Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Question for Mule Deer about the 30 cal 165 gr Sierra HPBT Gameking

From what I have read about this bullet, the consensus is that it is like lightning on deer-sized game at .308 speeds. What I am wondering is if you step up in size to 350 lb hogs and hop the load up to 300 Win Mag speeds and try to break both shoulders what would/does happen?

I am not JB, but I can tell you what it doesn't do with deer, .300 WinMag, and short range.

Work. It simply blew up on the shoulder. Killed the deer, but it ruined one whole shoulder and penetration was very much lacking.

In my experience, it is a great bullet for .308/.30-06 velocities, but a .300 Mag at short range is out of its' capability, that is until velocity drops into its' performance window.

I use it now, started in two .308s at 2700 or so fps, and on-game performance is great. But with what I've seen with my own .300 mag and on deer, I would hesitate recommending it (or using it myself) on a 350 lb hog.

I would use it in my .308, though.

I have shot probably 100 head of game with this bullet and .300's.. I still use it quite a bit, but if I wanted to break shoulders on a hog, I would load Nosler partitions..

Not JB, either.

I agree with Vic. I'm a strong believer in matching bullet design with velocity. A great bullet at .308 velocity can be a terrible bullet a few hundred fps faster.

Even more confusing can be the vintage of the bullet. I had early 180 gr. NBT's blowing up on hogs, out of my .300 WM. Newer 180 NBT's are much tougher. Early 150 NBT's were pretty volatile even at .308 speeds, got a bad rap at my deer camp. Now, I'm using 120 NBT's in my 7mm-08, a good, tough bullet.

Go figure.

DF

Still not JB but we have a mutual friend that swears by the bullet in his 30-06 and Ive seen him kill a lot of game with it. That said, post mortems showed me that bullet performance was erratic at best.
I would not use it on hog shoulders.Theres lots of better choices out there, indeed anything in that genre is a better choice IMHO.

Thanks for the info guys. These bullets are VERY accurate out of my 300 WM, but I guess I will leave them to my .308 and .30-06.

In my experience, best way to kill a hog is high shoulder/neck/head shots.

For bone crunching, don't forget the monos.

I like more expansive bullets for chest shooting WT's.

DF

I have a brand new box of Barnes 150 gr TSX that I am going to try to work up a load with. I also have some 150 accubonds.

I promise you, the TSX will work.

Another mono option.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/10719100

DF

I have no doubt this bullet would kill any sized hog pronto. However, at 300 Mag speed, there likely wouldn't be a lot of shoulder meat left to eat. Like others have said, a Partition would surely be a better choice.

Congratulaions on being one of the few people here to ask for advice and then actually take it, as opposed to those that want their foolish notions blessed by the congregation.

Frying bacon is as close as I've ever gotten to shooting a hog, but Partitions would be my first choice for body shots on a big one, like for just about everything else.

I have used for over 30 years in 30/06, 300wsm, 300wm and 300rum. I load it for several friends who shoot it in 300wm. It has performed very well on hogs and whitetails. However we don't take shoulder shots. Head, neck, heart, lungs. I have seen it used in 7mmwsm with a shoulder shot, less than 100yds and it went through both shoulders. Just loaded 50+ yesterday in 280AI for a friend. I have full faith in them. One friend tried the Barnes TTSX bullets last season and had terrible bullet performance he has gone back to the Sierra. Load what you feel will work best for you in your situation but for me it is the BTHP for deer and hogs. I also use the Berger hunting VLDs with excellent success. Rick.

OP got everyone BUT JB to chime in and opine...

DF

Is this a great forum, or what?

Where I grew up a 350 lb hog likely escaped as a fed out adult. They just don't grow that big from a litter born razorback.

And for those who recommend the partition for shoulder shots, I agree that they'll increase penetration, but that front half of the bullet expands as violently as anything I've seen. Use of a partition to shoulder shoot game has not much resulted in less shot up meat, for me.

FWIW, I've had great luck on hogs with a .243 and the 85 bthp sierra gameking. We(mostly) only shoot in daylight...

Not MD either: I shot a doe in the shoulder Gameking 165 grain bullet. The bullet never entered the rib cage.
If you're going to use Sierra bullets for game, my recommendation is to avoid muscle mass and bones. The Sieera bullets are great for prairie dogs and things I want to blow up. I've not been one to use lung shots since I shot a deer in the lungs with a 264. It ran away. Showing my age but that was around 1970.

Bugger: was that the SBT Gameking or the HPBT Gameking?