Looks like I'm switching to the Sierra pro hunter.

[Alaska]

I killed a lot of deer years ago with the Sierra Pro Hunter in the 30-06 with IMR 4350.
Never had a problem with the bullet at 308 Win and 30-06 velocities.........performed very well on deer and black bear in Western NC. I prefer the Speer 165 Spitzer Hot Cor seems like slightly tougher bullet than the Sierra Pro Hunter in 308 win and 30-06.

Rem 742 in 30-06 suggest IMR 4895 or IMR 4064 and use the RCBS Small Base Sizer Die

 

[gerry]

Have to say the 180 gr Pro Hunter looks to be an excellent bullet Sierra recommends them for medium to large game. May need to try them on a bear this spring out of the new 30-06

https://www.sierrabullets.com/store/pro ... 180-gr-SPT

 

[Alaska]

Most problems occur with 180 Pro hunters that are pushed at Mag velocity levels and impact ranges are to close.
But at 30-06 / 308 levels it is perfect.
Just remember that Rem 742 takes a med burning powder loads just like the M1 Garand.
IMR 4985 or IMR 4064

If you need load data let me know for the Rem 742

 

[Alaska]

Ray
I re-learned a lesson last fall that I had learned years before. I was unable to use my primary hunting rifle so I went to my backup. I had developed some loads with it a couple of years ago and tested them and they shot very well. I wanted to use the AB but the groups were not nearly as tight as the other bullet. Later I shot a small cow elk in Wyoming at 300 yards, and the bullet did not hold together at all. I came home worked over the AB load and went hunting again. A few days later I shot a small bull elk at 300 yards and recovered 1 piece of lead weighting 120 grains with a perfect mushroom, textbook expansion. I haven't seen a Sierra Bullet come from an animal for a lot of years but when I did, dad and I switched to Nosler bullets. I guess the whole point of this post is that accuracy isn't everything in hunting situations, and bullet performance is important.

I learned a similar lesson this Fall myself. Just happens to be a Sierra bullet. I had jug tested a few Sierra bullets from my 444 Marlin, the 250 Full Profile Jackets. Every time I put them into jugs they came out PERFECT. Well, muzzleloader came around and decided to try them in the ML with BH209. They shot well, zeroed up nicely, so I hunted them. I also had .429 250 PTs that shot to the same POI... I said to myself, "self, how is a dinky Va WT going to hurt one of these Sierras". Well, I shot a buck at about 40 yards right on the front leg. Buck ran around me about 60 yards and flopped over, then a minute later had his head up. Well I loaded another and drilled him through the tops of the shoulders. Found the bullet down near his penis, perfectly mushroomed. Couldn't figure out why that first bullet didn't kill him dead. Once I skinned him I realized that bullet blew up on that front leg leg and just trauma'ed up the near lung.

Lesson learned by me, if I'm hunting for keeps, use the good stuff. Not a knock on Sierra or any other bullet company but I don't like losing animals I spend a lot of time trying to hunt, so I should have stuck with what I know will work every time.

Also, the 2nd recovered bullet was a perfectly mushroomed specimen. Same deer, two bullets that acted entirely different.

Ray, not saying those Sierras won't work excellent, just wanted to add my experience as to why I try to not leave anything to guess work. Noslers have NEVER let me down. I know that's a big statement, but I've taken enough animals now to know,they flat work when things go sideways.

 

[SJB358]

Ray
I re-learned a lesson last fall that I had learned years before. I was unable to use my primary hunting rifle so I went to my backup. I had developed some loads with it a couple of years ago and tested them and they shot very well. I wanted to use the AB but the groups were not nearly as tight as the other bullet. Later I shot a small cow elk in Wyoming at 300 yards, and the bullet did not hold together at all. I came home worked over the AB load and went hunting again. A few days later I shot a small bull elk at 300 yards and recovered 1 piece of lead weighting 120 grains with a perfect mushroom, textbook expansion. I haven't seen a Sierra Bullet come from an animal for a lot of years but when I did, dad and I switched to Nosler bullets. I guess the whole point of this post is that accuracy isn't everything in hunting situations, and bullet performance is important.

I learned a similar lesson this Fall myself. Just happens to be a Sierra bullet. I had jug tested a few Sierra bullets from my 444 Marlin, the 250 Full Profile Jackets. Every time I put them into jugs they came out PERFECT. Well, muzzleloader came around and decided to try them in the ML with BH209. They shot well, zeroed up nicely, so I hunted them. I also had .429 250 PTs that shot to the same POI... I said to myself, "self, how is a dinky Va WT going to hurt one of these Sierras". Well, I shot a buck at about 40 yards right on the front leg. Buck ran around me about 60 yards and flopped over, then a minute later had his head up. Well I loaded another and drilled him through the tops of the shoulders. Found the bullet down near his penis, perfectly mushroomed. Couldn't figure out why that first bullet didn't kill him dead. Once I skinned him I realized that bullet blew up on that front leg leg and just trauma'ed up the near lung.

Lesson learned by me, if I'm hunting for keeps, use the good stuff. Not a knock on Sierra or any other bullet company but I don't like losing animals I spend a lot of time trying to hunt, so I should have stuck with what I know will work every time.

Also, the 2nd recovered bullet was a perfectly mushroomed specimen. Same deer, two bullets that acted entirely different.

Ray, not saying those Sierras won't work excellent, just wanted to add my experience as to why I try to not leave anything to guess work. Noslers have NEVER let me down. I know that's a big statement, but I've taken enough animals now to know,they flat work when things go sideways.

Jeff, I don't see your text in there?

 

[Alaska]

The Sierra 250gr FPJ is a pistol bullet ........not made for the 444 Marlin.
Suggest the Hornady 265gr FP for the 444 Marlin.

The Sierra 250 FPJ has long been my bear medicine in my SW 629 44 Mag here in Alaska.

 

[RAY]

Thanks to all the replies !!!!
Sorry for not responding earlier, my internet has been down .

When I shot my Nosler loads, they were spot on during 70 ° temps.
When shooting them in colder temps ,things went south !
I tried the 210 primers and bumping up the charge along with different seating depths.

I did have 3 w 760 loads left over @52 gr with the BTs and cci250. They shot tighter in the cold.

So for cold weather I guess I need a flat base bullet to seal the muzzle better and to fly truer in the dense air

Ray.

 

[35 Whelen]

I think one could expect to see a lot of pass thrus with the 180 Pro Hunter , that bullet has a pretty beefy jacket on it , for smallish southern deer in Miss, I would have thought a 150gr BT or SST or GameKing would have been a good place to start on deer weighing in the 150lb class, remember a 180gr bullet in a 30/06 will shoot right straight thru a 6/700 lb Grizzly bear if it is shot thru the lungs and doesn't hit a rib. So I would expect the bullets to whistle right thru and a lot of the energy in the bullet to get transferred into something behind the deer?

 

[RAY]

I think so too !
I talked with a guy at Sierra and he said the same thing and I should try the 150 gr.

When I was shopping at the Sportsmans Warehouse , all they had was the 180 and it was a flat base so I went with it to see if what they say about the FB and the BT are true .

Since I wait on the broadside shot most of the time , maybe I can use a longer angle and take the brisket straight on etc..... to make the bullet work harder.

My first deer ( doe ) was with my dad's 308 blr with the 180 power point ( broadside ) 4 years ago.

That bullet went straight on through taking out the far shoulder bone with a gaping hole , that little doe ran for 50 yards.

Two years ago , my oldest son took a big buck with my 270 130 gr power point and it was a pencil through and through , he ran maybe a 100 yards ( no bone was struck ) .

I do have some 150 pro hunters( now ) I can try.

Ray

Sent from my HUAWEI Y536A1 using Tapatalk

 

[Alaska]

I prefer Speer Spitzer 165gr in both the 308 and 30-06 but I have killed a lot with the 180gr. Seems the 165 is a tad faster and opens up a little better........but both are excellent.

 

[35 Whelen]

Ray,
I have used the same load in my 06 since 1985, JOC's personal favorite for a 165gr bullet, its over in most of todays books , but isnt close at all to max in my rifle. Ww case, 52gr of," as old as the load" IMR 4064 powder , shows about 2925fps on a 5 shot avg, thru my chrono.
If I was Hunting Mississippi, for whitetail deer, I honestly think I would choose either a Nosler BT 150gr, Or if you cant stand the current pricing of approximately $45 per hundred, I have actually been having fantastic luck using Hornadys SST bullets for the past 5 years on deer sized game. $30 a box........... Good Luck
E