Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 6.5 Sierra 130gr. HPBT GameKing?

The Softpoint game kings have proven utterly reliable to me as long as you stay away from Magnum velocities. I have seen the boattails falter myself as well.

I have posted this before, and it counters both Serria and what others say.

I have used 2 bullets in my 20" 308 over 20 years.
The old 100 count 165gr Ballistic Tips and the Sierra 165gr BTHP Gameking?

I went to the Sierra when the BT's went to 50 count boxes.


Those hollow points were the most devastating game bullets I have ever seen.
At 308 velocity, I often saw a cloud blow out the far side of deer.
Holes the size of 2 fists were common. Losing a shoulder wasn't.

I found a store closeout with several sleeves of the Ballistic Tip, and have been shooting them since.

PS Those hollow points did kill.
About a dozen deer shot, not one went more than a few feet from impact, and most passed through, just too much waste.

PPS I shoot ribs, shoulders if necessary on angled shots.

Everyone here knows you need at least a 180 gr monolithic bullet fired from at least a .300 Winchester Magnum, preferably a .300 RUM at 3200 fps minimum, to kill a 100 pound whitetail. Deer have gotten much tougher since the 1960s when a .30-30 (and cheap cup and core bullets) could be used. Back then the big argument was 150 grain vs 170 grain bullets.

Supposidely the HPBT Gamekings are tougher (higher % of antimony?). I've only shot paper with them but we've shot a ton of deer with the 130 Pro Hunter in our 270s over the last 25 years and it's never failed.

I use the 150 Gamekings in my 308’s. I started using them when I couldn’t get Ballistic tips. They kill deer and pigs just fine. I haven’t switched back.

I may ruffle some feathers here, but my thoughts are that if I was going to hunt something that might eat me if it had the chance, I'd be very concerned with choosing the right bullet. I'd also feel the same way about large game, such as moose or elk, or the African game if I was going there. But, I sometimes feel as if some people overthink it when it comes to picking a bullet to deer hunt with. I've seen too many killed with a 22 rifle to believe they're all that hard to kill. I don't like to overkill anything, and don't get a kick out of seeing a bullet do excessive damage, whether it's a varmint sized critter, or a deer. But, there are plenty of bullets that will do a good job on a deer, as long as the shooter puts the bullet in the right place.

I have a tad of experience with the Sierra BTHP Gamekings. The first year I hunted with a 257 Roberts, I used the 90 grain BTHP in Gameking guise. I shot three whitetails with them that year. One was a spinal tap, the next was a neck shot and the last was a high shoulder shot. All three dropped the deer where they stood. I decided that didn't care to use that bullet from that cartridge again, and haven't.

Fast forward, I picked up a Tikka T3 Hunter chambered for 6.5x55 Swede. I loaded some of the 130 grain BTHP Gamekings at a tad less than book velocity. My wife took three whitetails with it that year, and all died in sight of the stand. The ONLY thing that gave me reason to pause was some copper flakes of jacket material close to the exit wound of one of those deer. In fairness, she did center punch the shoulder.

I think that the first consideration when using the BTHP Gamekings should be the velocity envelope. If you are under 3000 fps, you should be good to go. Just my limited experience and somewhere out on my bench I have a 50 round box of 7mm/08 loaded with 140 grain Sierra BTHP's. They will be under 3000 fps and I'm sure they will do well on whitetails, too.

Well said, James

I've had very good luck with the Sierra 140 HPBT in my 270's. Much tougher than the soft point Game King BT. Like the Sierra bullets as they were the first ones I used when I started hand loading 50 years ago. Time sure flies! The deer I've taken with the 140 HPBT didn't think they were "gay". Elk didn't care for them either. Most accurate in my go to rifle. AB is Great bullet, but on deer the the Sierra HPBT works as well, IMO. Deer are not very tough. As a kid we all shot Remington Core Lock with great results>

No deer are not typically tough, but I'd lean on the tougher vs softer side of bullet construction for an all around bullet. I call the ABs - MEDIUM construction, as some BTs like the 95gr 6mm. Not all Sierra's are the same, but personally I like other bullets more, for field use on game. I've seen devastating results with say the 85 HPBT GK on deer at 300 yds, from a 243, on a smaller Tx deer. But also though effective, much weight loss from a 7/08 140gr BTSP at around 30 yds in the woods. An AB, PT, or mono will drill both shoulders when called upon to do so. Others can, to varying degrees in varying situations.

Folks can choose what they want, the GKHP in 130 has a lower bc than what I want. The tipped MK might be worth testing...on media before hunting.

Much info here on bullets....in 6.5mm.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4769172/1

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ge-264-bullet-test-part-deux#Post4783400


As always, put a Good bullet thru vitals, and the discussion ends......it just pays to know which bullets REACH vitals, and do more than pencil thru when your shot is true

While growing up in Oklahoma, my family hunted small game with pellet gun, 22 rimfire shorts, and 12 gauge. After graduating high school, I was introduced to deer and long range varmint shooting by my dad’s best friend. He mentored me with the 6mm Remington and I eventually purchased one in the Remington 700 BDL Varmint with a Weaver 4-12. The only bullet we ever used then was the Sierra 85 HPBT. I was taught to shoot the deer in the heart & lung area. Also to wait for a broadside shot or to not shoot at all. A lot of Oklahoma and Kansas deer were taken with that combination. A large number of coyotes were taken as well.

I enlisted in the Navy a few years later and found myself stationed in Idaho Falls in 1981. There I read a lot and hunted a lot. I learned about Nosler Partitions then. Dad decided to get into deer hunting so I bought him a Ruger 77 in .257 Roberts for Christmas. I loaded up a bunch of Partitions (don’t remember if 120 or 115 gr) for him. I had added the 85 gr Partition to my 6mm for deer and picked up a 7x57 for elk.

Next deer season, I get a call from dad. Dad had killed two deer with one shot. He drilled a buck, broadside of course, and the buck collapsed at the shot. But so did the doe standing behind the buck. He thought that the .257 Roberts was too much gun. Folks were living in western Kansas at the time. Mom was with him and gave him heck about ‘poaching a deer’ for at least ten years.

Next trip home, I loaded him up the Sierra 90 gr HPBT. He was much happier with that bullet for deer and coyotes. Deer hunting there was in open fields across farm ground or across pasture land (both north eastern Oklahoma and western Kansas).

I've caught 2 game kings in deer one was a 225 gn SBT 35 cal in a buck I shot straight on in the chest with a 35 Whelen. The other was a 180 gn SBT from a 300 Weatherby quartering to in the shoulder. Both stopped in the ham just under the skin. Both were perfect mushrooms looked like a corelokt commercial.

Haven't used them on whitetails, but I've used them in a .270 on west Texas muleys. The first was a huge bodied 28" wide 10 that ultimately dressed out at well over 225. Four shots with .277 140 gr. Sierra BTHP to take him down. Lesson #1-never shoot HP's at game. The second was a 24"wide 10 point that dressed right at 170 if I remember correctly. Shooting 130 gr. Sierra Game kings, the bullet hit him in the neck and down he went. The bullet separated and I found that, while skinning him out, parts of the jacket were lodge between his shoulder blades. I haven't shot Sierra's at game in over 20 years.

Ok, I'm getting old. Memory's not too good and years going by fast. But has the 270 Sierra 140gr HPBT Game King even been around for 20 years?

I reckon so because the deer I described was killed in 1987. I don't know how long it had been out when I started loading them.

Interesting. Thanks

I've not used the Gameking HPs because a Gameking 140 in my 7x57 many years ago blew up quickly inside a small buck on a quartering away shot and he almost made it to the next hunter. most of the wound channel was pencil thin from just the core. in more recnt years I've used 6.5 120s in my 260 and again been disappointed in penetration, tho the deer didn'y get away. I'm switching back to 129 Hornady interlocks--not quite as accurate but plenty good enough and much better terminal performance

6.5 120s were sierra prohunters

Yep, Got some now that I shot out of the 6.5 Grendel.

garCH,

What was the 120 PH's not penetrating all the way through, or were they coming apart?

Thanks,
jr1968.