I loaded some sierra 130gr. boattails for hunting a couple of years ago, light loads, don't remember how much powder, (i think 52gr?) have it written down in logbook, but not here. Used in a savage 110 in 270. this was when i first got into reloading, and they were pretty accurate, anyway when i was hunting, I shot a big doe at about 90 yards, she didn't even flinch. I was pretty sure i made a good shot but never found any blood. i looked for about an hour then decided i missed. found her the next day just beyond where i gave up. she had been shot through the heart. next day shot smaller buck, again no flinch, through lungs, saw him drop after normal 100 yard run. anybody have similar problems with these bullets or explanation, still have about 50 bullets left to use.
problem with bullets
- Thread starter bruno
- Start date
Need more info, did you recover the bullets? What did they look like? Did they remain in the deer or pass through? Did they hit a rib on the way in? Lung shots on game can have the affect that you witnessed, the animal runs until lung function is impaired by blood, then dies quickly. A pointed, small dia. bullet will not have great immediate effect if it does not hit enough resistance to expand.
130 Grain Sierras
Are the bullets Game Kings or Match Kings? The latter are a target bullet and although some people use them for hunting, Sierra doesn't recommend them for that purpose. Expansion can vary from normal to explosive to none at all depending on lot, caliber, weight and the fates. Topic has been discussed (ad nauseum)on several forums over the years and I don't want to re-ignite the topic- only curious as to which they were. I have always found Game Kings to be quite dependable in several calibers although they are not considered to be a super penetrator compared to some other makes/types of bullets.
Are the bullets Game Kings or Match Kings? The latter are a target bullet and although some people use them for hunting, Sierra doesn't recommend them for that purpose. Expansion can vary from normal to explosive to none at all depending on lot, caliber, weight and the fates. Topic has been discussed (ad nauseum)on several forums over the years and I don't want to re-ignite the topic- only curious as to which they were. I have always found Game Kings to be quite dependable in several calibers although they are not considered to be a super penetrator compared to some other makes/types of bullets.
I had the same problem with Speer 150gr bullets. I shot my deer at 100yds. The heart was destroyed and he still ran 75 yds before dropping dead. I swithed to 150gr Hornady SST. I shot 2 deer with those bullets and they both went down within 40yds of being shot. You should try a heavier bullet. If you have a chance try shooting into a wet phone book at 100yds and recover you bullet to see how it expanded.
Well if the heart was destroyed what else do you want? The heart to be more destroyed?Game is a very unpredictable thing. The seemingly exact same shots sometimes produce dissimilar results.
If you don't want your game moving after you shoot, use enough bullet to break the shoulders. Not my shot, but whatever floats your boat.
My experience with Sierras has been positive and I find them reliable and accurate, like others have said it is difficult to judge an animals reaction after the hit, broken bones are theonly way to reliably drop any animal where he is standing. A heart shot like you made is usually noticeable upon impact because the animal will usually react quite violently and they usually don't go 100 yds, it's odd. My experience on most deer has been with lung shots and they seldom do much of a distance and sometimes drop at the shot.
bigbull
bigbull
