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Wondering if there has been anything written on the Sierra Game Changer with real test information. I have read that it is based on the Matchking bullet, but I am not a fan of the match bullets turned hunting bullets. I would prefer something to that holds together and pushing through, as opposed to fragmenting. From the video, it looks like it holds together alright, similar to the remade Ballistic Tips from 10 years ago, thicker copper jacket to control expansion. Is this going to be a good hunting bullet?

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Good hunting bullet?.... That's what I asked my buddy when he handed me a box of those that were of the .30 cal./ 165 gr. variety.. I reload for his 300 Win. Mag. and he wants me to load some up for him. He talks like they're great but he's never used 'em and I've not heard anything about them yet. Looks like this will be another "time will tell" deal.

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I really want to like them but am waiting for people to try them on big game before I jump in. The Accubond is hard to beat.....


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I’ve got some 90 grain 6mm Gamechangers loaded up for for the .243 RAR-P. I’m headed out to shoot some test loads now. Our antelope season starts next weekend here in CO. Hopefully we’ll have a report on performance shortly thereafter.


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Can't see worrying about performance, but I will be interested in others results over the next few years.

Regular Sierra's work just fine and have a long history of good performance on game. My 308 is stoked with 165's Sierra BT's for this falls elk hunt. Had I had time to work with the Gamechanger I would have used those with confidence.

Sierra does tend to think test things pretty thoroughly before going to market. One reason they are so slow with new products. I can like that.


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Like Brad, I would expect good results from Sierra.

People like to complain and put down their hunting bullet performance.
They perform how they are supposed to. Period.

If you want a light for caliber, hyper velocity bullet to fully penetrate and maintain high weight,
Sierra's aren't for you.

If you want a good cup and core bullet that is very accurate, they have worked for me.


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Originally Posted by Brad
Can't see worrying about performance, but I will be interested in others results over the next few years.

Regular Sierra's work just fine and have a long history of good performance on game. My 308 is stoked with 165's Sierra BT's for this falls elk hunt. Had I had time to work with the Gamechanger I would have used those with confidence.

Sierra does tend to think test things pretty thoroughly before going to market. One reason they are so slow with new products. I can like that.


And all this time, lo these many years, I thought you were a Gen-U-Ine, dyed in the wool, Partition guy....................... wink

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And I am... but my 308 MT doesn’t group them hence the Sierra.


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Originally Posted by Brad
And I am... but my 308 MT doesn’t group them hence the Sierra.


Try the165 Federal Trophy tipped...they are my go to bullet for my 308 MT

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Originally Posted by 10at6
Originally Posted by Brad
And I am... but my 308 MT doesn’t group them hence the Sierra.


Try the165 Federal Trophy tipped...they are my go to bullet for my 308 MT


I have... the Sierra is more accurate by a fair bit.


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Brad,

Not a fan of 180’s in the ‘08?

I like the 180 Pro Hunter sometimes in mine.


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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I'm running the 6mm 90 grainer in a 243 right now...

The accuracy is certainly there... now waiting for a deer to sacrifice itself to see how it performs on blacktails.

deer season opened Saturday here in Oregon... but I don't go out opening weekend..

there are a lot of trigger happy nerds out there that will pull the trigger in the direction of anything that burps, farts, coughs etc.. at least opening weekend.. it isn't safe out there opening weekend..

the dozen or so deer than have been hanging around our property all summer have suddenly disappeared..
they must somehow know it is hunting season...

they disappeared about a week ago..


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Originally Posted by Seafire
I'm running the 6mm 90 grainer in a 243 right now...

...............


I'm interested in the 6mm 90 grain game changer, specifically on how it would perform at lower speeds.....like from a 6x45.

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I won't be getting any soon. I've provided a link to Cabelas Canada. Up here, they selling 308 165 gr Sierra Game Changers for $39.99 for 50. They are pkged differently in Canada. The link also provides pricing for 90 gr. 6mm, 130 gr. 6.5mm .All are pkged in boxes of 50. Not worth the money. 100 Hornady Interlock as $$50/100 here.

https://www.cabelas.ca/product/118333/sierra-gamechanger-hunting-bullets

So, if you buy 100 Sierras in Canada, it will cost $79.98/100 CDN or $62.50/100 US. Compare that to Midway. They are selling 100 Sierra GCs for $46/100.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ymer-tipped-spitzer-boat-tail-box-of-100

The write up would have to clearly demonstrate Sierra's superiority for me to spend that money on a cold pressed, cup and core bullet. Do you think that they are as good or better than Nosler BTs, selling for the same price?



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I had hopes for them in my 6.5, but I haven’t found a good load. Not sure if I’ll bother trying any more loads given how well every other bullet shoots.

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I've never been a fan of their bullets for hunting, but they are accurate and the company has a solid reputation. I am going to try them at least in my 243 and see how they do.


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I would like to try the .243" 90 grain SGC in my .240 Wby.


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I bought some 130's for the 6½ Creedmoor, so we'll see how they do.


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Originally Posted by jorgeI
I've never been a fan of their bullets for hunting, but they are accurate and the company has a solid reputation. I am going to try them at least in my 243 and see how they do.



If you want Barnes performance, you will be disappointed.

If you are happy with a lead bullet that is not real hard, they will do.


I don't blame Steve, I would go Hornady at those prices.

Sierra is a little too expensive for their hunting bullets. But I use them.


Hornady would have to charge more,
if they had enough pride to actually polish their bullets.

Totally asthetics, but I take pride in my loads.


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Well yeah, NOTHING performs like a Barnes! smile


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Originally Posted by jorgeI
Well yeah, NOTHING performs like a Barnes! smile



Of course, that all depends on your definition of “performs”

If you like high BC bullets for taking game at extended ranges, many bullets out perform Barnes.


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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When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.

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I wonder if Sierra have learnt any lessons from Nosler and Hornady with their early plastic tip bullets. Both were known for being a bit fragile in the beginning. Sierras promo video shows the GC expanding and holding together well but sometimes real life results differ to promo videos.

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Originally Posted by JCMCUBIC
Originally Posted by Seafire
I'm running the 6mm 90 grainer in a 243 right now...

...............


I'm interested in the 6mm 90 grain game changer, specifically on how it would perform at lower speeds.....like from a 6x45.


I settled on an old standby load, for what I can 30/30 ranges... which is woods ranges by other folks definition.. the load is 30 grains of IMR 4198....MV in the 2500 fps range...

Regarding Steve Ridgewell's post of the pricing in Canuckia....

I have bought 30 boxes, packaged in 50 count....got them at Sportsman's Warehouse...
the price with my military discount, was $14.25 per box in American Money. not sure what the exchange rate is running as I haven't been in Canada since 2002. That price in on par with a Nosler 90 grain Ballistic Tip box of 50.... actually a little cheaper...

Now I just need a volunteer Bambi to make the ultimate sacrifice...if I can get away from "Obligations".. and just go out hunting....


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Originally Posted by Seafire
Originally Posted by JCMCUBIC
Originally Posted by Seafire
I'm running the 6mm 90 grainer in a 243 right now...

...............


I'm interested in the 6mm 90 grain game changer, specifically on how it would perform at lower speeds.....like from a 6x45.


I settled on an old standby load, for what I can 30/30 ranges... which is woods ranges by other folks definition.. the load is 30 grains of IMR 4198....MV in the 2500 fps range...
.................



Please let me know how it goes when you get that volunteer. That speed and the distance you list are right in line for my planned use of the 6x45....right now I've loaded 85 grain partitions to start with. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by BWalker
When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.

My experience is quite the opposite. Happy Trails


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Originally Posted by WAM
Originally Posted by BWalker
When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.

My experience is quite the opposite. Happy Trails


+1


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I ran some 90 grain GCs through the 22” 1-9” twist .243 the other day. All loads were set at 2.80” (Mag length)

43 grains of IMR 4350 clocked 3175. I shot 1 round each from 41 grains to 43.5 grains.... 5 rounds total, they went about 3/4”.... I’m going to load up a dozen at 43 and run them out to 600.

47.5 grains of RE23 clocked 3210. I only shot 3 rounds of RE23... but they went about 3/4” also. I’ll probably load up a few of these and shoot them at 600 also...

I made up a half-dozen with a nice mellow load of 37.5 grains IMR 4064 that clocked 3050 and shot under 3” at 450 (in a pretty solid wind). BC seems to be spot on at .49.... but 1/4 mile isn’t exactly a stern test of BC.

It looks like they’ll shoot well, and it appears the .490 BC is legit. I’m planning on using them on antelope next week.


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Ah yes, this thread has morphed into yet another "Barnes is Best."

In my field experience (which includes over 150 Barnes X's going back the original and blue-coated XLC), they kill very well when put through the shoulders or spine, or even very close to the spine. They don't kill as well as, say, Sierras when put through the lungs behind the shoulders, for a very simple reason: They don't do as much damage to the lungs, because Barnes X's don't partially fragment (at least not much) compared to lead-core bullets.

This is also why Barnes X's don't ruin as much meat as lead-cored bullets. But you can't have it both ways.

I have also found the statement "NOTHING performs like a Barnes" not to be true. I have also seen a bunch of other monolithics used on various big game animals from pronghorn to moose in North America, and springbok to eland in Africa. The Hornady GMX and Nosler E-Tip do exactly the same things, as far as I've been able to tell, whether wound channels, weight retention, deep penetration, or lack of meat damage.


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My bullet can beat-up your bullet...


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Originally Posted by Dogshooter
My bullet can beat-up your bullet...

Yeah, what he said, or better yet, perhaps a tongue in cheek icon needs to be made available....Sometimes I can't help myself when I see the other end of the spectrum as in "TTSXs would be my last choice" drivel...


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I like the bullet banter but it is difficult to not sound like locker room talkr at some point. The TTSX definately don't suck. Game changers? Hmm I can't think of one shot I have made where they would have made a difference. Maybe it could have helped with some of the misses. I still have not wrung out the ELD-Xs yet. I keep admiring them and then proceed to load up more Barnes, Noslers and Hornadays. Too many bullets not enough time.

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Originally Posted by elkhunternm
I would like to try the .243" 90 grain SGC in my .240 Wby.

.240 is a different animal than the .243.

I tried the 90 gr. Scenar in my .240, made soup of a WT chest. Nasty clean up at the skinning shed. No more that combo for me.

That bullet would probably do better in a .243.

Not sure about the 90 gr. SGC, how it may compare to the 90 gr. Scenar. Hopefully, it's tougher.

I'd want more info before trying it on game with the .240.

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I have boxes of Gamechangers, 6.5 and .308, ready for loading and testing once work slows down. I have a year's collection of newspapers to soak. A few years back, in preparation for a goat hunt, I tested a number of bullets for accuracy and performance in wet newsprint. Both the Game King and the Pro Hunter performed much better than I expected. They were as accurate as the Berger VLDs I was using at the time and penetrated and expanded very well. The Hornady Interlock and Interbond also performed well. The Barnes bullets did as I expected: decent but not impressive accuracy and deep penetration with about 98% weight retention. The MRX bullets were amazing for penetration out of a .300WSM. With a box of those bullets you could literally chop down a fair-sized tree.

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Ah yes, this thread has morphed into yet another "Barnes is Best."

In my field experience (which includes over 150 Barnes X's going back the original and blue-coated XLC), they kill very well when put through the shoulders or spine, or even very close to the spine. They don't kill as well as, say, Sierras when put through the lungs behind the shoulders, for a very simple reason: They don't do as much damage to the lungs, because Barnes X's don't partially fragment (at least not much) compared to lead-core bullets.

This is also why Barnes X's don't ruin as much meat as lead-cored bullets. But you can't have it both ways.

I have also found the statement "NOTHING performs like a Barnes" not to be true. I have also seen a bunch of other monolithics used on various big game animals from pronghorn to moose in North America, and springbok to eland in Africa. The Hornady GMX and Nosler E-Tip do exactly the same things, as far as I've been able to tell, whether wound channels, weight retention, deep penetration, or lack of meat damage.

Spot on. You cant claim things like "eat up to the hole", "less blood shot", etc on one hand and then in the other claim they kill as fast as lead and copper bullets. They simply dont, unless the CNS is hit and with placement like that most any bullet kills pretty quickly.

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Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
Originally Posted by elkhunternm
I would like to try the .243" 90 grain SGC in my .240 Wby.

.240 is a different animal than the .243.

I tried the 90 gr. Scenar in my .240, made soup of a WT chest. Nasty clean up at the skinning shed. No more that combo for me.

That bullet would probably do better in a .243.

Not sure about the 90 gr. SGC, how it may compare to the 90 gr. Scenar. Hopefully, it's tougher.

I'd want more info before trying it on game with the .240.

DF

Interesting DF. I do have a .243 Winchester and I can load them in it.


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Just a thought - instead of "SGC" for this bullet, Sierra lists it as TGK, for Tipped GameKing, which is consistent with the Matchking (SMK) and Tipped MatchKing (TGK) lines. The "Gamechanger" thing is just marketing and a play on "Gameking", nothing more.

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Jacket thickness looks good on the GC not as thick as a BT but much better than a Scenar. I quit Sierras because I was using the bullets in the wrong applications. Matchkings are not game bullets just like they say. Also the 308 cal 150s are perfect in a 308 or 30-06 in a 300 magnum not so much. Still I will let others do the initial testing.

MTRancher if you want to try some 103 ELD-Xs for comparison to the 90 GC I can send you some. I hope they work in my 6mmAI the ELD-xs as it is twisted for the 105s and I am happy with the 95 grainers from Nosler already. No reason to change other than curiosity.


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Originally Posted by ingwe
Originally Posted by WAM
Originally Posted by BWalker
When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.

My experience is quite the opposite. Happy Trails


+1


+2


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Originally Posted by BWalker
When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.


I haven't shot enough animals with Barnes to form a valid opinion, but here's what I do know. This past Summer I killed two axis bucks. First one was on a trip with Ingwe to Del Rio, TX and I was using a 7-08 with 120 BT's. The second was near Eden, TX and I wanted to get the Creed bloodied so I carried it loaded with 120 TTSX's. I shot both animals in the identical spot, broadside straight through the shoulders. The BT did not exit, but was found under off-side hide perfectly mushroomed, and that buck dropped like a prom dress, having not taken a step. The other one taken with the TTSX (exited of course) ran about 40 yards and fell over dead.


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Overall, data does support that WT deer hit with softer C&C bullets travel less distance than WT deer hit with harder, premium bullets. I can post the SC study (again) if desired.

CNS, high shoulder, DRT either way. Chest shooting WT's, I like softer bullets, have shot them with varying brands of both kinds. WT's I've chest shot with Scenars, VLD's, etc. have mostly been DRT. Not enough numbers to compare with the 400 WT's from the above mentioned study.

Now, 120 gr. TTSX or E-Tip at around 3,500 fps out of my 26 Nosler nails about everything, DRT, chest or bone, lots of tissue damage. Speed kills and enough speed messes up stuff. The 100 TTSX at 3,250 out of my 257R is a killer, but I've have them run a few yards.

So, as I've posted before, matching speed to the bullet design helps. If I'm shooting the Creed, Swede, 7-08, 308, etc. at around 2,800 or so, I like softer bullets, including NPT's. Even though the NPT is a "premium", it is sorta soft, at least up front and performs that way. Haven't tried the new SST's, old ones were disappointing. New NBT's are very good.

It will be interesting to see how the Gamechanger fits into the mix. I look forward to reading accounts. I have too many options to try right now to take on another. Will wait and see what you guys have to say.

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Ah yes, this thread has morphed into yet another "Barnes is Best."

In my field experience (which includes over 150 Barnes X's going back the original and blue-coated XLC), they kill very well when put through the shoulders or spine, or even very close to the spine. They don't kill as well as, say, Sierras when put through the lungs behind the shoulders, for a very simple reason: They don't do as much damage to the lungs, because Barnes X's don't partially fragment (at least not much) compared to lead-core bullets.

This is also why Barnes X's don't ruin as much meat as lead-cored bullets. But you can't have it both ways.

I have also found the statement "NOTHING performs like a Barnes" not to be true. I have also seen a bunch of other monolithics used on various big game animals from pronghorn to moose in North America, and springbok to eland in Africa. The Hornady GMX and Nosler E-Tip do exactly the same things, as far as I've been able to tell, whether wound channels, weight retention, deep penetration, or lack of meat damage.




So many arguments here are caused by the idea that everyone's experiences are the same.
We have people hunting deer spread over a 3000x3000 mile area. Deer that go from 100#(maybe) to 300#
Shot from the ground, up in a stand or only God knows how. (Even legally from a vehicle)
Over bait, or jump shot.
Those that shoot heads or spine can say a 223 is perfect.
I shoot ribs. When possible. Sometimes, it's the front half a moving, deer.
Cover can be heavy. It can be raining. I have avoided creating blood tracking situations,
therefore, I aint good at it.

I like quick kills, two holes if possible.
Not excessive meat loss.

The old 165gr BT in the 308 does it very well. (Going to be sad when I run out)
The 180 Pro-Hunter in the 30-06 does the same.
They rarely stop in a deer.

For me, a Barnes could not possibly do better.
Good, sure.
As good, maybe.


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The laws of physics they are not, so I wonder what is the magic involved with a bullet causing less tissue damage and killing faster.

Blind faith bordering religious credence. That is.

I find it funny.

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I thought this bullet issue had been decided years ago. I have done this before and will reference it again as I am not aware of any one having been in on making more gut piles and looking into bullet performance then this Aussie guy, Bob Penfield.

"n 1988 the Barnes all-copper bullets, named "X-Bullets", were offered to hunters.
Reports on them from the game fields soon came in. Experienced hunters like Ross
Seyfried, who used .30 caliber X-Bullets on feral donkeys in Australia, were surprised at
their penetration and killing power. Perhaps the most impressive testimony came from
Australian professional hunter and game manager Bob Penfield (in an unsolicited letter to
Randy Brooks). Penfield mentioned a culling operation of several years duration that
involved 130,000 rounds fired at 40,000 feral donkeys, 10,000 wild horses and many
other animals. The cullers used a large number of rifles of all common calibers and
bullets. They reported that the Barnes X-Bullets were more effective than any of the
others, and that the slightly lighter bullets in a given caliber killed quicker than slightly
heavier ones-e.g., the 165-grain .30 caliber bullets versus the 180-grain ones, or the 210
or 225-grain ones in .338 size versus the 250-grain ones".

I would think a feral donkey is a bit heavier then a deer, but don't really know. Horses can be heavier then elk and moose and water buffalo are big. Any way, the reports for Barnes X bullets were good when it cam to making gut piles and I quit using Partitions in the late 80's and started shooting Barnes X bullets and have tried most of the X varieties, except the MRX. I recently picked up a 6.5 Creed for the grandkids to use and bought some 127 grain Vortex ammo for it, as caribou, moose and bear are on the menu.

If I lived in the "lower 48" I would probably use some thing besides the TTSX bullets I now use in my 30-06 and .338.

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Thanks for that report.

I'd also think donkeys and horses are tougher than WT deer. The added penetration probably comes in pretty handy.

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Originally Posted by 1Akshooter
I Perhaps the most impressive testimony came from
Australian professional hunter and game manager Bob Penfield (in an unsolicited letter to
Randy Brooks). Penfield mentioned a culling operation of several years duration that
involved 130,000 rounds fired at 40,000 feral donkeys, 10,000 wild horses and many
other animals. The cullers used a large number of rifles of all common calibers and
bullets. They reported that the Barnes X-Bullets were more effective than any of the
others,
and that the slightly lighter bullets in a given caliber killed quicker than slightly
heavier ones-e.g., the 165-grain .30 caliber bullets versus the 180-grain ones, or the 210
or 225-grain ones in .338 size versus the 250-grain ones".



oh boy, you did it now....


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Originally Posted by jorgeI
Originally Posted by 1Akshooter
I Perhaps the most impressive testimony came from
Australian professional hunter and game manager Bob Penfield (in an unsolicited letter to
Randy Brooks). Penfield mentioned a culling operation of several years duration that
involved 130,000 rounds fired at 40,000 feral donkeys, 10,000 wild horses and many
other animals. The cullers used a large number of rifles of all common calibers and
bullets. They reported that the Barnes X-Bullets were more effective than any of the
others,
and that the slightly lighter bullets in a given caliber killed quicker than slightly
heavier ones-e.g., the 165-grain .30 caliber bullets versus the 180-grain ones, or the 210
or 225-grain ones in .338 size versus the 250-grain ones".



oh boy, you did it now....

laugh

Well, I guess I could see that on a larger critter with a denser carcass where penetration was critical

The data I mentioned earlier was specific for Southern WT deer.

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Methinks this thread should be renamed...

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Tag.................for next time I draw a donkey tag.


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Thanks for posting that.

Looks like picture perfect, textbook performance.

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I shot some of the 90 grainers out to 700 today. The wind was pretty rough... but I was able to shoot enough dope that I’m pretty confident with them well past my antelope shooting range.

I settled on 42.5 grains of IMR 4350 at 2.80” for 3150 FPS out of the .243 RAR-P’s 22” (1-9”) barrel. The listed .490 BC seems to be holding-up. I’ll be looking for an antelope buck to shoot with one on Thursday and Friday.


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1Akshooter,

Ross and I discussed the original X-Bullets at length, including the results on Australian feral donkeys. Two things might be pertinent here: Ross mostly shot for shoulder-bone, often on quartering-to shots, which is where they really impressed him.

The early X's also tended to shed their petals, so did more internal damage. I know this from a conversation with Randy Brooks on a mule deer hunt in, as I recall, 2003. He thought that was a good attribute, since it didn't affect their deep penetration, but he thought it did help them kill quicker. But so many customers saw petal loss as negative, apparently because it involved less-than-100% weight retention, that like any good business person he decided to please his customers, so modified X-Bullets until they usually retained their petals.

Personally, in shooting various X-Bullets into big game, from the originals to the TTSX's, and seeing other people kill animals with 'em, I've also never been able to see any difference in whether bullets that retained their petals killed better or penetrated deeper than bullets that didn't. This may be due to recovered X's often being shot through bone, which does tend to break petals off--and also reduces the frontal area, which enhances penetration.

From what I understand, some more recent X's are again designed to not retain the petals, a by-product of being designed to open up at longer ranges.


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Here is a preliminary reply to the initial question, the penetration ability of the new Sierra Gamechanger. This evening I shot four different .308 165 grain bullets and one 130 grain bullet into 18" of soaked and densely-packed newsprint.

The Sierra Game Changer, 165 grains, .308 as stated, over 44.0 grains of AA4064, penetrated 15 1/2" and retained 136.5 grains. Nice mushroom recovered.

A 130-grain TTSX, 46.5 grains of IMR 4895, penetrated 16 1/2" and retained all of its weight.

A 165-grain Federal Bonded Trophy Tip, 44.0 of 4064, penetrated 17 1/2" and retained 156.0 grains.

The 165 grain Accubond and the 165 grain TTSX, both over 44.0 AA4064, passed through the 18" of newsprint and a folded saddle blanket and were not recovered. I had another 7" of soaked newsprint but I could not fit it into the fork of the tree I was using so I had to settle for the 18 inches.

All shots were from 100 yards.

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Originally Posted by mtrancher
Here is a preliminary reply to the initial question, the penetration ability of the new Sierra Gamechanger. This evening I shot four different .308 165 grain bullets and one 130 grain bullet into 18" of soaked and densely-packed newsprint.

The Sierra Game Changer, 165 grains, .308 as stated, over 44.0 grains of AA4064, penetrated 15 1/2" and retained 136.5 grains. Nice mushroom recovered.

A 130-grain TTSX, 46.5 grains of IMR 4895, penetrated 16 1/2" and retained all of its weight.

A 165-grain Federal Bonded Trophy Tip, 44.0 of 4064, penetrated 17 1/2" and retained 156.0 grains.

The 165 grain Accubond and the 165 grain TTSX, both over 44.0 AA4064, passed through the 18" of newsprint and a folded saddle blanket and were not recovered. I had another 7" of soaked newsprint but I could not fit it into the fork of the tree I was using so I had to settle for the 18 inches.

All shots were from 100 yards.


Excellent report. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by JGRaider
Tag.................for next time I draw a donkey tag.


Haha ol uncle Johnny!!! I just spit Copenhagen out my nose!!! 🤣🤣


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So WTH would you use one when the Accubond and 168 TTSX shows better results?


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Originally Posted by WAM
So WTH would you use one when the Accubond and 168 TTSX shows better results?


Interested to know why you consider a bullet that passes right through a better result.

Personally, I like a deer bullet to expand most of if not all of it's energy in the animal and not on the hillside or tree behind it. I've shot a lot of deer, mostly red deer which are larger than a whitetail and like bullets that expand fairly rapidly but mostly stay together. A friend I hunt with is coming up to his 900th deer and won't use a bonded bullet as he's had some serious failures. I like some of the AB line though such as the 125gr in .308 for lighter deer such as sika which are similar in size to your whitetail. They mushroom well and are mostly recovered on shoulder shots.


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Originally Posted by ingwe
Originally Posted by WAM
Originally Posted by BWalker
When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.

My experience is quite the opposite. Happy Trails


+1

Originally Posted by EdM
Originally Posted by ingwe
Originally Posted by WAM
Originally Posted by BWalker
When comes to killings things quick many bullets outperform Barnes.

My experience is quite the opposite. Happy Trails


+1


+2



+3



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Somehow, some bullets, notably the Partitions, manage to blow the bejabbers out of a critter's innards, but still usually manage to poke an exit hole, which is preferable to me because it tends to leave more sign on the ground, especially at the place where said critter was standing at the shot or rather just behind. It can take a few seconds for blood to leak out, especially if the hit is at or above the curve of the body, so a little evidence at the scene of the crime is very helpful.

"Energy" is a poor measure of killing power, though a popular one. What matters is tissue destruction, and the two may not be proportional.


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In my experience with Barnes TTSX, the evidence at “the scene of the crime” (ie point of impact) has been a dead critter, or within a few steps. All exits not recovered to muse over performance. Most bullets that expand and still penetrate have some form of controlled expansion and not flattening into a blob that slows the bullet down through tissue. Massive internal tissue damage and two holes to let blood out and air in to collapse lungs usually results in a very quick expiration. Just my experience, yours may vary. Happy Trails


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Originally Posted by chamois
The laws of physics they are not, so I wonder what is the magic involved with a bullet causing less tissue damage and killing faster.

Blind faith bordering religious credence. That is.

I find it funny.


This.

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Everything I’ve seen shot with a Barnes.... including the TSX, TTSX, and LRX... has gone down within 25 yards or so. That includes: Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Blacktail Deer, black bears, Elk, Antelope, coyotes, and a few unfortunate badgers.... from powder-burn range to about 500 yards. Every single one exited, and I only recall shooting one deer twice.... but only because it was still standing after I reloaded. High velocity exit wounds are very devastating!

On the Sierra GC.... I was impressed with the performance on the one antelope buck I shot with a 90 grainer via .243. It exited, and the buck went down after about 2 steps. They have a way better BC than the Accubond, and seem similar in performance.


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The TTSX is not particularly popular with deer hunters in my neck of the woods although those that do use them just about always go a step down in weight from the usual; i.e. 130gr in .308. A friend used a 180gr TTSX in his .338 Federal to take a massive 16 point red stag at 80 yards. It was running directly away from him and he deliberately aimed and succeeded in hitting the beast in the back of the head. The TTSX bullet ended up lying on the ground about a foot in front of the dead stag's nose. The stag weighed just over 400lbs gutted with it's head and legs off at the hocks.





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Ah yes, the "magic bullet" only found one so far, a Norma 232 Oryx out of a 9.3X62. About 12 WT and Mule deer, none went beyond 10 feet. I have some Sierra Gamechangers in 270 and 7mm, but haven't shot anything with them yet. Accuracy is looking good however. Accubonds have been a favorite in the 6.5's. Barnes are good, but often don't shoot as accurate as other bullets in my rifles.

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