Sierra Game and Match King 30-06

ApoX

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May 22, 2011
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i have a 30-06 1-11" twist with a bushnell 2,5-16x50 (80 MOA)

i use this 30-06 for everything that i hunt (from moose to grouse) and i am trying to get 2 bullet types (game for moose and such/match for grouse and such) as close in precision to one and other so i wonder which would be best for this the 180grs or the 200grs.

i do always favor a heavier bullet due to the better wind tolerance and the higher impact power on the target but i wonder if i can get the 200gr to work nicely in my rifle: 30-06 1-11"

which one will go the furthest?

so which ones should i go for the Sierra Game King + Sierra Match King in 180gr or 200gr?
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i am from Sweden so bear with me with the english :)
 
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The 200gr is the best for windage. Grouse???? I think that is a little excess don't you think? The SGK is definitely the better option for hunting.
 
Hello ApoX.
How long is the barrel on your 30-06?
If you have a twist of 1/11, it's a rare odd six and you may want to look at sticking to the 165/168gr weight of bullet. If you have at least a 22" tube and can find a bullet that you can accuratly push around 2800 - 2900 with a powder in the burn range from IMR4064 up to Winchester748, without getting pressure problems, making your barrel ring like a bell or even both, you should have a good all around load. A 165 Gameking or Partition for instance, will and has knocked out the kill zone of many large animals. Bullet placement is key, which requires accuracy.
For Grouse, how about a 110gr bullet with less powder and speed. Try some Trail Boss sending the little round nose at 1200 - 1400fps. Your target should still be in the scope when the round hits and you will not only have more fun, but be a little more safe. Remember when you are aiming at the birdy you should be aiming at the ground too. If the the clucker is in a tree or flying, you should be using light load scatter gun, not something that can hit hard a long way away.
Good luck, have fun, hope I was a help.
 
Hello again ApoX:
Now to deal with the long range portion of your load development.
If you can get a 200 grain bullet to shoot one MOA, that's great. But remember it will probably be going 2550 - 2600fps at the muzzle. Which means what you gain from the high BC, you loose in time to target.
You may get lucky with a 175 or 180 grain bullet, or have to go to a 150 grain projectile, but with the 1/11 twist I suggest you look at the 168gr Berger VLD hunting bullet. You should be able to sling them accuratly out of the muzzle at 2850fps, which will dramatically lessen the time to target and the BC is not very far behind many 200gr bullets. They kill very well when put in the right spot.
If your barrel just doesn't like them, try a few more if you can borrow from friends and shooting pals 5 or 6 bullets from a few boxes to try to find what your barrel likes.
Don't look down at 150 or 155 grain little friends, remember Carlos Hathcock knocked down the majority of his opponents with 147 and 150 grain bullets with a Winchester Model 70 chambered in 30-06. It didn't have a heavy barrel and he was using at the most a fixed 10 power scope of early 1960's quality glass.
Remember... the most accurate round you are confident to send down range is the one you can brag about to your pals when you show off that 1000 yard group.
Breathing, heart beat, staight trigger pull........SMACK!!
Have fun and always shoot with safety glasses.
 
i have a 30-06 1-11" twist with a bushnell 2,5-16x50 (80 MOA)

i use this 30-06 for everything that i hunt (from moose to grouse) and i am trying to get 2 bullet types (game for moose and such/match for grouse and such) as close in precision to one and other so i wonder which would be best for this the 180grs or the 200grs.

i do always favor a heavier bullet due to the better wind tolerance and the higher impact power on the target but i wonder if i can get the 200gr to work nicely in my rifle: 30-06 1-11"

which one will go the furthest?

so which ones should i go for the Sierra Game King + Sierra Match King in 180gr or 200gr?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i am from Sweden so bear with me with the english :)
At 30-06 velocities with a 1-11 twist I don't think you'll be able to stabilize anything heavier than the 180gr and you'll probably get best results with the 165-175gr bullets.

I'd suggest looking at the Hornady Interlock and Interbond, and the Swift SciroccoII's.

They should do an outstanding job at 30-06 velocities.

EDTA: The Nosler Accubond is another bullet you should consider as it should perform very well for you at those velocities.
 
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The 200gr is the best for windage. Grouse???? I think that is a little excess don't you think? The SGK is definitely the better option for hunting.
i dont know if it is excessive (i have actually only hunted moose ever) but i will atleast hunt the grouse with my 30-06 cause i dont want to buy another caliber. if i were to buy the SGK or the SMK is not the question, the question is which one of the bullets (180 or 200gr) will coshoot best with eachother being 2 different bullettypes (SGK and SMK), however it seems that the 180gr is best for my application.


Hello ApoX.
How long is the barrel on your 30-06?
If you have a twist of 1/11, it's a rare odd six and you may want to look at sticking to the 165/168gr weight of bullet. If you have at least a 22" tube and can find a bullet that you can accuratly push around 2800 - 2900 with a powder in the burn range from IMR4064 up to Winchester748, without getting pressure problems, making your barrel ring like a bell or even both, you should have a good all around load. A 165 Gameking or Partition for instance, will and has knocked out the kill zone of many large animals. Bullet placement is key, which requires accuracy.
For Grouse, how about a 110gr bullet with less powder and speed. Try some Trail Boss sending the little round nose at 1200 - 1400fps. Your target should still be in the scope when the round hits and you will not only have more fun, but be a little more safe. Remember when you are aiming at the birdy you should be aiming at the ground too. If the the clucker is in a tree or flying, you should be using light load scatter gun, not something that can hit hard a long way away.
Good luck, have fun, hope I was a help.

22 7/8" is the length of the barrel.

Hello again ApoX:
Now to deal with the long range portion of your load development.
If you can get a 200 grain bullet to shoot one MOA, that's great. But remember it will probably be going 2550 - 2600fps at the muzzle. Which means what you gain from the high BC, you loose in time to target.
You may get lucky with a 175 or 180 grain bullet, or have to go to a 150 grain projectile, but with the 1/11 twist I suggest you look at the 168gr Berger VLD hunting bullet. You should be able to sling them accuratly out of the muzzle at 2850fps, which will dramatically lessen the time to target and the BC is not very far behind many 200gr bullets. They kill very well when put in the right spot.
If your barrel just doesn't like them, try a few more if you can borrow from friends and shooting pals 5 or 6 bullets from a few boxes to try to find what your barrel likes.
Don't look down at 150 or 155 grain little friends, remember Carlos Hathcock knocked down the majority of his opponents with 147 and 150 grain bullets with a Winchester Model 70 chambered in 30-06. It didn't have a heavy barrel and he was using at the most a fixed 10 power scope of early 1960's quality glass.
Remember... the most accurate round you are confident to send down range is the one you can brag about to your pals when you show off that 1000 yard group.
Breathing, heart beat, staight trigger pull........SMACK!!
Have fun and always shoot with safety glasses.

i dont really get what you mean. in your first reply you talk about sticking to only 165/168gr but in the second reply you say i could push the 200gr through my barrel?

I have looked at the berger and i was extatic when i first saw it but now when i hear it is massive meatdamage i am not as extatic cuz i dont think my hunter buddies would like all that meat gone to waste :rolleyes: and i dont even think i will be looking to send the bullet all that far on moose hunt because of intolerance to longrange within the community. I will probably only go as high as roe deer in some longer range, so i dont know if i will have to need the VLD Berger Hunting.

But the idea of Berger is exactly what i am looking for (i.e. a hunting bullet and a target bullet with the exact same dimensions and B.C)

At 30-06 velocities with a 1-11 twist I don't think you'll be able to stabilize anything heavier than the 180gr and you'll probably get best results with the 165-175gr bullets.

I'd suggest looking at the Hornady Interlock and Interbond, and the Swift SciroccoII's.

They should do an outstanding job at 30-06 velocities.

EDTA: The Nosler Accubond is another bullet you should consider as it should perform very well for you at those velocities.

i would so like to get a bullet to train with (e.g. SMK) and one bullet to hunt with (e.g. SGK) i will probably hunt with the SGK with less yardage than i train with the SMK, however if the bullets are EXACTLY the same in "DOPE" than i will be able to send them exactly as long as i am comfortable in training.

it would be fun if someone can grade all these bullet that should resemble eachother and put them on test how well they do within themselves with documents, videos etc...

for example:
Berger VLD Hunting + Berger VLD Target 9? points out of 10
Sierra Game King + Sierra Match King 7? points out of 10
if someone has created a thread dedicated to this i would love to hear about it :)
 
Shoot the 180 grain sierra game king if sierra bullets are your choice. These bullets were originally designed for '06 type velocities. At the ranges the '06 is best capable windage between it and the 200 will be negligible. Either will give you excellent performance out of that cartridge. I would prefer the 180 for less recoil when a 200 grain is not needed but the 200 will work great if that is your choice.
 
Here are two options that might fill the bill. The Hornady 178 BTHP and the 195 BTHP. Here is the reason. A gun shop owner local to where I live told me that he use to use 168SMK's to hunt with. He had sporadic expansion that he didn't like. He went to the Hornady 168gn BTHP and the problem went away. He had good bullet expansion consistently and never went back to the SMK. So I am offering these as suggestions to fill your need for hunting and target shooting.

Tank
 
Shoot the 180 grain sierra game king if sierra bullets are your choice. These bullets were originally designed for '06 type velocities. At the ranges the '06 is best capable windage between it and the 200 will be negligible. Either will give you excellent performance out of that cartridge. I would prefer the 180 for less recoil when a 200 grain is not needed but the 200 will work great if that is your choice.

i do like bullets specially manufactured for a caliber. if my rifle is capable of both weights i will choose the one that are the most SGK+SMK coaccurate. if no info is provided i probably will go for the 180gr.

Here are two options that might fill the bill. The Hornady 178 BTHP and the 195 BTHP. Here is the reason. A gun shop owner local to where I live told me that he use to use 168SMK's to hunt with. He had sporadic expansion that he didn't like. He went to the Hornady 168gn BTHP and the problem went away. He had good bullet expansion consistently and never went back to the SMK. So I am offering these as suggestions to fill your need for hunting and target shooting.

Tank

i will need a nonexpanding bullet. (plus an expanding also ofcourse)

are you saying that a 178gr is coaccurate with a 195gr?

the 168gr is also the only BTHP avaliable where i shop.

i can get the Sierras and Bergers for a lot cheaper where i can shop within EU so i will firstly look to these and mostly Sierra because i think they will fit my needs better and are alot cheaper
 
are you saying that a 178gr is coaccurate with a 195gr?

Your going to have to set up for one or the other. I would take LTLR's advice. He is very knowledgeable of bullet usage and performance. I offered these as a good hunting/target capable bullet. Just giving you options. If you can't get them, then the SGK is the way to go. They are very accurate and deadly on game. Shot a Whitetail buck this year. No tracking necessary.:D
 
Your going to have to set up for one or the other. I would take LTLR's advice. He is very knowledgeable of bullet usage and performance. I offered these as a good hunting/target capable bullet. Just giving you options. If you can't get them, then the SGK is the way to go. They are very accurate and deadly on game. Shot a Whitetail buck this year. No tracking necessary.:D

well congratulations then. have you also shot with the SMK if so can you tell me how much the accuracy differs within eachother? what caliber was it btw and what weight of bullet?

Buy a 22 rimfire to shoot grouse with. Use a 180 gr slug in the '06 for large game

i thought this was the Longrangehunting forum? i will use my rifle at longrange.
getting a new gun is out of the question especially a caliber as low as 22
 
I don't think I've shot SMK's out that particular rifle. It is a .308 Win. with an 18" barrel. I shoot the 200grn SGK for deer. It is my short range in the woods gun. It went in with a bullet size hole and exited with about a nickle to quarter size hole. Can't remember. It put a hole about the size of a golf ball in the shoulder blade on the entrance side. It exited out just below the spine only messing up about 2 inches of the tender loin. It was at a pretty steep angle and facing away from me slightly. I haven't chronoed the load yet, but I'm guessing somewhere between 2300-2400fps. That is with 38.0grn of Reloader 15.
 
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