reasons I've had such good results is because I'm diligent in the shots I take, that's all. That's a big reason I've taken about 30-40% empty tags home over the years too. I'd rather do that, than make a bad shot.

Wish you well and please don't think/take this as any criticizm, ok?

George

Sierra