Sierra 55gr GameKing

GrizleyHunter

New member
Have any of you guys used the Sierra 55gr GameKings HPBT #1390
in your 223 AR.
What kind of luck do you have with them and how do they shoot.
I have a old cardboard box of 100 of them and thinking of trying a new load with them using Varget.
Thanks
 
I shot a lot of p. dogs with them out of an HBAR years ago.

Also killed a lot of coyotes with them in a 788 in 223 and a Rem 700 in 22/250.

The Sierra BTHP is a little tougher bullet than the nosler Ballistic tip and will break both shoulders well, spine, and hip joints. You also get great penetration on quartering shots.

As a general rule of thumb, you get exceptional accuracy with this bullet.

If you use varget, use A cci 450 primer, accuacy will be a warm load.
 
Ackleyman
Thanks for the info
All I have is winchester primers on hand so I hope they work well.
Are you saying that you had best accuracy with loads on higher side of load data.
 
That was a close one...

The 55 SGK HPBT over Varget is exactly the combo I want to try when my SD upper comes in. I was about to sell off my CCI 450's though. Thanks for the info ackleyman.

venatic has shot a few coyotes and a bunch of feral hogs with it and had good results. The same question when I posed it elsewhere drew very credible recommendations for the 55gr SBT SGK #1365 instead.
 
I've only used the SPBT #1365. I have noticed a difference on coyotes with this bullet, compared to a Nosler BT. With the Sierra, I get better penetration, but the Nosler gives more dramatic kills.

Very accurate bullet in my 222mag and I run a stiff charge of Varget, 29.0grs to be exact. My speeds are 3,550fps. This had me concerned about pressures, even though I had no signs, so I backed off to 28.5grs.
 
k-22hornet, I have a 222mag in a model 7 and saw your load of 29grs of varget with a 55gr bullet. I looked at hodgdon's web site for the 222mag and do not see varget listed. please tell me where you got your load from as it appeals to me. thanks spike
 
k-22hornet, I have a 222mag in a model 7 and saw your load of 29grs of varget with a 55gr bullet. I looked at hodgdon's web site for the 222mag and do not see varget listed. please tell me where you got your load from as it appeals to me. thanks spike
 
Not a varget fan, doesn't meter well for me. But the 55 Sierra hpbt shoots well for me behind near max load of benchmark. Meters better,temp stable and very clean burning.
 
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Spike,

I use load data for the 223 and increase the charge a bit.

The 222mag has about 5% more case capacity than a 223 and Hodgdon lists 27.5gr of Varget as max with 55gr in a 223.
 
I shoot the 55 gr gameking over 25.6 gr of varget. I get true 1 inch groups with it. I the sierra load data shows 27 gr of varget to be the max load for that bullet. I have not cronnoed it yet. But with the 16" barrel on my sporticle it cant be verry fast.
 
Just finished with my load devlopment this morning with 55gr Sierra GameKing BTHP and ended up with 26gr Varget.
Group size was great .385 at 106 yds.
And .955 at 200yds with 18" rock river.
Now look out coyotes this little bullet is comming your way.
 
I have both the 55 grain GK and the sierra 60 grain varminter loaded up for my .223 both are very accurate, which would you use for coyote? Most shots will be under 200 yards. I did shoot one dog last year with the 55 gk at about 150 yards and wasn't terribly impressed with the results. First shot hit the dog in the chest and put it down, but he quickly got back up and started walking away, hit him again in the neck which put him down again but I was still seeing lots of movement as if he was trying to get up again, so a third shot was required to anchor him for good. It wasn't a real big dog either, bullets were passing right through with a small exit, I think I wasn't getting enough expansion, which is hard to believe with the large hp they have. I had selected the GK because it was known as a tough bullet, but maybe too tough on smaller dogs? Are the 60's as tough? or do the expand better? Not really looking for a frangible bullet though in the event that a get a shot at a real big one, I,m worried about lack of penetration.
 

What twist rate is your barrel? The 60gr Sierra works well when you spin it fast enough or so it seemed to me. Very accurate too!
The 55gr BTHP is a tough bullet I load them in 22-250's for deer/hogs and have used them in the .223 also but I had the same experience of complete pass-thru's on coyotes.
 
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60g Sierra Varmint is more of a deer bullet than a Varmint bullet. Shot out of a 1-7, 1-8, or perhaps a 1-9 twist(?) with higher RPM's might open up better on coyotes.

The 55g Sierra is one of the very best bullets on the market for coyotes, great on quartering shots of a 22/250, 22/250 AI, 223.

Also, Velocity is a major determining factor in kill power because of the temporary wound cavity that is created by the bullet's shock wave. If your velocity is low, then the temp wound cavity is smaller, rupturing less tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. As yardage increases, the size of the temporary wound cavity decreases meaning less tissue and nerve damage.

The very fastest velocty in a 223 with the 55's is achieved with Vitourvori N-135 and it is not unrealistic to expect 3450 fps out of a 24" barrel with a 1-12 or 1-14 twist rate with extreme accuracy, and in some barrels I have got the very best accuracy at 3500 fps with the 55g.

The vast majority of coyotes that I have killed with a 223 has been with a load of 26.5g of Win 748, with a 55g Winchester Soft point or Sierra 55g Spt at 3050-3150 depending on the gun, and I did kill an antelope with this load at 430 yards. This load did not destroy pelts, but with the low velocity, I never considered it a longer range load with 250 yards being about as long as I ever had to kill with this load.

I used the 55g Sierra Spt for the various 22/250's using win 760 with velocities of 3600-3650 which did a supurb job on coyotes (with a little sewing needed at times).

Coyotes are a tough critter to put down. I did a lot of bullet testing on coyotes after the fur market crash in the mid 80's. Simply hang up a coyote up in a tree or on a barb wire fence and shoot again, aim for hip or shoulder to check for penetration or surface splash. 1 1/4" orange stick on pasters from the local stationary store or Wal Mart work very well. Also, do your testing at different ranges...don't just back up to 50 yards and expect the same wound channels at ranges of 100,150, and 200 yards. I wish that I had kept records of my findings. If you do bullet testing on dead carcus', you will be amazed at your findings and how bullets you think are fantastic will cost you animals due to poor penetration, surface explosion on Ribs, hips, skulls, and shoulders.

Things have changed a lot, more folks are opting for AR's with very low velocities with quick follow up shots, and the 60g V Max would be a world class choice for that package due to it's great penetration and expansion in 1-12 or faster twists.
 
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My rifle is a 22" barrel with a 1-12 twist, but it shoots the 60's quite well. I have both the 60 v max as well as the sierra, with the sierra being more accurate. I should be getting about 3150 fps out of the 60's and close to 3300 out of the 55's. I use 26g of H4895 for the 60's and 26.5 grains in the 55's. Not sure how the rate of twist can affect bullet performance on the animal, thought it only determined how a rifle would shoot a particular weight of bullet?
 
Originally Posted By: tackMy rifle is a 22" barrel with a 1-12 twist, but it shoots the 60's quite well. I have both the 60 v max as well as the sierra, with the sierra being more accurate. I should be getting about 3150 fps out of the 60's and close to 3300 out of the 55's. I use 26g of H4895 for the 60's and 26.5 grains in the 55's. Not sure how the rate of twist can affect bullet performance on the animal, thought it only determined how a rifle would shoot a particular weight of bullet?

The Sierra 60gr Varminter as Ackleyman mentioned is tougher jacketed than the 60 gr VMax so it will not expand as easily as the VMax so you get less DRT's and some runners and pass-thrus. The faster the twist of the barrel will spin the bullet faster in THEORY to possibly cause it to exhibit more rapid expansion thus quicker kills. Hope that makes sense.

I will use my little experience with the 60gr Sierra as an example.
I started using the 60gr Varminter in a 1/9 twist 24 inch barreled .223 and it worked just fine rarely got exits and killed great.
I then switched to a 1/10 twist 20 inch barrel and loosing about 300fps speed and slower twist barrel and the next few coyotes I shot the bullet went right thru them and they would run 20-30yds. This was not extensive testing by any means but it was enough to get me to start trying different bullets to see if I could get more consistent results.
 
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I've loaded em with both imr4064 and ram shot tac with rem 7 1/2's and win brass..they easily do 1/2" groups out of my RRA 20" pp. My fav bullets are Sierra 65gr gk's, they put some holes through hogs and I typically get 1/4" groups at the range. I've also loaded and tried the Sierra 63gr smp and hornady 60gr sp all with tac, rem 7 1/2 and win or lc 06 brass. Good luck with all of them, just a little different POI.
 
good post AckleyMan.
the sierra 55 spbt is a killing bullet. no matter what the velocity. pounds coyotes into the dirt!!!
 
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