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sierra game king hollow points

29744 Views 65 Replies 30 Participants Last post by  shane256, 
S
several of my rifles love these bullets. I have not put one through an animal so I have no idea on bullet performance. I would like to hear your opinion of these bullets.

.257 90gr HPBT approx. 3580fps
.277 140gr HPBT approx. 3000fps
.284 160gr HPBT approx. 2900fps
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unclenick
Having just finished two books on statistics, I can state with good confidence that it is inevitable some persons will randomly have all good experiences and some will have all bad experiences with the same bullet design. Objective testing on inanimate objects is something we can't even figure out how to do for self-defense stopping power in a way everyone can agree with, and, because of government funding, that's been done in much more scientific detail than for any kind of hunting bullet, AFAIK.

So, let's not impugn anybody's motives or egos or personalities. Just report the experiences you've had so we keep it civil. Let the reader decide for himself.

So far, what I see are experiences that were remarkably different, and that tells me both good and bad results are possible. But that's going to be true of almost any make of bullet if the circumstances are just right or just wrong. I am reminded of the Inuit taking polar bears with .223 FMJ ammo shots into the space between the neck and skull with the bear quartering away, which I would not recommend the average hunter rely on being able to do. They think that .223 FMJ ammo is just dandy for the big bears, but it only works because of how they hunt and their ability to get close enough to make that shot without the bear detecting them.

Another piece of information that might be useful is an estimated impact velocity on different kinds of game as well as the stopping result so we can see if there's any pattern to what worked out well and what did not?
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Water-Man
beartracker said:
Those who lump the SMK with the G/K don't know what they are talking about and neither do those who say the game king is for match, targets or plinking. They simply don't know what they are talking about period. They just keep beating a dead horse while we who use the G/K keep collecting the game we kill. Denial of the fact that the G/K especially the HPBT is an outstanding hunting bullet, reminds me of how Obama just can't get it and neither do those who don't know what they are talking about when it comes the the Sierra Game King HPBT. The reason they don't is because they are theorist and they have no real accumulative knowledge do to practical experience, while implying that those who do don't know that the bullet is no good. It just defies logic, reasoning and reality. Of course the pride filled will not admit when they are wrong, they will just stick with their beliefs even thought they have both feet planted in mid air.
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beartracker, you are correct. The MatchKings and GameKings are named appropreately. SMK are for target shooting and SGK are used for hunting and they do a great job.
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The gamekings and hpbt gamekings are not the same bullets. The hpbt gamekings seem to be tougher. My brother has killed several dozens of deer with his 270 win and 140 hpbt gamekings and they expand very well and always exit dropping them in their tracks. I've seen him shoot thru two deer with one shot and they both dropped at the shot. I was impressed. Honestly I've never seen a better combo of bullet and caliber used on deer. A few years ago he did have one to run about 50yds before piling up but thats the only one so far. He doesn't aim for high shoulder, neck, head or put any kind of spinal shot on deer, he just shoots them behind the shoulder trying not to ruin any meat and its always(except the once) a instant kill. The 140gr hpbt out of the 270 win has been the best deer medicine I've yet to see. Dave
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G
A quick look at a sierra catalog will show that the manufacturer specifically states that the matchking is NOT for big game. Use the Gameking for big game.

Sometimes manufacturer recommendations are best followed. Unless we are in some sort of desperate situation there is no reason to be doing bullet "tests" on animals. The manufacturer (all of them, not just Sierra) knows their bullets' performance quite well and will pass on the info to you. Animals should not be subjects of random bullet tests. They deserve better. They are just trying to survive in the same manner as you or I. Use bullets designed for their taking.

Let's be a humane bunch, please.
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S
Well my dad successfully harvested a 150lb 8point buck over the weekend using the 270 load I mentioned at the beginning of this thread at a distance of 80-100yards. Its tough to judge bullet performance because of poor shot placement on his part. The deer was chasing a doe and my dad bleated twice on his grunt with no response from the buck. This third grunt got the buck to stop, almost broad side(turned a little toward him) but the near shoulder was in the rear position. My dad normally shoots behind the front shoulder, and he did this time also. This put the shot about 6" further back than where it should have been. Pretty much a gut shot deer. Small entrance wound, exit wound(according to dad 1", according to brother 1.5"). They found a piece of the liver about the size of a fist on the ground where deer was shot. Deer ran between 50-75 yards depending on who I spoke to. Funny how two different people who were both there can have such differences in their stories. Brother and Dad both very happy with bullet performance. I'm not going to make a judgment call off of a bad shot. Neither one could tell me if it hit ribs going in or not.
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264WM
unclenick said:
Having just finished two books on statistics, I can state with good confidence that it is inevitable some persons will randomly have all good experiences and some will have all bad experiences with the same bullet design. Objective testing on inanimate objects is something we can't even figure out how to do for self-defense stopping power in a way everyone can agree with, and, because of government funding, that's been done in much more scientific detail than for any kind of hunting bullet, AFAIK.

So, let's not impugn anybody's motives or egos or personalities. Just report the experiences you've had so we keep it civil. Let the reader decide for himself.

So far, what I see are experiences that were remarkably different, and that tells me both good and bad results are possible. But that's going to be true of almost any make of bullet if the circumstances are just right or just wrong. I am reminded of the Inuit taking polar bears with .223 FMJ ammo shots into the space between the neck and skull with the bear quartering away, which I would not recommend the average hunter rely on being able to do. They think that .223 FMJ ammo is just dandy for the big bears, but it only works because of how they hunt and their ability to get close enough to make that shot without the bear detecting them.

Another piece of information that might be useful is an estimated impact velocity on different kinds of game as well as the stopping result so we can see if there's any pattern to what worked out well and what did not?
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Where did all this wisdom come from? But I have to admit that you are right two people can shoot the exact same bullet and load from the same rifle with different results. There is so many different conditions that can change the results of each shot. Just a few would be humidity, altitude, wind,light conditions, age, drugs, alcohol, noise, shooting position, temperture, distance, and heart rate. But all that doesn't change the fact that Sierra makes bad ars hollow points that can shoot as good as the best shooters are able to shoot.:p
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unclenick
I don't think anyone was disputing the Sierra's accuracy potential. Sierra has got accurate bullet making pretty well worked out. Other brands often seem to have some guns that love them and some that hate them, but you seldom hear of a gun that can't be made to shoot a Sierra at least very well, if it is capable of shooting anything at all.

The terminal performance is really a two-part issue. What works well terminally depends on shot placement which depends on accuracy, but terminal performance also depends on bullet construction for maximum effect. That seems to be the portion of the equation under debate.

Why Sierra produces no bonded core bullets, I don't know. If asked to speculate I would guess they think it'll slightly reduce their control of accuracy in the final product. Their reputation is built on accuracy and they won't be willing to risk compromising it. But, again, that's speculation. It may be worth asking them?
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unclenick said:
The terminal performance is really a two-part issue. What works well terminally depends on shot placement which depends on accuracy, but terminal performance also depends on bullet construction for maximum effect. That seems to be the portion of the equation under debate.

Why Sierra produces no bonded core bullets, I don't know. If asked to speculate I would guess they think it'll slightly reduce their control of accuracy in the final product. Their reputation is built on accuracy and they won't be willing to risk compromising it. But, again, that's speculation. It may be worth asking them?
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The reason they don't build a bonded bullet is two parts, 1. it would effect accuracy on a long term consistent bases. 2. Their bullets in the Game King line is constructed well enough, especially their HPBT and is a very effective killer of game and no need to change it.

The performance of the Game King in the field is much more positive than is negative and the HPBT will exceed expectations when used. It has a 90-95% approval rating among those hunter who have used it when testimonials are written. I love it, it works very well and is terminally sound, and it is a devastating bullet. Those of us who have used it through the years, know what it does to game. Also, we know it is a very good bullet for killing game consistently and pretty much the same results year after year. It is terminally proven to be a killer in the field and also highly accurate, the very two things we look for in a bullet.
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FNMAUSER
I have used the 180 grain flat based spitzer for the last 16 years in my 30-06. I have shot many large mule deer and elk with this bullet. On bullets that were recoverable I have seen an average retained weight of 60%. I have only had two animals go farther than 15 yds after being shot behind the shoulder with this bullet. The two that went farther were both speed goats. On the mule deer the bullets were complete pass throughs with exit hole ranging from 1" to 3". On elk the bullets were usually were found underneath the skin on the opposite side. All shots were devastating on the heart and lungs.
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unclenick
I had a brief chat with Sierra today and they basically confirmed Beartracker's comments and my earlier speculation on accuracy. They said they'd had independent testing done many years ago that concluded they were at no statistical stopping ability disadvantage without core bonding when a statistically significant number of test rounds were fired. As a result they felt any real advantage to bonding was too slight to outweigh the drawbacks, which are significantly greater expense and significantly more difficulty getting accuracy fully equal to that of their more conventional designs. So they dropped the idea of pursuing that design aspect.

No doubt their reputation and loyalty was established with target shooters, who are many fewer in numbers than hunters. On the other hand, the majority of folks who shoot only to hunt will not throw thousands of rounds of the same bullet downrange every year, so I don't know how the market shares actually balance out. I should have asked.
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What I know of the sierra game king bullet is this. It is a great bullet for thin-skinned game. The jacket on this bullet is kinda thin. When shooting larger game I'd consider a bullet with a thicker jacket. When I say large I'm talking about elk sized game. Anything smaller than that should be fine with the SGK bullet. I do however agree that the Nosler Accubond is a better all around bullet with excellent BC. It can be used on just about anything in North America without coming apart. I've seen one shoot a deer from chest to tail and exit with a .300WSM. That sure impressed me! I know it'll take alot to make me switch from the Accubond.
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J
Filled all my deer tags last weekend with the 165gr HPBT SGK out of my 30-06. Shot a doe at 20 ft,a buck at 40 yards, and the last one a bit over 600 yards. All were one shot kills. I have been using this bullet for years and have not ever felt the need to use any others. Have tried alot of the others but the SGK shoots the best out of my rifle.
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700sage said:
What I know of the sierra game king bullet is this. It is a great bullet for thin-skinned game. The jacket on this bullet is kinda thin. When shooting larger game I'd consider a bullet with a thicker jacket. When I say large I'm talking about elk sized game. Anything smaller than that should be fine with the SGK bullet. I do however agree that the Nosler Accubond is a better all around bullet with excellent BC. It can be used on just about anything in North America without coming apart. I've seen one shoot a deer from chest to tail and exit with a .300WSM. That sure impressed me! I know it'll take alot to make me switch from the Accubond.
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The G/K HPBT is not a thin jacket, it is a double drawn jacket and is stronger than the SBT G/K, also, I shoot out to 600yds in practice every year with the HPBT and I kept all my shots this year in practice inside 5" circle, with most in a 4-4/1/2" circle. Like I said before, I put a 165gr HPBT through an elk with a tennis size ball hole out the other side and it put that big boy down as he took one step and clasped head forward. The 338 and 358 Game King caliber SBT is also a double drawn jacket and they are very good killers.
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mattsbox99
The bullets are constructed differently in different calibers. The smaller caliber bullets do have a thinner jacket, and the bigger calibers have thicker jackets.
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beartracker said:
The G/K HPBT is not a thin jacket, it is a double drawn jacket and is stronger than the SBT G/K, also, I shoot out to 600yds in practice every year with the HPBT and I kept all my shots this year in practice inside 5" circle, with most in a 4-4/1/2" circle. Like I said before, I put a 165gr HPBT through an elk with a tennis size ball hole out the other side and it put that big boy down as he took one step and clasped head forward. The 338 and 358 Game King caliber SBT is also a double drawn jacket and they are very good killers.
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Take a look at a cross section of a sierra game king bullet(on sierras website) and then look at nosler accubonds or even nosler ballistic tips. Which has a thinner jacket?
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700sage said:
Take a look at a cross section of a sierra game king bullet(on sierras website) and then look at nosler accubonds or even nosler ballistic tips. Which has a thinner jacket?
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So what is your point other than you don't have one when it comes to terminal results. Also, that is a regular game king cross sectioned on the web site, not the HPBT which has a double drawn jacket. Nosler BT don't hold up like the Sierra HPBT and the Accubond does not kill any better than the Sierra HPBT and neither one of the Nosler bullets is as accurate on any consistent bases over long shot groups. So once again, what is your point, except one based on a theoretical observation of a cross cut bullet and no comparative results from the field, ignoring the independent test of consistent terminal results of the Sierra Game King when tested against bonded bullets. :confused:
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unclenick
I don't think Sierra was disputing that bonded core designs are tougher to disassemble, but rather just that they didn't see the game drop any deader any faster for having that. Statistically, that's tough for the individual hunter to ascertain, owing to sample size. It'd take a lot of years of careful notes to compare and to average out the shot placement and the size and toughness differences in individual animals harvested. And he's got to be alternating the bullets with each harvest all along the way to neutralize effects of his age and the seasonal conditions, etc.

As a practical matter, even if choosing one bullet over another turns out to be largely a psychological advantage, that has a very real effect on a shooter's performance. So, you do best to use whatever you have confidence in and that shoots well in your gun.
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BT, have you compared the Accubond and HPBT, "over long shot groups"? Also, have you shot a representative number and variety of animals with the Accubond, such that you are qualified to state that it does not offer better terminal performance on game than the Sierra bullet you have had so much success with? Do you also feel the Sierra HPBT offers better performance than the Nosler Partition, irrespective of their relative accuracy? The problem with blanket statements is you sometimes get smothered in them...and I would know! :)
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unclenick said:
As a practical matter, even if choosing one bullet over another turns out to be largely a psychological advantage, that has a very real effect on a shooter's performance. So, you do best to use whatever you have confidence in and that shoots well in your gun.
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+ 1 You have certainly touched on an extremely important point. I agree with you one hundred precent, well stated. :)
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broom_jm said:
BT, have you compared the Accubond and HPBT, "over long shot groups"?

Yes is my answer and here is qualifying remarks - I had been hounded by my hunting buddies when we made hunting trips and went overseas to hunt, to use a bonded bullet. I had two that I have always liked and still do. The Nosler Partition (the best purer hunting bullet ever made) and the Accubond. So I used these two in my 300Win mag and 300Wby while using the Sierra HPBT in my 30-06. I will admit that I let the peer pressure influence me. So over many trips hunting in a 12 year span I used these two bullets. Had to do a lot of load work finding my loads which I did and I would practice at the range before going on these trips.

Also, have you shot a representative number and variety of animals with the Accubond, such that you are qualified to state that it does not offer better terminal performance on game than the Sierra bullet you have had so much success with?

When I would come home from these trips I would just keep using the Accubond in my 300Win mag on deer and hogs across big fields and on gas line right of ways. During this time due to doe tags issued by our lease i would average 3 deer a year while using the accubond. Understand that using the Accubond or the Sierra HPBT in my 300Win mag and 300Wby I always had complete pass throughs with both bullets. They both killed just as effectively in my experience and I saw no difference when observing the results. They were both accurate (for hunting) but the Sierra was more accurate and actually flew down range on long shot to the practice target in a much more consistent way.

Do you also feel the Sierra HPBT offers better performance than the Nosler Partition, irrespective of their relative accuracy?

Nothing on game when all things are considered performs more consistently whether up close or far off than the Nosler Partition. I would have used it more but in some of my rifles through the years I could not feel confident on real long shots because a certain rifle was not shooting them that well.

The problem with blanket statements is you sometimes get smothered in them...and I would know! :)
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I hope this clears up any thought that i think the Sierra Game King HPBT is the magic bullet, but it sure is a good one. :D
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