Sierra Experiences!?

WhelanLad

WhelanLad

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
Australia AU
You blokes out there using Sierra projectiles for Deer or big game?

can you tell me which you use an some info, and what you shot an how it performed IYO...


Game king or Pro Hunters?

i'd love to see some recovered projectiles :D



thanks
WL
 
I have been using 150gr Sierras for deer for almost 20years. I forget if mine are prohunter or game king but I use #2140 and #2125. The 2140 is a flat base and shoots well out of my old savage. I've shot many whitetail through the shoulder and found a nicely mushroomed bullet under the hide on the other side. They shed a bit of weight but it's of no concern to me. They also shoot very well with near match grade accuracy.
 
WL.........Sierras are a very vanilla cup and core bullet, no bonding or partitioning or what have you. Therefore they work as one would expect when started around 27-2800 fps or less, however they fail abysmally when started over 3100 fps and are anybody's guess between 2700 and 3100 fps. I use them in my 7-08 Model 7 MS carbine and like SLH said they shoot like match bullets. If I have an accuracy problem with a new rifle after trying 3 or 4 bullets and several powders, I will go and buy a box of Sierra boattails for this caliber in the optimum weight range and try these. They are my "go to" litmus paper constant to tell me if a rifle will or will not shoot well.
Because I generally hunt with cartridges producing 3200 fps or more I do not use Sierras for my hunting needs, pretty much all Accubonds, Partitions, A-frames, TSX and Matrix (hopefully will still be able to get some more in the future). All of these bullets have proven themselves to me in the field on game, of various sizes and at various distances.
 
I've used .308" 165 gamekings SPBT from a .30/06 (2800 ish) on a handful or two of deer and atleast on bull moose. All shot in the ribs, all very dead animals in short order. Some deer they exited some deer they didn't, the moose didn't get an exit either. Shot one bull elk with a 165 HPBT despite good chest hits he stayed on his feet and soaked up a couple more rounds. None exited from what I recall.

They work good and the HPBT is said to be harder than the SPBT. Neither are the bullet I would choose for up close bone crunching moose or elk, nor is it the bullet I would want for raking shots but they shred soft tissue nicely.

Pretty well all game was taken within 150 yards except for 1 mule deer and the bull elk which were over 300.
 
I've shot a fair amount of them, mostly 130 .270s, 150 and 180 .30s and more than a few 215 gr .338 boat-tails. Recovered bullets are inevitably separated, with the jacket coming to rest together with the core. Animals generally seem to be dead enough, but in a general sort of way they are a long way from my favorite. If a rifle doesn't shot a flat based Sierra you may as well take the barrel off.

The 215s are a little different then you'd expect; they share the same jacket as the 250s. I haven't shot anything bigger than moose with them. My buddy who kind of got me going on them has done well, with such things as going 14 for 14 in Namibia, and killing everything in BC several times over with them including 6 grizzlies.
 
frigpig said:
Matrix was purchased by an avid F Class shooter in tbe Kamloops area. Not sure what he will be producing but I think it will be mostly for him and the F Class community.
Click to expand...

First I've heard of it. Haven't done an order in a while. I wonder if he will quit making them bonded if it's just for paper.
 
Use them on deer, 30cal 165gr spbt and hpbt as well as 270cal 130 gr. the 270 130gr have all been bang flop with an exit through the chest. The 30cal have gone 20-50yds running dead with exits through the chest. Tried Nosler LRAB 150gr in the 270 last yr and also bang flop with the exit being quite small (nearly calibre size but bullet expanded well as inards completely souped). The 270/130gr have always given expanded size exit through the skin but after skinning the chest has a 2"-3" exit wound.
 
some I have experience with. I am generally a behind the shoulder lung shooter.
100 gr gameking 243. works well on deer. my second biggest buck fell to one. fragments a fair bit. holds together better than the hornady 100gr. I would avoid the shoulder with this one.
130 gr gameking 270 at 3000 fps they r violent. big exits most of the time on broadside hits.
140 gr gameking 7mm at 3000 fps same as above
165 gr gameking 30 cal. only tested in water jugs so far. a much tougher gameking than the smaller ones. way higher weight retention. shot from a 308 at 2740 fps. shot into water jugs at 400 yards so 1950 fps and no expansion whatsoever. I know the others I listed will expand at these speeds.
170 gr 3030 gameking. tough bullet. way tougher than the hornady 160ftx.

if u check out sierras website they have a little note about each bullet. if it says for long range then it will be soft if it says suitable for handgun velocities it will be soft. if it says it will not open at handgun speeds then it will be tougher.

and for the record I have the best luck carrying sierras in the field over any other. I don't know what it is. my 3 biggest bucks fell to sierras and I am loaded with noslers 90 percent of the time.
 
c-fbmi said:
WL.........Sierras are a very vanilla cup and core bullet, no bonding or partitioning or what have you. Therefore they work as one would expect when started around 27-2800 fps or less, however they fail abysmally when started over 3100 fps and are anybody's guess between 2700 and 3100 fps. I use them in my 7-08 Model 7 MS carbine and like SLH said they shoot like match bullets. If I have an accuracy problem with a new rifle after trying 3 or 4 bullets and several powders, I will go and buy a box of Sierra boattails for this caliber in the optimum weight range and try these. They are my "go to" litmus paper constant to tell me if a rifle will or will not shoot well.
Because I generally hunt with cartridges producing 3200 fps or more I do not use Sierras for my hunting needs, pretty much all Accubonds, Partitions, A-frames, TSX and Matrix (hopefully will still be able to get some more in the future). All of these bullets have proven themselves to me in the field on game, of various sizes and at various distances.
Click to expand...

Well stated and noted on this end.

prairie lover said:
some I have experience with. I am generally a behind the shoulder lung shooter.
100 gr gameking 243. works well on deer. my second biggest buck fell to one. fragments a fair bit. holds together better than the hornady 100gr. I would avoid the shoulder with this one.
130 gr gameking 270 at 3000 fps they r violent. big exits most of the time on broadside hits.
140 gr gameking 7mm at 3000 fps same as above
165 gr gameking 30 cal. only tested in water jugs so far. a much tougher gameking than the smaller ones. way higher weight retention. shot from a 308 at 2740 fps. shot into water jugs at 400 yards so 1950 fps and no expansion whatsoever. I know the others I listed will expand at these speeds.
170 gr 3030 gameking. tough bullet. way tougher than the hornady 160ftx.

if u check out sierras website they have a little note about each bullet. if it says for long range then it will be soft if it says suitable for handgun velocities it will be soft. if it says it will not open at handgun speeds then it will be tougher.

and for the record I have the best luck carrying sierras in the field over any other. I don't know what it is. my 3 biggest bucks fell to sierras and I am loaded with noslers 90 percent of the time.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing. Itemized experiences...great info.

Regards
Ronr (not Ron AKA)
 
Thanks for the replies in this one,
Prarie lover - thanks a lot that info is good .
cbfmi - noted info aswell.

I did see the Sierra website has little notes with each projectile,...


I guess I really did buy the projectile to plink with but since purchasing I have in my head that I am going to be hunting Sambar deer with them..... 120gr Pro hunter variety.

it sounds like I will need to do some Trial an Error if I am to hunt these bullets, ill use on Fallow Deer no doubt during the summer period. this will give me a good picture of what they are doing when they hit the intended quarry!


im using in the 7mm08 so my velocity is not Magnum high, however a min charge will send me out around 2900FPS which as mentioned is about the cut off point for a Vanilla C&C..... so I agree the close up bone crushen is out o the Question... but it may be a decent 300m round...

WL
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom