mauser06

well dad bought me a box of ammo for my 3006....we use federal premium nosler ballistic tips....he got 150gr..we usually use 165 but no big deal i have to sight in my rifle anyways...well he took them back to get 165 grainers when they came in...im looking at them now..they are federal premium high energy 165 grain sierra game king boat tail soft points...im used to using a good hollowpoint or ballistic tip.....if my dad says use these anyway what can i expect?? im used to having the bullets blow the crap out of the deer in a hurry and leaves em on the spot or really close..so close you dont need to trail them.....i used sierra gamekings before but they were hollowpoint boattails....will they perform about the same or better or what?? i know placement is key but i like a pretty explosive bullet....will they work for me or what?? i dont think ive ever shot a deer with a soft point...what can i expect if he says to use these?? maybe he didnt notice and will take them back.....but if he dont ill use em if they will work......im sure they will but want to see what u guys say....thanx

RedAllison

Maus when I was a teen in the late 80s I shot 30-40 deer with my old 06 and all but a handful were killed with Federal Premium 165 Boattails (Sierra Gamekings btw!). Many dropped and most ran less than 50 yards. The bullets never blewup and didnt destory alot of meat. I remember once while stalking in heavy timber I came upon a buck who was only 15 yards away and facing dead away from me. I shot him and he literally fell so fast that I thought I had missed him and he had turned around to face me. I almost shot him again but something told me not to. The thicket was VERY thick with evergreens and the deer were in a small clearing (about 10 yards squared) that was full of sagegrass which was about 2' -3' tall. Anyway, I didnt shot again and the buck took off. I walked to where I KNEW I had to have hit him and there in the grass was a very dead buck. Ironically the buck was sparring with an EXACT twin to himself and in my nervous moment between stalking, getting a shot and watching the many eyes upon me (there were several deer in that lil " haven" ) I didnt realize the tow bucks were standing in such a posistion. The 165 fully penetrated the buck at that close range and high velocity (how it didnt enter the other buck is beyond me, luck was with me that day as a youngster!). I likewise had many double broken shoulders, full length raking shots, quartering shots and at distances up to 425 yards. They killed quickly in most all cases!!!

So YES those bullets will be great performers!
RA

handloader1

The 165 gr. Sierra SBT Game King will do a fine job on deer for you. Good luck.

akbound

The Sierra GameKing should work very well for you! And you have already addressed the only concern I would have. That is to recheck the zero of your rifle. Everytime you change any component of, or the entire load itself, you need to recheck your zero! The new load may shoot to a different Point of Impact and if so...make the needed adjustments.

Other than that....I' d bet you' ll be pleased with the GameKings' s performance on deer!

Good luck!

bigbuck270

The federal High energy claims to " up gun" your ballistics. I believe it. I shoot a 270 150SBT I also carry highenergy 150' s. The high energy will change your ballastics a little but they shoot further and drop less. OUt to 100 yard I see no difference. on a rest at 150 there was about a 1-2 inch diffference. Good luck

Vapodog

I can assure you that the deer will never know the difference....and use this as the excuse to get into reloading!!

mauser06

i reloaded last year with my friend he has all the stuff...we loaded up sierra game kinds 168 grain bthps and loaded them pretty hot..probally where these high energys were....i went shooting today...shot a 3 round group and packed it back up.....i had a 3 shot group touching at 50yds just a tad left and high.....not enough to mess with the scope and my normal shoting distance while hunting is rather close.....except for this year i might have a few pokes through the timber we' ll see.....but im ready to go.....thanx for the confidance guys....im sure they will work.......

eldeguello

The 165 softpoint " high energy" loads are MORE explosive than standard 165 HPBT' s!! They also shoot a LOT flatter at the elevated velocities. About the only drawback I have seen is that they aren' t quite as accurate in my ' 06' s, but they are certainly accurate enough for 99% of the shots you' ll get in PA!!

mauser06

hmmm more epxlosive........nice......they grouped fine in my mauser.....i shot a nice clover leaf at 50 yds......not hard to do but if the bullets arent accurate you wont get that.....the hpbts never seemed explosive to me....i mean they hit like a brick and come out nicely.....but most people have claims of them blowing deer in half and junk....smae with the ballistic tips....the holes from me and dads deer were identical last year he shot bts and i shot hpbts....this year im looking at some possible long range shooting in pa.....maybe out to 100yds......thats far for me...im used to 25-30yds lol......my stand is in a little opener spot but its still thick.....its kinda wierd.....its not a mature forest...its a growing up sapling thicket....but they dont have branches until like 10 foot up or so.....its kinda wierd.....ill see when the shot presents it self....but a poke through the timber isnt out of the question......i sat down and could see pretty nicely...well see where the deer are running.....hopefully its right out infront of me......there were trails all around me in every direction at all ranges......noone knows where they are going to go.....ill find out in 3 weeks......ill elt you know how the bullets do.....