Thread: Sierras new Game changer bullets

New hunting bullet from Sierra.. looks like they made a heavier jacketed TMK.. I look forward to testing the 130gr in 6.5mm

https://youtu.be/pBDudUOaajk

https://youtu.be/3UnmfK_w9yI

300_blk did a review on them shooting goats. It’s on longrange hunting forum. They are a tipped game king. Similar sort of thing to a sst.
I don’t think they have reinvented the wheel.

No.. not a tipped gameking.. they are more the match king shape like the tipped match king but heavier jacket etc. Personally I think they are what the Sierra company has been missing for a while, the lead tip gamekings distort big time in mags and on feed ramps.

Originally Posted by Cowboy06

300_blk did a review on them shooting goats. It’s on longrange hunting forum. They are a tipped game king. Similar sort of thing to a sst. I don’t think they have reinvented the wheel.

That’s not the case mate. I read a lot about these new Sierras a few weeks and concluded that they are designed to be a much tougher bullet than the GameKing. Then I emailed Philip Mahin at Sierra and asked him straight up. Correct, much thicker jacket, tougher alloy core. Not a GameKing at all. A very specific 1800fps limit on expansion, which no doubt some long range shooters will find out about the hard way.

This is a deep penetrating, tough, heavy game bullet. It will blow straight through most of our game species in NZ. The only applications I might consider using it would be heavy pigs or maybe the largest sambar / red / wapiti stags in the 200-400m range.

I am hoping my cuz in the US will have a detailed report for me after deer season there in the next few weeks as he wants to try them, but has similar reservations.

The GameKing / ProHunter design is ideal for our deer species. They are the same partially fragmenting design, bar the obvious boat tail / flat base. The limitation is their low BC. In the drop tests I’ve done with five common hunting bullets in 6mm, 7mm and .308 the GameKings always came last for accuracy at 400m. But as an effective killer, their track record is right up there obviously.

I think its fair to say that many hunters on this forum would be a bit wary of runners from over penetration and limited or no fragmentation, which has been my experience of using bullets designed for tough game on red skins and fallow.

I doubt they are any tougher than the Barnes TTSX and they work well for me.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

That’s not the case mate. I read a lot about these new Sierras a few weeks and concluded that they are designed to be a much tougher bullet than the GameKing. Then I emailed Philip Mahin at Sierra and asked him straight up. Correct, much thicker jacket, tougher alloy core. Not a GameKing at all. A very specific 1800fps limit on expansion, which no doubt some long range shooters will find out about the hard way.

This is a deep penetrating, tough, heavy game bullet. It will blow straight through most of our game species in NZ. The only applications I might consider using it would be heavy pigs or maybe the largest sambar / red / wapiti stags in the 200-400m range.

I am hoping my cuz in the US will have a detailed report for me after deer season there in the next few weeks as he wants to try them, but has similar reservations.

The GameKing / ProHunter design is ideal for our deer species. They are the same partially fragmenting design, bar the obvious boat tail / flat base. The limitation is their low BC. In the drop tests I’ve done with five common hunting bullets in 6mm, 7mm and .308 the GameKings always came last for accuracy at 400m. But as an effective killer, their track record is right up there obviously.

I think its fair to say that many hunters on this forum would be a bit wary of runners from over penetration and limited or no fragmentation, which has been my experience of using bullets designed for tough game on red skins and fallow.

Good info Flyblown, thanks. I had heard they were a heavily constructed bullet for controlled expansion at higher velocities, hence the 1800fps minimum stated.

Yes good break down flyblown and you are dead right they probably are too heavy for 99% of nz big game. Maybe ok at close ranges but after pondering your comments I think Ill stay with the lighter jacketed Sierra TMK which have never let me down.

33:25 is where you see the recovered bullets and their expansion.

And from the Sierra Blog, here are the bullet lengths, which are helpful for stability checks.

6mm 90 = 1.161″
6.5mm 130 = 1.373′
.277 140 = 1.377″
7mm 165 = 1.495″
.308 165 = 1.409″

From some rough measurements on the screen, the plastic tip looks to be about 14% of the total length, for the JBM stability calc.

Hmm wonder if those 130s will work in my 1:9 260 rem

Yeah they look like a good bullet
From that video anyway

Anyone got them in stock in NZ?

I was thinking today I might give the 6mm GameChanger a go in my .243 Win as they would probably be the best compromise between BC and weight for a 1:10” twist barrel and would certainly fly better and carry more energy than the Prohunter and Gameking. But the problem is I think they’ll be too hard for what I want to do, never really been a fan of bullets that don’t shed much weight, just personal preference. In 6mm the 100gr ProHunter and GameKing are perfect for goats and small to medium deer, perfect balance of penetration and fragmentation in my book.

But I’ll probably try the it anyway on goats, just to see what happens. Curiosity being what it is and all. Will be keen to slice one in half and have a look at the jacket and base thickness first.

Originally Posted by septic

Anyone got them in stock in NZ?

Asked Reloaders that yesterday haven’t arrived yet on order though a couple of months away apparently
Apparently nz is one of the First
Countries outside the us that will have them landed

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I was thinking today I might give the 6mm GameChanger a go in my .243 Win as they would probably be the best compromise between BC and weight for a 1:10” twist barrel and would certainly fly better and carry more energy than the Prohunter and Gameking.

I hope they stabilise in your 1:10" twist barrel - I have heard mixed reviews...