I recently used for the first time on game a new load, that gave me good results on the range.
It was 30-06 with Sierra Gameking SPBT 150 grs, propelled by 59,6 grs of Norma 204. Measured speed at 3 meters (10 ft) 842 m/s (2762 fps).
I shot a mouflon lamb at 50 m. The entry hole (just behind the shoulder) was comparable with the bullet size, but the exit was a oval crater about 10 x 15 cm (4x6 in). I never damaged so much an animal.
Has anybody had similar experience with same bullet?
Thanks in advance.

Shooting a smaller animal with decent size cartridge at a relatively short range I am not really surprised at the amount of damage.

What did the lamb weigh.

Personally I thought the idea was to kill the critter you are shooting at. Good size holes do it faster.

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Shooting a smaller animal with decent size cartridge at a relatively short range I am not really surprised at the amount of damage.

I agree.
A better test will be a larger animal or at a greater distance.
I've not used that bullet but have used it's big brother for 30+ years. The Sierra 180 gr. SPBT at roughly the same speeds with excellent results on Mule Deer, Elk, Antelope, Hogs, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat etc.
If I were in your shoes and that load is accurate I would try it on a larger animal and observe those results.

I think the heavier bullet would do less damage (bloodshot meat) than the lighter one.

Sierras are known for being pretty frangible. You might have "a bit" less damage with a Hornady interlock. The fluted tips can actually keep the mushroom a bit tighter and less violent, whereas bullets without fluted tips (Ie; Sierras, Speers, BT's) will mushroom wider and more out away from the axis of the bullet. Lots of ways to deal with your issue though. Load it down, tougher bullets, heavier bullets. But I agree that bigger game is the best remedy!

I have had great results from Sierra bullets and used them exclusively for over 20 years.

Never heard of the phrase "bullet failure" until I had my first encounter with this forum

I'll second that. Sierra 165 GK / N 160 / 60.5 (884 m" /2900 ft") is my standard .30-06 hunting load and it never failed me.

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If the mouflon had been a full-sized adult, then the expansive action you saw on the juvenile would have taken place in the center of the vitals on an adult. In that case, most of the bullet's energy having already been spent, you might not have seen an exit; or you might have seen a much smaller exit from the remaining half-mass of the bullet at greatly reduced velocity.

When I hunted Dall sheep in Canada's Mackenzie mountains I used my .257 Ackley shooting 117 grain Sierra GameKing bullets.

I shot my ram at a lasered 206 yards. The bullet made a 1/4 inch entrance hole just behind his front shoulder, and made a 1/2" exit hole in the tip of his opposite shoulder. Hardly any blood from either hole.

When we were packing my ram and camp off the mountain, we came across a wolverine. Another one of those 117 grain GameKing bullets blew a hole in the middle of that wolverine that I could put both of my fists in. My taxidermist did a great job of closing that hole.

Several days later I shot a mountain caribou bull again with a 117 grain GameKing bullet. It was a 250 yard shot with the same bullet performance as the one through the sheep, but on this one we heard the bullet ricochet off the rocks 100 yards behind the bull.

I think on small animals, the width and energy of the hydraulic wound channel exceeds the body size and the strength of the animals skin. The result is just like shooting a gallon milk jug full of water.

Great example you cited there buffybr, I completely agree and have had some very similar experiences.

There is nothing wrong with bullets that have a 50 year track record. They are as good today as they were . . . I shoot them without apology.

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Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
Sierras are known for being pretty frangible. You might have "a bit" less damage with a Hornady interlock. The fluted tips can actually keep the mushroom a bit tighter and less violent, whereas bullets without fluted tips (Ie; Sierras, Speers, BT's) will mushroom wider and more out away from the axis of the bullet. Lots of ways to deal with your issue though. Load it down, tougher bullets, heavier bullets. But I agree that bigger game is the best remedy!

I have used Sierra bullets almost exclusively for decades of hunting and also have heard that they are too soft, break up too much etc. At short range high velocity they do open extremely well but they sure deck animals. What many don't take into account when claiming a bullet is too soft is that these same bullets perform perfectly at longer ranges where harder bullets do not expand as well.

Match the bullet weight to the cartridge e.g. I always used 160gr Sierra GK in my 7x61S&H doing 3000fps and not the 140gr weight that many seem to go for when using the 7mm Magnums. Those 160gr GK's were murderous on any of our game animals from close to long range. They dropped animals, many running, at long range with ho hum regularity. The 140gr and 150gr GK's are perfect in my 7mm-08 that I use now.

Of course the real beauty of Sierra bullets is that they are accurate bar none. If you cannot get a sporting rifle to shoot accurately with Sierra then get rid of the rifle, it won't shoot with anything else.

I would go with the Sierra 165gr GK for the 30.06, a good balance for that sized cartridge, but still expect some meat damage at short ranges but also see the animal quickly on the deck every time.

A soft bullet. Very quickly shedding energy in massive terminal wounds. A call to Sierra will find the HPBT bullet tougher.

My '06 is very accurate with the SPBT, I wait out a shot until I am certain the path of the bullet will not ruin parts I would like to eat.

That's correct, Sierra HPBT are "magnum bullets", meant to be tougher, although it's the other way around with many other bullet makers. My std. load is topped with the Sierra GK SPBT. However, when I might encounter tougher game, I keep a few identical handloads but with the GK SP replaced with a GK HP. Same powder charge same POI, same accuracy, that's the bright side of it.

To some extemt cup and core does what cup and core does; and expanding bullets cause meat damage. Tissue damage is what kills our quarry.

We shoot expanding bullets to increase frontal area and therefore wounding for faster and more efficient killing. I agree not all bullets behave the same and velocity bruises as do secondary projectiles and bullets that come apart, but expanding bullets kill better. To some extent we must accept that we can't have it both ways.

I'd rather lose a few pounds of meat than an animal. That said, what was described sounds extreme, but there are various factors involved in bruising. Most 150gr .30s are unlikely to be strongly constructed bullets. If it really bothers you then use a premium bullet or shoot it slower. A mouflon really doesn't need a premium bullet in a 30-06 but you should lose less meat.

Ive used Sierra GAmekings quite a bit over the years, and I have had a few of them come apart particularly at short range where velocity was excessive for and cup and core bullet. It happens, lots of bloodshot ruined meat when it happens, always kills quickly..

I sure wouldn't want to use them on elk or larger animals, or take Texas heart shots based on what Ive seen...

Recovering pretty mushroomed bullets tells me Im not getting an exit hole, I don't like that, but some folks do..

One thing that causes so many differences of opinion in bullets is judging bullets of the same make in different calibers in other words I love the 300 gr. Sierra BTSP in the .375 H&H and the 250 Sierra in the .338, but Ive had bad luck with some Sierras in the 30-06, 243, and 7x57..Same with Speer and other brands..I believe there are good and bad bullets in all brands for various reasons..Ive seen Woodleighs get bad rapped, and there is no better bullets than Wooldleigh, the rapper just didn't know Woodleighs are velocity specific, and as a matter of fact so are a hell of lot of other bullets..In fact the ONLY bullet I know of, proven by extensive testing to expand between 3100 and 1400 is the Win. Power Point in the 30-06 and almost as good in the .308..Even the best of premium bullets won't do that. I have the photographed results of extensive testing by handloader magazine on that issue using every bullet in the field. Its an awesome test.

I have always used the Sierra Pro Hunter bullet and it has worked great up to and including elk. The only explosive result I've seen is when a friend of mine used a 65gr sierra GK on a small deer from a 223. I loaded 180gr Pro Hunters for a friend to hunt elk with shooting a 30-06. He shot a 350 class elk at 278yds the bullet exited and made a mess of the inside of the elk. The elk only went about 25yds after impact.

I have reloaded and hunted with the Sierra SPBT in 165gr for years. I use IMR4064 at 52.5gr with Winchester WLR large rifle primers. I shoot these from a Browning A-Bolt w/BOSS and chrono'd around 2860fps.

Recently I thought I would try some Hornady A-Max bullets, 30 cal - 168gr, same powder charge, same rifle. (I got a couple of boxes on major sale). Nothing lost, huh??

The week before Christmas (3 weeks ago), I shot 3 does on my club. All three around 100-110 lbs. First doe I took was at 216 yds with the A-Max bullet. Perfect shot, dropped in her tracks. No shoulder bones hit, ribs were hit. Could not visibly see an entry point. The exit hole was small, roughly 1-1/4". I was surprised it was that small.

The next two does I took using the Sierra SPBT. They were 65-70 yds. Again, no shoulder bones were hit, ribs were hit. One dropped in her tracks, the other ran ~50yds. On both of these does, the entry hole was noticeable and the exit hole was LARGE. Maybe 2-1/2"+.

Both bullets completed the task. Dead is Dead.

But the Sierra Bullet performed better, IMHO.

I've been using the Sierra 180 SPBT for 40 years. Shot a ton of whitetails and mulies over the years with them from anywhere between 20 and 200 yards.. All were pass through's and left grapefruit sized exit wounds.

The only bullets I have ever recovered were Noslers.