Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 30 caliber 125gr Sierra Pro Hunter

Tried these in my 14" Contender today for something different. I should be able to end up launching them about 2500fps. Still in the early stages of load development. Anyone use them on deer? How did they work?

Have used them a lot in the 308, they ruin some meat on a shoulder shot but they are always accurate in my rifles

I killed a small whitetail buck years ago with a 125 Sierra shot from the .300 WM..

For his 30 Herrett, my late father used a "single shot pistol" version Sierra used to make. It was built softer for the lower velocity out of handguns and it penetrated just fine. The one you're using should not blow up at your speed if that's your concern.

They are great in my 308’s, Kill deer dead.

In the late 80's, I killed 12 in two years with this bullet out of a 308 at 3200 fps with a hot load of win 748 and cci 200. Two of the bucks went over 200 lbs in Ga. a 10 point and a 11 point on consecutive days during the rut(Tinks doe in heat urine used in conjunction with rattling and grunts).

Thanks for the feedback, gents.

125's in either .284 or .308 handgun loads have proven effective on light skinned game for many years. As long as you are getting 2400 fps (which would be my minimum), you'll be putting meat in the freezer.

What is your cartridge chambering?

I used them for several years for my son's reduced loads in a .30'06 and they worked perfectly. Accurate and consistent to shoot. Quartering shots and shoulder shots on whitetails and hogs all resulted in quick falls with little or no run. No complaints in any respect.

I use the Sierra 125 in my 300 Savage loaded to about 2750 FPS and it is deadly, All for the one I've shot were dropped in their tracks. Same with the Nosler B.

I use the Sierra 125 in my 300 Savage loaded to about 2750 FPS and it is deadly, The ones I've shot were dropped in their tracks. Same with the Nosler BT. 250 yards is a chip shot. Coyotes don't care for them either. Remington 722 24"barrel.in a Boyds walnut stocks. Getting to be my go to rifle, love it.

My gun is a 309JDJ, which is the 444 Marlin case necked down to 30 caliber. It drives a 150gr Ballistic tip to 2500fps, and the 165gr to 2400. Its been a great barrel for deer, and I took a mountain goat with it in Alaska. The blacktails here are small, and I happened to have a box of the 125's lying around to play with.

Iverun them about that speed in a blackout. killed 5 deer with them last year. None took a step, but, I neck shoot.
All penetrated with 1.5"+/- exit.
Very accurate.

I got 2650 with 150's with my 309 JDJ. It was the second most accurate handgun I owned. I would expect the 125's should do maybe near 2800.

I no longer trust Sierra cup and core bullets. the 125 for single shot pistols would not open at 30-30 speeds at all. And others I've used have been so erratic not knowing if the would not open, open perfectly or blow up, that I just gave up on them for hunting use.

Did you recover them not expanded? My late father successfully used them out of a 30 Herrett.

Open or not....they kill deer and penetrate deep. If you can't hit neck hit shoulder. If you can't hit either buy a fkin shotgun.


DEAD and dead

DEAD

Dead dead

Thanks again, gents.

I dont have a chrono, so I'm just going by the data SSK gave me. It would be cool to see what they actually run. The mountain goat was hit with the 165 BT at 200 yards and dropped like a stone. I saw him fall before the gun had come down from the recoil, so I know that load is good no matter what the actual speed is.

No, they have punched through. A couple of them only have caliber size holes in the hide both sides, thats an indication. Another had caliber size holes in ribs on each side as that deer was shot through the lungs and killed about 3 weeks later chasing a doe with a neck shot just so we could see... The previous mentioned ones my wife shot with a 14 inch contender and luckily she shot them through the heart. After that we head shot pigs until the ammo was used up. FWIW it did appear to open on the head.

But I've seen such erratic examples out of 165 gamekings and 160 game kings, and 100 game kings that I just simply lost faith in them.