Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Flat based bullets

Flat based bullets like Sierra Pro Hunter , have any of you used these on game ? If so , how did they preform and what ranges were the game taken ?
Have been playing with my Ruger Scout using IMR 4895 under SGK's and getting some groups right at an inch , was pretty happy with that using a scout set up with a Burris 2-7 scout scope . Then I found a box of 150gr Pro Hunter in the back of my stuff and thought about how accurate flat based bullets are in my 222 and 6ppc . Figured I would give them a spin , loaded them on top of the IMR4895 and the first three shots went into a nice tight clover leaf . When I walked up to the target and saw all three shots overlapping considerably tight , I got a big smile .
Mmm wonder if this will be a repeat ? Went back and shot three more three shot groups , shooting other rifles between for cool down time . Had one more overlapping clover leaf and two groups that almost had no paper between shots .
I was impressed . But have never hunted anything but groundhogs and paper with the flAt base and was wondering how they preformed on large game , like deer and black bear ?
Kenneth

I have killed a few elk and deer with them. Sometimes the Pro Hunter will shoot better than the Game King.Those Game Kings were only a selling point,but never shot better than the Pro Hunter.Step up to Match Kings and they do better though on paper. I will be loading some 100 gr Pro Hunters for antelope in an old .243 once I round up some brass for it

I bought several hundred 150 Pro Hunter seconds a couple of years ago while in Sedalia. I found them to be very accurate in my .308 and have killed two nature OK does with them so far. They seem to be "wide expanders" but have exited the off side. One walked about about 10 yards, the other didn't go 2 steps. Classic lung soup. Please note both of these were shot through the ribs to save the shoulder meat.

I might choose a different bullet if I hunted with a magnum but for .308/.30-06 they are excellent.

That's good they disrupt the internals well , what was your ranges ?
Kenneth

I started handloading my ammo in 1954. I used the 150 gr. Sierra Pro-hunters for years, mostly the 150 gr. and later, maybe around 1969 or 70 went to the PH in 180 gr. as I felt the 150 gr. bullets mangled up too much good eating meat on less than perfect shots. In 1973 I switched to the .308 Win. with the 150 gr. PH's but shortly went to the 180 gr. PH, again because of too much meat damage. Close in shots can be pretty drastic.

I finally settled on the 165 gr. Speer Hot Core for the .308 and am using the 165 gr. Nosler Accubond in the 30-06 for deer and elk.

The only game King I use is the 150 gr. bullet in my .270 for deer and antelope and go to the Nosler 150 gr. Partition for elk.

Paul B.

50 to 60 yds for the first and 90-100 for the second. Loaded with Benchmark so in that perfect 2600-2700 fps velocity range.

Ken,

Flat based bullets are inherently more stable in flight than a boat tail design, so I'm not surprised by your results. For deer sized game Sierra hunting bullets kill just fine.

Never get to old to learn , so I am asking . i know the flat based bullets are good to 300 yds as that is part of score shooting ranges . I have read the boat tail is better at longer ranges . I have not shot longer ranges as my experience in competition has been 100 yds and 150 yds or less at big game .
But was wondering if the oprotunity arose how would they fare at longer ranges ?
Kenneth

I have used the 100 grain Prohunters in my 6mm, kills deer in their tracks. Same with the 85 grain flatbase Sierra Varminter.

Have used GameKings for deer in .22, .24, .25, .27 with same results, dead animals and none of the failures I read about. With these 4 calibers and probably 50-75 deer between a buddy of mine and I there is enough of a sample size to say they work pretty damn good.

I think the entire fairy tail of needing BT bullets for long ranges was foisted on the public as a selling point and they swalloed it hook line and sinker/ Look at some of the long distance Sharps firing lead bullet records

Not meaning to be snarky at all, but a few minutes spent calculating trajectories on a JBM Ballistics would be very enlightening to you.

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi

Funny you should mention that , because as I wrote the post , the 45/70 came across my mind , but thought maybe the new cartridges had some sort of advantage with a boat tail design .
Not that I haven't shot some wicked groups with the boat tail in a pile of rifles but as I said , the 222 and 6ppc got me wondering . And seems this rifle really liked the flat base , as I have tried several weights in SGK's and got some decent groups just figured this was as good as this rifle was capable of or as good as I could shoot the setup .
Kenneth

I found a box of 140 gr Sierra GK's at a good deal. My 7 08 shoots those 140 GK's into half moa with 42 grs of Varget powder. Gonna try um out on a deer or two this season.

Ken,

Reasonable question. In perfectly still conditions with perfectly known distances, in theory, the flat base would always win. The trade off is one of when does the improvement in aerodynamics outweigh the initial accuracy advantage. High BC bullets make a big difference in highly varying wind conditions, and provide a better margin of error at uncertain distances. In general, the break even points typically considered to be around 300 yards, but as conditions vary, YMMV.

I have shot under 3 inch groups at 600 yards with 180 pro hunter in 300 win mag. 3 shots because it's a hunting rifle but still pretty impressive. Edk

I was always told rifles with a lot of free bore liked flat base bullets. I shoot a lot of rifles in Weatherby calibers so I always start with flat bases. Hasbeen

Tried some 180gr Pro-Hunters in a 760 '06 I bought cheap.

No interest in the gun or chambering, but had to try it.
The bullets were flotsam in the bullet box, no idea where they came from.
Looked at the Lee dipper chart and the loading manuals.
The IMR 4831 I had lined up with a dipper as the choice.
No, I didn't expect much, and put in little effort.


The dirty rip is a 1" gun for 3 shots. And reliable, poi never changes.
Anyway for 3 or 4 deer under 100 yards it has been 1 decisive shot, for all but one.
That one jumped up about 25 yards away at a dead run. He was hit three times, one too high
in the neck. One too low on the shoulder, and the last in the ribs. (There was a miss, also.)
I bought another box. And might try them in the 308.

I had a gay 270 Sako that only like flat base Pro Hunters. They kill just fine.

I load flat base bullets for my 243, 7mm-08, .308, and 30-06. Always worked well for me. I always get as good if not better accuracy with flat base bullets as I do boat tails.

My brother and I have shot a lot of deer with the 130 Pro Hunter in our 270s. They generally shot better for me than Gamekings. We haven't lost a deer yet and all were one shot kills if we did our part. Also have had great luck with the 130 Hornady Interlocks.