I'm Done w/140gr Sierra Gamekings in my .280!!!

[shot1]

It is all about velocity. You are pushing those 140 Sierras too fast for those close shots. If you will go to the Nosler 140 Accubond or the Hornady 154 gr Interlock or Interbond you will be pleased. My buddy experienced the same situation with a new custom rifle in 240 Wetherby mag with the 100 gr Sierra. He had shot it in a 243 Win at around 3000 fps with great one shot drop a deer in it's tracks success at any distance. But using the same bullet in the Weatherby approaching 3350 fps at 111 yards it blew up when it hit the hair on a deers shoulder. It broke and destroyed the shoulder but did not go any farther. The deer fell down and started kicking and kept raising it's head for more than 15 minutes as he was getting out of the stand to get to it. When he approached the deer it tried to get up and he had to shoot it in the neck which almost blew it's head off. He is going to the 100 gr Nosler partition. I used the 130 gr Nosler Accubond at 3350 fps from my 264 Win mag to shoot 4 deer this season and I am very pleased with this bullet. It flies like and is as accurate as the ballistic tip and starts to open up like the ballistic tip on impact but holds together like the partition and keeps on trucking. On one deer shot at 275 yards and one at 98 yards the bullet entered the center of a shoulder and exited off side through the ribs with a golf ball size hole. The vitals were soup. On one other at 111 yards it was a through and through both shoulders with exit the size of a golf ball. The forth was at the same crossing at 111 yards. Buck was facing me with a slight left to right angle. Bullet entered the front edge of it's left shoulder destroyed the shoulder made soup of the vitals and when I was cutting up the meat I found the bullet in the right ham. It was a perfect textbook mushroom and recovered weight was 71 grs. All shots were one shot drop them in their tracks. I like this bullet.

[jro45]

I killed my boar with those Nosler partitions 165gr bullet using my 7mm. with my 270 I have shot to 600yds shooting the 130gr bullet and using a Burris Scope.

[Tonk]

Fatercat gave you some great advice for your .280 caliber rifle, just stoke it full of those Nosler Partitions and you will not have any pass throughs that do not open up and expand that bullet to a mushroom.

[ed k]

i have killed many deeer with sierra bullets with no fails. if you are shooting short range why would you use aboattail bullet? the pro hunter bullets worked for me at all ranges so far. i used to sit in the foothills and shot deer on the flats with the my 300 win at ranges from 250-500yards.wonderful results with great accuracy. i only ever recovered one bullet at 400yards because it was lodged in the second deer it killed.perfect mushroom.i have been shooting 30-06 encore pistol with 150 prohunters and these are brutal on deer to 300 yards.  ed k

[Tom W.]

I've never had any problems with GameKings. I shoot them as my bullet of choice from my 30-06 A.I., and have done so since I've been handloading, I did use the 140 grain in my 7mm Rem Mag, but my son wanted them for his custom .280 A.I. so I traded my stash for some Partitions in 150 grain.
My son also shoots the same bullet that I shoot from my '06 from his 300 Win Mag and his 300 Weatherby Mag. He generally shoots 25 -35 deer a season, as well as a lot of feral hogs, at ranges from a few yards to in excess of 300 yards.  I don't get to hunt with him much if at all, due to my work schedule, but it would seem that maybe we're just blessed with good boxes of bullets. He's tried the Accubonds and a whole host of others, and I an the happy recipient of those bullets that don't meet his requirements. I have several boxes of  Hornady bullets that won't group in less than MOA from his .308 @ 1000 yards, but do just fine in my Savage Model 12. And I've yet to hit a deer with a GameKing that didn't go down.

[Coyote Hunter]

I have had good results from the 150 and 160 gr. Gamekings in my 7x57. Thinking about it clearly you are using a 400 yard load on under 100 yard shooting. Lower velocities and heavier bullets will work better for you.

All of my “400 yard loads” work great at 100 yards and even at spitting distance – doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the .257 Bob or the .300 WM or something in-between.

The bullet makes the difference.  North Fork SS and Barnes TTSX and even Speer Grand Slams get the job done for me with no fuss.

[Blackhawk44]

I've used the 150gr Gameking in my .308 at 2750fps for the last 35 years and have never lost (or chased) a deer or hog.  Just lucky, I guess. 

As for .223's, a bud has used nothing else on whitetails for the last six years and has not lost a single one.  We're allowed 3 to 4 deer per season and he shoots out.  He does limit himself to 200 yards or less, neck shots only and no jump shots.  Two others on the lease have used nothing but .22-250's for the last ten years, same limits and same results.  I usually use something larger, but it works for them.   

[kudzu]

I really like the accuracy and on deer performance from my 280 using the fed fusion ammo. groups under 2'' at 300 yards and have yet to have a deer take a step.
others have mentioned the Accubonds, another bullet I like. Shoot the 160s in my 7mag and just took a deer yesterday at 397 yards. deer was quartering away and entered right behind shoulder and exited thru the off side shoulder bone and all. deer ran about 50 yards but left a heavy blood trail, one you could track as fast as you colud walk with a flashlight.
OP asked about the scirricos, another bullet i like. shooting them out of a 7rum. Wanting to see how they performed I shot a deer at 330 yards perfectlly broadside. Bullet passed thru both shoulders and had a fifty cent piece exit hole deer went 20 yards and it was over. tried the 140BT in this rifle first and will never go back to them.
Last but not least my other go to bullet is the speer hot core. Have had very good results using them in a 25-06 and 7-08.
I use these four bullets in everything from 80gr 243 to 200gr 300 rum depending on what the rifle is set up for. I tend to use the hotcores in my "woods gun"  (150gr 7-08) and the accubond and scirrocos in my more "long range" set-ups.
Either way can't go wrong with the fusion, hotcores, accubonds, or scirrocos.

[JD338]

Go with the Nosler 140 gr AB and don't look back.

JD338

[84Jim]

Just lucky, I guess

I think that when you get up to 30 cal with .308/30-06 velocities you have enough critical mass so there isn't a problem.  As critical as I've been of Sierra bullets, I've used 165 gr. Prohunters in my 30-06 for years.  Never had a problem with them.

[rickt300]

I have had great results with the 160 gr. 7MM gGamekings and the 30 caliber 165 grain BTHP Gamekings. Most of my 7MM bullet use has been in a 7x57. I have a 7MM Remington magnum but I generally load it with 160 gr. Nosler Partitions or Accubonds. Even so most of my 140 gr 7MM use has been the 140 gr. Nosler Partition. I have run one box of 139 gr. Hornady soft points thru my 7x57 with no problems either. An excellent bullet at least in my 7x57 has been the 150 gr. Ballistic Tip, a lot tougher than most people give it credit for.

[kombi1976]

How can it be a perfect choice in .223 and a poor choice in .280 Remington?

Silly question IMO.....because one is a big game cartridge and the other is varmint to medium game cartridge!
I knew this would be a "beat up on Game Kings" the moment I saw this thread.
I have to agree with those who favour the high speed and short range theory.
I've used Sierra's 257 cal 90gr HPBT GK for years now in my 303/25 and it has felled its fair share of kangaroos including some big males that were approaching deer size, if not as big as a white tail buck.
BUT my loads clock about 2650fps.
I've shot between 40yds and 180yds using this load and all have been good kills.
The 280 Rem no matter how you look at it is a heavy hitter.
A 280 AI is every good as bit as a 7mm Rem Mag so the standard round is close to magnum pace.
Could it be a dud box of pills? Maybe.
Could it be a bad design? I suspect not.
Could the application be unsuitable? Probably.
The 280 will shoot 150gr pills with ease.
Why not use this ability to your advantage.
Sure, get a heavier constructed bullet but it may do the opposite at short ranges.
You'll still be tracking a bleeding deer.
And for the record the name "Barnes" is not a magic word that will solve all of your hunting woes.

[jimmyp50]

And in another thread we have a fellow talking of how great Sierra Game Kings worked for him in a .223 Remington on several deer complete with photos of perfect mushroom and almost 100% weight retention.

How can it be a perfect choice in .223 and a poor choice in .280 Remington? Strange to say the least.

How far away were the deer shot with the .223?  This 140 failure sure sounds like too much velocity combined with a cup and core bullet...2700FPS is your huckleberry. 

[jasonprox700]

If I can find the time this summer, I want to play around with different bullets and weights and see which one suits my needs.  I have already tried the Accubonds, so I think that is what I will stick with. 

In a couple of years, I want to have a custom .280 AI built on a Rem 700 action.  Looking at the velocities, it will definitely be within a few fps of the 7mm Rem Mag.  Premium bullets will be used.  Yes, I could slow it down a bit, but heck, there is a reason why I want a AI over the standard cartridge.

I still have almost a full box of these, so I may just use these for target.  They do shoot great. 

[Graybeard]

If it's within a few fps of the 7mm mag then you are running grossly excessive pressures. Now maybe your definition of a few fps and mine are grossly different who knows. If you are expecting more than 150 fps gain then you'll be getting it via excessive pressure.

[R.W.Dale]

And in another thread we have a fellow talking of how great Sierra Game Kings worked for him in a .223 Remington on several deer complete with photos of perfect mushroom and almost 100% weight retention.

How can it be a perfect choice in .223 and a poor choice in .280 Remington? Strange to say the least.

How far away were the deer shot with the .223?  This 140 failure sure sounds like too much velocity combined with a cup and core bullet...2700FPS is your huckleberry.  

My kill was at an astounding range of 25yds with impact velocities real close or exceeding 3K fps

If this thread were about Nosler B-tips behaving this way I'd agree and think no more of it.  But a Sierra Gameking..........I'm not buying it

[DDZ]

Have hunted with a 117gr. Sierra in 25-06 for 30 years and if I put the bullet where it is supposed to go I have not had a deer go more than 50 yards. In other words I can think of not one time the sierra failed. 140 gr. sierra exploding under the skin? I would say it would if you hit heavy bone like the shoulder. We are talking a thin skinned white tail are we not? 

[jasonprox700]

If it's within a few fps of the 7mm mag then you are running grossly excessive pressures. Now maybe your definition of a few fps and mine are grossly different who knows. If you are expecting more than 150 fps gain then you'll be getting it via excessive pressure.

Looking at Nosler's Reloading Manual #6, it gives a velocity of 3266fps with a 140 grain bullet (max load).  The 7mm max velocity shows 3340fps, it is a little more than a few fps.  Sorry, I consider a 100 fps a few as no animal on earth would be able to tell the difference between the two.

[HogFan]

I have had great results with Partitions from my .280. I have shot deer from 12 yards to 200 yards with it, and I am very happy. I have used NBT, and now have some cor-locks to try, but the partitions always seem to find their way in my rifle when hunting.

[rickt300]

Thinking back on my few bullet failures one in particular comes to mind. This was a 130 grain Sierra prohunter pushed to max from a 24 inch barreled 270. As luck would have it I got a shot at 30 yards or so and the bullet hit dead center on the upper leg bone a bit under the shoulder blade, it cracked the bone but expanded so violently that it made a crater 5-6 inches across. Some bone made it into the rib cage but the antelope traveled 2 miles before I could get a finisher into it. I called Sierra and told them about it and they asked how smooth my barrel was and I got it bore scoped. Rough it was and still very accurate.

[one eye joe]

For general deer hunting, the 139 Hornady or 145 Speer have worked fine for me. I never personally had problems with Sierra, although I have loaded very few. My dad had problems with the 117 grain .257 bullet back in the 70's and refuses to shoot Sierra's to this day because of it.

[DDZ]

Thinking back on my few bullet failures one in particular comes to mind. This was a 130 grain Sierra prohunter pushed to max from a 24 inch barreled 270. As luck would have it I got a shot at 30 yards or so and the bullet hit dead center on the upper leg bone a bit under the shoulder blade, it cracked the bone but expanded so violently that it made a crater 5-6 inches across. Some bone made it into the rib cage but the antelope traveled 2 miles before I could get a finisher into it. I called Sierra and told them about it and they asked how smooth my barrel was and I got it bore scoped. Rough it was and still very accurate.

Just my opinion, but I do not call this bullet failure. I call it shooter failure. If ya hit a deer in the gut or hind quarter and don't get the deer, is that bullet failure? If you want to drive high velocity bullets through heavy bone, buy something constructed for that task. I hit a deer once in the upper front leg bone with the 117gr sierra and it just about took his leg off at the shoulder. I finally got the deer after tracking it most of the day. Do I consider that a bullet failure? No way, it was my error because I didn't put the bullet behind the shoulder. Where it would have gone no further than 50 yards.  There is nothing wrong with sierra bullets if you use them for what they were designed for.   

[rickt300]

I am not excluding myself from the equation. I wrote "my few bullet failures". I was using a truck hood to lean against as the wind must have been blowing 50 miles an hour. I had no intention of hitting that antelope in the shoulder at all as I planned on eating said antelope. If conditions have never impacted on your shot placement then you have little experience hunting big game.

[DDZ]

Rick:  What I said in my post had nothing to do with shooting conditions or why you hit the shoulder of the antelope. It also had nothing to do with how well you handle your rifle or how good of a shot you are. Yes different conditions have caused me to not place a bullet where I intended. Most of these errant shots happened in my early years of hunting, but I have learned to NOT take shots at big game in bad conditions anymore. Because of the greater chance of wounding game. There is nothing I hate more than a deer getting away from me that I put a bad shot on.

My point was that you called it a bullet failure. It does not matter one iota what the shooting conditions were or what happened that the bullet hit the shoulder. The fact is the 130gr. sierra prohunter is not constructed to drive through heavy bone, and that is not its best attribute. So what I'm saying is it was not a bullet failure. Now if you were using a premium bullet made for penetrating bone and heavy muscle, and it performed the same why the sierra did then I would call it a bullet failure. 

   
 

[rickt300]

 I really don't consider a antelopes upper arm to be heavy bone and certainly expected no trouble with the hit. A big snow storm was coming and I needed the meat to go with my potatoes and onions so the antelope was getting shot. After this incident I hunted with 150 grain bullets for years until recently when I got a supply of 130 gr. Nosler solid base bullets which for sure will do anyting I need done on deer and antelope without issue. I still use Sierra bullets, usually heavy for caliber and really like their varmint bullets.

[Three44s]

It's a free country and Nosler makes a goodly number of Partitions.


Three 44s