Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Sierra... Why no premium bonded bullets?

I think the 338-06 is a fine cartridge, Not much you can't do with a 210 Partition at 2750-2800fps.

Although I have one, I would never argue that it is popular. Since I got on a 338 Fed kick, and have experienced it first hand on a wide range of critters, I don't see the need for the 338-06.

Back on the Sierra 215 GK, I was told by multiple sources that it is essentially a 250 GK with the tip trimmed back. The jacket at the tip is very thick.

Interesting thread..

I've used tons of Sierra's on whitetail deer through the years. They've never let me down and were quick killers. Most were exits, but I'm a lung shooter anyway. In fact, I don't recall a single bullet failing to exit.

I've used a bunch bullets from Barnes, Nosler, Hornady, Speer, Remington and Winchester.

I'd take any and all over a mono for lung shots on deer. I've never had a mono failure or fail to kill, but I've seen deer run some excessive distances when shot through the lungs with a mono. Shooting on bone or CNS is a different story...

Sierras are excellent. Where I got a negative opinion was from not being too astute and reading the manual. If a 180 gr designed for the 308 & 30-06 doesn't break a deers neck when shot from a 300 at close range its operator error not bullet failure.

I think that deer died from whiplash, I couldn't believe the bullet stopped on the neck vertebra even with a rut swollen neck. Typical sample of one and probably could never be repeated. Also typical of the old selective memory I don't recall the particulars on the dozens of times they worked perfectly including misuse of match kings on game.

Before I was told, and I guess I never read up on it as I was young and.... I ran 180 nosler partitions at 3100 out of a 300 wtby. Shot about a 225 pound buck in the neck around 125 steps. Same as you, the buck was paralyzed, and bullet was sitting expanded on the vertebrae on this side of the neck.
Went and got a handgun out of the truck when I found my pocketknife not long enough to reach the heart...

Its when I started searching for better.. and eventually found Barnes..

Was told later had I run 200 partitions it should have been different...different brand obviously, but still similar results...

Matchkings is the only sierra along with the .224 63 grain semi point that I've shot quite a bit with and have not had much varying results

Maybe they don't know how to make a hunting bullet...

No 260 not responding to you mate, or anyone. Just my two-bobs worth.


Probably more an expression of dismay that in many internet forums (not this thread per se) I read time and time again things like 'I personally have shot "X number" of "Y game animals" with the "Zmm cartridge" at ranges from Alpha to Beta, and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM died with a single shot.'

I'm not proud to admit it but I'll state there's been times I've needed all four or five rounds in the magazine to destroy an animal that was hit in the wrong spot trying an ambitious shot. I've lived that and for the most part learned from it.

It still happens sometimes, but I'm pleased to say not often when I've been the one taking the initial shot, but chipping in to prevent an animal getting away wounded when someone I'm hunting with is learning the same valuable lessons.


And without trying to be deliberately provocative, I'll say that anyone who hasn't had a similarly unpleasant experience while hunting, hasn't shot many animals.

The first elk I killed in the 70s I was using a 280 shooting 175 SGK's, and last fall took a large mule deer at 580 yds with the same 175 grain bullet out of a 7 mag. The bullet hit the deer at an angle, penetrated three feet of meat and grass filled gut leaving a fist sized exit hole.

I wouldn't hesitate to hunt heavy for caliber SGK's in 7mm/175 and 30/200 for a trophy elk hunt. In fact, I've gone to them of recent, for all my shooting in a 300 WSM and 7 Rem Mag. Great accuracy, good BC's and perform just short of Partitions in dry media test I've done.

I have never shot an animal either with a Sierra bullet but that is going to change this year. Going to try out the 140 gr HPBT in my 270 Win and 130 gr HPBT in the 260 Rem. When I get back into a 30 cal rifle (probably a 308 Norma or possibly a 30-06 again) I have some 180 gr Prohunters waiting in the man cave, that bullet seems to have a good reputation.

I just made up a batch with those for my 9" twist 223. They shot great with Varget, but I don't like the compressed load hassle. They shot great with TAC, but my locals don't keep it. So I'm trying CFE223 which has provided precision with 50 grain Bergers and 68 grain Hornadys. And my factory cro-mo Rem LTR barrel could use the decoppering help.

I've shot a bunch of pop cans and bottles at 500 yards with the 65gr GK and Bl-C(2)

Fist size exit from that shot would be enough to not ever shoot that bullet for me again.

Not a fan of huge exits at all.

But we all have our things.

My father used to love 165 Game Kings out of his 300 Win mag, so I guess he saw it differently,

I have never understood these "deer bullet" arguments. Deer are not hard to kill, and get taken every year by such a wide variety of guns, calibers, bullets, etc. that there is more than enough proof of effectiveness by the vast majority. The loose nut behind the trigger seems to be the biggest variable.

My deer hunting gun is whatever's handy when it's time to punch a tag. Literally. From .223 to .338 it doesn't seem to make much difference.

The one bullet I used that turned me away from them was a Speer HC 150gr out a my .30-06. The bullet fell apart shooting a buck at the base of the skull. It worked, but I wasn't impressed at all. I've successfully used 165 - 200gr. from them, but haven't a single one in 150gr .308" since. There are so many other good bullets I've never had a reason to go back. I never shot a Speer HC at bones, and when they were gone I never bought any more.

I have used Sierras in different weights & caliber and have not had an issue. I even used 140gr GK out of a 7mm Rem Mag and got full penetration on a Mule Deer twice. It was slightly quartering away, first looked like a good hit, but it turned and started down toward a draw. I hit him again. Upon recovery there were two holes through the chest within three inches of each other. The insides were like soup. Was this a failure?

If you don't want to damage meat, shoot the ribs with a slower bullet.

Nate, I've been amazed how game animals can run so far with both lungs and or the heart shot out.

I once attended a training session on knife defence. The instructor put up a supposedly researched and referenced chart saying among other things, that a severence of the various arteries from the carotid to the humeral would result in "death" within no more than 3 seconds.

He first baulked with a red face then called me a liar when I asked how could I shoot a pig and blow both lungs and the heart to shreds, yet said pig thereupon ran for 20+ seconds, covering the best part of 200 metres!

Interesting observation. Our own Mule Deer here , after shooting and being in on the shooting of hundreds of big game animals told me he figured it took about 12 seconds on average, for the hydraulics to give out.
This exactly mirrors my experience, and as we all know, a highly motivated deer or elk can cover a LOT of ground in 12 seconds....

Sometimes it takes way more than 12 seconds.

Look at ER stuff... folks can get shot, lungs, heart, mixes of the two and still make it to the ER alive...they may not live, but they ain't dead in 12 seconds at times.

There are a lot of factors involved.

And twice now we've shot mature bucks double lung shots, pretty much center of both lungs, not fringes and have found the bucks alive around 3 hours later as we wait sometimes 2-3 hours before trailing. If they bed up, they can clot up. Both times as teh bucks stood up and walked off, they broke the clot and died.

Everyone says its easy to kill em. Yes and no on that.

Re the post on the 140 7 mag sierra.... thats all grand, but explain the 160 being stopped on the spinal column on a 50 pound feral pig from a 7x300...mag...

The inconsistency is whats bothered me over the years. Barnes I've shot a lot of stuff with, never lost an animal using them. Never found no expansion like some have, certianly not close after tsx/ttsx came out, and thast out to 802 yards. The variance in performance with them has been nil.

When horn or bear hunting it is the exact performance I want.




My experience with X bullets.


Also, You shoot the top of the heart that animal is going down now.

Which projectiles were used?

One was a Rothar Snuffer 200 grain, the other a 4 blade black diamond Delta 145 grain IIRC.

I know you don't care for me. But I"ve never had that experience with an X of any flavor.

And I've also seen heart shot, top of heart taken out with rifle projectiles, and they run. Almost ever last one of them. Not far generally but they run.

I often wonder if its the differences in animals. Maybe WT vs MD?