Sierra Pro Hunter on game performance.

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kilotanker22

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I have a pretty good load for my 270 wsm with the Sierra SBT Game King. Its moving at 3300 FPS. I have heard that The Pro Hunter is built a little tougher. Than the Game King. What are your experiences with the Pro Hunter either holding up, or not? Deer and black bear are the primary targets

At 100 yards the bullet will still be traveling at 3000 fps... At 200 its down to around 2750. I am not worries 200 yards and out. Will this bullet hold up at 3000 fps. The reason I ask is, because these are about half the price of a Mono, or bonded bullet.
 
Pro Hunters

I shoot the .30 /150 Pro Hunter in two of my .308 rifles, my loads pushing those slugs to about 2700 fps from their short 20" and 22" barrels. I've no complaints about that slug on our 150 lb deer. A pal has worked up a load with the Sierra .270/130 Game King running at 3000 fps from his 24" barreled rifle, and he is well pleased with the results.

I've read where some of the gun press experts claim that a standard cup and core boat tail slug is a bit more prone to shed its core, than a similar weight straight sided slug like the Pro Hunter. The logic is that the boat tailed rear cannot retain the lead core as easily than the straight sides at impact. I've had several Nosler Balistic Tips , .270/130, come apart on very average deer and quartering shots, so their may be some truth to that logic, but my sample pool is very small, 3-4 animals.

I've about abandoned the premium bullets (for me, that's Nosler Partitions and Ballistic Tips) due to cost, and I have never shot mono bullets, due to their cost as well. I just don't see the need on whitetails running under 200 lbs. A black bear can get much bigger, so for that, a tougher bullet might be a consideration.

Ya'know, I think I'd call Sierra and give'em your numbers and see what they say.
 
I've only used the Game Kings. About two-dozen each of Bambi bang-flops with .243 and '06. Never had to track.
 
I have used the 130's in a 270 Win twice. Two dead deer right where they stood. Since then I have been using the 180gr SGK in 300WM all resulting dead deer.
 
I've not used the Pro Hunter on game, I usually use the Game King. On pronghorn and mule deer the GK has never failed in my .243, .270 and .25-06. I've had some core and jacket separations with the GK bullets, but they always managed to kill a deer so it doesn't matter.

Probably the cup and core bullet that worried me the most was the Speer SPBT .375 270 grain bullet. I was preparing for an Alaskan black bear hunt with a .375 JDJ Encore rifle, I was getting excellent accuracy but it shed its jackets just going through a 1/2" asphalt impregnated board I was using for a target backer. I found the jackets just behind the target backer, and the lead cores continued into the berm about 15' away. I've shot a lot of Speer, Nosler, and Sierra bullets and this is the only caliber and bullet I shot where I didn't find both core and jacket in the berm. I switched to 260 grain Accubond bullets for my bear hunt.
 
Speer makes mention that their SPBT bullets are thin jacketed and should be used at distances >300 yds. I figgered that the velocities at those ranges might make them stay together better.
 
I use the 110 grain 270 in my 6.8SPCs now and then, but they always shed their jackets on deer and antelope. 100% of the time. So far I have shot 4 deer and 5 antelope with them.
If the construction was the same with only the weight being different, I would not be encouraged.

I have killed a lot more game with the 100 grain Remington from my 6.8s which is not as accurate, (1.2 MOA from the Remingtons and .6 MOA from the Sierras) but in all cases but one, the Remingtons have given me exits and I have not seen one blow up from my 6.8s on any deer, antelope or domestic sheep yet.

I get 2812 FPS average from my rifle and 2620 from my carbine and I have shot deer and antelope from as close as 70 yards and as far as 275.

In my 270 Winchesters and my 270 Short mag I have gone to tougher bullets. But keep in mind that I hunt elk with my 270s as well as deer and antelope, so I require more penetration then you would on deer alone.

I do not doubt the Sierra Pro-Hunters will kill the deer, but I personally believe there are many better choices.

The explosive effect of a 270 in the chest of most game drops them like lightning, but if you need to break big bone and you want exits every time, I would go with something tougher. Tougher bullets kill nearly as fast when they don't break into "metal sand", and you can still get 100% penetration from the tougher bullets so I don't see any extra virtue from bullets that blow up.

My old 270 Short mag loved 160 grain Nosler Partitions and I killed deer antelope and elk with it. I just could not fall completely in love with the rifle so I sold it (A Benelli R1 Auto) but I didn't have a single thing to complain about. It shot close to MOA and would kill game as well as you could ask for. The longest shot I ever made on an elk I made with that rifle and load.

As a side note, one 270 Pro-Hunter that I killed deer with years ago that worked VERY well was the 150 grain Round Nose, but Sierra doesn't make them anymore. I also saw good results from their 220 grain round nose in the 30-06 and 300 Win Mag.

So I have to say all Sierras are not "explosive" but the 270s spitzers in 110, 130 and 150 have all broken up when I have tried them in the past In 270 Winchester. I used some in the late 60s and the early 70s, but I gave up on them for hunting deer back then.

Today I like Noslers Partitions and Accubonds, Barnes TMX, Hornady Inner-Bonds, and I also have had excellent results from good old fashioned Winchester Power Points.
 
A friend was telling me the other day that Sierra was purchased by the same company that owns Dicks Sporting Goods. If this is the case, I'm through using Sierras...although I have purchased a number of them through the years.
 
Sierra was acquired by a company called Clarus some time ago.

Dick's Sporting goods is not owned by another company. Dick's Sporting goods is the parent company for for Field and Stream and several other companies.
 
even though sierras game king most accurate in me 270. at plus .30 cents a pill ,too steep for my liking ,unless I go to the store and purchase bulk ,which is not close tome
 
I shoot the sierra pro hunter in my 250/3000 improved 100gr at 31000fps It is deadly on deer and hogs. The accuracy is outstanding sub moa at all ranges
 
It's rather refreshing to be a junior as I am 81 and killed my first deer when I was 9 and at least 1 a year since.

My 250 imp is on a rem 788 action which is a very accurate action but a little rough.
 
Std7mag, you ask
"Ok, you lost the jacket and didn't get an exit wound. Did it kill the animal?
Or the tree 50 yards behind it? "

You should go read my post. Really read it.
It's already answered directly in that post. I was specific in addressing that point.
 
I've had my share of successes and failures in my 70+ years of hunting.I've taken deer and elk with everything from a 22/250 to a 8mm/06. I never lost a deer with the 22/250.they all dropped in their tracks not so with some of the other calibers. Shot placement is king as all hunter know but it can't be stressed enough, know your gun!!!
 
old roper said:
Sierra is owned by same Co that owns Dick's

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=who+owns+sieera+bullets


https://www.fieldandstream.com/field-and-stream-is-not-affiliated-with-dicks-sporting-goods
Click to expand...
Clarus does not own Dick's. Just because Dick's comes up under the "other things people search for tab" does not mean they are owned. By the same company. They are the parent company for Field and Stream store.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick%27s_Sporting_Goods

The parent company for Sierra is Clarus. Here is a link to a list of their subsidiary companies.

https://www.claruscorp.com/our-brands
 
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