Is Sierra stuck in the sands of time?

[Guest]

Thing is, I really do think I want a 70, if only just to have one. But that ULW is spectacular, and would be second nature to operate. But the 70 has a 26" barrel, and it's not a bad slice of walnut on it, either. I just missed the deal of the century on a beat up Ruger 77 Express in 7mmRemMag, wearing a very nice piece of Circassian Walnut in need of some TLC. Nothing a stip and hand rubbed oil finish could not cure, of course. Price on that one? $299. I called and the guy I talked to said it was heading out the door as we were talking. Unreal. The 70 intrigues me. Just not an impulse buyer as far as rifles go, I suppose. But one day a 70 will make it into my safe, if only to have one.

 

[SJB358]

You'd dig a nice Model 70 Dub. I respect your love of the Weatherbys as my sickness runs deep with the Model 70's.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, Scotty, I talk a good game, but in reality, I like rifles. I love my 'bees, and I really do think they're some of the best production rifles and chamberings available, no doubt. But I'll take a good Ruger, Winchester, Browning, or older Remington without hesitation. Or a Sako, Steyr, Cooper, Kimber, Mauser, Howa, Marlin...

 

[TBASTIAN]

Stuck in the sands of time? Yes. Because they've found perfection for medium sized game? Quite possibly.

The Sierra 165 grain BTSP Gameking is my "go-to" bullet for Mulies, Blacktails, and Whitetail Deer. 2,800 FPS out of my Browning A-Bolt .30-06.

A picture says a thousand words.

 

[SJB358]

Stuck in the sands of time? Yes. Because they've found perfection for medium sized game? Quite possibly.

The Sierra 165 grain BTSP Gameking is my "go-to" bullet for Mulies, Blacktails, and Whitetail Deer. 2,800 FPS out of my Browning A-Bolt .30-06.

A picture says a thousand words.

Nice, those do look pretty good.. I will say that..

 

[super-7]

Yep nothing wrong with those, I'd say that 08' &06' velocitys bring out the best in the GK and PH line. If an animal is in the freezer it's pretty hard to claim bullet failure IMO.

 

[DrMike]

Yep nothing wrong with those, I'd say that 08' &06' velocitys bring out the best in the GK and PH line. If an animal is in the freezer it's pretty hard to claim bullet failure IMO.

+1

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have only owned one Weatherby, a Mark V Alaskan which I restocked with a Euromark stock. There are a coupe of things that I did not like about the Mark V. Firstly, the action is too large heavy for anything under the .378 Bee. Secondly, I do not like the trigger-sear arrangement and design. The sear engagement length is tricky to set up and the sear pin is a MIM's part which IMHO will never break as clean as a Model 70 (old model) sear. I put a Timney trigger in mine and it helped.

Although I admit, that I would like to have a .240 Weatherby, Mark V Deluxe just as a vanity wish. I also would like a modern Super Grade Model 70 but wish in one hand and.......................

 

[FOTIS]

Stuck in the sands of time? Yes. Because they've found perfection for medium sized game? Quite possibly.

The Sierra 165 grain BTSP Gameking is my "go-to" bullet for Mulies, Blacktails, and Whitetail Deer. 2,800 FPS out of my Browning A-Bolt .30-06.

A picture says a thousand words.

The only sierra that I have seen act like these was the 375 caliber 300 gr BT.

The others looked pretty much chewed up with the classic jacket core separation.

 

[bullet]

I have seen many that look like that and especially the 165gr HPBT that is even a tougher bullet than the 165gr SBT (of course out of my 30-06's through the years)

 

[JD338]

I have used Sierra in the past for load development and target shooting but have never used them on game.
In my experience, the GK shoots to the same POI as the Nosler BT.

JD338

 

[bullet]

Yes JD they do, that is why my good 180gr load for my 3006 is going to be the 180gr BT to use the better BC even though both the Sierra and BT have the same point of impact. The BT will work a little better with my Accu Range, but both will terminally be pretty much the same.

 

[Horsethief]

First off, I will admit that I did not read all eight pages of response to the question of Sierra being stuck in the sands of time.

Secondly, they are quite comfortable right where they are.I will hardly agree that they are stuck.

There are plenty of bonded, solid, and glided metal bullets out there, so Sierra adding to the mix is not going to change much. Their production plant is Sedalia, Missouri is quite a place. I toured it with one of their ballistic technicians. The whole tour took about 90 minutes, including the underground test range. Most of what Sierra was making were 168gn Match Kings for shipment to Federal. There were some 150gn FMJs and some plastic tipped varmit rounds being finished up also. I was very impressed with how they make bullets.

The whole process is simple when you see it and very complicated to describe if you know little about bullets. At the end of the process, each Match King's are inspected for five different things by five different people. Each bullet is weighed. Each boat tail is checked for the proper angle/length. Each meplant is hand-tuned to the correct depth and width. Each bullet is inspected for flaws in its appearance---I'm not kidding. I don't remember the fifth check, but it happens. Trust me.

The last test a run of bullets goes through is firing in the underground range. Varget was the powder for the test run on the 168 SMKs. That particular batch of bullets passed the accuracy test shooting, so the whole lot was shipped to Federal.

I have watched my son take two white tail bucks with his 7mm Rem Mag loaded with 140gn Sierra Game Kings. The first buck dropped in its tracks with the bullet stuck under the hide on the back side of the ribs. The second buck was hit at 380yds and made it about 30 yards across a stubble field before it flopped down in the dirt hotel.

I don't think Sierra is stuck in the sands of time. I have great respect for what they make and how they make it.

 

[FOTIS]

I guess if you do not run RUMs or weatherby cartridges where ranges can be under 200 yards you're good.

 

[bullet]

I guess if you do not run RUMs or weatherby cartridges where ranges can be under 200 yards you're good.

That could be a misnomer FOTIS. I have run 165gr HPBT G/K at 3325fps out of a Mark V Weatherby and hit not only deer and hogs but a balck bear all under 100yds and with that bullet had all exits and DRT for the deer, hogs and the bear. Also, my 257/300Wby moving a 120gr HPBT over 3600fps I had all exits. NOTE: i am referencing the HPBT G/K which is a stronger bullet than the regular G/K. Now all of this said, even though Bergers and some other Sierra bullets come apart (and designed to kill this way) they still are affective killers, but the HPBT it a major for real thumper and in my opinion the best Cup Core bullet for hunting that is made along with some of the Speer Hot Core.

I hear this meat destruction argument and want to laugh, because I want the animal dead and dead quickly, because one it is humain and secondly I don't like having to go find them. That is why I love the 165gr G/K and the 180gr Nosler Ballistic in my 30-06 and when I had my 300 Weatherby's. Game went down quick with the 300 and they also do and did with the 06's I have owned. Now I have really hunted a lot in my life and killed so much game I have lost track of how many depending on the species, and that is here and overseas in Africa and very seldom have I been in need of a bonded bullet. To top all of this off, the bullet that most bullets are compared to for killing big tough and dangerous game is not a bonded bullet although it has a Partition and that is the Nosler Partition.

If someone thinks he needs a bonded bullet to kill every thing in NA all the power to him, of course he better watch his shots beyond 300yds as far as killing with the same effectiveness as a cup core bullet. I have killed all but Moose and brown bear in NA with cup core bullets and have not lost any game in using them (of course shot placement is a key no matter what bullet). There are quit a few who have taken moose with 7mm08 and the Partition. Now I love the AccuBond and Northfork, but unless I was hunting a Brown bear or Cape buffalo and like game, the bonded bullet is really not needed. I would not have said all of this if I had not tried bonded, monolithic and cup core bullets on a lot of game. I don't think it is luck that I have taken so many different types of game with a cup core bullet and the main three have been Sierra G/K, Nosler Ballistic Tip and Speer Hot core and even in my 375Wby took large game using a Sierra G/K and all one shot kills.

 

[FOTIS]

I can believe that Mike. However because of the great LR possibilities my Rums and wbies have I would not hinder them with lower BC HP.

I know I want my Kate and Edith too!

 

[bullet]

I can believe that Mike. However because of the great LR possibilities my Rums and wbies have I would not hinder them with lower BC HP.

I know I want my Kate and Edith too!

The BC on my 160gr Hot Core is 519 and the Ballistic tip and Berger are high BC bullets and heavy for caliber Sierra Game King SBT are fairly good BC and if you truly are a long range shooter the bonded bullets don't do you any favors in BC or performance way down range. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Now the new long range Nosler that are coming out could change this.

 

[FOTIS]

Technical Information
Caliber: 7mm
Bullet Diameter: 0.284
Bullet Weight: 160 Grains
Bullet Length: 1.410"
Bullet Style:Accubond Spitzer Boat Tail
Bullet Coating: Non-Coated 

Ballistics Information: 
Sectional Density: 0.283
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.531
Optimal Performance: 1800 fps minimum

I will take that over a Sierra or a speer anyday. Great for long range and will not break up at short range.

 

[bullet]

Technical Information
Caliber: 7mm
Bullet Diameter: 0.284
Bullet Weight: 160 Grains
Bullet Length: 1.410"
Bullet Style:Accubond Spitzer Boat Tail
Bullet Coating: Non-Coated 

Ballistics Information: 
Sectional Density: 0.283
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.531
Optimal Performance: 1800 fps minimum

I will take that over a Sierra or a speer anyday. Great for long range and will not break up at short range.

If Noslers BC had not been independently demonstrated to be exaggerating their BC I would buy into your point. Even Nosler knows they needed to produce a new line of long range bullets that had truly better BC. I have yet to have an AccuBond pan out in true range testing with my LR or BDC impact marks on my scopes when putting their listed BC into the calculator and try the ballistic info the given to actually pan out in the field. Of course neither did Speer but not as off the mark as the AccuBond and the Seirra's have always been close to the marks on my LR when tested in the field to see if they are hitting like the ballistic program says they ought to.

And further more, what is a good BC exaggerated or not going to do for you way down range if the bonded bullet does not open really well? Not much in the way of a quick kill, that is why the New Nosler long range bullets are designed with a much thinner jacket up front to open up way down range and Nosler knows this, that is why the are coming out with the new bullet which lets you know the original AccuBond does not perform as well way down range as do cup core bullets like the Ballistic tip, Speer and Sierra bullet do. If they did Nosler would not have gone to the trouble of producing a new line of long range bullets.

 

[Horsethief]

The LR Nosler's are worth checking out for their long range accuracy, in my opinion. As it was correctly stated, shot placement is the most important thing, and with a capable bullet designed for hunting you'll take the animal.
With a thinner jacket in part of the bullet, the Nolser LRs ought to open up better. I see that as an advancement in design. Choose a LR or a regular AccuBond----you're going to be OK depending on where you hit the animal.
A friend took a mulie doe at 625yds with a Hornady 178gn Match bullet, using an old 300 Wby Mag. The bullet went through both shoulders and dropped the animal in its tracks.
The latest two deer I took were both long shots with regular Hornady 180gn Interlocks from my 300 Wby Mag. Both bullets did exactly what they needed to do. It's the nut behind the gun more than anything else.