Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Sierra 200 grain GameKing

I'm aware of incidents regarding bullet blowups with some Sierra bullets, but does anyone have hunting experience with the .30 caliber 200 grain GameKing on elk? I tried a variety of bullets this morning in a heavy-barrel Remington 700 5R in .300 Winchester Magnum. Initial accuracy results were very good with the 200 GK. One of the other bullets I tried was the 180 ProHunter; good accuracy, but not quite as good as the 200 GK.

Sorry..no help. Ive seen the 165 GK and the 180 GK used on elk...and I wouldnt use either one on a dare....


Never seen the 200 used.

For elk, I recommend you talk to Sierra.
They say their new game changer bullet is harder and stouter than their game kings.

With that having been said, it’s hard to beat a 200 grain partition for performance and accuracy.

Don't know about the so called newer and tougher Sierra bullets but most bullet failures as folks call them with Sierras are caused by pushing them to fast for what the were designed for. Typically happening at magnum type chamberings. I have killed a lot of deer and elk with1 65-180 gr GK's in 6.5, .06, and .308 but usually in the 2700 fps + or- realm. They probably will suffice once some distance cuts that velocity down a bit.


I think Muledeer advocates 200gr partitions for the 300mag

Not the 200 gr. Game King but in 2009 I shot an antelope at 75 yards with the 150 gr. Sierra GK and the bullet hit at the short ribs and exited just behind the shoulder.. The goat traveled about 30 feet and expired.

I've seen my elk hunting partner who is a .270 of all kinds fan use the 150 gr. GK on elk from about 100 yards on out to a lasered 450 yards, all resulting in dead elk.

I've only shot one elk with a 200 gr. bullet and that one was a Speer Hot Core at long range. The bullet was not recovered.

My thoughts are if the shots will be way out yonder they'll work OK but under 150 to maybe 200 yards they may come unglued, especially if heavy bone is hit. I'd go with the 200 gr. Nosler as recommended by others because you never know when you might come up with a shot that's up close and personal.
Paul B.

Back in the '70s the only rifle that I had for elk hunting was a .30-06. I used that rifle and 180 grain Sierra GameKing bullets to kill 6 bulls and a cow elk. Most were one shot kills. In 1978 I had that rifle re-chambered to .30 Gibbs which added a couple hundred fps to the muzzle velocity, so I switched to 180 grain Nosler Partition bullets. For the next 20 years, that combination kept my freezer full of elk and Montana Shiras moose meat. Again, most were one shot DRT kills.

The last two bull elk that I shot with my .300 Weatherby were with a Barnes 168 grain TSX bullet and a 168 grain TTSX bullet. My current elk and everything else bullet that I shoot from my .300 Wby is the Barnes 180 grain TTSX.

The useful comments are appreciated; I can't argue against any of them. I've used mostly Barnes and a few Partitions over the years for elk, always with good results. Just curious about the 200 Sierra GK; seems like weight and bullet construction would be heavy enough to hold together fairly well if fired with a muzzle velocity of no more than around 2800-2850 fps in a .300 magnum. I enjoy trying new bullets, but perhaps I should stick with what I know works for elk.

Anybody tried the new Gamechanger from Sierra? It's supposed to have been toughened up

It will work just fine, but expect the core to separate from the jacket. Youll end up with dead elk on the ground.

They are. I have a statistical sample of one. 270, 140 grain, 257 yard shot through both lungs on a pronghorn that dressed at 97 #.

Being an antelope in the wide open, I didnt get too awfully torqued about it, but he ran a good ways...longer than a double lunged animal should to put it in subjective terms.

Upon dressing him out it was apparent that the bullet had ice picked on him. Little hole in, little hole out, virtually no damage to the lungs other than a hole poked in em. I would expect a drastically different story with a big ol bull elk.

That being said, I used North Forks a month later on my bull elk.

Yes, shoot them and kill with absolute confidence.

The Heavy for caliber Sierra bullets are good.

I have shot lots of game with Sierra 150 FB, 165HPBT though the 200 gr.. All killed well.. Not for smashing shoulders, although I have managed that.. Lung shot they are history... I do use 200 gr. Part. often now, so I can smash a shoulder if I wish.. Most of my elk hunting is behind me.. But If I had 200's I would use them.. One thing to keep in mind, elk are big.. 1/4 minute accuracy is not necessary..

TRUTH

On a bet Id shoot a Sierra through the lungs...I'd shoot a Partition anywhere I wanted it to land. And Yeah, elk are big...if your rifle is shooting a 4 MOA 'pattern' it'll still kill elk out to 400+ yards.

I've shot some Game Kings and had good accuracy but I've never killed anything with one. On down the shelf a ways you might find some Speer Hot Cores. I've used those a lot and for a standard bullet, they've done an excellent job. I used them mainly in a 270.

I load the 200 gr Gamekings in my 300 WBY. Right at 3000 fps. Work well on elk, mule deer, and whitetail.

Shoot them with confidence

I have a 300WM that dislikes X bullets for some reason. I have shot a bunch of 180gr ProHunters through deer, moose, an oryx, caribou, wolves, hogs, and more. I stuck with it for a while in my transition from C&C and such bullets. They are very accurate in the one rifle I use them in but they waste a LOT of meat compared to the average X bullet.

As someone said, elk are big. I guess by definition, all big game is big...

I once read of some Canadian Guides who used the Sierra GK 200 SBT exclusively, in their 30-06s. I bet you will be just fine at the speeds you are using...2800+. I just finished a load workup for my own 300WM, but with the 200 Partition as a Heavy. But I am one that has used Barnes for over 30yrs in everything. I tend to aim for "the other end" of the animal. I like penetration/bone breaking bullets. Now, I think the "best way" is for you to go shoot some heavy animals with it and check out the results, with a sharp knife! Big hogs are really good bullet Tests! Have a ball though, and report back to us!

It is a scary accurate bullet though! One which allow you to "pinpoint" your shot.

I have used 180 gr. Sierra GKs for years in 30-06 and 300 h&h and the dead elk keep piling up. Years ago I bought 1000 bullets and am down to about 300. So, I am guessing the 200 gr will do the same. Jesus, You guys way over think things.. If the 200's shoot good , go hunting . I guarantee they will kill elk.

Sierra bullets are very accurate, I’d go Partition if they shoot well in your rifle.