Thread: .270 140 game kings exploding

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Just a comment about the GameKing vs the Pro-Hunter.

When it comes to the construction they are made on the same machines using the same materials and the same process. I have an interesting email thread with one of the Sierra technicians who I talked to regarding exactly this issue. His comments about relative toughness:

This is a fantastic question and you are correct [that there is no tangible difference between their performance on game]. When it comes to the same weight and same diameter, like your #1560 and #1540, the two bullets are made the same way with the same components. This means we use the same style of jacket surrounding the same style of lead core and the process putting them together is the same. The only real difference is the shape of the bullet and by adding a boat tail to the rear of the GameKing, it gains BC numbers. Because it is more efficient in flight, it doesn’t slow down quite as much through the same atmosphere and will therefore hit a target at the same distance a little faster. At the range you are taking animals, the bullets are still going a similar velocity on impact so I’m not surprised you’re seeing similar results. Every now and again, I’ll get reports that our GameKings are more fragile than our Pro-Hunters (with all other things theoretically equal) and my theory for a reason is because there is less bearing surface on a GameKing. This gives the lead core less friction to lock into the jacket with, giving the impression it expanded quicker in relatively similar hunting situations.

That's an interesting email, and actually goes against there own advertising.
I have 7mm 140gr PH and 140gr HP-GK here, I might section a couple for interests sake. And when we are back to normal get some standard 140gr GK section those and compare.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

You need a bonded bullet or monolithic for that kind of range with a .270 as very few of the softer general-purpose bullets will hold together.

That's why I load the 110gr TTSX for bush and the 145gr EDL-X for long range for my mates 270WSM.
Rifle is sighted in for the 145gr ELD-X @ 100m and the TTSX are +1.5in so no drama. Pongas, branches, little trees, it doesn't matter for the TTSX in close combat situations going at 3600fps and they kill big stags exceptional well. The ELD-X on the other hand kill red deer well past 600m. Also good on pigs around 400m so far. They nearly punch through a 5mm hardened disc from a sowing machine at 700m which is pretty impressive for a "soft" bullet I thought!
Personally I struggle with the concept of one bullet fitting every scenario from 10m to 700m...

hmmm I gone other way...170grn round nose for the bush and 140grn sp for the open...got some 110grn ttsx too and stag at about 200mtrs and chammy the same fell over just fine.
Im a bush hobbit at heart and used 270 for 30 plus years and cannot honestly ever think of a projectile blow up on animal OTHER than when I foolishly tried a 110grn hp varmint load on young fellow.......hole size of dinner plate in the hide and screaming wounded animal really put me off that idea FAST.Ive seen that same load stop within a dried cow pat.awesome wallaby load.......

Originally Posted by winaa

That's an interesting email, and actually goes against there own advertising.
I have 7mm 140gr PH and 140gr HP-GK here, I might section a couple for interests sake. And when we are back to normal get some standard 140gr GK section those and compare.

Yes please do @winaa. I got pretty close to perfecting the section process by using some very fine files to finish them, worked really well. I also set up a proper camera and lighting so I could photograph them to capture the fine detail. Unfortunately I’ve never done this with a selection of bullets all at once, usually just two or three, and of course my record keeping and so on is rubbish and I end up not being able to find what I did a few years ago...

There are a few very good selections photographed on the Internet, but I am really keen to start one up again to try and put to bed some of the myths about bullet construction. My pet hate is actually the opposite scenario to the question in this thread, when someone uses a harder bonded bullet or (especially) monolithics for long-range shooting and starts complaining about why it doesn’t work. Barnes for example have some truly bullshit claims on their website about the LRX and it gives me the shits to see guys trying shots at 600 or 700m with these bullets.

Great thread, really interesting stuff. I've mainly been using plain old 165gr SP in my .308 over the last 10 years or so (plus a bit of a play with a 270 but its gone now). The SPs for 308 have been great, accurate and no issues with terminal performance. Most of my hunting is close stuff; Blue Mts fallow or reds in the bush. However i do occasionally hunt the open country and tahr too. I never had much luck getting SSTs to group well, so tried some Nosler 150gr BTs and whoa tight groups. They should be great for the smaller deer and longer shots but thinking I might need something a bit tougher or heavier for reds up close, and hoping 180gr RN hornady might be the go. Otherwise I might try something like the oryx or accubond. Its a matter of fining something that hits close enough at 100m without stuffing about with the scope.

I could just stick the plain Jane SPs and keep it simple, but where is the fun in that!

well if your lucky like me....the 180s will be close to zero at hundy with the lighter/faster ones about 2" high.

A good cheap bullet that will hold together well for hand loaders is the Federal Fusion. They do them in .270

Originally Posted by Dama dama

Great thread, really interesting stuff. I've mainly been using plain old 165gr SP in my .308 over the last 10 years or so (plus a bit of a play with a 270 but its gone now). The SPs for 308 have been great, accurate and no issues with terminal performance. Most of my hunting is close stuff; Blue Mts fallow or reds in the bush. However i do occasionally hunt the open country and tahr too. I never had much luck getting SSTs to group well, so tried some Nosler 150gr BTs and whoa tight groups. They should be great for the smaller deer and longer shots but thinking I might need something a bit tougher or heavier for reds up close, and hoping 180gr RN hornady might be the go. Otherwise I might try something like the oryx or accubond. Its a matter of fining something that hits close enough at 100m without stuffing about with the scope.

I could just stick the plain Jane SPs and keep it simple, but where is the fun in that!

I use the 165BTs and at 308 velocities (16"bbl so not much over 2500fps) they seem pretty tough.

Originally Posted by Shearer

I use the 165BTs and at 308 velocities (16"bbl so not much over 2500fps) they seem pretty tough.

Yup, when you section the heavier .30 cal Nosler BTs, the lower half of the jacket and the base are that thick it really jumps out at you compared to other bullets. Yet the BT has always had a reputation as being explosive. I looked into this on the Nosler reloading forum and the guys there were very helpful and had some interesting sections that demonstrated that it’s quite a variable bullet from calibre to calibre, and within a certain calibre between the different weights available. Didn’t we look into this @Max Headroom?
@Tahr ‘s suggestion of the Fusion is a good one, another bonded design. The one guy where I spend a lot of time shooting uses these to perfectly good effect in his .308 pig gun, factory ammo, 165gr. And that is generally at extremely close range!

I have dozens of boxes of bullets bt, gamekings ,eldx ,eldm,sst,accubond and they all do the job about as well as a 50cent spear soft point,

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

well if your lucky like me....the 180s will be close to zero at hundy with the lighter/faster ones about 2" high.

That's exactly what I'm after. My rifle generally groups all bullets together which is super handy. I wanted to use the 165gr hpbt but grouped like a bag of balls.

Originally Posted by Tahr

A good cheap bullet that will hold together well for hand loaders is the Federal Fusion. They do them in .270

I used 130gr factory ammo in my 270 for a bit. Excellent performance on the handful of animals I killed with them.

I didn't know that bullets were available for hand loading.

Loaded some 180gr Norma Oryx for my .308 for the roar on the monstrous red stags in the pines around my area. Also some 180gr Partitions. Unfortunately our March and April permits have been cancelled because the area has been locked down, even huge concrete blocks placed in front of the gates.

The Nosler partitions are probably the best overall hunting bullet ever made for close to medium ranges and even though they're nearly to $2 each still well worth it to some.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Out of interest @TeRei, assuming you are talking about the 65gr .224 cal GameKing (and not a typo and its actually the 165gr .30 cal), what is your son’s chosen shot placement on red deer?

You would be surprised where the 65gr can anchor a deer including stags. Only issue is during the roar with big wet stags.Their coats seem to become kevlar jackets. However with global warming seems as if they are wearing tee shirts for coats.Mostly in head and neck.With BM2 it is a magical combo.DPT can on spout.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Loaded some 180gr Norma Oryx for my .308 for the roar on the monstrous red stags in the pines around my area. Also some 180gr Partitions. Unfortunately our March and April permits have been cancelled because the area has been locked down, even huge concrete blocks placed in front of the gates.

The Nosler partitions are probably the best overall hunting bullet ever made for close to medium ranges and even though they're nearly to $2 each still well worth it to some.

so they allow rifles now???? it was always shotguns only growing up in that town??? the reason my early pighunts were done with shotgun even living in king country,it was just the done thing..lol