Sierra Game Changers?

W

William Suter

Well-known member
I just cracked the seal on a new box of 30 cal, 165 grain Game Changers and plan on working up a load for a 308 Win that I plan on hunting with this year. Have any of you used this bullet on deer and hogs? How was the performance? I have several compatible powders and primers and was kinda planning on starting with Varget powder. Any better powders? I use IMR4895 in a different 308 with great results but I have 8 lbs of Varget so that's why I was starting with it.
 
No experience with the game changers. But I know a 175gr SMK work great on deer as long as you keep the velocity up, thats key.

I would try those 2 powders since you have them. IMR4064 is another good one. Roomer has it thats the powder in the Gold metal match
 
I purchased a couple boxes of the .284 150 gr on clearance. I get home and reviews seem to point to hard to work up loads for. I have a 5th edition Sierra book haven't looked to see if they are in it.
 
I read on the internet (so it has to be true) that you will never find a load node jumping half a grain of powder. That there is just to much difference per load, so I'm trying what they recommended which was 3/10s. I'm starting out with Varget powder mainly because I have so much on hand. I'm also using Winchester primers and I'll say up front, I don't like them to much. To me they seemed loose seating in the pocket. But if they work, they work??? I load for three different 308's now and am trying to keep components separate. Three rifles, three different types of brass and three different powders. Its the best way I know to keep things from getting more confusing than they are. Hell I wake up in the morning confused so its just another day in the life.
 
I've had exactly 1 runner in the last 15 years (white tail around 400 yds). 6.5 PRC with a 130 TGK. That said...it's one of my most accurate rifles and I'm comfortable enough with the rifle, that the results of one bullet blunder isn't enough to sway my decision. The gun shoots crazy accurate, so I'll continue to use them until I have multiple issues.

Ironically, my go to bullet has always been a 6mm Dtac bullet flying around 3200 fps. (From a variety of 6mm cartridges)
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.30 cal, 165g game changer. From a .308. Factory ammo, so cant help with load data. But ive used them on a couple bears, and also the gamechangers out of my 223 on a cougar and coyotes, and 243 on coyotes. All clean kills. Furthest runner was this boar that made it 30 or 40 yards and dropped cold dead without so much as a moan. I like these bullets.
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William Suter said:
I have several compatible powders and primers and was kinda planning on starting with Varget powder. Any better powders? I use IMR4895 in a different 308 with great results but I have 8 lbs of Varget so that's why I was starting with it.
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Had one 308 bolt gun and a .308 Garand match rifles back in the day. My favorites were all 30-06 which had an edge on the 308's, especially long range (600 & beyond), but I did quite a lot of loading/shooting w/the 308s. My favorite powder for both the 06 and 308s for short range was h4895. Long range used some 4350 & 4064, all w/regular Fed 210's and 210 Match primers for the long range.
41.5 gr h4895 w/168 gr. SMK's shot very close to same ballistics as 7.62 GI Match ammo in both the bolt gun and Garand.
Varget came along shortly before I had to hang it up. Experimented with it, but never switched over from 4895 so can't say from personal experience. A lot of match shooters were using Varget, however, so I'm sure it will work just fine.
 
Not a better powder, but H-4895 is a good one for sure.
I also use Varget.
With the these powders, I have 115, 168, 180, and 200 grain bullets.
The 180 and 200 grain loads are for my F-TR rig, and I use Varget there.
 
c_bass16 said:
I've had exactly 1 runner in the last 15 years (white tail around 400 yds). 6.5 PRC with a 130 TGK. That said...it's one of my most accurate rifles and I'm comfortable enough with the rifle, that the results of one bullet blunder isn't enough to sway my decision. The gun shoots crazy accurate, so I'll continue to use them until I have multiple issues.

Ironically, my go to bullet has always been a 6mm Dtac bullet flying around 3200 fps. (From a variety of 6mm cartridges)
View attachment 17306View attachment 17305
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DAANG thats a shooter!!
 
I have loads tuned loads for the TGK's in 7 REM MAG and 270 Win. Both have 200 yard, 5 shot, 1 inch groups under their belt. I would say on average, with my shooting ability I get around 1.7" 5 shot groups.

I took a Deer last year with the 140gr .277 TGK. I was very impressed. Nice small entry hole, Nice bigger exit hole with no sign of shrapnel, or bullet disintegration. (Unlike the 143gr ELD-X out of the 6.5 PRC from this years Deer)

Both shots taken from 225 yards.

To be fair, the ELD-X shot was a high shoulder shot (bone and chassis only) that put the animal in a drunken stuper for about 20 feet, Bang, hesitate, flop.

With younger children at the table, and endless videos on youtube showing these fine lead particulates 6-7 inches from the wound channel, I am starting to consider copper bullets. I have not made the switch just yet though. I am really cutting off meat far and wide from any bullet hole.

One of the better things that has helped me in recent years is shooting a lot with my AR15 A4 with iron sights, sitting, standing and prone. It really helps with accuracy in the field. (getting away from that bench)
 
I use 4895 in my Deviance 308 and get amazing accuracy. I use 4895 and Varget in my Savage and the jury is still out on which shoots best as they both work very good in that rifle. This rifle is a CA Mesa with a skinny barrel and will be used mainly for hunting. I have some test loads worked up to try using the Game Changes and Varget. If the rain lets up I will try those first.
 
So i mounted a cheap spare scope on a ruger american predator 223, went to zero the scope today. Shot these two 3 shot groups with factory gamechanger ammo at 100yrds and theyre all high and right except the one flyer. I assumed operator error until i picked up my brass and saw this little guy. I betcha thats the flyer. I then adjusted for zero leaving the one bad shot out of the equation. Shot a lot of this ammo and never seen this. A little concerning.
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The primer looks fine, im assuming it was a defect in the brass. For the record the flyer, presumably from tge split case, was shot number 2 out of 6. The following 4 shots all had the same poi as the first shot, so i dont think the rifle is damaged in any way. I fired off a message to sierra with the lit# to make sure there are no recalls. I would have shot more after this, but the wind kicked up and it wouldve been a waste of ammo, then it started pouring rain.
 
hm1996 said:
Does sound like the case since primer OK. Be intersting to see Sierra's response.
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Ill update when i hear back from them. My thought, with my history of shooting this ammo, is freak defect in the brass of this one cartridge. All signs point toward that. And shit happens. Their factory ammo has been the most accurate, consistent ammo ive shot in several rifles. But i still figured this was worth mentioning here.
 
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