Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 215g Sierra GK .338 probably not the best choice for long range.

I recently hunted Springbok and Gemsbuck in Namibia and had and a disappointing result with 215g GK. Although this was not long range the result would probably be more consistent with the example when using this bullet at long range.

This bullet was recover from a Gemsbuck I shot at 200m. The bullet travelled through the head of the animal then after it exited the head it penetrated the spine where I recovered it after skinning the animal.



The impact speed was probably around 2400fps which is not exactly slow. At around 800 yards my impact speed is around 1800fps with this load.

Guess I will have to look at another bullet for taking long range shots.

Pieter

That bullet is part of a line that is not designed for long range shooting. The bullets are tough: hardened core, thick jacket, and the BC is awful. Proper long range bullets have very high BC and SD, as well as being somewhat fragile, or at least fast-opening.

I recommend picking a different bullet for hunting at any range.

Huntnshoot is dead on.
I sectioned one a while back...extremely thick jacket.

I wouldn't consider 200m long range though and that's what that bullet was shot at.

GK - at least I always thought that stood for "Game King" - If they don't work at short ranges (no expansion) and aren't good for hunting at all - why the "GK" designation?

Went through the head and then into the spine with little to no expansion.

Sierra's take on it:



I'd say that there's a chance your results were an anomaly for the bullet, probably not the rule given the impact speed and range.

I'm not a Sierra guy tho....

2400fps is a bit on the low side for that bullet. People seem to have this strange notion that Sierras are soft and frangible. They are not. They are usually cartridge-specific designs, even within caliber. Out of a 338WM or larger, the impact speed for std ranges should be at least 2600fps. The hollow points and boat tails are deceptive, because that design is typical of a low-drag target style bullet. That is not the case. They really are the worst of all Sierra's designs, IMO.

Your result is exactly what I would have anticipated after I shot a couple into dry magazines. They didn't open at all. ~.338" hole through a very large stack of magazines and then into dirt further than I was willing to dig for them. These were muzzle velocity from a 338-06. I was told by Sierra it is a jacket from a 250gn trimmed for the 215. In my opinion the design is flawed.

I have seen a few 215's act exactly like that.

Try 210 Partition or 200 or 225 accubond.

From my use, I'd recommend a 225 or 250 BT for use. Probably a lain jane.

But where, exactly, in your kill did the bullet fail?

I question the placement at that range. Just to stir the pot. Still, one would expect some expansion.

I've not used the 215 GK- only the 250, with perfectly satisfactory results at about 140 yards. One time. Most accurate of my hand-loads to date.

I've also used the 210 NP on BG exactly one time, shoulder shot on a moose at about 100 yards and never again. 'bout chit my pants when the beast came back on his feet when I was about 10 feet out. Second shot pretty much up the nose seemed to work OK, tho. First shot shattered the near shoulder blade and peppered the near-side lung with bb size lead and bone. No sign of the rear portion- I think it richochetted back out the entrance hole.

I use 225 and 250 gr in my .338 since. Premiums not really needed, tho I've no objection if you wanna pay the extra for no discernible benefit. I do sometimes.
For no discernible benefit....

Here is mine about 2500 FPS in water jugs.

Awesome! A reusable bullet.

LOL

U could use that thing on Cape Buff...

Guess I could have said not expand instead of fail, but then it can just as well be a fmj bullet and not a soft point. I am just thinking if the bullet makes a hole that small through the lungs you can just as well pack your things and go home instead of tracking

About the shot placement, we regularly shoot head shots up to around 280 yards. Some of the meat is processed commercially and they only accept high neck and head shots. This will however be from a bags or bi-pods. Just to give you an indication of how guys get enough practice for these head shots, I was invited earlier in the year by a friend of mine to shoot 500 Springbok, 30 Wildebeest and 30 Oryx in 3 days. Although in this case it would be from a pickup truck you still get a good feel for a rifle and learn to take quick accurate shots at ranges between 180 and 280 yards. Some of these guys shoot more animals in one day than most hunters would shoot in their entire life.

I am looking at other options now for long range. Would like to try 225 Accubonds but they are not easy to get a hold of and expensive to practise with around here.

Pieter

We made the same joke when we recovered the bullet Jokes aside, in our local hunting mag a guy shot two Wildebeest with the same bullet. It is a local made bullet called Impala, they are solids that guys use for hunting around here (you can look them up under Impala Bullets). The guy recovered the bullet from the animal and it was still in perfect shape. He then reloaded that same bullet and hunted another Wildebeest with it on another occasion. We have seen plenty of guys wounding animals with Impala bullets but they are still marketed as hunting projectiles.

Pieter

Well, I always wanted a hollow point version Game King in 338 cal and now we know how to make them