Experience with 30 Cal 200g Sierra GameKing?

[ralphjunius]

About 10 years ago I was in Raton, NM and bought 5 boxes of 30 caliber 200g Sierra GameKing bullets. They were in carboard boxes from another era, probably at least 25 years ago. Tt looked like the gun shop might have been going out of business and the price was right so I scopped them all up. I also have a couple of plastic boxes of the current fare. I have messed with these bullets in 30 caliber rifles from .308 Win on thru to 300 Rum but have never hunted with them. I can say that they are accurate and easy to load in every gun I have tried them in. However, I have found very little good information about the performance of these bullets on game but would like to hunt with them.

If you have real world hunting experience with this bullet I would really appreciate your experiences.

 

[quarterman]

I have used these in my 300 wby and my 300 RUM for the last 20 years and I have used them on everything. Elk, moose, grizzly, goats, sheep, black bears, mule deer and whitetails. They perform great. I have no complaints. They make a great all range bullet from 10 feet to 1000 yards. The B.C. isnt as high as some of the newer bullet designs out there but they have never let me down.

 

[dogz]

Back in the day, we used the 200 Sierra BT a lot, found it to be accurate and incredibly eager to please!

IMO it and the 180 NBT are way over looked in this day and age of VLD world

 

[ralphjunius]

Great to hear guys. I'm gonna try deer hunting with it in my 300 Win Mag. I can get about 2850fps out of it. I have a black bear hunt in May that maybe I should go with something larger or bonded?

I am a little concerned with the 300WSM as I get more like 2750fps with it. Actually I get 2600fps in my .308 Win using CFE223 with 26" barrel. I have seen some claims on the internet that it is a "very hard" bullet and needs resistance (or I presume velocity) to open it up. That's why I shy away from the 300WSM and .308Win. The .308 Win hits 2000fps at 400 yds and 1800fps at 550 yds.

Should I have any concerns about it being a "hard" bullet?

 

[dogz]

I've not heard that the 200/30 cal is too hard. I have heard that about the 215 in 338 diameter....

IMO it'd be about perfect out of a 06

 

[ralphjunius]

I've not heard that the 200/30 cal is too hard. I have heard that about the 215 in 338 diameter....

IMO it'd be about perfect out of a 06

Its hard to get over 2600fps out of an 06 with a 200g bullet. Normal 200g loads out of a .308 Win generally max out at about 2400fps. But SFE223 is a freakish high velocity powder in a 308, though it is temperature sensitive. So it oughta work just fine in my 26" .308 Win. at 2600fps.

Frankly, I like shoulder shots on deer with Barnes bullets that penetrate both shoulders, both lungs and clip the heart. The animals drop instantly. I get a humane kill and no tracking. The Barnes bullets destroy very little meat. Should I expect similar penetration and performance from the heavy 200g Sierras?

 

[dogz]

I can't imagine not pushing thru a deer from any angle, you'll be just fine

 

[quarterman]

Great to hear guys. I'm gonna try deer hunting with it in my 300 Win Mag. I can get about 2850fps out of it. I have a black bear hunt in May that maybe I should go with something larger or bonded?

I am a little concerned with the 300WSM as I get more like 2750fps with it. Actually I get 2600fps in my .308 Win using CFE223 with 26" barrel. I have seen some claims on the internet that it is a "very hard" bullet and needs resistance (or I presume velocity) to open it up. That's why I shy away from the 300WSM and .308Win. The .308 Win hits 2000fps at 400 yds and 1800fps at 550 yds.

Should I have any concerns about it being a "hard" bullet?

Something larger or bonded in 30 caliber isnt going to do anything better then the 200 grain game king out of your 300 win mag. Black bears dont require anything special to kill them. what ever you use for deer will work just fine on larger black bears, A 165 grain out of any 30 cal will make short work of black bears of any size, Dont over think it. your choice to use the 200 is a good one