Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Anyone Using Sierra Game Changers on Deer?

The 6.5 130gr shoots pretty good out of my Kimber Montana. Have you guys used them one deer at all.

There was a thread last year if I remember. I did shoot one deer with them and can't complain but I never recovered the bullet . . H4350 is my powder of choice and what I use which shoots very well also. Sierra said the TGK is a tougher bullet designed for heavy game.

Yes, from my .243.

Works awesome. Behaves like a 95 Ballistic Tip with a better BC. Have shoot game between 20 yards and 425 at this point. Performed admirably in both scenarious.

Dave

I have the 6.5mm 130's loaded in my 6.5x55 and .264WM for this year to try out. Reports from the last season or two are not that prolific. The few I have seen said good things (not including Seafire's debacle).

I'm trying them out to see what happens. They sure shoot great out of my rifles!

When I can find some time I'm going to see if my 30-06 likes them. Hopefully I can try them on a big hog.

I acutally have some factory loaded ammo from HSM loaded with the SGC and it shoots pretty well.

Shot a mule deer buck at about 200 yards with a 6.5CM - 130gr GC and 41gr H4350 at about 2700fps last year. Tipped him over right on his nose, stone dead. Wife will be using same gun and load for her cow hunt this weekend.

I may use a 165 out of a 30-06 this season.

Same for me from my T3x Lite. I’ll be using it on Colorado mule deer next month. I’m using the HSM 6.5 CM load. It shoots great. Same for the HSM 165 load from my .30-06.

Expat

I shot a pig with the 130gn GC in my 6.5 CM but then changed over to the 129gn Hornady SP for some reason. I might load some in my 6.5x57 for next season.

A buddy of mine had some big blow ups last week on three animals.

3k from his 6.5x68 made huge exits and one empty cup recovered

All dead....but he said he will go back to TTSX

With performance like that, who wouldn't?? Dead animals, large wounds, and exits? That's bullshit.

Nope.....

90 grain Ballistic Tip instead out of the 243....

However "my debacle" as people described my last years experience... learned " the hard way" by Campfire Standards..

unlike originally told by Sierra it was an equivalent to a Ballistic Tip.. which it wasn't...

Learned that lesson painfully...

however have taken bullets from the same batch, and redlined the velocity with RL 19, and testing proved that they are a very hard bullet...loaned same rifle to a friend who is using it this season....who took a fairly large deer with it on their property..

so push it hard on the gas pedal, it'll turn into positive results... it is certainly accurate enough.. and even a hair better than a ballistic tip...at least 90 grainers tested side by side, with the same load...using RL 19...

These are the results Ted was talking about with our buddies 6.5x68 @3000 FPS.

He shot a doe antelope with less than stellar results.

The same day he took a coyote and had a huge exit.

A few days later he shot a nice buck antelope.

This is the entrance,



And the recovered jacket,



All three animals had very similar results. The critters are dead for sure, and I don’t think anybody thinks they are bullet failures but the 6.5 130’s seem awfully soft.

That said, my wife shot a cow elk at very close range with a full house 140 .270 GC and we had excellent results. Broke the large onside front shoulder, recovered under the hide on the off off side.

Entrance in the point of the shoulder,



Exit behind the off shoulder,



Recovered bullet. I can’t remember what it weighed but was very happy with the results.



I’m going to use the 160 SGC out of a 7 mag next week for a mule deer hunt. But due to my buddies experience, my 260 Rem will never know what the 6.5 130’s taste like.

Good luck,

Todd

It seems like the consistency is all over the board on these babies.

Isn't the 6.5x68 a bit hotter cartridge?

Yes, but he’s only got the bullet running 3000 FPS. He’s got it held back a lot. Pretty easy to get 2900 out of a Creed or .260...

Todd

I forgot that detail from when I read the start of the thread before. 3000 is pretty mild for that cartridge.

Yep
Nothing like blowing softball sized holes through meat