Sierra GameKing For Bear

[oneshotkill]

I have some really accurate loads that I worked up for my 30-06.  The bullet I used is a 165 grain Sierra GameKing SBT.  Do you think it is a decent bullet for killing a bear.  Have any of you used it on bear.  I can't find a ton of info on its construction to know if it is solid enough for bears. 
Thanks!

[Wenatcheejay]

I would guess they will do the job on black bear if you do yours. They do a lot of meat damage in my opinion but I have had a lot of DRT shots with deer and a few private ranch buffalo in .308.

[high country]

They are a cup and core bullet that hate to be overdriven, but in the right velocity window.....like yours, they work great. They are not going to be deep penetrators like a Barnes or partition, nor will they upset as violent as a berger......just a good middle of the road bullet. Choose reasonable angles and it will go just fine.

[bobcat]

Similar in performance to a Nosler Ballistic Tip. They will open up quickly, which is good if you hit it right. Just pick your shots carefully and you'll be fine.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I love sierra bullets as far as target shooting goes but not so much on big game .... they do expand quick like Bobcat said so you really do not want to hit bone 

[BOWHUNTER45]

does anyone shoot Hornaday Bullets besides me ?  sounds like I am always ignored when I talk about them but if you want bone crushing power and watch sheet hit the dirt then you best give them a try ....I shoot nothen but hornadays but they have always worked for me at all ranges and I cant see changing now 

[high country]

does anyone shoot Hornaday Bullets besides me ?  sounds like I am always ignored when I talk about them but if you want bone crushing power and watch sheet hit the dirt then you best give them a try ....I shoot nothen but hornadays but they have always worked for me at all ranges and I cant see changing now 

Did I hear something?

Hornady will give like performance unless using the sst which is more violent or the gmx which I am guessing should be like a Barnes....never used that one. The interlock and game king are like Ford vs chevy.

[oneshotkill]

I have a box of 168 gn Barnes triple shock bullets.  I just don't know if I will have time to work up and test/sight in a good load before I go hunting.  That would be my goal.  I just don't know if it will happen.  I will shoot to try to get those worked up but if I can't I will just be careful with the shots I take with the GameKings.  I was averaging 3/4 inch groups at 100yards with some groups as small as 1/2 inch.

[RadSav]

I too like Sierra's for target shooting and varmint shooting but would not shoot bear with them.  Deer great, but not bear.  Especially bear late in the season when the fat layer is so thick.  165 grain is marginal for .308 diameter in close range high velocity performance unless you have some sort of bonding or A frame type bullet.  With a standard cup style bullet in .308 180 grain would be much better.  I am one of the few that really do not like the Nosler Partition.  Every single bear I had to finish off in close quarters when guiding was initially shot with the Partition.  I am a huge fan of the Swift A-Frame if you want to go that style.

If you want that high BC boat tail target profile and want to hunt tough animals like bear and elk I might suggest Hornady InterBond or Nozler Accubond.  They usually fly great and perform very well whether you hit bone or just soft tissue.  I, like Bow45, do prefer the Hornady over the Nosler.  Has proven more consistent in terminal performance for me.

My personal favorite for bear has been the Speer Grand Slam.  Not all guns like to shoot it.  But if it flies well for you it is down right deadly and tackles soft tissue just as well as bone.

No bullet choice will over come poor shot placement.  But good shot placement can overcome poor bullet design.

Best of luck to you.

[BOWHUNTER45]

does anyone shoot Hornaday Bullets besides me ?  sounds like I am always ignored when I talk about them but if you want bone crushing power and watch sheet hit the dirt then you best give them a try ....I shoot nothen but hornadays but they have always worked for me at all ranges and I cant see changing now 

Did I hear something?

Hornady will give like performance unless using the sst which is more violent or the gmx which I am guessing should be like a Barnes....never used that one. The interlock and game king are like Ford vs chevy.

hahaha well I use interlocks more than the SST but I had no problems with the SST on deer and the Interlocks on bear Well just figure on them going night night 

[BOWHUNTER45]

I too like Sierra's for target shooting and varmint shooting but would not shoot bear with them.  Deer great, but not bear.  Especially bear late in the season when the fat layer is so thick.  165 grain is marginal for .308 diameter in close range high velocity performance unless you have some sort of bonding or A frame type bullet.  With a standard cup style bullet in .308 180 grain would be much better.  I am one of the few that really do not like the Nosler Partition.  Every single bear I had to finish off in close quarters when guiding was initially shot with the Partition.  I am a huge fan of the Swift A-Frame if you want to go that style.

If you want that high BC boat tail target profile and want to hunt tough animals like bear and elk I might suggest Hornady InterBond or Nozler Accubond.  They usually fly great and perform very well whether you hit bone or just soft tissue.  I, like Bow45, do prefer the Hornady over the Nosler.  Has proven more consistent in terminal performance for me.

My personal favorite for bear has been the Speer Grand Slam.  Not all guns like to shoot it.  But if it flies well for you it is down right deadly and tackles soft tissue just as well as bone.

No bullet choice will over come poor shot placement.  But good shot placement can overcome poor bullet design.

Best of luck to you.

yeah i remember my dad loading those Speer Grand Slams when I was a kid but do not remember if ever killed anything with them ... I just love how those Interlocks drop sheet and not so much  Bloodshot  meat ....

[Mike O]

I have a box of 168 gn Barnes triple shock bullets.  I just don't know if I will have time to work up and test/sight in a good load before I go hunting.  That would be my goal.  I just don't know if it will happen.  I will shoot to try to get those worked up but if I can't I will just be careful with the shots I take with the GameKings.  I was averaging 3/4 inch groups at 100yards with some groups as small as 1/2 inch.

The Barnes tipped triple shock (TTSX) factory ammo is probably the most accurate load I've found so far in both my .30-06 and .300 Win mag.  I've used them on deer (.300 in 165 gr) and would not hesitate to use them on black bear of any size, though I might step up to the 180 grain load with either rifle.

[hillbilli]

in my experience the interlock is a tougher bullet than a gameking. (it does have an inner belt like a corelokt) My experience with the gameking shows it to be pretty soft and frangible. i havent shot deer with it, but i have  abunch loaded for the 7mm-08, and I shot water jugs with it to see what to expect.. and i can see it being a effective deer bullet, but i dont think it would be ideal for a bigger or heavier boned animal like a larger bear or hog..  if you get time look at ballisticstudies.com under "knowledge base".. very detailed breakdown on bullet performance by caliber..

[Mike450r]

165 grn gameking will kill a black bear just fine.  You probably won't get a pass through but if you are confident it will go where you want it it will penetrate plenty.  I have killed 2 elk with .30-06 165 grn gamekings and both dropped in thier tracks.  Elk are a lot tougher than black bear in my opinion.

[grizzlyadams]

I have to agree with Radsav. I wouldn't use them on bear. The only thing I like for bear are the Hornady's like the rest of the guys on this thread. I use 165 grain GMX Superformance in my 300 wm. Bear are tough animals, even if your only talking about black bear. They are going to bolt on you even if hit right. The question is how far do you want to have to track them. I hunt black bear on the west side and don't want to have to track them in the thick stuff, so that's why I use the GMX. On a good broadside shot I can take out the shoulder, heart and lungs and since the load is GMX, I get a pass through out the other shoulder typically. They don't go anywhere!!!!