Sierra bullets-Help

GrizleyHunter

GrizleyHunter

New member
Of course it is the weekend and cant call Sierra to talk to them so here goes my question.

6mm bullets (243)
Been wondering if the 70gr matchking #1505 and the
85 gr gameking #1530 are constructed the same such as case thickness and lead bonding.
They are both BTHP

The reason I ask is I would like to use the 70gr for hunting but not if the bullet wont hold up as well as the 85gr gameking.
 
Of course they aren't the same, they are two different bullets. The 70 gr. is a MATCHKING and the description of the MK and GK bullets is easily found on the Sierra website. Matchking bullets are thinly jacketed and designed for accuracy first and foremost, as opposed to the GAMEKING designed for actually hitting meat. The lighter weight Matchking will not "hold up" the same as the heavier weight GameKing bullet. The Sierra 85 gr. HPBT GK is a dandy bullet and very useful.
 
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GC
I have been all over their web site and it does not say one thing about if they are thinly jacketed or not and that is why I posted the question.The web site could use a little better discription of each bullet.If their is a better discription I can not find it.
 
GC summed it up well.

All about all I can add, in reference to "lead bonding" is that neither are what you would call bonded core bullets.

The 85gr SGK is an excellent all around bullet IMO.....
 
2MG
I agree,I just used that term so I could relay a bit more about the question.
I use the 85gr game king and when I measure them or seat bullets they are all over the place and it makes it hard to seat to the same depth from the lands.
I was hoping(if constructed correctly for my purpose)that the 70gr would be more uniform and work for both coyotes and hunting a bit larger game.
 
The HPBT GameKing seats as accurately and consistently as the MatchKing does. It may not measure as accurately depending upon your method of doing so, but the bullets should be as consistently seated all things the same. Think about what part of the bullet contacts the seating plug in the die and what part contacts the lands in the rifle barrel - and then what part you are measuring from when you simply measure COAL with a pair of calipers? Not the same is it? Ogive is what you should be considering.
 
I have shot 70 grain matchkings some. I shot a coyote with one a few years back & it 'penciled' right on through. We did recover the coyote within sight. I used them because I had loaded up a batch for accuracy testing.

Like the others said, I would use the 85 grn gameking as an all around 243 bullet. Even the 85 grain GK may not open up much before exciting with a soft tissue shot on a coyote.
 
Are you measuring to the tip or the ogive?

Do you have a bullet comparator?

Like GC said, the consistency should be about the same with either bullets......
 
CG---TMG
Hornady LNL Comparator on the way from Sinclair.
But dont I still need and dummy round to compare that measurment to!!!

What I have now is a rod with adjustable stops that measures from bolt face than to tip of bullet when inserted by hand to the lands.
I know that is not as accurate as measuring from the ogive because the lenght of the points are not always the same.
 
Measuring to the tips is much more inconsistent than measuring to the ogive.

I suspect that when you measure with a comparator, your lengths will not be as "off" as you may have thought.......
 
Originally Posted By: GrizleyHunterCG---TMG
Hornady LNL Comparator on the way from Sinclair.
But dont I still need and dummy round to compare that measurment to!!!


I know that is not as accurate as measuring from the ogive because the lenght of the points are not always the same.


yes you still need a dummy round to measure off, but like you and the others have said, the length to the point varies and when seating off the ogive and then measuring to the point you will also measure that variability and it will frustrate you.
 
My gun (in .223) shoots 69gr MK great. However a friend told me that they are not recommended for hunting. I called Sierra myself and asked about using them for coyote hunting. He told me that if you hit bone, no problem, but as Muskrat said, but he told me that if you hit soft tissue they would not open but pencil through.

Therefore, I quit using them and went to their hollow point. They also make a 70gr BK for .243 which I plan to use when my 6mm DTI arrives.

I will say I have heard others state that they use MK for hunting with good results. I however, don't want to take the chance and use their BK bullets.
 
Buster Hindend
Thanks
I still will call Sierra and talk to them about the 70gr MK and it is a BTHP.
I would like to stay with a 70gr bullet because my rifle shoots 70s just great and have been having a hard time to get 5 shot groups as small as I would like them to be with the 85gr nozler partition.
My twist rate is 1/12 and might not be helping.
I want to be able to put a hog down when one shows up and I think a tuff 70gr bullet can do that (I hope)?
 
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Your twist rate is just fine for 70gr bullets, but may be slow for the 85gr. This would depend mainly on how fast you are pushing them.

The 85gr SGK is a good choice and worth a try, IMO.

The 70gr SMK is definitely NOT a hunting bullet.......
 
It is borderline for the 85s, IMO.

If you can push them fast enough (safely), you may have a winner.

I'd try it myself.......
 
TMG
My 85gr nozler partitions are moving 3200fps on avg.
Using 39.6 gr varget and set back from the lands .010
This load did good but not good enough sub MOA but I can not get all 5 shots to stay in the group,one always seems to fly outside the group by about .750
I am going to step up the powder charge to 39.7 and wait for my bullet comparator to get here to set bullets a little better.
These speeds are comming from a 22" barrel
Nozler load data calls for 39.5 max load but I feel 39.7 to 39.8 should be no problem
 
37.3 gr. IMR 4064 is a load I have used with great success with multiple bullets in the 85-87gr. weight class. In multiple 243s. For years.

4064 and 4350 are the only 2 powders I use anymore in my 243s. I still load for 4 of them.

If you have some 4064, try said load with your partitions.....
 


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