New Sierra Bullet - Field Test Report

[PENDLETON AMMUNITION]

Sierra has a relatively new bullet on the market that makes their old Game King bullet irrelevant in the big game hunting world, at least in the western states and on tougher animals that require controlled expansion performance.

The new TGK or Tipped Game King bullets are exactly what we have been waiting for... we have shot them extensively on paper and into game. Little to no jacket/core separation. Very little (if any) blood shot meat from fragments, solid expansion performance, and all around awesome terminal performance.
Plus... they are accurate. They have these bullets for reloaders and in a line of ammo, plus we have them in our ammo line ups now.

ALSO... for people who shoot/hunt with 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, or 300 PRC... they have bullets specifically designed for these cartridges.
Photos below are from an elk I shot last week in Utah at 145 yards. The bull was DRT (dead right there).

 

[grand veneur]

The classic GK bullet from Sierra was not that bad. I mainly used the caliber .338 250gr GK bullet with cartridges like the 340 Weatherby Magnum or the 338 Lapua Magnum for shooting game species like Elk or even Muskox, and cannot report anything negative. It is certain that, depending on the shooting distance, this bullet expands quickly and erratic. The Tipped GK bullet certainly offers some advantages.

 

[ftrovato]

I used to shoot 180 grain Game Kings out of a 30-06. I personally observed complete core separation of jacket & core out to 200 yards in dead animals. So they did penetrate enough to be lethal but this was around the time that Barnes released their first solid coppers so I moved away from Sierra.

 

[375Fox]

I used to shoot 180 grain Game Kings out of a 30-06. I personally observed complete core separation of jacket & core out to 200 yards in dead animals. So they did penetrate enough to be lethal but this was around the time that Barnes released their first solid coppers so I moved away from Sierra.

I was looking into them for my 243. If you look at a bullet design the tipped game king is very different than the original game king. They have a much thicker jacket.

 

[pilar]

I used to shoot 180 grain Game Kings out of a 30-06. I personally observed complete core separation of jacket & core out to 200 yards in dead animals. So they did penetrate enough to be lethal but this was around the time that Barnes released their first solid coppers so I moved away from Sierra.

I shot two cull doe with SGKT 140gr 270win last year and they were a little bit explosive
But I bought them for $14 per box ( 10 boxes) so I’m pretty sure I will be hunting with them for awhile, I have some in 130gr 6.5cm so maybe at a slower speed they’ll be better? I do know they are 200% less explosive than Hornady eldx .
Seems like the TGK is the new kid on the roster as lots of manufacturers are now using them, Barnes , sig saur, game changer,

 

[Ruraldoc]

I shot a 125 pound boar last week with the Barnes factory load featuring the Sierra Tipped Game King in 223. I think it weighs somewhere around 70 grains.

Killed the hog but not well. Mostly came apart on the near side shoulder. Hog was still alive a minute later so I shot him again in the head broadside. Again no exit.

They are cup and core tipped boat tails and seem to be no better than the Hornady SST.

If they were bonded, I could get on board but they are nothing special from what I can tell.

The ammo was furnished by John McAdams who asked me to field test it. I videoed the hunt and forwarded it to John.

He is researching the ammo for his program and has other people testing it this fall as well.

 

[375Fox]

I shot a 125 pound boar last week with the Barnes factory load featuring the Sierra Tipped Game King in 223. I think it weighs somewhere around 70 grains.

Killed the hog but not well. Mostly came apart on the near side shoulder. Hog was still alive a minute later so I shot him again in the head broadside. Again no exit.

They are cup and core tipped boat tails and seem to be no better than the Hornady SST.

If they were bonded, I could get on board but they are nothing special from what I can tell.

The ammo was furnished by John McAdams who asked me to field test it. I videoed the hunt and forwarded it to John.

He is researching the ammo for his program and has other people testing it this fall as well.

I’ve read some similar reports about core separation. What is the twist rate on your 223? 70 gr won’t stabilize in all barrels. I have one 223 that will with 1:8 and one that won’t with 1:12. Could have played a part in the penetration.

 

[Ruraldoc]

I think it’s a 1 in 8 twist. It is a fairly new FN AR 15 so I know it’s a pretty fast twist.

 

[Ruraldoc]

I checked, it’s a 1 in 7 twist.Actual bullet weight is 69 grains.

 

[Ruraldoc]

I did use the 6.5 Creedmoor version on a whitetail back last year with better results.

But it’s a cup in core bullet, not a premium type.

 

[grand veneur]

I used to shoot 180 grain Game Kings out of a 30-06. I personally observed complete core separation of jacket & core out to 200 yards in dead animals. So they did penetrate enough to be lethal but this was around the time that Barnes released their first solid coppers so I moved away from Sierra.

I observed the same thing. I used the GK bullet primarily because of its good external ballistics, which was clearly evident by long range shots, but I have also moved away to Barnes bullets.

.338 250gr GK Sierra recovered from Elk's. On the right side the complete lead core and jacket separation.

 

[ftrovato]

I observed the same thing. I used the GK bullet primarily because of its good external ballistics, which was clearly evident by long range shots, but I have also moved away to Barnes bullets.

.338 250gr GK Sierra recovered from Elk's. On the right side the complete lead core and jacket separation.
View attachment 718900

To your point, In this day and age, why accept good when you can easily buy great bullets....Sierra needs to pursue bonding.

 

[pilar]

To your point, In this day and age, why accept good when you can easily buy great bullets....Sierra needs to pursue bonding.

I always shot a bonded bullet ( especially in my 300 ) one by one seems almost all the major manufacturers stopped producing them , for really high BC explosive bullets ( I can only assume for extreme long distance hunting)
A return to some bonded factory loads would be nice .

 

[fourfive8]

With all the good mono and bonded bullets out there, why screw around with another non-bonded cup and core bullet for big game?

 

[AES]

Pendleton and Sierra are trash. Avoid both.

 

[375Fox]

Pendleton and Sierra are trash. Avoid both.

Pretty poor taste to write this and provide zero explanation. The ammo I’ve gotten from Pendleton has been very good quality and accurate in my rifles.

 

[AES]

Pretty poor taste to write this and provide zero explanation. The ammo I’ve gotten from Pendleton has been very good quality and accurate in my rifles.

I disagree. I spared us all the details. Fox, we’ve been on this forum for years together and I’ve never uttered a negative word about anything - this is the one I go to the matt for. Ammo I got from them grouped to about 2”. SOA and Pendleton are garbage organizations. To be fair, Travis etc good people on an individual basis and they do have access to good outfits for hunts . . . Let’s just say they don’t return multiple large deposits when continually being terrible at their jobs (which is booking hunts that actually occur). It is beyond my comprehension that we would allow them as a sponsor on this forum.

 

[grand veneur]

Pendleton and Sierra are trash. Avoid both.

Very personal opinion. It may be that you have had bad experiences with Sierra bullets, but when I look back 50 years, I have had good as well as bad experiences with many very different bullets, also so called premium bullets. I admit the SP bullets from Sierra don't have the best terminal ballistics, but in terms of external ballistics, MK and GK from Sierra are among the top bullets. I chose at that time the GK bullet primarily so that I could shoot game at distances up to 500 yards. As is often emphasized, good placement of the first shot is the most important factor. Moreover, the GK bullets, as far as their terminal ballistic is concerned, due to their not too strong construction, still have a good expansion at longer distances. I cannot say the same thing about stronger bullets, as the Scirocco from Swift for example, which at more than 400 yards seemed to work at moderate impact velocity more like a FMJ bullet with all the associated problems. I have already reported about this on the Forum. The Sierra Tipped GK bullet is certainly a good development that should not be immediately considered garbage.

 

[AES]

Very personal opinion. It may be that you have had bad experiences with Sierra bullets, but when I look back 50 years, I have had good as well as bad experiences with many very different bullets, also so called premium bullets. I admit the SP bullets from Sierra don't have the best terminal ballistics, but in terms of external ballistics, MK and GK from Sierra are among the top bullets. I chose at that time the GK bullet primarily so that I could shoot game at distances up to 500 yards. As is often emphasized, good placement of the first shot is the most important factor. Moreover, the GK bullets, as far as their terminal ballistic is concerned, due to their not too strong construction, still have a good expansion at longer distances. I cannot say the same thing about stronger bullets, as the Scirocco from Swift for example, which at more than 400 yards seemed to work at moderate impact velocity more like a FMJ bullet with all the associated problems. I have already reported about this on the Forum. The Sierra Tipped GK bullet is certainly a good development that should not be immediately considered garbage.

Great perspective, and you are correct. My sample set with Sierra is probably too small to make that kind of a statement - I’ve also not shot the new projectile. Yet, I have had nothing but good results with Swifts and Woodleighs, so I am okay trusting them. On the other hand, I really like ELD-X, which some will call a bit rubbish on the fragmentation front. SOA, on the other hand …

 

[M70375!]

I used to shoot 180 grain Game Kings out of a 30-06. I personally observed complete core separation of jacket & core out to 200 yards in dead animals. So they did penetrate enough to be lethal but this was around the time that Barnes released their first solid coppers so I moved away from Sierra.

I did exactly the same thing after losing an elk I shot in the point of the shoulder on a quartering frontal shot with the Game King and I haven't looked back, I'm hooked on TSX when I want to kill something