I loaded some 30-06 ammo; spirepointed Gameking 150 gr. over 54 gr, VV N150, which is a mild load.

I sighted in the rifle and was very much pleased with the accuracy I got; 5 shots, 0,5 inch @ 100 metres.

Yesterday evening I shot a roecalf with it at about 100 yards. Bullet went where I wanted it to be, heart-lung area, but blew up the complete chest, together with the shoulderblades! Only the back and the rearlegs were undamaged and fit for consumption.

Up till now I have always used 150 gr. Hornady Round Nose bullets and they perform well. The only reason I tried the Gamekings is that these RN bullets get jammed when I try to feed them from the magazine of my sporterized 98.

Is this typical for gamekings?
Do I have to fear the same explosive results from Hornady spire points?

are excellent in 358 winchesters on pigs, deer, varmits, and everything they've run into.

ALWAYS have an exit, even long ways through 200+#ers

a windage shot results in BOB-DRT
blood on both sides, dead right there.


my bullet of choice for the 358 win 225gr

jeffe

Sierra Gamekings and Hornady Interlocks or Spire points are just "standard cup-n-core" bullets. They perform better when kept below 2850fps. Any faster than that and they get a bit frangible at close ranges. I am a big fan of both bullets, but in the 30-06 I load the 165gr Gamekings @ 2840fps.

reindeer

I've used Sierra bullets for years since the mid seventies. 7MM 160 GK, 300 Weatherby 200 GK, 8MM Rem Mag 220 GK and 30-06 180 GK. All used on Elk from 50 feet to 100 yards. I've never had your experience. All the Magnum loads are right near 3000 fps.

I believe that if you call Sierra or E-mail them your going to find out that the 150 Gr your using is really designed for use in a .308 or at non-Magnum velocities. But I'm showing your load 54 Gr. VV N150 in my Nosler 4 manual as a Max load @ 2939 fps.

I, like Jay Johnson have used Sierras since the 1970's and have had excellent results, however I think you may be using bullets a little on the light side for my tastes. I load a 180 grain Gameking for my 30/06 going 2800 fps and have had excellent results on Deer, Elk, Antelope, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats from 21 paces to 425 yards, nearly always get an exit wound and drops them dead. Have not had any blow ups like you mention, if it were me I would move up in bullet weight the 180's have been great for me.

Did you happen to hit a shoulder on the way in. How big are Roe calfs?

Either Sierra or Hornady 150 gr bullets are much the same. If you will use them in a 308 Win or 300 Savage at 2700 fps or less, they do work pretty well. Go faster and they will come apart.

I use the 165s over 50gr of 4064 for 2800fps out of my 06 and they work great. I always get an exit, the bullet holds together nicely and they shoot under 1/2 moa. Give them a try, I think you will like them.

RickT300

I didn't hit the shoulder. The bullet went in through the ribs just behind the "elbow" joint,
mulched ribs and tissue in a 4 " circle and went out the opposite side, leaving a big hole of about 4"
Heart and lungs where liquified and beyond recognition. Heavy hemoraghing between the muscles in the upper arms, shoulders and neck.

To me it looks like the bullet fragmented on impact.

A roecalf (one year old) weighs between 10 and 15 kg in the skin. An adult weighs between 12 and 18 kg

Well, first of all, let me say that I have been using almost nothing but Sierra HPBT bullets in almost all my rifles since the late 1960's. Some are GK and some are MK.

I have never experienced what you have stated. Sure, some of them have turned the heart/lungs into mush, but I have never seen one blow out the entire front quarter of an animal. But, then again, I don't shoot many animals in the weight class you have given.

As for your load being a "mild" load, I would say it is significantly more than "mild" -

N-150 From 44.5 grains to 56.3 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

54 grains puts you in the upper end, at around 2900 FPS.

quote:

Originally posted by reindeer:
A roecalf (one year old) weighs between 10 and 15 kg in the skin. An adult weighs between 12 and 18 kg

15kg works out to 33 lbs. I kinda think you've got too much velocity with that bullet for an animal that size. 33 lbs ain't a very big animal.