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I wouldn't touch a Sierra Game King for any big game, let alone elk again...even at a relatively sedate 2700 FPS muzzle velocity.

They're often accurate, but too explosive on critters IME. Go interlock all the way.



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Pards wa bull, 270 Roy, 130 interloks
[Linked Image]


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Originally Posted by Judman
Recovered from said bull...
[Linked Image]



That is VERY impressive performance. Thanks for posting

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whichever brand your rifle prefers. Just go with the heavier weights for cal with conventional bullets


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Originally Posted by Below_par
What's a better Elk bullet and why? Considering I've had great success with Accubonds, but want to change to a more cost effective bullet so I can practice and hunt with the same load.

30-06. 180gr. Assume 2700 fps give or take. All shots within 250 yards.

Thanks!

Also, quarry is Sambar deer in Australia. Closest in size to elk, hence me posting here.
Have you checked out Shootersproshop.com? It's Nosler's outlet for blemished bullets. They shoot just like their firsts but at half the price. Right now they have 180 gr AB's for $21/box. They're out of Ballistic Tips, though.


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Hornady Interlock, without a doubt. You get premium performance from a non-premium bullet.

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Non-bonded boat tails are almost assured to suffer core separation and "blow-up".

The old Hornady Interlocks were less likely to come part then the Sierra Boat tails. The interlocks can too, but usually go deeper before they do.

I have used a few of the Sierra flat base (Pro-hunters) in the past and the one that seemed to work best was their 220 grain.

Now I am a bit of a fanatic about bullet performance, but I have to admit that even a poor bullet placed perfectly will do the job. You seldom will get what can be called excellent performance from such bullets, but the skill of the hunter can overcome the lesser properties of the bullet.

I recommend and I use super good bullet because I can, and because I do have that luxury.

The very best recommendation I can give (and only useful if you can follow the advise) is to buy a box of fifty 180 grain Nosler partitions and about 20 boxes (of 100 ea) of a good flat base accurate and inexpensive bullet. I used Hornadys, but Sierras will do just fine. Use the 2000 "cheep" bullets for shooting varmints, dirt clots, sticks, paper, and so on and shoot them a lot. Get you skill level up and then load the Noslers for elk.
I have done this for many many years. I started using Noslers in my 270 when I was 12. That was 1967. Since then I have bought about 10 boxes of Nosler partitions for all the calibers and weights I have used them in.
257" 120 grain 1 box,
270 in 130, 1 box,
150 grain 2 boxes
and 160 grain,2 boxes,
30 cal in 200 1 box
and 220 grain1 box,
8MM in 200 grain 1 box,
338 in 250 grain one box,
9.3 in 286 grain 1 box
and 375 in 300 grain on box.
Now that's 500 Nosler bullets over nearly 50 years of hunting purchased, but of them all I have shot up one full box of 150 grain 270s at game and had to buy another one. All the rest listed here are not all shot up yet, I have only 7 bullets left from the 375 so soon I will buy another box of them. I only confirm zeros and test for accuracy and then they are only shot at big game.

The point is that you can use the flat based Noslers with the same load as the flat based Hornadys or Speers or Sierras and get a very close zeros, and in some cases no difference at all. You can then afford to become a good marksman with the cheaper bullets.

Another thing to consider is although the Partitions are the gold standard, there are some other bullets that will give nearly equal performance in most cases. One that I have been quite impressed with is the Winchester 30 cal Power Points in both 150 and 180 grain. Not near as expensive as the Nosler partitions, but so far I have seen no blow-ups with them, and the few I have recovered are averaging about 70%-75% weight retention and they are MOA or less in accuracy. And yes, I have killed elk with them.

As much as I am dedicated to good bullet performance I will still acknowledge that the largest factor BY FAR is the skill of the hunter and his ability to place his shot. Perfect placement with a so-so bullet if better then poor placement with a perfect bullet.

The best is perfect placement with a perfect bullet.

You can buy a perfect bullet, but you must make a perfect placement and that only comes from practice, so buying "cheep" bullets is actually quite important. Your skill is the most important thing to consider, not what you buy.

Last edited by szihn; 06/11/17.
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Originally Posted by Bugger
Sierra is better for paper. That's about all Sierras are good for. Hornady Bullets are for game animals. I shot a doe in the shoulder with a Sierra Game King bullet, it never entered the lungs. It took several more bullets to drop the deer. Other hunters I know have had similar failures with Sierra's!



This happened to my brother on a real nice 10 point buck he shot with a 243. Smallish central Texas deer. He gave the rest of the box to me for coyotes. I ran into a herd of hogs and shot 5 or 6 aiming for shoulders. I found one small hog where the bullet went through the rear edge of the shoulder. Rancher was not impressed.


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So has anyone had any success with GK on elk without emptying the rifle?

I am considering the heavier 175gr 7mm pills.

Sorry for the hijack!

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The only bullet's I've used in over 40 yrs have been Hornady spire point's and interlock's. Never had a Hornady fail me.One exception was a 7nn Rem mag. It shot best with Speer 160gr Hot Core. I don't know how they are today but I would use the hot core again and not worry about it one bit if it's still the same bullet Vernon Speer made. I never had one of them fail either. I chose Hornady because they were a bit more accurate in my old 7mm Mag. That hot core bullet was way ahead of it's time!

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Originally Posted by WDEA
So has anyone had any success with GK on elk without emptying the rifle?

I am considering the heavier 175gr 7mm pills.

Sorry for the hijack!

375 H&H Magnum. 300 gr Sierra Game King. POS! Blew up on shoulder. Thank goodness I had enough gun(not so much bullet) to jack another into him. I surely favor the interlock over GK for animals.

Last edited by Zengela; 06/13/17.
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Hornady... if those are your only options!


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Either bullet should work fine.

IME, SGK tend to be slightly more accurate, but no complaints on the Hornady...SGK have the rep of being "soft", at least under 300 yards, but I'm not sure that is accurate. I believe they upped the jacket thickness some since the early days when that rep was established. The couple times I've used them, range was under 200 and they performed well.

I don't think anyone makes a "bad' bullet anymore- as long as one stays inside intended use parameters.

That said, there are two factory loads/bullets that i will not use, based on poor (one, each)) performance on game . One is the Federal Hi-Shok (or whatever it is called now. .30-06/ 165 gr) Best accuracy for a factory round I've found for my 17 inch barrelled .30-06, but the jacket separated virtually on impact -twice each, on a sheep at 330 yards, and a moose at 40, 4 days apart. But at no point in the death of the animals did the bullet "fail". Likely intended for coyotes and small deer, and I over-extended it's use.

The other is a .338WM 210 NP, which blew up on the shoulder of a moose at about 100 yards, peppering the near side lung with BB bits of lead and bone, but failing to penetrate to the far lung. I think the back portion must have ricocheted out the entrance wound- I never found it. the 2nd round up the nose at 10 feet did the job when the bull lurched to his feet... that was a bit interesting.

250 NP worked fine.., tho not as accurate as several other loads. In my gun.

The most accurate hand load in that rifle that i have found is with SGK 250 - 1 inch at 200 yards. I'm currently using Hornady 250 RN - MOA. Awfully ugly cartridge, and I've got a crap-load of them, but with that accuracy, I'll just shoot with my eyes closed...

Last edited by las; 06/14/17.

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I prefer the Speer Hotcore over both the Hornady or Sierra.


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Sample of one: I shot a big mule deer buck at about 100 yards with a 270/150 gr SGK. Slightly quartering away, the bullet was recovered in the off side shoulder. Jacket and core separated.

I wasn't real impressed but I'd happily shoot a deer again with that bullet. Elk would be a broadside heart/lung shot only IMO.


Originally Posted by shrapnel
I probably hit more elk with a pickup than you have with a rifle.


Originally Posted by JohnBurns
I have yet to see anyone claim Leupold has never had to fix an optic. I know I have sent a few back. 2 MK 6s, a VX-6, and 3 VX-111s.
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Originally Posted by WDEA
So has anyone had any success with GK on elk without emptying the rifle?

I am considering the heavier 175gr 7mm pills.

Sorry for the hijack!

whitetail, mulies, elk, blackbear, and moose.

One shot kills

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Originally Posted by WDEA
So has anyone had any success with GK on elk without emptying the rifle?

I am considering the heavier 175gr 7mm pills.

Sorry for the hijack!

Back when my only rifle was a .30-06, I killed 7 bulls and a cow elk (including a one shot kill on a 6x6 375", DIY, public land bull) all with 180 grain Sierra GameKing bullets.

A few years later when I built my .257 Ackley, I shot a 340" bull (also DIY on public land) with one 117 grain Sierra GameKing bullet.

I killed most of my elk with 180 grain Nosler Partition bullets.

My last 2 bulls were one shot kills with 168 grain Barnes bullets. One a TSX, the other a TTSX.


SAVE 200 ELK, KILL A WOLF

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WDEA

Before I was told they wouldn't work I used 7MM game kings on elk, M deer, caribou, and black bear. never any problems, many pass through's.
Today in my 7 Mag. I use accubonds mostly, occasionally partitions.

Lefty C

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Originally Posted by Below_par
What's a better Elk bullet and why? Considering I've had great success with Accubonds, but want to change to a more cost effective bullet so I can practice and hunt with the same load.


I'd stick with the accubonds, work up a load with a cheap bullet, figure out what your POI offset is for the two, and just dial your scope as needed. Drops will be a little different, but not enough to make shooting elk-sized game with bullets ill-suited to the task a good idea IMO.

If you just have to pick one, pick the Interlock and keep velocities down. They both suck, but it sucks a little less.

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I prefer the180 GR Game Kings in my. 06 as they seem to shoot better. They kill elk just as dead as any other bullet. You don't get into trouble until you start pushing them faster than what they are designed for. Something the naysayers can't seem to figure out.

However, watch Shooters Por Shop,I picked up 4 boxes of Nosler 180 gr Partitions, blems for $13 a box last year, or $26 a 100.Cheaper than Sierras even. The AB's don't seem to show up as often


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