Sierra 120 Tipped Gameking

[Timitus]

Nice looking load. It should do the job for you on your up coming hunt.

[stonehog]

2.313 on this round. I'm going to load up some varied OALs and see if it changes things.

[Timitus]

2.313 on this round. I'm going to load up some varied OALs and see if it changes things.

Thanks for the update.

[Jake TN]

Settled on
26.8 gr of TAC
BR CCI SR
OAL- 2.255

Took this small eight point. I was not feeling well and was short on time so I did not have time to investigate the results in detail during field dressing. Shot was 75 yards broadside placed for a double lung. Deer went less than 75 yards before dropping. I was a little worried because he didn’t act like he was hit. The chest cavity was full of blood. On the entrance side there was bullet hole in the lung without a lot of damage. Almost like a perfect puncture about the size of a bullet. Didn’t see any evidence of fragmenting. Maybe I am not getting enough velocity out of the 12.5 SBR. Will do some more testing when I am feeling better and have some more time to hunt. Starting to get a little worried though.

[Timitus]

I harvested a doe yesterday. Here is a break down of how the Sierra 120g TGK performed. The load was 27.5g of IMR 4064, COAL of 2.280 at 2450 fps average from my 22" barrel Ruger American. The doe was shot at 30-40 yards. It was facing the right of me slightly quartering away. Shot entered just behind the right leg. It ran 10-15 yards and piled up. The bullet was a pass through with no bones destroyed. Passed between ribs on both sides of the doe. I found the right front shoulder broken but could see no visible reason. When she was running away after bullet impact I didn't notice her leg not working correctly. The bullet did fragment on impact as I found a couple of 1/8th or smaller pieces. It is possible that I will find more in the broken shoulder later. There was no lung damage that I could find.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20040[/ATTACH] Bullet entry.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20041[/ATTACH]Bullet exited the chest and passed through the off side elbow.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20042[/ATTACH]Bullet path through the heart.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20043[/ATTACH]Bullet fragment damage to heart.

Update on the deer I shot. After processing I found that the blood shot right femur did get hit with the bullet and was shattered. So at the range I shot her it went through bone missed the ribs, hit the heart, missed ribs going out, and went through the off side elbow joint.

[Timitus]

Settled on
26.8 gr of TAC
BR CCI SR
OAL- 2.255

Took this small eight point. I was not feeling well and was short on time so I did not have time to investigate the results in detail during field dressing. Shot was 75 yards broadside placed for a double lung. Deer went less than 75 yards before dropping. I was a little worried because he didn’t act like he was hit. The chest cavity was full of blood. On the entrance side there was bullet hole in the lung without a lot of damage. Almost like a perfect puncture about the size of a bullet. Didn’t see any evidence of fragmenting. Maybe I am not getting enough velocity out of the 12.5 SBR. Will do some more testing when I am feeling better and have some more time to hunt. Starting to get a little worried though.

Congratulations on your harvest. I hope you are starting to feel better. I ended up hitting bone going in which explains the fragmentation of my bullet. With future hunts maybe it will become clear if the bullet is to tough to expand without hitting bone.
Was your shot a pass through?

[WIshooter]

Any chance of someone making a cross section of this bullet to compare jacket thickness to other bullets?
I bought some of these but if they don't do damage like a fusion or ballistic tip I'll just use them as range fodder.

[Jake TN]

Thank you Timitus. I didn’t see a corresponding exit wound, but I didn’t take any time to look. With the amount of blood in the chest cavity, I was pretty dumbfounded when I found the lungs in tact aside from the hole I found. This deer was headed to the processor for summer sausage, so I was in a hurry and it was unseasonably warm this year. There was a lot of small ticks still active on the deer, due to the warm weather as well. I am feeling better and will go get another deer in the next week. Will skin and quarter the next one and conduct a thorough investigation. Hopefully my friend will be out with me, so we can take some pics to share. Very hard to do when I am by myself with dirty hands. The sierra tech I talked with asked for feedback as well, so I will share it with them as well. Worst comes to worst, I can see how they shoot out my 18 inch upper. Just very front-end heavy with the suppressor. Might just have to leave the can at home. If anyone is in middle Tennessee and needs some deer meat, I have to call a bunch of does later this year. They are small, but eat all the same.

[zholley]

The weekend hunt went well. I harvested two does and a good sized hog and they all dropped where they stood at the time of the shot. Super happy with the bullet so far![ATTACH=CONFIG]20116[/ATTACH]

[Timitus]

Congratulations. What load did you work up for the hunt?

[USAF Retired]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20077[/ATTACH]

Here is what I'm starting with for a quick hunting load.
28.8 grains of TAC (Sierra Max Load), Federal GM Match AR primers, Hornady Brass @ ~2.270"

Out of an 18" AR, this group averaged 2425 fps. I worked up to this one in about 70 degree weather. No signs of pressure and this one really tightened up compared to my others, but I was also feeling a bit off due to a large amount of wind which calmed down slightly during this group.

I'm loading 10 for a hunting trip next weekend to have some for testing terminal performance if the opportunity presents itself, but I don't want to load too many as I'd like to experiment with some more rounds to ensure that I didn't just get lucky with this group.

This is the info I was looking for. TAC has seemed to do the best for me out of gas guns. My chamber in my BCA is 2.281. That would give me .010 jump. My barrel is 2 inches shorter @ 16". Hoping to get my chrono out, but the wand may be busted on it. I can rough calculate 2375. This might be my hunting load, as long as while I am working up I show no pressure signs.

Shot one doe, but missed another with my 6.5 CR last weekend. In a ground blind, that 22" barrel and Magpul stock are like swinging a sword. Could not get my rifle in place to get the other doe and she was only 30 yards from the blind. I need a good load for my 16" BCA to maneuver better. Longest shots is about 200 yards, so that should be perfect.

Thank you.

[grayfox]

Just got back from the range this afternoon.
With my 22" howa re-barrel (preferred barrels).
My 115 Tac-tx over ArComp is holding good at 27.2 gr, 2530 MV, 0.630" ctc.

But what surprised me was the performance of the 120 Tgk... using both Ar Comp and Xbr.

AR comp, 27.8, 28.0, 28.2 grs, 4 rounds each.
120 TGK, 2578(sd-14.0), 2594 (sd-5.4), 2616 (sd-7.1).
the 27.8 showed the best grouping, but this is still under test.

Xbr, 27.8, 28.1, 28.4 grs, 4 rounds each.
120 TGK, 2529 (sd-7.0), 2536 (sd-7.3), 2573 (sd-9.3).

This barrel seems to have nodes at 2530 and 2590 thereabouts.

While I feel pretty good about the 115 Barnes load, this 120 tgk will soon take over, since I bought 300 of them.

I'm using fed 205 primer and Starline brass, seating to 2.280. No fcd for the bolt action.

[USAF Retired]

Not sure if anyone else got this information. I contacted Sierra and they said use the COAL of the 130 TGK and the powder charge of the 120.

[Bevo]

I picked up 500 of these and loaded a few for a ladder test but haven't been able to shoot yet. I noticed today that they seem to have fallen off of Sierra's website. No mention of them anywhere that I can find.

Strange, no?

[Timitus]

I picked up 500 of these and loaded a few for a ladder test but haven't been able to shoot yet. I noticed today that they seem to have fallen off of Sierra's website. No mention of them anywhere that I can find.

Strange, no?

I talked to them this week and the bullet will be back up on their website in the first or second quarter in 2024 when they make the next batch.

[Rugerfan.64]

I tried to talk Paul Box into this without the plastic tip several years ago. He said they had no plans. I might try some one of these days.

[LRRPF52]

Settled on
26.8 gr of TAC
BR CCI SR
OAL- 2.255

Took this small eight point. I was not feeling well and was short on time so I did not have time to investigate the results in detail during field dressing. Shot was 75 yards broadside placed for a double lung. Deer went less than 75 yards before dropping. I was a little worried because he didn’t act like he was hit. The chest cavity was full of blood. On the entrance side there was bullet hole in the lung without a lot of damage. Almost like a perfect puncture about the size of a bullet. Didn’t see any evidence of fragmenting. Maybe I am not getting enough velocity out of the 12.5 SBR. Will do some more testing when I am feeling better and have some more time to hunt. Starting to get a little worried though.

For a 12.5” barrel, I think I might lean on the 129gr ABLR, one of the lighter Maker TREX bullets, or Cavity Back 105gr MKZ.

You could also try CFE223 under the 120gr TGK.

Looking at my load data for TAC under the 120gr SMK from a 16” AA/ER Shaw barrel over 10 years ago, I was getting an average of 2470fps with 28.8gr of TAC in Lapua brass with Rem 7.5 Primer.

28.3gr 2404fps
28.6gr 2456
28.8gr 2470

Running that through an internal ballistics engine calibrated for 6.5 Grendel on Shooter’s Notes website, I get the following from a 12.5” barrel:

28.3gr 2304fps
28.6gr 2326
28.8gr 2341

This is assuming the start pressure characteristics are the same between the 120gr SMK and 120gr TMK, which they likely are not due to a thinner jacket in the 120gr TMK.

With CFE223, I would work up from 29.0gr to 31.4gr. That might get you over 2350fps, which is in the weeds compared to TAC.

[Jake TN]

Hunting has been tough this year. Made the mistake of shooting a button buck for someone else that wanted a deer. Deer was moving and I led a little too much. The TGK hit bone and definitely expanded. The deer went 30-40 yards in a tree line and dropped. Distance was probably ~90 yards. Didn’t have a lot of time or anyone to take pics while I field dressed.

Finally made it out for a morning hunt. Passed on several does and also kicked up some deer while walking in. Saw some movement late morning of something creeping through a field next to me. Ended up being a coyote was trying tracking something and was extremely focused. He looked good size and I have little girls, so he needed to go away. 75 yard slight quarter away. Impact was on left side just behind the shoulder. Down went my very first coyote.

Hunting since has dried up (no time and deer are spooked). Deer are all on other private land in some thick stuff and are only moving at night. Will try to get out a couple more times for testing the TGK out on game.

[grayfox]

Swan song for the song dog!
Nice report, thanks.

[Jake TN]

For a 12.5” barrel, I think I might lean on the 129gr ABLR, one of the lighter Maker TREX bullets, or Cavity Back 105gr MKZ.

You could also try CFE223 under the 120gr TGK.

Looking at my load data for TAC under the 120gr SMK from a 16” AA/ER Shaw barrel over 10 years ago, I was getting an average of 2470fps with 28.8gr of TAC in Lapua brass with Rem 7.5 Primer.

28.3gr 2404fps
28.6gr 2456
28.8gr 2470

Running that through an internal ballistics engine calibrated for 6.5 Grendel on Shooter’s Notes website, I get the following from a 12.5” barrel:

28.3gr 2304fps
28.6gr 2326
28.8gr 2341

This is assuming the start pressure characteristics are the same between the 120gr SMK and 120gr TMK, which they likely are not due to a thinner jacket in the 120gr TMK.

With CFE223, I would work up from 29.0gr to 31.4gr. That might get you over 2350fps, which is in the weeds compared to TAC.

LRRPF52,

My original plan was to the use the 95 TREX for this build. I tested out some loads with 29.5, 30, and 30.5 gr of TAC. I have never loaded ammo that had shot so horrible before. I do have some more loaded to test with 31.6, 32, and 32.4 gr of CFE. Hopefully there are some decent groups.

I also have some 120 TGK loaded with 29.2, 29.6, and 30 gr of CFE to test. I have limited the amount of powder to what I thought would not be compressed. I use a Redding seating die, so I have not done compressed loads ( would damage the die according to Redding). Got a new forester seating die for Christmas, so that can change in the future. The 120 TGK is just so darn long.

When I talked to the sierra rep before ordering a lot of these, he said that they would expand good down to 1600 fps. So my thinking was that I could get these up to about 2200 plus fps and would hopefully get pass through on whitetail with good expansion. My friend a I have killed a lot of deer using 100 Barnes ttsx using 18 inch Grendel’s. Most of the time the bullet gets stuck in the hide on the opposite side of impact. I was thinking that even with less velocity the 120 would still get a complete pass through in a SBR vs the 100 gr.

Yes, I know, I need to get a chronograph and some magazines that allow me to seat longer than 2.26.

I appreciate you taking the time and providing sound advice. I tried accessing the shooters notes website from DuckDuckGo and it would not come up. Do you mind providing a good link or let me know if you need some type of special access?