sierra

[bamadawg2009]

So I was just sitting around reading peoples post about different companies bullets performance, and I got to thinking about my past experiences with sierras. I myself have killed 2 deer with sierra pro hunters out of my 280 ackley, and 7mm magnum, and my dad has killed 1 with his 7mm magnum every bullet did the same thing with total core/jacket seperation and the last one I shot with my 280 just looked like I had shot threw the deer with a full metal jacket bullet same size entrance and exit.

Now my question is does anybody have any experience on game with the Sierra matchkings on game animals, i.e. deer, elk, or antelope? I was kinda of thinking about trying some 180gr MKs out of my new 7LRM im having built. I also know they say never use a target bullet on game animals but Ive read reviews on midway usa about people having great results with these bullet taking animals, just want some unbiased info from this site before I make the commitment. I already have 2 boxes of 180 gr bergers on BackOrder with Powder Valley should I just stick with these and be happy?

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

So I was just sitting around reading peoples post about different companies bullets performance, and I got to thinking about my past experiences with sierras. I myself have killed 2 deer with sierra pro hunters out of my 280 ackley, and 7mm magnum, and my dad has killed 1 with his 7mm magnum every bullet did the same thing with total core/jacket seperation and the last one I shot with my 280 just looked like I had shot threw the deer with a full metal jacket bullet same size entrance and exit.

Now my question is does anybody have any experience on game with the Sierra matchkings on game animals, i.e. deer, elk, or antelope? I was kinda of thinking about trying some 180gr MKs out of my new 7LRM im having built. I also know they say never use a target bullet on game animals but Ive read reviews on midway usa about people having great results with these bullet taking animals, just want some unbiased info from this site before I make the commitment. I already have 2 boxes of 180 gr bergers on BackOrder with Powder Valley should I just stick with these and be happy?

I've seen around 30 deer killed with the 7mm sierra pro-hunter 140 grain from 7mags and 7stw's and we've never had any issues with core separation. I drove one through the hip of a deer once with a 7mag and it held 60%. They are usually through and through hits and I've only recovered the mentioned pill though. A point blank hit may be a different story but I doubt it as I was pushing the sierra 140 pro hunter from my 7 rum at 3500 fps and never had any issues. Every bullet can act off spec. if you hit a critter right, but I've seen a lot of venison get put in the back of a truck from a sierra with no issues and have hundreds of them loaded at present.
I don't normally use match bullets on critters so I can't help you there.

 

[bamadawg2009]

Only one of the shots was point blank I shot a buck facing me at 7 steps with my 7mag in the base of the neck with a 160grainer and he turned and ran like he wasnt even hit until a second shot broke his hip at 100yds as he was running away from me, that bullet was dug out as only a piece of copper jacket. most of them were 2-300 plus. I know most people here consider that point blank though. My dad shot a big 8pt last year quartering to him at 300 yds the bullet went through to the other side but the jacket was the only thing we found under the off side skin, after we looked for him for an hour with no blood.

I guess when a bullet kills an animal its not a failure but I do like some blood when an animal runs off.

 

[lloydsmale]

ive shot at least a 100 deer with sierra bullets and have seen maybe two or three core seperations. No different then my experiences with about any cup and core bullet. Ive never shot a deer with a match bullet but have a buddy that did crop damage shooting like we do back about 10 years ago and swore by sierra match bullets out of his 300 win mag and his 7mag.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm not trying to dis your experience with the bullets, but it's not mine. The critters are usually bang-flop or close to it with full or nearly full pass through with sierra bullets. I've heard of trouble with very old lots of their bullets (stiff cores causing fmj type pass through), but not in the more current lots. It is possible they put some together with too stiff of a core though.