Sierra Gameking HPBT on game.

eltorro

eltorro

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Anybody used/uses Sierra's Gameking on game?
Was tempted to run some tests on the Matchking HPBT-bullet when a good assistant @ Cabelas mentioned that they make a gameking model with HPBT. _ i need the HP or a sort of tip for feedig reliability.

Any experiences? are they bonded? I'll try cutting one, but until then....
 
I have not used the game king hpbt on anything larger then a coyote. They are quite different in profile then the matchking though. These were 308. Might be different for other calibers.

In any case, the 165gr Gameking hpbt prooved to be very accurate.
 
Not personally, but I know two people that use them one is a moose hunter and the other a deer hunter, the deer hunter uses a 270 w/140gr and the moose hunter a 30-06 can't remember bullet weight. They are very tough bullets and penetrate well from what they have told me and both claim excellent accuracy. They also have an advantage of not having any nose deformaties while feeding or from recoil.
bigbull
 
Are you talking about Sierra Gamekings or Nosler Ballistic tips? Does Sierra have a hollowpoint version of the Gameking in some calibres. Gotta check that. EDIT NOTE - Yes I see now that a few are made in hollow point BT version - Here's the 30cal 165 HPBT

2140.gif


I use these 225 SIE Gamekings in my 35s.
sierra225.gif

But they have a conventional lead tip exposed and actually do batter in the magazine etc. They are a tough conventional cup and core bullet in that calibre but there are better premium bullet choices for animals that are bigger and/or dangerous.

The NOS Ballistic Tips have a polymer nose that resists magazine battering. I use these 225s in my 35s too.
baltip225.jpg


You can read Greg Storey's bullet study and his thoughts in full on these and other bullets for the 35s on my website here - http://35cal.com/35bullet_study/35bullet_study1.html

He concludes,
In the end I don’t recommend these two boat tail bullets for any game in excess of 250-400 pounds . Even here with possible long range expansion issues better choices exist.
Click to expand...

I wonder if what is true of the run-of-the-mill Game kings with lead tips is true of the hollowpoint ones too - in hunting terminal effect that is?

Never use Match Kings for hunting as they are unreliable in terminal performance.
 
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I have shot 3 animals with 150gr .270 Gamekings from a .270 win.


Mule deer @ 200yrds. bullet entered broadsize, broke spine and left a fist size, ragged, gaping exit hole on the far side. deer droped where it stood

Bear @ 50yrds. bear facing shooter. bullet entered slightly right of center. broke spine, exploded into dozens of little peices, did not exit. bang flop.

Bear @ 270yrds. bear facing, bullet entered just left of center chest. clipped spine, exploded, no exit. second shot bear running, entered just behind the shoulder, exploded, no exit. bear goes down.


I will NEVER use these bullets again in anything that will move them fast. consider them a giant varmit bullet. all 3 animals died, but if shot placement was less then Ideal you;d be looking at massive meat damage.
 
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I have used the 165 HPBT gameking on game. They do work good. Good accuracy and does the job on dear. Another shooter in my club recommended them and he will not use anything else. The 140 HPBT 270 work good too.
 
they were the standard Spire Point Boat Tail. these were not loaded hot, they were Federal Prem. factory ammo from a 22" barrel. unsure as to the actually speed. was VERY disapointed in their terminal proformance. they were extremely (3/4 MOA or better) accurate. any bullet that explodes on impact at 200+ yards doesn;t cut the mustard.
 
I have used the 250 grain .338 SPBT on big game. Out of about 20 head, I had complete core separation on about half. With some I found the jacket on the far side, a couple I found the jacket on the near side and the core fragged in the lungs and on a few more I fond the two together but falling apart under the hide on the far side.

My Dad used the .30 caliber 180 grain bullets and we saw several complete separations on moose at about 150 yards. Jacket in the rib cage and core fragging the lungs.

I don't much care for them on game bigger than caribou.
 
I use the 200 gr Gameking exclusivley in my .300 Win Mag.I've lost count of the moose that I've shot with it in addition to numerous elk,caribou,goats and bears.I've had lots of the cores seperate but the animals seldom took more than a step and I've yet to loose an animal that I've shot with the Gamekings.They are also the bullets of choice of my partners who use the 175 grain bullet in their 7mm's.
Dave
 
I have shot many deer and elk with 165 gr SPBT Gamekings and most have been one shot kills. Separation occured in most of the bullets I recovered but the lead was millimeters from the jacket. Penetration and expantion were very good.
 
Matchking = target bullet. Not built for hunting. Sierra's web page has all the technical details you need.
"...nose deformaties..." The point means little to accuracy. The base is what's important.
 
i used the game kings for a couple seasons in 7mm rem mag, think they were 160 or 165 gr. I don't know if it's the speed of the 7mm mag or what but between 100 and 200yrds performance and expansion varied. I'm not fond of pickin chunks of sepperated bullet from my meat and this was why i switched to nosler partions. I shoot them in factory federal vital shock 165 sp and and , 160gr (?) ballitic tip boat tail, custom loaded by a friend. Will not use anything else. drpped a 54" bull moose at a lil plus a 100yrds, broadside while it was moving (not running) right in the money spot. 165gr BTBT Partition very small entry, massive lung damage and heart was obliterated, exit was about 2 inch circle, no bullett fragmentation found. also dropped a 320lbs blackie, at 50 yards plus, on all fours and closing fast, shot placement a lil right of center, heart/shoulder shot. 165gr Sp Partition, bullet entered near collar bone, travelled through parralell to ribs, destroyed heart/ entire right side lung, bowels hevily dammaged and bullet was found intact inbedded in the hip area. this bear did a face plant running at full steam and did not get up. All of my kills on deer at ranges from 50 to 250 yards have been through and throughs
 
I laid out a nice 12 point with a 160 HPBT 7mm Ultra 2 years ago, and not that much of a mess. He sure hit the ground quick! I would not want to hit front shoulder with this combo However , no doupt he would hit the ground as quick but the mess would not be so pretty. They do come apart fast. The ST BT Game king is a better pick of the 2 for hunting.
 
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Sierra says the 270 150g game king is a little tougher than it's usual GK's. My friend uses it and it is always found on the far side of his moose in one piece. On bear and deer it normaly goes right through.
 
the spbt 140 gr. 6.5mm GameKing retained 30% on a deer I shot at 250 yards, nothing great

accurate though
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165gr Sierra HPBT GameKings out of a .308win. I have shot 2 deer with my Ruger M77 MKII and my brother-in-law has shot 2 with his Parker Hale. I reload the same load for both of us.

One of mine was a bang-flop and one went about 30 yards; both one-shot kills. One clipped a shoulder and lost a lot of meat. The other shot went through the ribs and didn't lose any meat (bang-flop).

Both of the deer my brother-in-law shot were clean double lung shots with no meat loss. The whitetail went 60 or 70 yards and the mulie went about 150 yards.

More 'on-game' testing is required of course, but out of both of our rifles, that bullet consistently groups 3/4" to 1".

:D
 
I wanted to buy some ballistic gelatine, but importing it from the States makes things a little difficult.
Wet paper test works too?

I cut (better said filled) one down today.
The longitudinal section looks not very promising.
I gotta get me a digital camera......
Just like the matchking but with a thicker jacket. No signs of any taper or solid base, and I personally believe they're not bonded.

hmmmm.

Maybe for deer, but not for moose for sure. At least for the less than perfect shots.

Thanks, guys...
 
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