I've been loading a Sierra Pro Hunter #1830 in my Winchester Model 70 to about 3000 fps with good accuracy and good results on game. I did some test loads today taking this same bullet up to 3200 and even 3300 fps with loads still under max. and accuracy was excellent, even better than my 3000 fps load. Will this bullet hold up on game driven to these velocities?

That depends entirely on what you are hunting. If you shooting at varmints, I would say yes, it will do its job. If however, it is deer size or larger I would choose a different bullet or slow the velocity down. At 3300f/sec I would be looking at a sturdier bullet, either a mono bullet or a bonded bullet like a Nosler accubond.

The game is deer and black bear here in the Catskills. Used the 3000 fps load on a black bear a couple of years back.

Sierra makes accurate bullets in both hunting and target versions BUT the hunting bullets are still an unbonded cup and core bullet, i.e. 1950 technology. Have seen several blow up on shoulder hits on Elk, Moose and big Mulies.
While I dislike the WSMs, having briefly owned a 270 WSM, you have one. A modern bonded or mono metal bullet would be a far better choice.
When I finally got mine to shoot, it was with 150 Accubonds and W780. Killed this Mulie @ 275, one shot and blew out two ribs, the lungs and left a 2" exit hole. No tracking needed.
In my "real" 270, a Model 70, the 135 Sierra SMK is the most accurate bullet on paper but so far the Nosler Ballistic Silvertip 150 (ex combined technology) shows the best hunting bullet accuracy and performance on game is well documented.

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Will this bullet hold up on game driven to these velocities?

I haven't used that bullet but my guess is that that's a heart/lung shot only load. With so many good bonded and monometal bullets available today and given the velocity of the WSM, I'd suggest something else.

LWD

I don't shoot Sierras. Period. There is a wealth of information out there about them blowing up, puking their cores, or failing in some other manner. My own experience includes seeing two Pro Hunter bullets failing to hold together when launched out of the rather soft shooting 7.65 Arg Mauser and hitting TX hill country whitetails in the boiler room at about 60 yards.

My recommendation is to find something else that works.

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Originally posted by Doubless:
I don't shoot Sierras. Period. There is a wealth of information out there about them blowing up, puking their cores, or failing in some other manner. My own experience includes seeing two Pro Hunter bullets failing to hold together when launched out of the rather soft shooting 7.65 Arg Mauser and hitting TX hill country whitetails in the boiler room at about 60 yards.

My recommendation is to find something else that works.

I know they work well at reasonable velocities (~3000 fps) out of a 25/06, and my 270WSM. I just wasn't sure if they would hold up if driven too fast. Were you referring to Game-Kings or Pro-Hunters losing their cores?

Greg

If you are getting great accuracy at the higher velocities then I would use thos loads on hunts where i was pretty sure I would be shooting game at 200 yards and farther.
One thing I have done is to have a second load, with a tougher bullet like a Nosler Partition, TBBC, North Fork, Swift, or X bullet that hits the same place at 100 to 200 yards.

Then If I find myself hunting in close timber I use the stouter bullet.

I have found it pretty east to get a Sierra and a Nosler Partition of the same weight to hit very close together.

Also truth is, I have found the Nosler Partitions to be accurate enough and perform well enough to use at long range as well.

Over the years I have killed a lot of game with different rifles using this Sierra/Nosler combination.

The reason the Partitions exist is that at least in Colorado and Montana, you can be sitting over a meadow at first light where the shot can be 400 yards, and still hunting the black timber 3 hours later where the shot will be under 30 yards.

I shoot 150g Partitions at 3000 plus fps out of my 270 and hope to go a lot faster in my new (used) 270 Weatherby. They hold together up close and expand out far. Have yet to see a better bullet for North American game.

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Will this bullet hold up on game driven to these velocities?

I have not shot ProHunters in my 270WSM but here is the 140 grain GameKing #1845 that killed a Whitetail at 80 yards quartering away, DRT. the bullet was recoverd just under the skin in the opposit side armpit. This was loaded with 57.7 grains of H414. I have not shot this over my chrony yet, but should be close to 3000 fps. Very accurate load in my gun, well under MOA. I would say the performence was perfect.

Greg, as the original post stated, the projectile was a 150-grain PRO HUNTER. The load was 45 grains of IMR 4895, at a MV of ~2850. Both projectiles were from the same 100-count box, and admittedly it may have been a bad box. But the animals deserve better.

FWIW, it may have been costly to do so, but I used to use Sierras to work up loads, then swapped to Speer GS in my 270 Winchester back about 25 years ago. The POI was the same, group size was very comparable, and I saw no difference in pressure signs... I just won't shoot Sierras.