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April 2009 Product Review

Sierra Bullets Review

When I started reloading over 40 years ago I started with a 30-06 and 180 grain Sierra bullets. My loading equipment consisted of a $7.00 Lee Loader a can of powder, primers and a box of bullets. By coincidence they were 180 grain flat base Sierras for a 30-06 that I had at the time. I wasn't sure that I wanted to reload so I started on the cheap. Anyway they shot fine in spite of my ignorance and a lifelong love affair with reloading started.

Sierra started making bullets in 1947 in a Quonset hut in California. They stayed there until 1990 when they moved to Sedalia Missouri. In the last 60 years their line of bullets has expanded dramatically and continues to do so. They also produce a very helpful manual which a reloader would do well to obtain and read. It has over 1100 pages of information that every reloader needs. There is information for every level of reloaders. Sierra bullets have always bragged on their accuracy and for the most part I can verify that claim. Read more...

Please use this area to post comments or questions about this review.

Don Fischer · Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject:

Intresting. I started about 40 years ago with a $7 Lee loader and 175gr Herter 7mm bullets in my 7mm mag. Boy was I something, I didn't know squat but I did shoot a lot. Got my one and only beauty ring over the eye with that rifle and that bullet!

I believe the 115gr bullet he commented on was the 115gr Speer. It was super accurate in my 7mm mag and I'm not sure if it opened or not. Maybe not, it was going so fast it was through the target before it had a chance. I shot a lot og gophers in Montana with that rifle and that Speer bullet. Let me say that at that velocity, with that dia bullet at that small a target, expansion wasn't t required!

At that same time I was using a 222 Rem and that 50gr Sierra was pure death and the most accurate load I ever used.

He also mentioned that some Sierra's were/are soft. That is so true and why I quit using them for hunting. I've heard they somewhat fixed the problem with the Pro Hunter. Shooting a big game animal with the 160gr Sierra in my 7mm mag was like shooting a handgrenade at it! Just jelled the inside of what ever you shot. That got me into Speer and the Hornady bullet's.

martym42 · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 5:13 am Post subject: Re: Serria bullets by Don Fischer

I couldn't disagree with you more, I have had just the opposite experience with Sierra Bullets 30 cal 165 SBT for many years and have taken at least 30 deer with them I would like to show you an expanded bullet but I have never found one,
all deer were taken with one shot kills. From 100 - 350 YDS

Although I do load my 06 down to 2700 fps with 3031 IMR powder and have found it to be the most accurate bullet I have ever used it shoots SUB MOA at 100 YDS.

I am now working on a load for my 300 WBY and I will probably use Hornady interbond 165 gr bt but I plan be pushing it to 3300 fps I feel that might be to fast for an unbonded bullet that is the only reason I'm not using Sierra.
But then I just might for coyotes and see what happens.

Gun control is hitting your target.

Don Fischer · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 10:04 am Post subject:

Welcome to BGH.

Glad you have good luck with them. I have a cousin that all he would shoot in his 270 was 130gr Sierras. The bullet's I used were back in the early 1970's and then no one argued that they weren't soft. They brought out the Pro Hunter to cure that was my understanding. Today I still hear stories about how soft they are but also from other's that like them. Read where one guy got one back and it had retained a good part of it's weight, that would be an improvement.

In 30 cal, the 165gr Hornady is my favorite bullet, actually Hornady's are my favorite bullet's! But I don't shoot any magnums any more. At 3300 fps I wonder if it will hold up too. I've never shot a Hornady over 2900 fps, that was in that old 7mm mag with a 175 gr Spire Point. Wasn't measured vel as no chrno back then. Never shot anything with it either. I'd settled on the 160 gr Speer befor ever trying it. If I were going to try pushing a 165gr bullet 3300 fps I believe I'd go with a premium bullet.