SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

IN THIS AGE OF THE NEW BONDED CORE BULLETS THESE SIERRAS JUST KEEP DOING THERE JOB OF PUTTING DOWN GAME, IVE MOSTLY USED THEM ON DEER, BUT RECENTLY USED ON A MT. GOAT WITH GREAT RESULTS ONLY RECOVERED 1 BULLET THAT WENT THROUGH THE SHOULDER. MUSHROOMED PERFECT CORE STAYED INTACT, WEIGHED 157GRAINS, WAS (180) SHOOTS ACCURETLY AND YOU CAN GET A BOX OF 100 FOR AROUND $17.00 WHAT MORE DOES A GUY NEED?
IVE TRIED MOST OF THE NEW BONDED CORE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SWIFT,ALL MORE PRICEY AND MOST DIDNT PREFORM ASWELL AT THE RANGEAS THE GAME KINGS, PLUSE THE NOSLERS ARE SO LONG THEY IMPED CASE CAPACTY NOT GOOD, SO IM JUST GOING TO KEEP USING MY TRUSTY OLD GAME KINGS, BY THE WAY IN MY 06 I CAN LOAD THEM 180S
56GR OF IMR 4350 TO JUST A TAD OVER 2800 FPS ON MY CONO WITH CLOVER LEAFS AT 100YDS AGINE WHAT MORE CAN A GUY ASK FOR. OH WELL MY 2CENTS

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I love em too. But they dont do what Sierra says they will, thats for sure at high velocities like a 165gr kicking at 3400fps. They are about the only ones that believe theyhandle that speed well. Koolaid mustbe good up there. I use em in 308's, 7mm-08's, and 270win. I don't like shooting in the shoulder of a deer with the 270win at close ranges. I don't mind for a 180gr in a 30-06. I put them in the same class as a Bullistic Tip. I just like em cause they are accurate.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

My experience has been the same - the Sierra Gamekings kill real well at muzzle velocities below 3,000 fps and on rib shots. The aren't good bullets for magnum rifles, at least at normal distances, and they really make a mess out of a shoulder shot. The ProHunter version (flatbase) is a little tougher and can stand a couple hundred more fps impact velocity without blowing up. Accuracy is usually as good as it gets.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Well guys, I like 'um both. My son's '06 likes the 150gr Pro Hunters and My '06 prefers the 165gr Game Kings.....Both Sako L61R's ....go figure. The one thing I like is they put the deer down fast. They don't have the sexy BC's and bonded technology.....but they work. Regards, Rick.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Funny enough, I have a friend I reload for. I load 130gr gameking for 270win. He usually comes to me after hunting season saying how outstanding the gameking performs making largeexit holes. But he said this week, he shot a buck thru the lungs, and it made very small exit and entrance and very little blood trail. He found the buck about 50 yards away. But he was surprised it didn't do that much damage. He usually however clips the shoulder. But this time he didn't hit a rib, just lungs.

I was surprised since I have had fantastic luck with them. But I know he was telling the truth.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

The very first .30-378 Weatherby I built went to Africa only about three weeks after the customer received the gun. The customer loaded up a hundred rounds with the 180 Sierra Gameking and, as an afterthought, loaded up about 25 with 180 Nosler Partititons. He reported being unable to kill even a small antelope with the Sierra at these velocities - the bullets were blowing up in the hide and ribs upon entry and were essentially out of gas when they got into the vitals of the animal. Animals would go down and then get right back up and run off. Those 25 Nosler Partitions accounted for 19 animals after he gave up on the Sierra's.

Later, he did play around with the 200 grain Gameking, which has a hardened core, and was pretty satisfied with its performance on elk. But apparently the combination of very high impact velocity and the legendary toughness of African plains game was too much for the 180 Sierra.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

A few years back I loaded the 180's fora 300 win mag. Hadgreat accuracy but they exploded horribly on impact. I wondered if they were designed for slower guns. I used the 117's for a 25-06 and don't beleive there is a better bullet for that gun.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

all i can say is they do a great job in my 06 i usally run 165s but for the goat i used the 180s just a tough animal and bigger than most people think estamated my to br around 400lbs.
just thought id show the results

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Man, thats excellent, never knew they weighed so much.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I dunno for sure, my my father in law has been loading gameking hollow points for his 257 Weatherby Mag and he's lost two deer in the past couple years, they find lots of blood but never the deer. I have a big suspision that the bullets are just blowing up when they hit those things. I forget what grain he uses though

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Rats - Now you guys have me worried. I have worked up a load of 180 gr Game Kings in my 300 WM. This load is pushing around 3100 fps and accurate, producing sub MOA groups on a regular basis. It took me years to get this load worked up and was planning to use them for my upcoming elk hunt. Now I'm wondering if they are going to hold up. I don't want to be chasing a wounded elk up and down the mountain(s).
Maybe I'll try Barnes bullets only because I could never get Nosler Partitions to shoot very well.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

There have been a lot of elk killed with the 180 Gamekings out of a .300 Win Mag. Just try to be careful on close range shots. And avoid shoulder shots. Broadside in the ribs at 400 yards, you will think they are great.

The 180 Hornady Interlock has a pretty good reputation as an elk bullet. I personally use the Sift Scirocco's and can't say enough good things about them. The Nosler Accubond and the Tropy Bonded Bear Claw bullets are also very good - as are the 180 gr. Speer Grand Slams.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Guess I'll elaborate on the bad luck I had with the Sierra's. I got between a big 6x6 and his cows while he was fighting with another bull that I could make out through some black timber and bugled. He immediately came charging my way and I watched him comming toward me. He stepped out at 15 yards and I dead centered him in the neck with my 300 win mag. He flipped and was flailing on his back, jumped up and took off running hard. I caught him again at about 100 yrds right behind the shoulder in the ribs and he piled up a few yards from there. No doubt in my mind that I wouldn't have got him without the second shot. I also bugled in a spike the next year, had him at about 40 yrds with a rest facing me standing dead still. I centered my cross hairs on the white spot just below his chin and touched off. I'm sure a .22 mag would have killed him but this bullet just exploded and split the skin from his jaw half way down his neck and I found the front half of his jaw sitting on ground like it was sawed off right where he was standing. I'm sure his sences were shot, but he got with another bull and everytime I got close the healthy bull would go and he would follow. Four hours later and afew miles later I could no longer find a blood trail and lost the only bull I've ever lost. Still just makes me sick.

Shoot the TSX Barnes

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I guess what I dont' understand is why all these risky neck shots? I know a few hunters who do it.

And counting up, I and about every hunter I know have twice the success of finding the animal without these high risk small area neck shots.

I really don't think sierra is the issue for you. Just my thought. I have shot elk sized animals before, and never had the bad luck you have. But moose are not as tough as elk I believe.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

not risky with a decent bullet and you know your gun.....some people waste a lot of unneccessary meat...I take the best shot I got and if I got a close range animal, I'll put him down painlessly without meat loss....next time you see a slaughter truck, ask the guy if he shoots the animals in the shoulder with an 06 and why not....just my thought

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Well, not sure what to say about all that. I guess the facts here speak for themselves. I see shots like yours with your outcome pretty regularly, and arguments as well go along with it just like yours and excuses, and possible reasons. And shots like mine without your outcome almost 100% of the time without any excuses. I don't need to get everyounce of meat. I just go and kill me another animal on another tag.

Man, if you can't see it, I don't think I could ever get thru to you. A slaughter truck? You comparing hunting to taking down a domestic farm animal? Bud if you really need the meat, I can get ya a deer tomorrow or this weekend. Just let me know.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Ya, when it comes to elk, I am a meat hunter first and a trophy hunter second....and I've made that same shot numerous times with other rifles and bulletswith out any problem. The question was if those bullets blow up... YES, they do! If I would have elected to shoot those bulls in the shoulder, I beleive they would have blown up on the shoulder and not penetrated just like they did on the neck. Of around fourty elk, that is the only one I have ever lost and it still pisses me off. That shot should have taken his head off. That bullet and that experience is what prompted me to come to this site in the first place. I chose to try to learn from others experience with bullets instead of trial and error at some animals expense.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

THATS THE PROBLEM WITH EVERYONE THINKING THEY NEED THAT BIG MAG TO GET THE JOB DONE AND PUT DOWN THAT ANIMAL, WELL I TELL YOU WHAT THAT 300MAG ANT GOT A THING ON MY TRUSTY 06 AND I KNOW YOUR GOING TO SAY THE 300 SHOOTS FLATTER WELL WHEN YOUR SHOOTING OUT OVER 300YRDS.IT DONT MATTER WHAT CAL. YOUR SHOOTING YOU ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO COMPENSATE FOR BULLET DROP AND SHOOT PLACEMENT IS STILL THE KEY TO TAKING GAME CLEANLY. SO WHEN YOUR TALKING 12INCHES WHATS 4 MORE. HAD ANOTHER GUY ON MY GOAT WITH A 300WSM TOOK HIM 5 SHOOTS TO KEEP HIS GOAT DOWN AND ANOTHER WITH A 25-06 TOOK HIS WITH ONE SHOT I PUT IN 2 AND ONE MORE FOR INSURANCE TO GET MY GOAT AND BELEAVE ME WHEN I SAY THEY ARE TOUGH ANIMALS BUT THAT GETS ME BACK TO RELOADING FOR THE 06 I PUT IN 65GRAINS TO GET 2800FPS YOU PUT IN SOMETHING LIKE 75GRAINS TO GET 200 HUNDERED MORE FPS.AT3000 DUH

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Whole ball game is shooting a good bullet and knowing your gun. I have a black and white picture of five elephants and my great uncle standing over them with a military 30-06

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I have read a lot of complaints over the years that Sierra bullets disintegrate too easily. But my experience, albeit somewhat limited,with them in 6.5mm, .277", 7mm, and .308" has been just the opposite. I have experienced mostly passthrus and no blown-up bullets. The HPBT versions seem quite "hard" to me.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Well, your a very small minority (neck shooters) for one. Ones I know, usually its taught to them by someone. Two, you wasted probably 500lbs of elk, with the one you lost. More meat than I have ever wasted with a nice boilerroom shot. You got me beat by a long shot. Guarnteed it starved or died.

See that shot you did to make that first elk pile up at the very risky neck shot. You know the one behind the shoulder. What did it do? Oh, I know it finished the job. Must not have blew up. What did the first shot do? Is the neck that much tougher than behind the shoulder? Oh, another fact to speak for itself.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

First off racowboy, its great you shared your experience.I for one encourage thatSo I am not busting on that. I just wanted to find out reasoning for neck shots. Some people swear by em. I know when I was a kid, I got it in my head I like em. But changed over the years.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I have alays been of the opinion I should test my bullets/loads prior to shooting at game. Be it a varmint load or a big game load. For my 30-06 I chose Remington 180 CoreLokt factory loads as a benchmark. Shooting into milk jugs filled with water, the Corelokts would pentrate 6 jugs. Hornady 165 grain Interlocks would penetrate 4 jugs. Hornady 180 Interlocks would pentrate 6 jugs. Nosler 180 grain Partitions would penetrate 10 jugs. Sierra 180 grain GameKings would penetrate 3 jugs. Sierra 180 grain ProHunters penetrate4 jugs. Nosler 180 grain Balistic Tips penetrate 3 jugs. Test range was 25 yards. Increased penetration occurs are further distances, most noticable at 100+ yards.

The interesting facts are what happens to the bullets. Sierra fly apart and end up not retaining much weight. Hornadys are slightly better at staying together. Nosler BTs are a joke, handgrenades stay together better. Corelokts, you know...those cheap-o-flex bullets...stay together as well as Hornadys. Partitions do just what they are advertised to do.

I am keen to test some bonded bullets and see exactly ho well they do. Of course, shooting a whitetail with a 25 cent bullet seems like a bit much (CoreLokts are 9 cents each) until you get some advice like "just watch where you shoot them when your under 50 yards". Having shot many whitetails that have bounced up right under my feet and being in a snap shot situation, I much prefer a bullet I know will burrow in and hurt.

Accuracy is, of course, important. I am a bit anal about accuracy and consider it necessary for my 30-06 to consistantly shoot 1/2 MOA or better. There is no good reason for this, since a 1-1.5 MOA deer rifle is fine. My only excuse is my personal desire to take into the field the very best load/rifle combination I can. I have achieved very good accuracy with Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra bullets. If Remington took a bit more care making Corelokts, they would be a fine bullet.

The true advantage of a premium bullet is not identified when one is able to make a boiler room shot. It is realized when a boiler room shot goes wrong. Even the most careful hunter can have bad luck happen. The animal may move. There could be an unseen obstruction that deviates the flight path of a bullet. You may flinch. Myself, I prefer not to wound game. I respect them enough to think that 25 cents for a bullet isnt too much to pay.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I guess maybe that was a risky shot if you use a poor bullet or are a poor shot. My shooting was right on the money. I also shot a moose with those sierra 180's in 300 mag. Bull was angling away at about 150yrds and I put the bullet right behind the rib cage so it would angle the full lengthof the chest cavity. I did kill that bull but found the bullet did not make it past the liver. Bullet also didn't hit any bone and only penetrated around 6" before dissenigrating. I suppose that sounds like a wonderful performing bullet to you Bigcountry? rwire, save the sierras for groundsquirrels. If your bullet won't take out an elk with a well placed shoulder shot, obviously you got the wrong bullet. There are times when you need to break an animal down.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Man, what are you talking about? You ok?

I was referring to the risky neck shots you take. The gameking has its limitations. I never said they didn't.

But fact is your record speaks for itself. In one evening with your neck shots, you wasted more meat than I have in 23 years. In another evening a proper shot behind the shoulders saved the day for you. These are the facts. It don't get no simpler math. I just don't know how I could break it down any easier for ya.

Ok for the record, are you saying that the 'neck' shot area is harder to penetrate than the lung/heart shot? Are you saying you need more than 6" penetration to kill an animal with your neck shot? I agree if you hit an animal straight in the neck with Glaser Safety slugs, it should kill it. But too many hunters havea brain fart like you did and miss your mark and loose the animal and blame it on solar flairs, mama didn't give them much attention, didn't stay at a holiday inn express, or bullet performance or what ever else they can come up with.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

If you consider a neck shot at those ranges risky, you must shoot very poorly. Please take a long walk on a short limb.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Well, not for me thats for sure.I don't know any game in the lastseveral years that were running thru the forestwith no jaw by my hands.But there was an elk out there you lost that might argue you need to go do some target practice. I highly suggest you do some freehand shooting. So you don't waste all that nice meat anymore.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

i just have to put this to bed I guess in my limited opinon
ive just used poor judgement in using my game kings, but i guess the proof is in the pudding, every animal ive taken with sierras must have fallen over dead by just hearing the blast of the shot (MUST BE ATLEAST A DOZEN) including the goat, but they just flatt out preform in my 06 weatherby ultra lt.weight, and i might add I always go for the shoulder,
may be this isnt a good bullet for that high speed 300mag but if you look at the pic. of my goat you will see red on his shoulder and oh by the way that was the exit side. so with my poor judgement in all i think ill continue to use the lowley gameking, and was just woundering if your exp. with them is recent or yrs.ago? and by the way those goats are way tougher than any elk ever thought of

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

So how hard was the hunt Rwire? Bad as they say they can be for those suckers? Do you eat any of it? I had a friend bring me a Ram backstrap and that sucker was strong. You ever did it before? Hunt Goat that is.

I believe and actually know that people including myself put way too much blame on a bullet. Sounds like your doin fine. Gameking will continue to be my deer bullet, thats for sure. People just don't wait for the shot anymore. I have had to let game go before cause they didn't present a good shot. Guides have yelled at me why didn't you shoot thru the brush, or go ahead and take the shot. But when they quarter away from you, you got em. I don't care if you shoot BT, gamekings, prohunters, or SST's.

I usually use partitions, A-Frames, and now accubonds, on moose and stuff.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Gentlemen, There should be no bickering between us. We all have our own opininons on guns, bullets, powders, etc. Bullet manufactures have to compromise alot when it comes to certain cals. The 30 cal probably the most. This same .308, 180 bullet has to perform out of, say a 308 Win and a 300 Weatherby Mag. from ranges point blank to 'way out there'. And don't forget, making a bullet is a mass production process, using different lots of jacket material, core material, and there will be an occasional "faulty" bullet getting out to the public even with a stringent quality control system.
Back in my younger days, my go to rifle for whitetail was a Savage model 110 in .243 Win. Accounting for a bunch of deer, both neck shot and shoulder shot using Hornady 100 bullets. These deer dropped like they were hit in the head with a sledge hammer. All but one. This one took two shots and I later found out through examination that the first bullet totally disentegrated on impact and fragmented running down along the rib cage under the skin. The second bullet however broke both front shoulders causing this running buck to actually flip over when it hit him.
All I am saying is don't judge a bullet from one bad experience. We as individuals can't really condem a bullet based on the limited examples we have. Now, as a group, if we shot a few thousand animals with the Sierra Game Kings and a siginificant number of these bullets gave a less than desireable result, then we could honestly say there is a 'problem' with them.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and these Game Kings have been around a long time, so I guess they may be a pretty good bullet.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Then you just keep using them.....good for you.

As far as I'm concerned when one talks hunting bullets he is saying things like Hornady, Nosler, Swift, Speer, Northfork, Woodleigh.....and not Sierra.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

SOUNDS PRETTY NARROW MINDED TO ME, YOU PROBLY HAVE ONE OF THEM MANLY MAGNUM CAL. SO YOU DONT NEED A GOOD BULLET WITH ALL THAT POWER, YOU CAN JUST POINT AND SHOOT

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Makes no difference to me.....if I was going to point and shoot I certainly wouldn't be using a Sierra bullet.

BTW...how much does your job pay there at Sierra marketing?

Big Country, I think this is one of the trolls you was talking about.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

Maybe, those tech support guys do roam the internet. But still, nice billy.

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

man you just cant let it becan you, always gota have the last word, well i guess if thats what turns your screw and makes you feel better about yourself, I for one think this is a pretty good site but guys like you use it to launch personal attacks on others postings is discrediting to what this forum is saposed to be all about.Grow up an get a life other than just at this site

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

All I know is that if anybody ever shoots me in the butt I hope the're using those sierra's!

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I HAVE TO AGREE. I HAVE BEEN USEING 140 GR. GAMEKINGS AND PRO HUNTERS IN A RUGER NO.1 7mm REM MAG. HAVENT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH EITHER OF THEM THE LOAD I AM USEING IS 65.0 GR IMR 4350 WITH FED. 215 MAGNUM PRIMER HAVENT CHRONOGRAPHED IT BUT THE BOOKS ALL SAY AROUND 3280 WITH A 24 IN BARREL THIS GUN HAS A 26 SO THIS LOAD SHOULD PRODUCE CLOSE TO 3400 FPS THE LAST WHITETAIL SHOT "BY A FREIND" WITH THIS LOAD SHOT IT THROUGH THE HAM BONE COMPLETLY DESTROYING IT THEN IT TRAVELED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE ANIMAL EXITING MID NECK THE EXIT WOUND WAS AROUND .750 INCH THE SHOT WAS LESS THAN 50 YARDS I DONT KNOW WHAT MORE TO ASK FROM A NON-BONDED BULLET I LOVE THEM AND WILL CONTINUE TO USE THEMTHE DEER WAS AROUND 130 LBS TYPICAL OF THE DEER WE HAVE IN EAST TN

RE: SIERRA GAME KINGS
 

I agree. I have been using Pro Hunter or the Game Kings for everything and they are great. Got a small buck with 160gr 7mm Rem Mag. Hit just behind the sholder and exited far sholder full past through. The buck went only 20yds and was stone dead. Great bullets would use them for anything but big bears. Then its Barnes X just because the penatrate very well. -----Jovan