Hunting & Fishing Sierra Gamechanger Performance??

[TX_Diver]

Looking for something to shoot steel out as far as I can and mule deer out to 4-500 ish with a .308. Should be able to draw a 4th season CO tag this year. Would load the 165 grains in a .308 (probably over IMR 4064 or 4895, maybe over Varget).

Lots of threads report people buying them to try but haven't found much for reviews on terminal performance, or long range accuracy for plinking. Hopefully now that most hunts are over people have had some luck with them?

They're significantly cheaper than the nosler accubonds and also much cheaper than the berger classic hunters.

Open to other bullet suggestions as well for mule deer w/ a .308.

 

[3-0-hate]

The 165s worked good for my 308 bolt gun on steel out to 600, didn’t get the chance to try them on any critters though.
Accuracy and consistency was spot on though.

 

[TX_Diver]

The 165s worked good for my 308 bolt gun on steel out to 600, didn’t get the chance to try them on any critters though.
Accuracy and consistency was spot on though.

what twist rate and barrel? Have 700 5r (1:11.25 & 24”) now but may switch to tikka t3x lite. ( 1:11 and 22.5”)

 

[3-0-hate]

what twist rate and barrel? Have 700 5r (1:11.25 & 24”) now but may switch to tikka t3x lite. ( 1:11 and 22.5”)

1/12... factory rem barrel that I had recrowned and set back ever so slightly. Trued r700 action.

 

[JbBooks]

Haven’t shot the .30 cal tgk’s, but the 130gr 6.5’s are exceptional, we were just running them as a hunting round while loading 130 otm hybrids for steel, until like all things, got lazy and just took the tgk to bang steel instead of loading, and they shot as good as the Berger’s, out to 1000, and probably beyond, the wife has killed a lot of stuff past 400 with them, their terminal performance is outstanding on deer even out to 600, it’s all we shoot now, makes loading very easy now!

 

[Jackalope]

Really like the 165s in .308. They shoot consistently with the 168smk and worked well for me on the elk I shot this season. Neck shot on the elk left it’s head hanging on mostly by esophagus. Putting it in the shoulder would definitely fuck that quarter so avoid that if possible.

 

[3-0-hate]

Really like the 165s in .308. They shoot consistently with the 168smk and worked well for me on the elk I shot this season. Neck shot on the elk left it’s head hanging on mostly by esophagus. Putting it in the shoulder would definitely fuck that quarter so avoid that if possible.

What distance was the shot?

 

[Jackalope]

About 100 yards.

 

[3-0-hate]

About 100 yards.

That’s a lot to ask of any non-monolithic bullet to not blow up at that distance/velocity on a thick skinned, heavily muscled animal me thinks.

great shooting though, putting it in the neck and minimizing meat loss.

 

[Jackalope]

Yeah exactly. I prefer fragmenting bullets, just gotta be careful where you put them.

 

[wyliecoyote]

I'd be kinda leery of using the Sierra Game Changers. A buddy of mine was shooting that exact bullet (165 gr out of a .308) two seasons ago and lost a nice buck antelope on a double lung shot. Apparently the bullet didn't open up and the buck ran several hundred yards before falling into some deep sage below a rise. I spotted the carcass the next day while glassing. He had some other issues with it not dropping antelope right where they stood which is my expectation for a well placed shot (his were) and a good bullet. Antelope aren't exactly tough animals as far as bullets go and seeing the Game Changers' lack luster results would have me looking elsewhere.

 

[3-0-hate]

I'd be kinda leery of using the Sierra Game Changers. A buddy of mine was shooting that exact bullet (165 gr out of a .308) two seasons ago and lost a nice buck antelope on a double lung shot. Apparently the bullet didn't open up and the buck ran several hundred yards before falling into some deep sage below a rise. I spotted the carcass the next day while glassing. He had some other issues with it not dropping antelope right where they stood which is my expectation for a well placed shot (his were) and a good bullet. Antelope aren't exactly tough animals as far as bullets go and seeing the Game Changers' lack luster results would have me looking elsewhere.

Reviving this thread a bit for this question.. What range were the shots, and what was the impact velocity of the projectile in these circumstances?

Thanks