No exit wound, Sierra Game Kings

[twodog max]

I have used Sierra Game Kings in several calibers and bullet weights on several hundred whitetails. Including the .30 165 grain version. I cannot recall ever failing to get an exit. I am at a loss to explain the different results.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

I've never used the Game Kings, but I've killed several deer and hogs with the 150 gr Pro Hunters in 30-06. I have yet to recover one.

I've heard that the Game Kings are not as solidly constructed, but again, I have no experience with them.

What velocity is the load and what distance were these shots taken at?

 

[beagleye]

I have used Sierra Game Kings in several calibers and bullet weights on several hundred whitetails. Including the .30 165 grain version. I cannot recall ever failing to get an exit. I am at a loss to explain the different results.

Yeah, that's a surprise. Maybe I am getting higher velocity. I sold my chrony, I regret that.

Leslie- Shots vary in distance, 10 to 120 yards. Got one last night at 10 yards in the front of the throat 6 inches under the chin. No exit wound, his neck was just like a big sponge, even the front of his shoulder caught a little damage.

Longest shot, 120. Shoulder to shoulder. The off side was pretty wrecked, bullet fragments pretty spread out.

I guess the main message here is slow it down, try some other bullets and maybe try to get access to a chronograph. Simple enough, and I knew it, but I appreciate the perspective and excellent information.

Thanks!

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Sierra 150 gr Gameking. Averages 2878 fps out of my 30/06 Browning BAR. I don't get exits. I always try to shoot through the shoulders.

 

[nachogrande]

A NOSLER PARTITION GUY MYSELF.

A bit pricey but if you only sight in & hunt they should last a while. I never recovered 1 and they work over a wide spectrum of velocity. I had bad exp's with the Barnes X & Nosler ballistic tips, WHEN THEY FIRST CAME OUT, & at close ranges. (app 50 yards) I never gave them another try, or reduced the loads. I'm sure some people swear by them. I don't recall anyone ever having an issue with partitions other than the price. A hunter that owns the store where I sometimes buy reloading supplies swears he has NEVER used a premium bullet & never had a problem, AS LONG AS you match the bullet/velocity/distance to game in your loads. OR you can get the jaws of life for your wallet & just go with the partitions. IMO.

 

[Benchrest1]

Another fan of the Nosler Partition.

 

[Joe4d]

I used 150 grain Hornady Interlock bullets for deer hunting with my 30-06. These bullets held together and many times left fist size exit wounds.

Bottom line the Hornady interlock bullets held together like Nosler partitions and are much cheaper.

When hunting in the woods where 40 yards was a long shot I used 30-30 170 grain Hornady FP bullets in my 30-06 and down loaded them to approximately 2400 fps.

This,, interlocks are great bullets in a box of 100 with out the fancy doo dad packaging and high prices. Have taken lots of deer with a 243 and the 100 gr BTSP. Couple deer with 3006 165's, bear and pigs with the 180's,, bullets work like they are supposed to.

 

[white cloud]

Another vote for Core Lokts and Partions. I hunt in the South and usually in the evening. The brush here is usually pretty thick. Very well shot deer can run a long way so I want a blood trail.

 

[phonejack]

I used 150 grain Hornady Interlock bullets for deer hunting with my 30-06. These bullets held together and many times left fist size exit wounds.

Bottom line the Hornady interlock bullets held together like Nosler partitions and are much cheaper.

When hunting in the woods where 40 yards was a long shot I used 30-30 170 grain Hornady FP bullets in my 30-06 and down loaded them to approximately 2400 fps.

If you're old enough to remember Jack O'Connor, that was his whitetail load using a 30/06.

 

[SAFireman]

I have been using the Sierra Game King bullet 165gr for at least 10 years now. I load the old competition load: 56gr of IMR4350.

I have never lost a deer with this combination. I shoot Texas White Tailed Deer that average 150-175lbs. I have seen the 'boiler room' liquefied more than once, and never chased one, they have all dropped within 50-75 yards.

 

[IWK2HT]

Another vote for Nosler Partition

 

[BB57]

There may be some crossed wires here the bullets that I mentioned are the Game king 165 gr HPBT just to make things clear.

I've had great results with the Sierra 165 gr SBT. It works well at .308 and .30-06 velocities at medium and long range. At short range you need to be sure the velocity is well under 3000 fps at impact.

The 165 HPBT never made much sense to me. It's designed for magnum .30 caliber cartridges, and needs more velocity to open up, but will over expand at short ranges. The BC is also lower than the SBT however, so at some point down range it fails to expand when the SBT will still get the job done.

----

For short range hunting where I know the range will be 150 yards or less, I just use a .30-30 lever gun and leave the .308 at home.

 

[Nevada Ed]

You must first understand that the Game King BT is made with a thin copper jacket
that is designed for fast expansion.
The Pro Hunter is made with a much heavier copper jacket and designed
for deeper penetration and slower expansion.

I have loaded the Sierra BT to a fac. dup. loading of 2760fps and, yes, no pass through but
all of my deer were dead within 30 yards of where they were shot.
Even a "Meat load" at just 2530fps drops deer in their tracks with good placement.
A Hornady 165 SST poly-tip, "Meat saver" at 2570 with IMR 4350 and a cci250,
groups four shots at .88" at 100 yards, in my 1903 bolt action.

You can get 100% pass through with a heavy 180gr bullet from Krag speeds
around 2430fps or go 2660fps for maximum recoil.
The other option is a smaller 150gr bullet, known for eye opener kills at 2900fps,
but you will also be tossing out a LOT of messed up meat, from all of the bullets energy.
My 150gr "Meat load" is only going 2700fps with 52.5grs of IMR4350 powder and a cci200 primer.
As a note.....
My rifle likes CCi200, 250 and WLR primers in its loads.
My 180 gr loads shrank 60% when I used WLR primers.

I try for a center Lung shot behind the shoulder if possible, over a heart shot......
plus try to miss the shoulder bone and intestines, for more edible meat.

Right behind the jaw or head shot is great if you don't want to mount the horns!!

You might also look at the Speer line of quality bullets.

Good loading.

 

[SMSgt]

There may be some crossed wires here the bullets that I mentioned are the Game king 165 gr HPBT just to make things clear.

Well no wonder. Use the SPBT version for big game, save the HPs for varmints.

I've used the .30 Sierra SPBTs for deer - moose exclusively and never dad one to fail. One 150-grain went literally "end-to-end" and still weighed 148 grains. Never had to resort to max or near-max loads either. Mid-range loads, usually in IMR-4064 produced excellent accuracy and power out to 350 yards. 150-, 165-, 180-, and 200-grain Sierras all worked well. The 165-grain is my al-purpose bullet.

 

[nachogrande]

FOR LEVER GUNS.

Hornady flat nosed core lockt's all the way for 30-30, 35's & Win 375. Nosler used to make a flat nosed 7mm 120 gr solid base boat tail that was excellent in the 7-30 waters & other 7mm's.

 

[rockquarry]

Some erroneous information posted here. Might be worth reading the front portion of the Sierra manual where bullet and bullet construction are discussed.

 

[nachogrande]

FREE ADVICE, NO SHORTAGE.

The last 4 deer I have shot with my 30-06, loaded with 165 grain game kings (over near max loads of H4350, 59 grains IIRC) have had no exit wound. The bullets blow up.

Late in the evening, this can be kind of dicey, blood trails can be small or non existent, laurel thickets etc... It's kind of bumming me out.

Advise? Reduce the load? Heavier bullets? Premium bullets?

One fact of life is I am sitting on 4 lbs of H4350.

Thanks

ESPECIALY for close ranges: go to a heavier bullet, lower velocity. NO need for premiums IMO IF you stay within ideal parameters for that bullet/distance/velocity/shot placement. The premiums offer a wider range of those parameters IMO.

 

[bigedp51]

If you're old enough to remember Jack O'Connor, that was his whitetail load using a 30/06.

Having grown up reading Jack O'Conner I always thought the .270 Winchester was the worlds best non-belted magnum.

My 1943 Remington 03-A3 30-06 was my backup rain gun, who wants to get a new .270 rifle and Redfield scope soaking wet!!!!!

 

[captaint]

As we all know, whitetails only need to be so dead. Fred, I might try slowing them down to around 2600 or so. Of course, my favorite bullet was the Nosler Solid Base Boattail. You know, the one they quit making about 25 years ago. Very accurate and stayed together. I think I'm shooting game kings now. They work great in my 7 X 57 in 140 gr.

 

[Homie]

If you want a deer to be DRT you need a shoulder or neck shot. A heart/lung shot has too many variables to list here, but at least a thru and thru will go down somewhere- hopefully where you can find it before it spoils.