6mm 85 Grain Sierra Gameking

I let a buddy use my 243 using that bullet. He shot a decent mule deer buck that was quarting toward. Hit the point of the shoulder, broke it and bullet was lodged and the rear ham. Bullet nearly penetrated the full length of the deer. Shot was at about 150. No tracking on this one. It is however my only big game experience with the bullet. I do know that it has a tendency to dang near cut a coyote in half though.
 
Several years ago, I shot a large whitetail buck with my 243 and the 85 grain Sierra Gameking. I was using a max load of W760 and had chronographed it at 3300 fps. The deer was hit in the shoulder and went down on the spot. It was almost dark, and I took several minutes to get to the deer thinking it was dead. I pulled up to it on my 4-wheeler and the deer was trying to get up, so I finished it off. The first shot apparently broke the shoulder, and pretty much disabled the buck, but simply did not penetrate enough bone to get to the vitals. I had killed a few other deer with that load, all being close range neck shots. I've not used it on deer since, going to a 95 grain Nosler BT. I am of the opinion that it is not a practical choice for deer, as there are better choices in the 243. Yes, it will work most of the time, but why use it when you could be using something better.
 
I've got the same bullets loaded in my 243 wssm. I want to mainly use it for coyote or whatever. Good info though I want to use this for couse deer or even Julie next year
 
No it's not the norm. I'm just throwing out a feeler. Maybe I was too high. I just wanted to hear or see some exit pics or stories.
 
Originally Posted By: nastynatesfishI've got the same bullets loaded in my 243 wssm. I want to mainly use it for coyote or whatever. Good info though I want to use this for couse deer or even Julie next year

Poor Julie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
smile.gif
 
This is my recovered bullet. I shot a doe around 100lbs. The shot was around 90 yards it destroyed the front shoulders. There was about a golf ball size hole maybe a little bigger than that through both shoulders. The bullet was under the skin on the far side. Bullet Sierra 85gr HPBT Recovered weighted 21.4gr. Shot with my 6mmDTI. Bullet velocity I'm guessing around 3000 to 3100.
IMG_1205.jpg
IMG_1204.jpg
 
Thank you! Those look like they held together well. The buck I shot was prolly close to 200#'s. He had more mass on the antlers then this one. My buddy shot this one, with my 6.8 SPC from Scott @ SD. 110g. Vmax @ 2600 fps from about 150 yards. The Vmax punched striaght threw ribs and turned his lungs into soup. He was about 220#s and only made it about ten steps after the impact.
A9B67B48-6899-4BE3-A92A-FF7E4027A401-8640-0000101C3D0B9BC8-1.jpg
 
Hey rem22250

Cool recovered bullets. I've heard some good thing about the 85g Sierra, the recovered weight looks to be on the light side though.

Mike

So where in Roch do you live? I live in Roch also.
 
My antelope & .243", 85g SGKHP at 225 yards. This was at 2818 fps in my 6x45 though.
Darn small hole as it went in through his right shoulder through the body at a quartering angle and stopped under the hide on his left rear thigh.
Bullet retention was 79.8 grs also.
antelope004.jpg
 
North Chili.

Has any one tried the Speer Deepcurl bullets they are bonded by electro-plating the jacket onto the lead. The have 80g, and 90g, 6mm versions. If I ever get my crap togather and build the rifle I am planning to build, they are high on the list to test.

Mike
 
I have shot deer and antelope with my 240 wby and this bullet with good results all the time. Velocity around 3500fps, its one of the few bullets that takes the velocity of this cartridge and doesnt splash on me.
 
Originally Posted By: MPFDI'm asking cause I had my faith rattled last night in the 85 grain Gameking. I took a perfect board side shot at a buck last night with a 85 g. HPBT Sierra at 180 yards. Deer crumpled, hit 2-3" right behind the shoulder, saw all four legs in the air. Bullet did not exit. Went to jack in another shell and when I looked up it was running full speed back at the creek. Never found any blood, only some scratches in the dirt where it floundered around on the ground. I combed a square 1/4 mile last night with my brother, son and dog. I never found a spec of blood, nothing. I would have thought that the hydrostatic shock alone would have been enough to at least slow it down. I calculated that it absorbed about 1400 ft/lbs of energy. I saw the bullet hit the deer through the scope, I have no question that it was a good shot. I called Sierra and asked if at 3300 fps I was pushing it too fast? They are baffled that it didn't exit as well...

I used to use that bullet in my 243, I never had one exit on deer, the only one exit I ever got from that bullet was an antelope I shot in the neck it never touched bone either. Also not one single animal required a 2nd shot. As far as putting em down it's deadly, I do prefer a pass through, just makes me feel better about it.
 
Why do so many people insist on using light bullets on deer? The 85 has a great reputation, but it is still a light bullet. Step up to a 100 grain bullet and the results will stay more consistent.

I have shot a lot of deer (over 100) with my 6mm using 100 grain Hornady Interlocks and very rarely did they not exit. Even the bigger 6 mm bullets are not really very big, so use the heavier ones for deer.

I agree with the statement about Barnes bullets.
 
I shot a nice 8pt whitetail with my .270 when I was about 19, the buck was in a brush patch and I shot through the brush and nocked him on his rear, it took about 5min to gather up and find him, as i approached him he got to his feet and bolted in a matter of seconds I took a pop shot and missed, he was probably crowding that 140b&c mark, there was a good amount of blood and I looked for him for 2 days and never found him, the only thing i figured was I hit him just under the spine and it stunned him.
 
Originally Posted By: EJ ReichenbachI just bought a box of 243 sierra HPBT game kings to replace the 80gr NBT's. Hope they do better on yotes

I've shot quite a few coyotes with both bullets you mention. I have never seen a bullet destroy a coyote fur like an 80g Nosler Ballistic Tip. I've also shot a bunch with the 85g Sierra HPBT and fur damage was a mixed bag. I've had a bunch with nickle sized exit holes, but once and a while you get one where the exit hole is the size of a volley ball. Lately I've shot a few with my barnes 85g tsx load with pencile holes in and out. Will qualify that with I've only shot a few with that bullet, so probably not enough to qualify an opinion yet.
 
Originally Posted By: bowhunt32Originally Posted By: EJ ReichenbachI just bought a box of 243 sierra HPBT game kings to replace the 80gr NBT's. Hope they do better on yotes

I've shot quite a few coyotes with both bullets you mention. I have never seen a bullet destroy a coyote fur like an 80g Nosler Ballistic Tip. I've also shot a bunch with the 85g Sierra HPBT and fur damage was a mixed bag. I've had a bunch with nickle sized exit holes, but once and a while you get one where the exit hole is the size of a volley ball. Lately I've shot a few with my barnes 85g tsx load with pencile holes in and out. Will qualify that with I've only shot a few with that bullet, so probably not enough to qualify an opinion yet.

Yea the 80gr NBT's are very hard on fur.
 
Back
Top