One has to know which box the animal had been looking at. If you shoot a deer that had seen a varmint on the box, it will just laugh at you.

but along the same lines, I am guilty of using Matchkings for hunting, with good results, I might add.

Ive had good results with the 160 Sierra Gameking in my 8mm/06 Ackley on deer, elk, African PG, but 50/50 on the seperation, lots of one shot quick kills two failures but recovered within 300 or so yards in Africa...not bad, but I have gone to the Accubond since then except on the light bodied animals like Hill country white tail, and coueswhere I still like the Sierras...The new ones cut a entrance hole caliber size and an exit the size of a nickel, decent blood trail and less than a 100 yard run with my 8mm-06 Ackley and have seen the same with a 270..Thats normal in most cases and yes their are exceptions both ways..Its just not black or white, lots of shades or gray on the subject with any caliber...

When talking with the guys at Sierra at SHOT Show several years ago they told me that the Pro Hunter would hold up better than their Game King would. They stated that the flat base design failed less than the Game King design when it came to jacket core separation. The reason stated was the boat tail design base would deform more causing the jacket to separate more than the standard design of the Pro Hunter.
I tested this using 150gr 308 bullets of both Game King and Pro Hunter shot into water jugs at 100yds from my 308 Rifle. I had more blow ups with the Game King than the Pro Hunter.

All things being equal, is the Game King considered to be more accurate than the Pro-Hunter?
Sierra bullets are known for their accuracy, but if you switch to the Pro-Hunter, are you not then back in the same league as the Hornady Interlock, for example? A decent cup-and-core bullet with a decent, but not spectacular, reputation for accuracy.
(This is a genuine question, not a rhetorical one!)

quote:

Originally posted by Karoo:
All things being equal, is the Game King considered to be more accurate than the Pro-Hunter?
Sierra bullets are known for their accuracy, but if you switch to the Pro-Hunter, are you not then back in the same league as the Hornady Interlock, for example? A decent cup-and-core bullet with a decent, but not spectacular, reputation for accuracy.
(This is a genuine question, not a rhetorical one!)

For all practical purposes, the only difference between the Game Kings and the Pro Hunters is that the GKs are boattails. Their construction is otherwise the same. In my estimation, 95% of hunters never shoot at ranges where a boattail reaps any accuracy benefits, anyway.

That being the said, their terminal performances are probably identical. So, between the two, just shoot whichever one is available to you and you and your rifle like.

I have used Sierra bullets in 30 caliber since the early 70's and have found them to be excellent bullets. The GameKing hollow point bullet gave me pause when i first looked at one because of the rather large open tips. However these proved to be slightly more accurate than the prohunter bullets. My game is rarely over two hundred yards and I have never experienced any difference in performance. I have shot Barnes, Nosler, Speer, Hornady, Berger and some others and I have found that the Sierra's are as accurate as any of the others. In addition, the terminal performance has always been excellent which is more than I can say for some of the others. I also shoot about every diameter (except .277) from 22 centerfire to 35 caliber. If I can find Sierra Game King/Prohunter bullets I will buy them first. The only bullet that I have ever recoveded is a Remington 185 gr. Core Lokt from a 325 WSM in a small buck at a range of 45 yards. Quarting away shot was just under the hide on the off side but it did not seperate; it is the classic mushroom shape.

I've been loading since the early 70s as well + I have also had really good results with Sierra bullets. When they came out with their 80G 224 bullet I bought up several 500 rnd. cnt. boxes in Matchking + the same in Moly coat. for use in the 22-250 AI w/ a 1/6 twist. I was hoping for 4000 MV w/ an 80 G. bullet. Never happened. I never had any problems achieving that with a 55G bullet but that 80G. never did get beyond 3600- 3800 Max. Regardless, their bullets are top of the line.

Just purchased some Browning factory ammo in 175 grain Sierra Pro Hunters for the 6.8 Western.

The only difference in the game King and the prohunter is The game king is a boat tail and the prohunter is a flat base bullet..Both are excellent accurate game bullets,not varmint or target bullet, the Game King is less wind drag la te da!! there is no practical difference in the two in the huntingfield...and yes they are in the same league as the HOrnady, Speer etc, cup and core, and they have worked for many years cutting through the BS..

Ive killed a lot of big game with cup and core bullets, premiums are probably better for our big bears and Africas DG. I use the premiums on DG, just a cheap insurance policy I suppose, but Ive seen corelokts kill a lot of buffalo, Eland Lions and what all..

The Benefits of a a boat tail aren't seen until 300+ yards. That's where you will start to see the differences in wind drift, velocity, and drop.

Sierra has always been my go to bullet when buying a new rifle. I know I can find an accurate load quickly with them and they are relatively inexpensive. I've taken enough game with them to know that they will perform reliably and I will have a dead animal waiting for me as long as I put the bullet where it's supposed to be.

I need to stipulate that what I chose on cull hunting is totally different that what I would pick for trophy hunting big bucks..I use the 30-06, 7x57 etc for trophy hunts, and say a 222 or swift for culling, its all together different...

The most popular bullet in Idaho among the locals is the 225 and 250 sierras btsp in the 338 win..

I tried the 250 on a buffalo and an Eland in Africa, a mule deer in Texas and a cow elk in Idaho..It worked very well on these animals with very quick kills and recovered mushroomed bullets on the off side skin in most cases..My only complaint is one hole no exits as a rule..I prefer two holes and better blood trails, but many like the bullet to expend all it energy inside the animal and can put up a good arguement for that, but its bullshit!