Sierra Game Changers

[Short Case]

Has anyone used the Sierra 150 gr. 7mm Game Changers on Elk.
Local gun shop has a couple of boxes for sale and I was thinking about
buying them and using them in my 28 Nosler on Elk next season.
The shop owner said they work good on White Tail but didn't know
any one using them on Elk.

 

[Raudy707]

I used the 165 grain out of my 7 mag and they were pretty soft. They might explode on impact out of a 28 Noz. I would pass and get a heavier bullet if possible.

 

[yorke-1]

I've tested a few versions of the Game Changers in ballistic gel and I'd say they're a pretty soft bullet. I bet they'd be pretty good at low to moderate velocities, but they could get messy with a high velocity impact from a 28 Nosler.

I was using the 140gr .270 Game Changer in a 270/338 Rum Improved wildcat about 2 years ago and it cost me a very nice black bear. That particular gun was incredibly picky about bullets and the Game Changer shot groups half the size of anything else I'd tried. I was in a rush to get this particular gun ready to roll for bear season so I thought I'd give it a go. Most bear here in WA are under 200# and no tougher than an average deer, so I wasn't really worried about using a relatively soft bullet.

I had an easy 250 yard shot on a very nice bear that was likely 250-275# or more on the first weekend of bear season. It couldn't get any easier, a very slight quartering towards me target, feeding without a care in the world, I was sitting with a stump as a solid rest, and the rifle was zeroed at 250 yards. I shot, heard the impact, saw the bear roll, then get up and briskly WALK away. I didn't get a follow up shot before he was into the berries and over the ridge. I found hair at the site of the impact and could see where the bear was walking away dragging one foot slightly. There was very little blood, but that's not unusual for a good sized bear. I tracked that bear for 2 miles hoping to find him and finish him. After about one mile he stopped dragging the one paw and was walking relatively normal. After trailing him for about 2 miles total over one ridge and down into the next valley, I called it off. I saw a large bear later in the season (out of range) with a superficial wound on his shoulder that I believe was the same bear.

My guess is that I was a little too far forward with my shot and hit the bear's shoulder blade, and the bullet blew up. My muzzle velocity was 3560 fps with that bullet, so the impact velocity would have been over 3000 fps at 250 yards. I quit using that bullet and just settled on larger groups with a 156gr Hammer Hunter as a hunting bullet.

I'm sure you could effectively kill elk with the combo you're thinking about, but I personally wouldn't make it my first choice.

 

[Short Case]

Thanks guy I though they be to lite, I have been shooting the 130 Game Changers in my 6.5-270 on deer and they been working good there I'm going to use them this fall on Prong Horn in Colorado

 

[Raudy707]

Good decision. In a hot rod like the 28 Nosler you really should try to find a bonded bullet or monometal for elk. I know they're hard to find but ask on the classified or offer a trade. People have them I guarantee it. I'll check in my coffers but I just traded my Trophy bonded Tipped, Partition's and Accubonds for a 300 Weatherby. So I'm tapped out.

 

[VinceMule]

Depending on the distance you shoot, please do not discount this fact! Mono's will expand less as the distance grows, and I have experienced this first hand with running white tails.

175g Sierra btsp is one heck of an elk bullet, think of it as a 175g Partition!

I shot cow elk with a 243 Win using the 100g partitions with all shots 200 yds and less, never having a problem. We rode mules and got in close to them.

A friend shot 6 Bulls with a 257 Weatherby mark 5 using factory 117g bullets at 3300 fps, all the bulls flopped.

Remember, place your shot or don't pull the trigger.

 

[hicountry1]

Sierra just doesn't get it.

Wonderful target bullets, never really developed a real premium bullet.

Keep them around 2700-2800 mv max they work ok.

Way too many good bullets to hunt with....pass

 

[warboar21]

I used the 165gr out of my 7mm Rem mag on a very large cow Elk in Colorado back in 2019. I hit her solidly in the lungs and shoulder and she went down at the shot and slid down the hill. She kicked trying to get her feet under her but then just laid her head down and stopped moving.
I did not traditionally gut her to see what damage was done internally as we were pressed for time. I did find a large part of the core and part of the jacket on the offside shoulder just under the skin. Broke the shoulder and pretty much mangled a good part of the shoulder. The shot was 400+ yds.

 

[bigngreen]

Has anyone used the Sierra 150 gr. 7mm Game Changers on Elk.
Local gun shop has a couple of boxes for sale and I was thinking about
buying them and using them in my 28 Nosler on Elk next season.
The shop owner said they work good on White Tail but didn't know
any one using them on Elk.

The 28 needs a bullet like the 195 Berger or a 177 Hammer, both of which I've rolled elk with, most have been with the Hammers due to range but when it needed to go loooong I'd just drop in a 195 load.

 

[eoperator]

I'm surprised to see the comments of tgk's being "to soft". All the research (no actual experience) I've done on them states they are to hard with a very thick jacket and a harder alloy lead. A couple YouTube vids show unreliable expansion under 2200fps because of tuff construction.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I'm surprised to see the comments of tgk's being "to soft". All the research (no actual experience) I've done on them states they are to hard with a very thick jacket and a harder alloy lead. A couple YouTube vids show unreliable expansion under 2200fps because of tuff construction.

YUP,.. ^^^ I've studied them SERIOUSLY, too for, my 6.5 Creed, Deer / Cow & Spike, Elk "Up Close", 500 Yds Max., Hunting bullet !
I settled on, the 143 ELD-X's for, THAT, use.
For big Bull's in most any of, the 7MM's, Try, the 168 to 184 grain, H-VLD'S or, Elite Hunters, as Berger's, Kill,.. WELL !
Or, like Bigngreen said,.. the 195's if you don't mind, the extra, Recoil !

 

[B-LOT Banga]

I used the 165 gr TGK from my 28 Nosler and 175 gr TGK from my 27 Nosler. I've shot wild feral cattle here in Hawaii and made around 5-7 kills each from 50 yds to 490 yds before moving on to my next cartridges to play with.

Both bullets had almost identical wound channels and I didn't find any bases or intact bullets. Most shots were aimed at the base of the neck shattering the neck/spine bone. I assume the lead and copper fragments were from it exploding but the actual shoulder shots passed completely right through.

They usually punched a hole right through the paddle bone and exited the far side through the ribs. There were specs of lead and copper so I know the bullet expanded but the base was never found.

It's my humble opinion and personal experience that the TGK held together very well, expanded and made a pretty good wound channel. It didn't blow up (except on the neck/spine impact). It did very well and I will continue to use them.

Side note I played with 140 TGK with my 28 Nosler and it made massive damage almost like a ballistic tip. I'm guessing with the added velocity and lower mass, it blew up instead of bullying it's way right through like the heavier TGK. Good luck.

 

[yorke-1]

I'm surprised to see the comments of tgk's being "to soft". All the research (no actual experience) I've done on them states they are to hard with a very thick jacket and a harder alloy lead. A couple YouTube vids show unreliable expansion under 2200fps because of tuff construction.

I think Sierra tried really hard to get the TGK to work at both ends of the Velocity spectrum. If you match the bullet weight to the cartridge you're using I don't think youlll have any major issues.

I don't think they're the type of bullet that you should use if you're a light bullet as max velocity iii is me of shooter, like you might with a solid copper bullet. I also wouldn't go for the heaviest bullet that I can stabilize if I'm shooting them in a relatively mild chambering.

I'd feel pretty good about using them with impact velocities in the 2400-2700 fps range.

 

[hicountry1]

I had good success with the 165 GK out of an '06.

Always a pass thru.

You just can't drive them hard.

I've long ago moved on from anything Sierra. Too many good game bullets out there. Partitions, accubonds, and others like them.

Don't have to worry about anything.