Sierra .308 175 GR. HPBT Gameking Performance

[perdurabo]

Anyone have any practical field reports in .308 for for the .30 cal 175gr HPBT Gameking bullet that's supposed to be dimensionally identical to the 175SMK but somehow has better expansion and terminal performance? I'm looking for a high performance African plains game .308 bullet and think this might be a good contender vs the Nosler 168 Accubond, Hornady 175 ELD-X and the 175 Barnes LRX. I already have experience loading the 175SMK and if this bullet shoots identically to it, it could be a good shooter, but the actual terminal performance and expansion out to 300y @ 2600-2700 MV will be the most critical factor for me.

.30 Cal 175 Gr. HPBT GameKing - Sierra Bullets

The exact duplicate of the renown 175 grain Matchking. The 175 hollowpoing boattail Gameking has the same ogive profile and dimensions of the MatchKing. This allows you to have a true Match bullet and a Hunting bullet that will require no seating die changes. This bullet was designed to give...

www.sierrabullets.com

 

[wvfarrier]

Even if it does not expand, it is a pretty long bullet and will likely tumble and yaw on heavy african game

 

[perdurabo]

Even if it does not expand, it is a pretty long bullet and will likely tumble and yaw on heavy african game

Barnes TSX/LRX/TTSX bullets are even longer then the Sierra Game/Matchking bullets and don't generally tumble and yaw... why would the new gamekings in particular perform that way?

 

[.505gibbs]

New game king on the left, regular SMK on the right. Externally the only difference I could spot is the hp on the new game king is more uniform and slightly larger diameter. People have been taking small diameter drills to the smk for years, looks similar to that. I only shot them on paper at 100 yards and they shoot just the same as the smk load the rifle is zeroed for.

 

[.505gibbs]

Barnes TSX/LRX/TTSX bullets are even longer then the Sierra Game/Matchking bullets and don't generally tumble and yaw... why would the new gamekings in particular perform that way?

Nothing to do with length on these. When the smk yaws in the target it is because the nose becomes deformed in a not uniform way i.e. it bends at the point where there is no lead causing it to tumble or veer off course. I have seen them cause incredible damage on deer and pronghorn and I have seen them pencil through on broadside shots.
I think the idea behind these new game kings is get fluid/material in the hp to cause rapid expansion. Likely would not be suitable for body shots on anything larger than a big deer. Just my 2 shillings.

 

[B Man]

View attachment 8422437New game king on the left, regular SMK on the right. Externally the only difference I could spot is the hp on the new game king is more uniform and slightly larger diameter. People have been taking small diameter drills to the smk for years, looks similar to that. I only shot them on paper at 100 yards and they shoot just the same as the smk load the rifle is zeroed for.

I have been doing that for years on 77 SMK’s using my AR 223 on game. I treat it like bow hunting and wait for perfect shot placement in crease of the shoulder but everything to 300 yards has not made it more than 30 yards if they run at all. I’m almost out of 178 amax in my 308 and it loved 175 SMK’s (can’t say that for the newer high bc 170’s) so I may just move to these in it.