Hornday 208Gn A-Max Or Sierra 200 SBT Gameking?

[trapper300RUM]

I am kinda of torn between thse two bullets I have a box of the Hornady 208 grn A-Max & i have shot them they shoot EXTREMELY WELL the thing is that Hornady doesn't recommend this bullet for hunting . Now on the other hand the Sierra 200 grn SBT Gameking bullets speak for themselves & Sierra recommends them for hunting . I am using the Hornady A-Max in my Remington SPS 300 Remington Ultra Magnum .What do you guys think . I will have some shots@300+ yards where we hunt the fields here on the lfarm we are hunting on .Here is my current load
1. Remington 300RUM Brass New & Once-Fired In My Rifle
2 Federal 215 Large Rifle Magnum Primers
3 Hodgdon RETUMBO 90.0 -Velocity is around2,900 to 3,000 f.p.s. no chornograph yet working on this lol
4. Hornady 208 Grn A-Max
5. Case Length 2.845" Max Trim Length 2.850"
6. O.A.L. 3.657" Max O.A.L. 3.600" [ The 208 is a LONG Bullet]
7 I am popping gallon milk jugs of water with every shot @ 300 yards

 

[Wachsmann]

Go with what you shoot best and is most accurate. There are others using the 208's for long distance hunting also. shot placement is key no manner what size rifle you shoot. Having confidence in what you shoot is also good knowing you can make the shoot. I currently have a 300RUM but I have not got it setup yet. I have a 6.5X284 shooting 140 bergers. As of now for the up coming hunt I' will be using the 6.5 and if it was an elk hunt I would still take the 6.5 because I can shoot this very well. The sectional density alone on the 208's is plenty at 300yrds. When bullets slow down they loose some of there ability to mushroom out due to the loss of volicity. So like bergers bullets take in account for this issue and one they are not bonded to the lead core and they have a thin jacket like the amax. So out at the longer ranges were volicity is dropped way down they still expand or come apart apposed to a bonded bullet. It works in your favor due to the ability to make a large wound. At close range they penetrate enough but come apart causing a large wound cavity and massive tissue damage resulting in a fast killing of the animal. I suspect you have heard about the Accubond long range bullets...So all the hype on them is they are bounded bullet but are supposed to still mushroom at 1300fps which will give the shooter still controlled expansion at great distance with out the bullet coming apart. Some of population don't like the bullets coming apart like the bergers. Its all personal taste to some extent but the bottom line the 208 should do fine similar to what bergers do and the animals we hunt do not wear bullet proof vest. Hope this helps a little. For as my RUM once the Accubonds long range hits the shelf I will be testing the 210grns out. I hope they will shoot good cause personally I do prefer a bullet that holds together but I know the bergers are proven at killing so that's why I have loaded them in my 6.5 and the 140 has a lot better sectional density that the lighter bullets. A lot of the old timers always would prefer a heavy bullet over a lighter for killing due to the sectional density of the bullet. But anyways I hope this helps a little. gun)

 

[joel0407]

I use the 208 Amax on everything I shoot with my 300RUM.

The are pretty thin jacketed bullet but at close range there is just so much energy that they will cleanly kill most things.

At long range you need a light jacketed bullet to perform as the velocity has dropped of so much. By long range I mean 1000m+.

I'd be more concerned shooting buffalo or the like at close range as the light jacketed Amax might fragment too much and not penatrate. For that I use cast bullets in my 45/70 though.

As "Wachsmann" said, shot placement is the key. I know how the 208 Amax shoots in my gun and it's all I have used.

Happy Days.

 

[idaho elk hunter]

I turned to the internet and read forums and looked at the pics etc. I heard how the AMAX killed like lightening. Loaded up some 162 gr in a 7mm mag with a BUNCH of retumbo and 215 primers behind it. Grouped a quarter at 100. Then the nightmare started. I loaned the rifle and load to a friend that drew a coveted elk hunt here in Idaho. To make a long story short we found the trophy we were looking for. Ranged at 540 yds. He shot and shot. The elk never went down. We thought he was missing. The elk wandered off into the trees. We went and found the blood trail and tracked it down for 2 hours. He hit the elk all 9 times he fired. None of the amax made it farther than 6 inches, The ones that hit bone went 4 in. All bullet and core seperated and the largest remaining grain found was a little over 18 gr. NOT HORNADYS FAULT. Ours for not listening to the manufacture and believing everthing on the internet. If you "surf" alot of people admit that the ones they have used never come out the opposite side. You will find out that they say "turned the internals" into jelly.. This is not good on large hard to kill game especially at long range. Try accubonds, Barnes, my 2cents worth..

 

[screech]

I use the 162 gr. Amax out of a 7stw at 3240fps. I have shot deer and elk out past a thousand yrds. I have had complete pass throughs on elk but only if it is behind the shoulder blade and around 850yrds or further where I'm guessing the bullet slows down enough to hold together well enough to make it through. Deer I've had pass throughs a couple times at different ranges. With my expierence the Amax is a great hunting bullet for deer and I've had great luck on elk with them too. Probably have killed more than 10 with the 162 and all but one were one shot kills. Even that one only used one shot but we had to finish him off with a knife when we got to him. I would use the 208 and have full confidence if it were me but then again I also expect to be walking half the times I ride in a Chevy. If ya get what I'm saying.

 

[trapper300RUM]

Ihave always owned a magnum rifle thats all i have ever hunted with i love a magnum & i have learned to shoot them & i am not stating that any other caliber isn't a good choice i just use a magnum rifle always have & always will . I may use the Sierra 200 Gameking ill bet ya they won't out shoot the accuracy of the Hornady 208 Grn A-Max the Sierra may shoot as good but they wont out shoot the Hornady A-Max. Hornady sent me a email & it stated that the 208 Grn A-Max wasn't recommend for hunting . They recommended the Hornady 190 grn Interlock SBT