Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Sierra Game King on Whitetails

Hi, maybe I've been on the campfire too long and now my internet experience is far broader than my actual field one!

I am going soon on a white tail doe hunt. Never shot at WT before, or any game with the SGKs.
The guy Im going with says shots are going to be about 100yds or less. My concern is that I have my reloads with 160gr SGK for a 7mm RM. I know it will take them down, my concern is if it will open up of just punch through???
Should I switch to partitions (they shoot to almost the same POI) that will lose the tip and open up or just keep those and shoot away? No biggie, except loading up the PT's
No other gun or time to work up another recipe

Thanks!

The GK's will work fine--though they will shoot up more meat than some other bullets.

oh I think there will be no issue with them opening up.
I bet the deer fold up like cheap chair under a heavy load.

shoot hem or her.

John, do you suggest switching to Partitions or the same will happen at those close ranges???
The bullets should have about 2900 fps at the muzzle.
I am planning on waiting for a double lunger, but sadly that is not always the case.

I switched to GameKings in my 30-06 a few years ago and since have taken whitetails from 15 to 200yds. Amazing results from taking several different shots (we have a very liberal season in Al) I have take Neck shots, double lung and through the shoulder broad side. Couldn't be happier with the 165gr gameking at factory loaded velocities.

Neck shots don't hurt much meat.... ;-)

I use the 165 Gameking HP in a .30-06 and a .308, at 2800 and 2690 fps respectively, and they seem to hold up fairly well. I was advised by a Sierra Rep that if I had any worries about the Gameking holding together, try the HPBT. So far, they have been doing their job. And accurate, too.

I don't think they would fair so well at .300 mag velocities and close range impacts.

160g Sierra GK and a 7 Mag is a match made in Heaven!

My family has killed several hundred whitetails with a load of 61g of IMR 4831 and a CCI250 primer or 61g of IMR 4350 with a 9 1/2. Deer near and far just drop in their tracks, bullet will not blow up on shoulder at 15 yards, neither will it puch through.

Good luck!

Shoot what you've got. They'll work fine and if you shoot them in the lungs there isn't much wasted anyway. Sierra's are good bullets and I've had more Hornady's "blow up" then SGK's, for whatever that's worth.

The 160 SGK in the 7RM on whitetail is a great match. I don't care for the 150 SGK in the same cart as they seem to not exit about as much as they do exit, but the 160 has just enough more to it to plow on through. The slightly lower MV with the 160 helps as well.

On small TX does, your current load couldn't get any better.

Good luck on your hunt.

loder

I would agree with that. It doesn't take a freight train to put down a whitetail or very many sub-200 lb. mammals.

The older 160 gr 7mm BTSP Sierra taught me to shoot for the double lung shot or FAR shoulder ,if you wanna break big bones shoot for the far side ones so you will allready have done the vitals.JMHO Magnum Man

The following was from a 100 yard shot. 30-06, 165 grain Gameking, light load of 55gr H4350. Short range, but not very fast. I usually don't shoot for shoulders as heart/lung broad side shots touch much less meat. The only shot I had here was the onside shoulder at a hard angle with the deer facing away. The bullet broke the onside shoulder but didn't go through the shoulder and followed the skin about 10-12 inches up the neck. Deer dropped right there. Pulled the jacket and part of the core out. Much of the core was spead across the wound trail.

I've used the Gameking for many years and usually get pass through's on broadside shots. Dead deer, but I prefer not to have a trail of lead left behind in the wound channel. The Gameking is a good shooter and performs well on broadside shots, but isn't my choice if I have to shoot for bone...either way, it will work though.....

Sierra was making great bullets when I started reloading as a kid, 50 yrs ago. They're still making great bullets. Not as trendy or as sexy as some of the newer, highly marketed offerings by other vendors, just boringly effective with great quality control and efficiency. A great value, as always and they just keep on keeping on...

Sierras are to the bullet world what the 30-06 is to the cartridge world...

DF

I've seen what JCMCUBIC is showing happen a number of times.IMO that's not a good thing.You'd want the core and the jacket to stay intact.

I've been told that the Sierra Prohunter bullets stay intact.

I've used Game Kings on a few whitetails and been pleased with the results.

I've used-

6mm 85gr HPBT- very short range shot on an average doe, shot behind the shoulder. Bullet speed was probably about 3,150fps. Hit a rib on the way in and the bullet pulverized the internal clockwork of the deer. DRT. Bullet didn't exit, but the base of the jacket did make it to just under the hide on the offside.

6mm 100gr SPBT- shot several with this bullet, most in the front shoulder and usually got exits. The exception would be a small buck that was sniffing after a doe. He moved just as I squeezed the trigger and my shot, coming from above since I was in a tree stand, hit him in the pelvis at a downward angle. He went down on the spot, but required a finishing shot. Bullet didn't exit but made one heckuva mess with all the bone fragments.

7mm 120gr Pro-Hunter. I know that this is not a Game King bullet, but thought I'd include it anyway. This is a relatively useless example of one. 75 yard shot from my short barreled 7-08. Impact velocity approx. 2,900 fps. Bullet hit at the rear of the nearside ribs and traveled forward exiting just behind the offside shoulder.

Last example-My BIL had some .224" Sierra 55gr HPBT bullets loaded up for my sister's (his wife) .223 Ruger compact. I'm not sure about the velocity, but I do know that the guy he had load them is not a speed freak and will take accuracy over velocity all day long. She has shot 2 or 3 whitetails at less than 100 yards with this bullet. All behind the should lung shots. I don't recall hearing about any DRTs, but I know that any runners only go about 40-50 yards.

Sponxx, try to keep shots in the ribs, if clean table fare is the goal.

gunner

If 100-120lb doe shoulders start stopping 160 SGKs at 3k MVs, we all need new hobbies.....

Doe shoulders will not stop load in question, but will be sh-tcanned if hit.

Gunner