Is the 100 grain Gameking a good choice for whitetail deer at <100 yards in a .243? I'm getting conflicting reports on its durability, especially for "worst case" situations where I'd need to put it through a shoulder, for example.

I've used it on some quite big fallow and it is tougher than you might think - great bullet for a 243 and for what you want provided the deer isn't much larger than 200lbs.

The 100 grain Sierra GameKing will do nicely for your needs, even if you have to punch through the shoulder blade to get to the vitals.

But it certainly helps if the shooter himself believes in the projectile's capability, and if you don't feel confident in it, by all means move up to a Partition.

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and if you don't feel confident in it, by all means move up to a Partition.

That's exactly what my kids and I did. We moved up to Partitions and never looked back.

Don

The 100gr Sierra GameKing is an excellent bullet for thin skinned game. Stick with it. It will serve you well. I use them in my Winchester Featherweight.

30378 is right that the Gameking is an excellent bullet for thin skinned game. If you want a bit more durability, the Hornady Interlocks works wonderfully and is about as tough a projectile as you can find in a non-premium bullet. Get some and see how they shoot in your gun.

I have never found an Interlock slug, but I always find big nasty exit wounds.

I have used the 100 gr. Sierra, but believe it or not I have had better luck with the
sierra 85 gr hpbt as long as you hit the boiler room. The sierra folks have stated similar themselves. These things will flat put them down.

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I have used the 100 gr. Sierra, but believe it or not I have had better luck with the
sierra 85 gr hpbt as long as you hit the boiler room. The sierra folks have stated similar themselves. These things will flat put them down.

Would that be true even for a shoulder shot into the boiler room?
How does the penetration of the two bullets compare?

I never shot a deer in the shoulder with either bullet, always right behind. I have had better accuracy with the 85 gr. hpbt in all .243 I have owned. 1 in 10 twist.

I use the 100gr Sierra Pro Hunter in my .243, accuracy is superb. I have shot 2 fallow deer with this load and both complete pass throughs with good exit holes. Good bullet in the .243 for deer

The largest deer killed by anyone in my hunting group in thirty years was taken with a .243 Sierra Gameking 100 grainer at 75 yards. One shot, head-on through the brisket. The flat-based pro-hunter might hold together just a little better, but either will do the job splendidly on whitetails.

My son has killed six deer with six shots with the 100 gr. gameking. I have also used it on pronghorns, and whitetails. Accurate, and very deadly.

While I'm not a big fan of Sierra there is no doubt that a 100 grain Game King or Pro Hunter will be very good venison medison from a .243.

I've killed a lot of deer and seen dozens more killed with such a gun.....and the 100 grain slug is the one to use.

My ex wifes first whitetail buck was killed facing us with a chest shot at 125 yards, the bullet travelled through the entire body and we recovered it in the rear ham under the skin. It was a Sierra SPBT Gameking, started out weighing 100 grains, recovered weighed 87 grains.
Load was 41 grains IMR-4350, Herters brass, CCI large rifle primer, 100 grain Sierra Gameking Spitzer Boat Tail.
The deer was about 125-130 pounds.
She killed a couple more bucks with that load and an Antelope Buck and all had exit wounds with no recovered bullets, shots ranges from 75 yards to 180 yards and all were definitive one shot kills (Drop right there).
In my opinion the Sierra bullets get a bad rap, I think quite highly of them and use them frequently in lots of rifles on game.
Good luck with yours.

I can't figure out how to reply with quotes but somebody says the Hornady Interlock is a tougher bullet than the Gameking. Is the SST by Hornady the same thing but with a polymer tip and improved secant ogive?

If it is I'll be happy because the 129 gr,SST shoots well in my .264 Win Mag but so does the 140 gr Gameking. I opted for the Gameking because I thought it may be better for big game because of the extra weight.

The 140 gr SST didn't group as well for some reason..........

Does anyone have input? Sorry it's off the .243 topic..............

I loaded up some nosler partions for my daughter. on (dec08) her first big game hunt she used her 243 to down a cow elk at 75 yards. She put 2 shots in the lungs. The elk walked a few paces and tipped over.
Its just me but I have mostly used nosler bullets.
coues

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
I can't figure out how to reply with quotes but somebody says the Hornady Interlock is a tougher bullet than the Gameking. Is the SST by Hornady the same thing but with a polymer tip and improved secant ogive?

You just click on the small icon with quotation marks in the lower right corner of the post you wish to quote.

Yes the Hornady SST bullets have the interlock ring to help retain the lead core in the copper jacket. The Sierras shoot better in some of my rifles or about equal to the Hornady in others. Where there is not much difference I shoot Hornady.

If you want to continue this discussion we should probably start another thread.

Thanks, I figured it out

I don't think a new thread is necessary, just wondered if the SST was the "interlock" and if anyone had experience other than the gentleman I tried to quote with them.

Maybe we do need to start another thread. I would like to know if the SST is tougher than the Gameking structurally

I can't speak toward structural integrity of the two, but have real world experience with the sst.
I shot two deer with the 95 grain sst in .243 this year.
deer 1 - 130 pound buck at 312 lazered yards, broadside,tight behind the shoulder, complete pass thru, deer jumped, then ran about 20 yards and dead
deer 2 - 100 poud doe at about 50-60 yards, broadside, tight behind the shoulder, complete pass thru, deer died in her tracks, not so much as a twitch
Load was a hair over 36 grains of IMR 4064. Shoots about 1 to 1.25 inches at 100 yards off a bench in my rifle.
I've got some of the sierra 85 gr. hpbts to start working with because I have heard so many good things about their results. I'll just have to find the load my rifle likes and then try em out. Good luck!

Bluemtm,

Hope you can get the 85 sierra hpbt to shoot. I was a little hesitant with them but they sure surprised me on the performance I get from them. .25-.50 groups at 100 meters and will put the deer down quick. Shot placement is always important.

I like the .243 . Its a good round and all the 100 grain bullets are designed for deer hunting.
(except target bullets) But it has often been said that the .243 is a round with witch one needs to be a little more selective with his shots.
I would aim behind the shoulder when ever posible. But if you hit the joint you should still be ok.
you never can tell what is going to happen.
Shot placment is allways the #1 factor , and gets bigger as the power factor goes down.
...tj3006