I would like to ask if bullet Sierra Game King in 7 mm /.284 dia-175 gr./ end .30 cal /180 gr./, is hard or soft for elk sized hunting. I shot this year 2 roebucks end the bullet went through the body. The exit wound was minimal. End bullet had effect of a FMJ. It has to be said, that the roebuck body had very little weight.

Sierra GK SP are rather soft and fast expanding bullets to be driven at std. velicity (I use them on Roedeer with complete satisfaction). If tougher game is expected, go to the GK HP of same weight, which is a harder bullet designed for magnum velocities. As a bonus, both shoot to the same POI.

I went Elk hunting for the second time with a close friend this past fall. He is a die hard Sierra fan, 180 grain Game King as a matter of fact in his 300 mag. Both times he got his elk, but only after multiple shots/hits in both cases. I got a nice bull early, and video'd him on his hunt afterwards. He popped a nice 6x6 bull with his 300, using those 180 grain Game Kings, and it took 7 (seven) shots starting out at 175 yards to put him down. On our first hunt, he got a decent 5x5, if I remember correctly, and it took multiple shots there as well. Digging out the bullets on both bulls produced shed jackets, tiny fragments, etc...really poor performance. The guides tried to persuade him to use a more heavily constructed bullet in both cases, to no avail. On elk, for heavens sake, use a better bullet....it simply is not a good choice for something as big and tough as elk. Until you have watched the reaction of several elk to bullet hits, you can't appreciate how truely tough they are. They will carry a poor performing bullet into the next zipcode and laugh at you.

Adequate for deer size game, there are better choices for elk, Nosler partitin, Norma Oryx, Wodleigh, etc.

I have used Sierra's for years and years in my 30/06 180 grain SPBT at about 2800 fps. I have taken several Elk from 100 yards to 425 yards and Mule Deer, Antelope, Bighorn Sheep and Mtn. Goat and honestly have always had good performance. In 2004 I got a limited elk tag in a good trophy elk area and went ahead and loaded up 180 grain Nosler Accubonds for the chance at these larger bulls, one shot at 180 yards and he fell like a stone.
I can't badmouth the Sierra's but I think a premium bullet is cheap insurance that should be used especially on an animal as tough as an Elk. One of the bulls I shot with Sierra's at 175 yards took 3 hits to the heart / lung area, dead on his feet but he never once showed any sign of a hit until he just fell over, that worried me some so I vowed to shoulder/ spine shoot bigger bulls from then on and move up to a premium bullet for the job.

According to my Sierra manual the 7mm/175 has a tougher jacket than the other bullets. I think the performance you got would prove that to be true.

I have used the 30 cal 180 grain SBT many years for whitetail deer. I would guess I have take about 80 deer with it. I shoot point of shoulder and generally get softball size exit wound on the off shoulder. Range has varied from 20 feet to 135 yards. It has been an instant dropper for deer with this placement, however, I do not think I would use the bullet on elk or larger game because of the soft nature of the bullet.

They are on teh soft wide, generalyl speaking, Though there are a few exceptions, such as the 220 8mm, which is a bit tough for 8x57 velocities.

Sierra game bullets offer (usually) excellent accuracy and fast expansion. I consider them to be a good match for standard rounds for deer/blackbear sized game.

They have performed well on moose. The ranges are generally very short, 25-50yds. The only thing about moose is that they are so stupid it takes them a few minutes to figure out that they're dead, even with two holes in the heart. The Sierras generally turn the lungs to mush, expanded rapidly, and did not always hold together, but they did what they were supposed to do, and the moose in the freezer don't offer any arguments. That said, I wouldn't use them for a quartering shot, or at long distance, but neither is necessary here in New England. They have no predators and ignore most anything they encounter. I think I would go with Nosler Partitions in your situation, even though elk are smaller, they are skittish enough that you would seldom have the perfect shot. The more heavily constructed bullet is cheap insurance.

I use the 200 Sierra Game King in my 300 Weatherby 3000 and some fps and the 220 Game King in my 8MM Remington Mag 3006 fps. The heavier bullets are tougher. With the 300 I shot an Elk at 150 yards quartering away from me. Hit it at about the third rib from the back on the left side and found the bullet lodged under the hide next to the right front leg. The animal took two steps and went on it's nose. Never got off the ground.

I think they are way better than their given credit for. I wouldn't be afraid to use them again. Nate

For those of you who feel the Game King is too soft, try using the Sierra Pro-Hunter in your prefered weight and caliber. It's a traditional flat based-bullet with a custom jacket design that delivers optimum expansion, weight retention and penetration. It is a much tougher bullet than the GameKing.

It seems that the SGKs and SMKs are all we ever hear about, and most of the press we hear is negative. It's good to see the positive responces for Sierra bullets for a change...Rusty.

A couple of years ago one of my hunting buddies and I hunted South Africa. He was using a 7mm Rem mag with 175gr sierra gamekings. They killed everything he shot with that bullet but the larger plains game should not be hunted with that bullet in my opinion. The impala, blesbok, warthog all died quickly but I can't say the same for kudu, gemsbok, and wildebeest. The bullet was marginal for the bigger game. I would stick with 175gr bullets of stout construction for everything bigger than impala.

I used the 7mm 160 for deer for many years but they seperate real bad and although I did not lose a deer because of this I much rather use the Barnes TSX on all game now. from what I saw of the Gameking on deer I would say it is too soft and fragile for elk size game. They may work but there are better choices.

The only Game Kings I've used for elk have been the 300 gr .375" driven to 2500 fps. They have worked well on five elk, with 2 shots the average. Generally the 1st shot would have ended up with a dead liung shot elk but IF they stand there after #1 I continue shooting.

For elk or larger game I'd go with a partition, the Barnes, etc. The Game Kings DO seem to be very accurate but IMHO too SOFT for larger game.

FN in MT

The Sierra Game King is designed to give major expansion at longer ranges say past 200 yards at 30-06 velocities. Do what a lot of kntheads do push em 3000fps plus and shoot a shoulder at 30 yards and guess what, you won't get the pretty mushroom. Then you will hear some sob story about meat destruction and broken up bullet. Personally I like em but use them as they were designed to be used which is at impact velocities under 2600 fps.