.308 faceoff: Sierra Game King 150 vs. Hornady SST 150

[Newtosavage]

Still playing with loads for my Savage 11 in .308. This is a stock rifle, right from Bass Pro, wearing a 4-12x40 AO HHR Sightron SI scope. Other than the scope, the only thing I did was replace the factory base and rings with some Weavers I bought at Wal-Mart.

Loads are a somewhat reduced recoil round intended for deer out to 300 yards. I have worked on finding a combination of good groups while trying to match my HHR crosshairs. I finally found the combination with 37 grains of H4895. The results are 1" high with the main crosshair at 100 yards, and dead-on with the 2nd crosshair at 200 and 3rd crosshair at 300 yards.

These 5-shot groups were shot with the same brass (Winchester) and same primers (CCI) and same COAL. Only difference was the bullets.

Sierra's on the Left, and Hornady SST's on the Right.

The results from the SST were really what I would expect at 300 yards from that rifle, off that rest (good, but not the best), and I would honestly be completely satisfied with them if not for the group with the Sierra bullets. I was actually laughing after the last three shots because I'm not sure I can actually hold that still at 300. Those bullets made me look pretty good.

Even counting the called flier on the Left, the group shot with Sierra Game Kings is still a .67 MOA group. Without it, it's an unbelievable .33 MOA.

Yesterday, I was out in the woods and had bumped my rifle so I decided to take a sighter shot at lunchtime. I hung a piece of paper up on an 8" pine at 200 yards and took a shot with the Sierra load. Not only was it dead center, it completely penetrated the 8" pine. Out of curiosity, I shot another with the SST. It was about 3/4" off center, but did not penetrate the 8" pine.

I know what bullets I'll be using from now on. Thanks Sierra for a great product!

 

[Newtosavage]

About that Sightron scope - I continue to be impressed with how much scope you get for the $ with that SI Sightron. And I have come to really appreciate that HHR reticle. With the holdovers at 2.5 and 5.5 MOA, it makes a perfect rangefinding reticle for most average sized whitetails.

 

[Nature Boy]

That is some really nice shooting, particularly at 300 yards. A lot of folks would take that result at 100 yards, put the rifle in the case and head to the house.

 

[Newtosavage]

Thanks. And (happily) that's exactly what I did!

 

[Clark]

My friends like Sierra.
I like SST and Ballistic Tips. I can moly coat plastic tip bullets.

I have (3) 3.5x10 SIII scopes and a pair of 7x50 SII binoculars [those $100 large aperture small power binocs are like night vision in the few minutes before legal shooting].
I am impressed with Sightron. The only complaint is that the turrets are too easy to turn.

Unlike Leupolds we keep sending back to the factory because we cannot turn the adjustments.

And when I die in 20 years, the wife will get more for the Leupolds at the pawn shop.

 

[Txhillbilly]

I have never had good groups with the Hornady SST bullets in any caliber,they shoot good enough to hunt with at short range,but that's it.
The Sierra Gameking bullets shoot excellent,and also perform great on game animals. I use them in .224 -.257 -.264 -.284 -.308 calibers. The only other hunting bullet that I use that out performs them are the Berger Hunting VLD's.

I also like Sightron scopes. I've got 5 SIII's and 1 SII Sightrons,and wouldn't trade them for a truck load of Leupold's.

 

[Newtosavage]

I feel the same way about the Sightron. I started with a pair of Sightron Blue Sky II 8x32 binocs which have become my go-to hunting binoculars, and was so impressed with them that I had to see how good the scopes were. And they are good. Even the SI is better than my old Leupold VX2 that I had on this rifle initially. Considerably better. And it has an AO and possibly the most useful holdover reticle I've ever seen. It's obvious someone who knew hunting rifles designed that reticle.

Besides being spot-on for normal trajectories, it is a superb rangefinder for typical whitetails at 12X - with the chest of the deer subtending both holdover reticles at 200 yards, and the bottom two at 300.

 

[Sunray]

37 grains of H4895 is a very long way under minimum. Below minimum loads can be as dangerous as above maximum loads.

 

[Nature Boy]

37 grains of H4895 is a very long way under minimum.

No it isn't. I recently loaded 155g AMAX and H4895 in the low 37g range, which was on the bottom range given in the Hornady 9th addition book.

 

[Newtosavage]

37 grains of H4895 is a very long way under minimum. Below minimum loads can be as dangerous as above maximum loads.

The internet is a very useful tool at times.

https://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895 Reduced Rifle Loads.pdf

I could (and have) actually load H4895 down safely to just 27 grains. Kicks about like a .22 magnum and is pretty darn accurate to 100 yards.

This is one reason I'll probably always have some H4895 on hand. Going to work up some reduced .243 loads for my daughter next. Oh, and these reduced loads really extend case life too - another plus.

 

[Nature Boy]

Absolutely correct Newtonsavage. I'm going to try some lower loads with it as well.

 

[Newtosavage]

Good luck. Sure makes a day at the range more enjoyable. If I had to shoot full factory loads in my .308 all day with that lightweight stock and sporter barrel, it wouldn't be very much fun IMO. And I don't need to carry 1500 ft. lbs. at 300 yards to kill a Texas whitetail.

 

[TGReaper]

Like so many things in our sport bullet mfg. preference seems to be an rifle specific. I ran much the same tests and my 30-06 (Win 70) did much better with the Hornady. I was so impressed I bought some Hornady 130 gr. for my 270 (Win fwt) I still have most of them. The group size almost doubled over the 130 gr Sierras. Some days you eat the bear.
TGR

 

[Newtosavage]

LOL. I'm sure you're right TGReaper. I know my experiments with pellets in my air rifle surely demonstrated how picky a barrel/bullet combo can be.

I was having neck tension issues with the Sierras (but not the Hornady) so I got out my digital calipers and measured them. Sure enough, the Sierras were every so slightly smaller in diameter (307.5 avg vs. .308 avg), which explained the tension difference. Might also explain the difference in grouping.

I'm not unhappy with the SST's. Not at all. Just surprised that the Sierras were that much better (both at 100 and 300 yards).

 

[Nature Boy]

Have you tried the 155g AMAX?

 

[ants]

Good shooting, Soldier! [ Reference to Gen Jack Ripper in "Dr Strangelove". Love that movie!]

Each gun has its own preference. With Hodgdon's reduced H4895 loads in my 270 Win (Rem 700 ADL) the Hornady 130 grain SST is by far the most accurate. Put your thumb over the group at 100 yards. And very soft recoil. Same with my Rem in 7mm Magnum, although I keep asking myself why I bought a 7mm Mag and then load 'reduced recoil' ammo. Ha! Laugh at myself on that one.

But Game King is always an excellent bullet, you can't lose by trying it in every deer & elk & antelope gun you own. Priced right too.

For sheer accuracy I'm also partial to Nosler, especially their new Long Range line. Especially in 7mm. Especially at 300 yards.

 

[haywoodhunter]

Great shooting newtosavage I use Sierra game kings in my savage 7mm rem mag and also load them for my fiances 700 in the same caliber. Both rifles shoot these bullets superbly and the only deer I've killed with one so far has been drt. I'm very pleased with the sierras.

 

[Newtosavage]

Natureboy, I haven't tried those yet.

The only bullets I've tried through my .308 so far have been the Nosler BT 125 and 150's, the SST 150's, and now the Sierra Game Kings. I really have no reason to try anything else since this is a hunting rifle with a max. self-imposed range of 300 yards (and load optimized to that distance).

I guess I never would have thought a traditional soft (lead) point bullet would have out-shot both SST and BT bullets. But it did.