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 tll 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?

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.

I think this is typical for any bullet from a .30-06 used on a smallish animal.

To lessen meat damage see if you can use a heavier bullet and load it to far less velocity.

The Hornady manual shows several loads for 180 grain bullets at 2200'/sec.

Sierras tend to be soft. I don't have experience with the flat base version, but heard it, and the HPBT (the hunting, not match version) are tougher bullets than the standard SPBT. In my opinion, Hornadies are tougher bullets. I believe they have a harder core than most other "standard" bullets and the Interlock works fairly well, at least under 3000 fps. That being said, the .30-06 is a powerful round and generates good velocity with 150s. If you really want to cut back on bloodshot meat, you may want to try a heavier bullet. You won't get as much expansion, but you can't have everything.

-Lou

bomd. i used 180g gameking in a 300mag for moose and caribou and in both animals bullet performance was poor. the moose was taken at 430yds all shots in the ribcage and no exits same on caribou at less then 100. i will spend a little more on premium.

I don't know the size of a roecalf but I've used and seen used the sierras on NY state whitetails that don't get very large (45-60 kg. on average). One of my friends there uses a 30-06 and the 165gr. sierras. I didn't see any more damage on his deer than the 150gr Hornadys I used in my 270win. One of the other guys shoots the 150gr sierra but in a .308 and gets little meat damage so I believe that the little extra velocity make a large difference in what they'll do in game. My suggestion is that if you can shoot game at 100M try backing even 100fps off the load so the bullet can hang together better. I load hunting rounds for my father in law's 30-06 and he always used just whatever 180gr bullet he had. I switched him to a 150gr partition and he can't tell the difference other than he said it reciols less. But we also pick less jacket pieces out of the shoulders compared to the cup and core bullets.

Hope this helps you out.

You have just listed the exact reason I don't use 150s in the 30-06. It also happens to be the same reason I don't care for the 270 Winchester -HUMONGOUS HOLES!
It has been my experience that Sierra's HPBT is a tougher bullet than their BTSP. It is also my experience that all 150s make big holes when pushed to 3000+FPS and in a nutshell that's why I like 165 grain ballistic tips.

quote:

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

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

I'm not sure where you are getting your load data but the above load shows as a Max load in my Nosler 4 54.0 Gr. of VV N150 with a 150 Gr. bullet 2939fps out of a 24" barrel.

I'm thinking if you contact Sierra that this bullet isn't designed for that kind of velocity. I'm using Game Kings in 7MM 160 Gr., 300 Weatheby 200 Gr and 8MM Rem Mag 220 Gr. all at over 3000 fps with no problems what so ever since the late 70's.

I'd go along with Buckshot. Go to a heavier bullet. With a 180gr bullet, even a Remington corelock or Winchester PSP, you will get good performance on the light animals without the meat damage.

If it is permitted, I'd send you a dozen Hornaday 180gr Spitzer flat base bullets. Over here, this bullet has a fine reputation for accuracy, and it is a "medium" stout bullet. If you want the bullets, send me a personal message. Kudude

Don't know how big a roe calf is but I'd be shooting at least a 165gr bullet from my '06.

I have shot 2 muleys with Sierra bullets: one at 30 feet and one at 210 yards....both blew up, failed to exit and blew huge holes inside the beasts. Nosler partitions have killed the rest of my muleys with no worries and no bomb-like activity!

If this is a young one of the smallish deer I saw in Germany, then it might weigh 40 lbs, depending on how old.

I used the 165-grain Sierra HPBT in .308 at 2800 FPS MV, and thought it was a bit on the tough side- complete penetration on the small Central TX whitetails, and minimal meat damage....

You might want to increase the weight of the bullet to 165 gr. or even 180 gr. to reduce damage.

I've never shot anything with Sierra big game bullets.

That's because I could never get their 30caliber big game bullets to shoot as well as the Noslers to justify doing more with the sierras than using them for practice or fireforming.

I do like their 120gr .264 flatbase in my Swede, it's the only sierra bullet I would still buy, but I have never shot anything with them either.

I do like their older flatbased Varmint bullets, but again, the Noslers BT's shoot better for about the same money, so....

AllanD

I only use the heavy-for-caliber Sierra GameKings - 150s in my 270, 180&200s in .30
calibers, 220s in my 8x57 Mauser. Try the 180 or even the 200s - They will hold together up close, carry a lot of energy down range due to high BC and will make two holes.

Thank you all for your replies.

My assumption that 54 gr. VV N150 behind a 150 gr. bullet is a moderated load, is based on the loading data in the Vihtavuori reloading Guide
2004-1

This guide lists the folowing data:
150 gr. Lapua Lock Base start 51,0gr/2677fps max 57,3 gr/ 2977fps
150 gr. Sierra HPBT start 55,9/2831fps
max 61,5 gr/3132fps

The gameking is not listed.
Is there anyone that could provide me with some well proven and less explosive loading data for the combination 150 gr. gameking/ VV N150?

By the way, a one year old roecalf is a very small animal. They weigh between 8 and 12 kg.
in the skin. That is why I was expecting less fierce fragmentation.

Ok, so let me get this straight...

you are shooting a 12kilo animal with a 150gr bullet from a 30-06sprg and you are concerned that your target essentially "blows up"?

What exactly were you expecting to happen?

an animal that size was what 6mm and 22cal rifles were tailor made for.

you probably didn't destroy any more meat than if the same bullet had run into a Moose or elk, but there is so much less animal around the point of impact...

If you insist on using a 30-06 switch to a Barnes TSX

Or "load down" to a lower velocity.

AllanD

I'm surprised anything was left that was edible!!!!

I use Sierras a bit as well as Hornadys and don't have the "bomb" effects that seem so popular on the internet. In fact I've used 140's (SGK) in my 7mm RM pushed with 73.3 gr of RL19 with complete pass throughs! They work as well as any and if you want to step up the HPBT is as accurate or more so, and seems to hold up even better. On deer size game they are plenty of bullet if your not aiming for bone. The hpbt is tougher and will go through the shoulders of a deer but it's messy.
In your situation you need to slow down the bullet. Either go heavier on the bullet and construction, or use a reduced load.

One of the least damaged deer I've gutted was shot with a .338WM and 250gr Round Nose bullets. I've used some of the heavier 160's in the HPBT configuration in both Sierra and Hornady in the .308, .30-06, and 7mm. I've even used the GameKings in the .338WM in the 250gr. weight. I think the "poor" effects are greatly exaggerated on the internet, and that most bullet failures are actually due to the poor choice of bullet for the job. Driving light bullets as fast as possible for example.

Many times poor bullet performance is also blamed when in fact it should really be blamed on a poor shot placement. Nate

I've used an M40(308) for culling whitetail deer by permit. I tried 165Gamekings in lieu of issued ammo for the M40. Even at the 308 velocities, I found that the 165s were limited. In one season alone I culled 26 deer recording everything in my log book. Many of the Sierras would blow apart on close shots just from striking an onside rib, and many would pencil through on long shots. The 180s are made a bit tougher but the Sierras are no longer for me w/ the exception of paper targets.

Gary

I have enjoyed full passthrough on most of the deer I have shot with litle lost meat. I am a fan of these bullets.

You might consider a Hornady Spire Point. I run the bullet at 2900 from my 30-06 with no problems of bullet blow up. I will say I rarely use the rifle for Whitetail in heavy cover but for shooting over fields where shots run around 200 yards or a little better. I also believe the Sierras are slightly more fragile.