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Old February 1, 2013, 06:40 PM   #1
kilotanker22
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sierra game king vs hornady sst?

Hey everyone. In myn30-06 I have a good load with 165 grain SST bullets. SST bullets are pretty much non existent in my area now so I bought some sierra soft point boat tails.

My question is how are there performance on dear sized game? I know Every deer I ever shot with a SST was drt! Also I assume the sierras are generally a good accurate bullet because a trusted friend once told me if I had trouble with accuracy try sierra.

Just looking for insight to which bullet may be better for deer. Both 165 grain from an -06. I know both are sufficient but looking for personal experience with the game king on deer sized game.

Thanks
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Old February 1, 2013, 07:21 PM   #2
FALPhil
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I have loaded SGKs that were every bit as accurate as SMKs. I have even competed with SGKs. My brother has made 800-900 yard culling shots on deer with 200 grain SMKs that were one shot kills. It is a good bullet. You won't be disappointed.
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Old February 1, 2013, 08:07 PM   #3
reynolds357
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Game King has probably killed more deer over the years than all Hornaday's bullets combined.
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Old February 1, 2013, 09:58 PM   #4
Art Eatman
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Up close, the HPBT can expand rather violently. Once out a ways and slowed down some, they're great.

I've used Game Kings for a long, long time. Lots of DRT deer. In my '06, my preference was the 150-grain. You can't over-drive the flat-base bullets, but the SPBTs that I generally used (really wide-open country, with a high probability of a 400-yard shot, if not more) can blow up at twenty yards.

It's a design thing, per comments here from a Sierra guy, a dozen years back. I had had a boat-tail blow up in a mule deer's neck at 20 yards; first ever and only time that had happened. But, a muzzle velocity of near 3,100 was the culprit.

And sub-MOA was a standard for all the Sierras, 150 through 180, flat base or boat-tail.
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Old February 1, 2013, 11:16 PM   #5
kilotanker22
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Thanks guys. I loaded fifty of them today. Now just to see if they shoot
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Old February 1, 2013, 11:37 PM   #6
BIG P
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NO bad choice there,Had pretty good luck with both.
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Old February 1, 2013, 11:52 PM   #7
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Both come apart quite a lot on impact, but deer are not that big, and a 30 cal 165 grain is going to kill any deer hit inn the chest.
All the complaints will be about meat damage.

All the damnation you hear about such bullets will justifiably come from elk and moose hunters, and sometimes from hunters of bears (350 pound and bigger bear) but deer are just not all that big or tough to have many get away when hit with a 30-06 and about any 165 grain bullet.
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Old February 2, 2013, 12:23 AM   #8
kilotanker22
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Both come apart quite a lot on impact, but deer are not that big, and a 30 cal 165 gr

Wyosmith, that's kinda what I am counting on. I could care less if the bullet comes apart on my dear as long as the damage to the vitals is devastating. As long as the bullets make their way to the boiler room and do massive damage I don't see penetration as a problem.

Also I chose the 165 grain over the 150 because I figure I can push them almost as fast and they won't come apart too easy plus they will perform better at long range. Plus my 30-06 really likes any 165 grain I can throw at it.
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Old February 2, 2013, 12:48 AM   #9
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I have used the Gamekings on deer for years with great results.
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Old February 2, 2013, 10:44 AM   #10
Art Eatman
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FWIW, I did a comparison on the hanging steel plate at my 500-yard range.

The Sierra 150 SPBT made a very slight dimple. The 165 HPBT made a slightly deeper dimple; maybe 1/16". The 180 SPBT was noticeably deeper at 1/8" or a skoshi bit more, with a bit of splashback of the steel.
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Old February 2, 2013, 11:16 AM   #11
thallub
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i've used Sierra 150 grain Game King and Sierra 150 grain SPBT bullets in my .308, .30-06 and .300 H&H magnum reloads for about 40 years. They have taken about 200 deer for me.
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Old February 2, 2013, 11:44 AM   #12
ChasingWhitetail91
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alot of people knock em, but the remington 150 core lokts have always performed very well for me. i've always wanted to try some higher end rounds, but if it's not broke don't fix it.
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Old February 2, 2013, 02:42 PM   #13
thallub
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Quote:
alot of people knock em, but the remington 150 core lokts have always performed very well for me.
Core Lokts are good bullets. The Remington Bronze Point is another good bullet.
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Old February 2, 2013, 05:24 PM   #14
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We use the Gamekings in our .243, good penetration, and they are accurate and consistant.
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Old February 2, 2013, 08:14 PM   #15
reynolds357
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My only negative against core lokts is that I have never had great accuracy results with them. Not terrible, but no where close to what other bullets in the same rifle will do. I have only seen one box of bronze tips in my life.
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Old February 2, 2013, 10:01 PM   #16
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Quote:
alot of people knock em, but the remington 150 core lokts have always performed very well for me
Good perfomance on game but they have the BC of a brick.
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Old February 3, 2013, 10:06 AM   #17
thallub
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Quote:
I have only seen one box of bronze tips in my life.
My Dad used Bronze Points reloads exclusively for deer hunting as do several friends. Couple of years ago Remington was going to stop making Bronze Points. i bought all that a supplier had in stock. Now Remington is making them again.
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Old February 3, 2013, 10:45 AM   #18
Art Eatman
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BC of CoreLokts? Inside of 300 yards, what difference does it make?

The old Bronze Point is a good bullet. I used those in my '06 when I first started loading and later on in a .270. I went to Sierra for their 52-grain HPBT for a Swift, and just stayed with the green box.

I guess that's a shade of green that the Rabid Enviros don't like.
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Old February 4, 2013, 08:33 PM   #19
reynolds357
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The Bronze Point is also about as aerodynamic as an elephant.
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Old February 4, 2013, 10:02 PM   #20
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core lokt's and the like

Now this is just my opinion, that said; I believe just about every standard type (jacketed lead core or variant) bullet produced today, in the appropriate caliber at a reasonable velocity will kill deer sized game up to 200 lbs or so, at ranges of 300 yards or less, without question.
When you step up to the real bruisers in the Whitetail, Mule Deer and Elk categories or Big Bears ( Black or Brown) then I believe you should launch a better bullet (Partition, Grand Slam, Barnes) etc...
This opinion is based on witnessing results, and by no means am I any type of expert on the subject.
But from what I have seen, standard type bullets can wreak havoc on game animals, as always "Shot Placement" is the key !!!
It also doesn't hurt to use a "Magnum" on the "Big Boys".

another note; for lighter calibers like, 243 Win, 257 Roberts, 25-06, 6.5x55 Swede, I would start with the better bullets, they are still great killers.

Last edited by tahoe2; February 4, 2013 at 10:08 PM.
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Old February 5, 2013, 08:45 AM   #21
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Pretty much all those plastic tipped hunting bullets are the same. And the same can be said for lead tipped Spitzer type S.P. bullets as well. For your application OP there is no down side to using either bullet as you said both bullets weigh the same and are boat tailed. For your information. I found 150 gr. or 180 Flat based bullets gave the best results in accuracy when used in my 30-06. For some unknown reason I could never get 165gr B.T.s to shoot up to my standards of accuracy I expected to see from them. (But then at that time I shot a semi-auto carbine with a short 16-1/4" barrel which are indeed picky about what they prefer in bullet weight and powder selection.)

I have used Game Kings in my 270 in the past and have always been please with them. "Never got any complaints from the deer I've harvested with them."_ Sorry I don't have any experience with SSTs. Reason being: for quite a few years now my primary go to bullet has been the Nosler Ballistic Tip for my 270 & 25-06. Then again for my 32 Special I cast my own bullets for that one. Once you feel you've Mastered the reloading part. You got to get into casting Sir. That's where one suffers with a case of bewilderment usually. It all fun no matter. Isn't that right?

S/S
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Old February 5, 2013, 09:26 AM   #22
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I use both Sierra GameKing and Hornady SST, depending on what's available when I buy bullets. Both are very good in my opinion.

I was loading recently for a .25-06 and had a stock of each brand in the 117 grain persuasion. Using the same powder and primer, the 117 Hornady gave me 2870 fps and the 117 Sierra gave me 2797 fps. I doubt that a whitetail deer could tell the difference and I reference this only to remind us that the two bullets are different.
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Old February 5, 2013, 07:43 PM   #23
reynolds357
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Sure Shot, "all those plastic tipped bullets" are not the same. Comparing an A Max to a ScirroccoII is about like comparing an apple to a water melon.
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Old February 5, 2013, 08:38 PM   #24
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^ What do you mean "aerodynamic as an elephant"? This was R-P's original long range bullet for thin skinned game. Sierra's shoot well because there jackets don't have much going on inside. Generally bullets with more features to the inside of the jacket don't shoot as well as simpler designs. I have had a few 165 .308 boat tail Sierras come apart a little too soon, Hornaday has an interlock ring to help retain the core.
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Old February 5, 2013, 08:57 PM   #25
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I mean the B.C. is very low.
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