Anybody using Sierra Gamekings?

[John]

I load for myself, my brother, my nephew, and we all shoot an 06. I shoot a Ruger M77, my brother shoots one of those fat barrel single shots...maybe an H&R, and the nephew a Remington auto loader. A few seasons ago I got the Ruger and discovered that it doesn't like the 150gr. loads that we used to use. Since I do the loading I looked for something different, and came up with a 165gr boat tail spitzer recipe that all the rifles liked.

The drawback was that the seirra bullets I loaded seemed to be better suited to targets than deer. We never lost any game, but the bullets really fragmented on a couple of nice bucks.

I loaded some Hornady Interlocks last year and the single shot didn't like em, so young brother used some of the old Sierra loads to take his deer...no problems with fragmenting.

I bought a box of the Sierra Gamekings today. I'm thinking all the rifles should like them, and they are supposed to hold up on everything up to and including whitetail.

Anybody using them...any comments?

[skb2706]

All the time....never had any trouble with them for anything we have here in CO for big game. Use them in my .300 Winmag whenever I know the shot may be real long.

[longwinters]

The Sierra BTHP/Gameking bullets are (according to my conversation with a Sierra rep at their offices) supposed to be a little tougher bullet than the spitzers.  I used them last year in 165 gn out of my 308 and they were excellent in accuracy and did a great job on the buck I took.  I would think you will be happy with their performance.

Long

[Lawdog]

I load for myself, my brother, my nephew, and we all shoot an 06. I shoot a Ruger M77, my brother shoots one of those fat barrel single shots...maybe an H&R, and the nephew a Remington auto loader. A few seasons ago I got the Ruger and discovered that it doesn't like the 150gr. loads that we used to use. Since I do the loading I looked for something different, and came up with a 165gr boat tail spitzer recipe that all the rifles liked.

The drawback was that the seirra bullets I loaded seemed to be better suited to targets than deer. We never lost any game, but the bullets really fragmented on a couple of nice bucks.

I loaded some Hornady Interlocks last year and the single shot didn't like em, so young brother used some of the old Sierra loads to take his deer...no problems with fragmenting.

I bought a box of the Sierra Gamekings today. I'm thinking all the rifles should like them, and they are supposed to hold up on everything up to and including whitetail.

Anybody using them...any comments?

Sounds like the first Sierra bullets were matchKings.  These are, of course, intended for target use only(so says Sierra).  As for Sierra GameKings I have never gotten the accuracy out of them that suited me so I gave up on them.  Lawdog
 

[nomosendero]

I used 165 Game Kings 15-18 years ago on several Deer, like you I did not lose any, but the bullets were quite "soft". I was loading them in a Mod. 700 30-06 & they were grouping 1-1/4". Your reloads may be a little
hotter than the factory loads, & if so, they would open up faster on the
close shots.

I have used alot of 117 Gr. 25cal. Gamekings & they will go into 1/2" in
my Sendero. I use 115TSX or 125 Wildcats currently, but the 117 can be
quite deadly!

[Tom W.]

I use the 130 gr. Gamekings in my .270, the 140 gr. Gamekings in the 7mm-08 and the 7mm rem mag, and the 180 gr. Gamekings in my 30/06.

Haven't had any problems and don't think I'll change!

[MickinColo]

I bought a box of the Sierra Gamekings today. I'm thinking all the rifles should like them

Not necessarily, most of the bullets (80%) in my reloading cabinet are Sierra Gamekings. I’ve reloaded for 2 different 308s (Savage and Winchester). One liked the 150 SBT and the other worked best with the 165 SBT, go figure. Neither one of those rifles could be called a tack driver but they both killed elk and deer. My wife’s 243 does very well with the 60 HP and 100 SBT while my 25-06 will only shot 117 SBTs. I have a 7mm Rem Mag that really likes the 160 HPBT, but does poorly with the 150 SBT, which works well in a 7mm Mauser that my son in law owns. My friend’s Ruger 77 doesn’t work with my 7mm mag loads but does some nice shooting with the 150 SBT.

[jerkface11]

I keep buying opened boxes of gamekings for different calibers. Usually $6 a box. I haven't shot a critter with them yet but my rifles like them. Right now i've got them in 160 grain for my 7mm  and 200 and 220 grain for my 30 cals.

[Lloyd Smale]

they allways been my go to bullet in just about every rifle i own cause there usually the most accurate bullet in every gun. They are a little light jacketed though but ive found that if i stick to the flat based rather then the boatails they have preformed real well in hunting situations.

[MnMike]

I handload, but for deer, I shoot Federal Premium 165s using Sierra bullets. I have taken several deer with them and have never had a problem. They have worked at 50 yards and 300 yards. Deer do not need a lot of penetration, just good expansion. I don't use them on bear or other heavy game. They are accurate and that counts for me.

mike

[jasonprox700]

I love them.  I can get .25" groups at 100 yards with my .280 in my Ruger M77.  I have never had a problem with them on deer.  The furthest a deer went after being shot was about 50 yards.  If you hit shoulder they do seem to come apart, but I have always had them drop right there with a shoulder shot.

[Bis]

I have not been disappointed with the Game Kings. I use them in my Handi 243 and 308 and get sub MOA at 100 yards. Last year I took a buck with my 243 using 85 grain Game Kings at 45 yards and this year with the 308 at about 85 yards using 165 grain Game Kings. In both cases it was in one side and out the other. The 308 definitely tore up more meat than the 243. You might try calling Sierra, they seem happy to send you samples of the bullet you are interested in.

[SuperstitionCoues]

I use them in my .25-06 and am developing loads for my 30-06 (165gr BTSP) and 7mm WSM (140 gr BTSP and 160 gr HPBT).

Accuracy is typically 3/4" groups or less, depending on how good of a day I'm having at the range.  Most others I have heard from - and I'll agree with this - say that if you hit something with one and do it right, you won't need a follow-up shot and won't have to track very far.  

They work...what else needs to be said?  Get the Gamekings, and consider also loading the Gameking 165 gr. HPBT for a 30-06.  It isn't fragile like a Matchking, and will penetrate deeper and delay expansion more than the BTSP.  Just a thought...

[John]

I bought a box of 165 gr BTSP's. Loaded em in Winchester cases, with 59 grs. of 4350 and CCI primers, and all I can say is, "sweet." Our range goes out to 200 yds, and they are right in there in the bulls eye at 200.

We're taking em hunting Dec. 3rd. I'll let you fellas know how they do on western Oklahoma whitetails.

Thanks for all the comments, and by the way. My brothers H&R single shot likes em, and my nephews remington likes em.

[glock29]

nope, never used 'em.
You asked..... :lol:

[John]

Hahahaha.....well, maybe you should. :-D

[22savage]

used the 200 grainers in 300 mag. have shot moose and caribou and have not had a problem. complete penetration every time. just behind the shoulder, through the vitals and on out the other side.  never recovered a bullet, but can't argue with the results.

travis

[SuperstitionCoues]

I use the 130 gr. Gamekings in my .270, the 140 gr. Gamekings in the 7mm-08 and the 7mm rem mag, and the 180 gr. Gamekings in my 30/06.

Haven't had any problems and don't think I'll change!

Bama,

How well do you like them (the 140 gr.)  in your 7mm Rem. Mag?  What is the terminal performance like, and what kind of game are you using them on?  I want to load them for my 7mm WSM, but haven't had the opportunity to do any testing yet.  I would be interested in your opinions and feedback.

Thanks,
Matt

[LeadPoison]

11 out of 12 deer I have killed with them have been bang flops .  :lol:

[Tom W.]

I just got my 7 mag in april, so I can't comment on terminal performance until maybe tomorrow, as I'll get to go hunting for the first time this season.

I can comment on how they work from my son's rifles.

In the 7mm-08 and two of my boys rifles, an encore, a savage and a remington, at 100 yards they will put 5 shot groups that can be covered with a dime. Terminal performance is devastating, all one shot kills with little or no tracking.

I just got a phone call and was told that my oldest son shot a doe this morning with his 7mm Rem mag Encore and it almost blew the deers head off. He's shooting a 140 GameKing with 70 gr. H1000

[John]

Gameking update. Two shots fired two dead whitetails. My nephew got one and I got one. I don't have any details from the nephew, and he fell asleep on the way home so I didn't pester him, but on mine it was a sharp angle to the ribs so the bullet broke three ribs, passed through the boiler room doing massive damage and somehow made its way under the skin and lodged on the opposite side hip. Funny how those bullets travel, but the only damage was to the ribs at the point of impact and to the boiler room components.

The bullet mushroomed nicely and weighed 100 grs. I don't know where the other 65 went.

Oh, the deer dropped in its tracks.

[kombi1976]

I ONLY use GameKings in my ShtLE 303/25.
I use the 90gn HPBT .25 cal bullet with a 30gn load of ADI AR2206 behind it.
They're probably only moving at about 2700fps tops but they're VERY effective on roos.
Often just "bang-flop" kills.
Besides it's the closest shape to the MatchKings and they're very accurate.

[John]

I finally talked to my nephew about his deer kill with the Gamekings. He came over today to get my jerky recipe.

He shot his deer through the heart/lung area, the bullet passed through, and the deer dropped in its tracks.

[qballs]

Just took my first elk, a decent 5 point.  First kill with my own handloads.  Gameking boattail 180 grain through my 300 H&H.  Destroyed his heart at 200 yards.
My gun loves them.  I get under 1" at 100 yards at the range, plus I can shoot a whole lot of them for cheap.

[Jim n Iowa]

In a 30-06 they are awsome, only one bullet came close in accuracy, and that was a Hornady 154 gr sp. Never had to walk very far for the downed game. I don't own a 30-06 any more but I use a Sierra 160 in my 7mm mag and it works really well.
Jim

[MnMike]

Just to add to my previous post. I took another deer with a Gameking at 225 yds. this year. The bullet shattered the heart and somehow took out the spine on exiting. The deer did a backflip and never twitched.

I do wish the heart wouldn't have been shattered. Properly cut and cooked with onions and mushrooms, it is my favorite meal.

mike

[John]

Mike, I'm the only one that I know of around my neck of the woods that don't just leave the heart and liver in the gut pile.

[Lawdog]

Mike, I'm the only one that I know of around my neck of the woods that don't just leave the heart and liver in the gut pile.

My whole family agrees with you.  Never leave the “goodies” laying in a gut pile.  I can remember as a young child my Grandfather’s hunting buddies commenting about “gut pile robbers” and that both my Grandfather and Father would go through every kill to take the heart, liver and kidneys(never acquired the taste for kidneys myself) instead of leaving them for the Vultures/Coyotes.  I wonder how many others here do the same thing?   :eek:   Lawdog
 

[Cowpox]

In our group, the traditional second night of season meal has always been  liver and bacon in one pan,, and heart and tenderloins in another. Most of us older fossils hit the liver, but I notice the young members go for the other two. It just wouldn't seem like deer camp, if we started ignoring the gut pile !

[ricciardelli]

These are my light and medium caliber hunting loads.  They are all Sierra HPBT bullets.  Never needed a second shot, never had to track an animal.

.22-250 Remington 52 grain at 3702 FPS
.243 Winchester 85 grain at 3010 FPS
.25-06 Remington 120 grain at 2922 FPS
.264 Winchester Magnum 140 grain at 3132 FPS
.270 Winchester 140 grain at 2944 FPS
.300 Winchester Magnum 200 grain at 2986 FPS
.30-06 Springfield 168 grain at 2801 FPS
6mm Remington 85 grain at 3128 FPS
7mm Remington Magnum 168 grain at 2943 FPS