Game Change by Sierra
In this regular ammunition test, we will focus on the GameChanger TGK bullets from renowned manufacturer Sierra Bullets,which are quickly gaining popularity among hunters. Is it deserved?
First, it is necessary to clarify the confusion in naming. This bullet from American Sierra Bullets is named GameChanger (a game changer), but also carries theabbreviation TGK (Tipped GameKing), referring to an older, but stillexceptionally popular bullet, the "GameKing, fitted with a ballistictip." However, there are more differences than just the tip, as well astheir intended use. TGK is a hunting bullet with a lead core set into anespecially strong jacket that tapers toward the tip. The jacket and core arenot bonded together; cohesion during deformation is ensured solely by theprecision of placement and the strong jacket, whose mass at the rear stopsdeformation. The tip of the bullet contains a small cavity into which adistinctive green polymer tip is firmly set. This not only improves ballisticsbut also helps "open" the bullet upon impact with the target. Besidesthe tip, ballistics are also enhanced by the boattail at the base of the bulletand, visibly, a high sectional density given by its above-average length, whichgoes hand in hand with a high ballistic coefficient. TGK bullets arecharacterized by this and have a BC around .500. For example, a 140-grainbullet with a .264 diameter can boast an extreme value of .563 BC. And thehigher the BC, the higher the potential for flatter ballistics, betteraccuracy, less energy and speed loss, and thus better performance in thetarget.
Factory Cartridges with a Hook
Sierra has so much confidence in its bullets that it has relatively recently started offering them set in factory cartridges to also cater to hunters who do notreload. For now, the selection includes cartridges in 7mm Rem Mag, .300 WinMag, .308 Win, .300 Blackout, .223 Rem, .30-06 Springfield, .270 Win, .243 Win,6mm Creedmoor, and 6.5 Creedmoor. Unfortunately, they are currently notavailable on our market, but it can be expected that this will change in thefuture, as they are still a novelty, or individual import might be possible.For an idea of the cost, in the USA, one .308 Win 165 gr cartridge costs about77 CZK. According to feedback, these are very high-quality cartridges of targetquality with performances close to safe maximums. However, the question iswhether a bullet that works best close to the grooves is right for necessarilystandardized factory cartridges. Personally, I would leave this bullet forreloaders, and those who prefer factory ammunition would be advised to lookelsewhere.
Sierra factory ammunition equipped with the TGK bullet
If the bullet fits well with the gun, the disadvantages are hard to find. In its price range, it is an excellent choice.
Not for Every Gun
In the current offering (which is likely to expand as it's still a relatively newseries of bullets), we find GameChanger bullets with the followingspecifications (caliber/weight in gr) .243/90, .264/130, .264/140, .277/140, .284/150, .284/165, .308/165 a .308/180.
I had the opportunity to test the variant of the bullet in .308 caliber andweighing 165 gr. It measures over 35 mm in length, which gives it a very nice.517 BC. At first and second glance, these are very well-manufactured bullets,reloading is straightforward without any tricks, and the ballistic tip does notdeform during reloading or normal handling. The bullet lacks a cannelure, sothere is no issue with seating it at any depth. As usual, I tried severalconfigurations of powder charge and seating depth. However, not in anexhaustive list of combinations, so there is definitely room to achieve ahigher level of alignment with the gun and thus a deeper exploitation of thepotential for accuracy. TGK bullets typically "prefer" seating as closeto the grooves in the barrel as possible (but without touching), which Iadhered to during my load development. Indeed, the best grouping I achieved hadan overall cartridge length of 72.1 mm, which was about a third of a millimeterfrom the grooves. For the powder, I chose the proven Vectan with a charge of 42gr. Unfortunately, the lighting conditions at the range during the test did notallow me to reliably measure the speed, but according to the GRT program, itshould be about 792 m/s at a performance of 3,350 J, achievable from a 508 mmlong barrel.
However, reloading TGK bullets generally involves one quite significant issue withachieving the necessary stabilization. In the .308 caliber, a standard barreltwist of 1:10" should suffice, although as the manufacturer admits, it ison the edge and not every such barrel twist will work with the bullet. Ofcourse, there is some room for fine-tuning within reloading, but it has itslimits. Simply put, it cannot be ruled out that you buy a box and after longhours of tuning and several visits to the range, you find that your gun simplydoes not achieve any dazzling accuracy. Not that it would then becatastrophically inaccurate, but with bullets that have a potential accuracybelow 0.5 MOA, you really want to see the results. With calibers .264, .277,and .284, this doesn't seem to be a problem, but it's still advisable to verifythe twist rate of your barrel before purchase and if it's among the"slower" ones, then TGK might not be the right choice for your, orrather your gun.
Reloading is straightforward without any tricks, and the ballistic tip does not deform during the process
Heading to the Range
After reloading three different sets of cartridges, I headed to the range to properlytest accuracy at a distance of 100 meters, in combination with the top-tier Tikka T3x TACT-A1 rifle.
With it, I managed to achieve a grouping around 16 mm (a set after 6 shots with theworst shot removed and measured from the centers of impacts). This is anexcellent, almost "sporting" value. Reports from long-term users alsoshow similar or even lower values, down to below 13 mm at 100 m. Moreover, whenyou input all the data into a ballistic program, the bullet can boast anunusually flat ballistic curve and significant residual energy. Themanufacturer states that the bullet reliably and moderately expands over impactvelocities of 549 m/s. In my configuration, this means reliable usability atall distances under 500 meters. For those who might find this insufficient, ofcourse, one can reload into more powerful cartridges, such as .300 Win Mag or7mm Rem Mag, which can handle significantly longer distances, if you prefersuch hunting (or if the nature of the hunting ground demands it). The bulletitself is more than accurate enough for this purpose, and specifically for the first mentioned cartridge, the manufacturer offers a bullet weighing 180 gr.
At the range, I managed to achieve an excellent grouping of about 16 mm at adistance of 100 meters. With that, one can even compete...
The bullet is quite long at first glance, which contributes to good ballistics, butsome barrel twists may have trouble stabilizing it sufficiently.
Dissectionof the piece revealed that despite a relatively powerful exit hole, the TGK is quite gentle on the game
And What About in the Field?
Accuracy is very important, but as hunters, our primary interest will be what it does inthe target. During the test, I harvested one piece of bare fallow deer weighingjust under 40 kg, shooting through the shoulder into the chest at a distance ofabout 100 meters. The animal broke down instantly where it stood, and by thetime I reached it, it showed no signs of life. The hit was well placed, but Iwas pleasantly surprised by the speed with which the animal went down withoutany "protest." The dissection later revealed a rather neat entrywound without much damage, while the exit side was a bit "more open,"as demonstrated by the attached photograph. Overall, but after furtherexamination, surprisingly little bruising, and I would rate the shot asrelatively gentle on the game. It should be noted that the bullet went throughthe animal, and I did not find any fragments under the skin.
Ofcourse, one cannot make general conclusions from a single culling, but thosewho have hunted more with this bullet have similar experiences. With rareexceptions, they agree on a reliable terminal effect on roe, black, and highgame, which typically breaks down in fire or very close to it, relativegentleness to the game, and if the bullet fits the weapon also extraordinaryaccuracy, with the advantage of certain universality on both lighter and morerobust game and at all common distances, perhaps only at the"immediate" ones the result might be somewhat destructive, but again bullets that aren't to be found…
The animal broke down instantly whereit stood after being hit.
A Universal Option at an Acceptable Price
Basedon prevailing opinions and my own limited tests, I lean towards the conclusionthat overall, this is an excellent and largely universal bullet, which alsoboasts a high potential for accuracy and long-distance shooting. It willrequire someone willing to tinker with tuning during reloading, and there'salso the risk that the TGK may simply not mesh with your weapon. Otherwise, Ican warmly recommend this bullet, even from an economic standpoint.
The TGK is priced on our market ranging from 9,2 to 17,8 CZK per piece, dependingon diameter and weight. The .308/165 that I tested cost 17,4 CZK per piece(sold in packs of 100 pieces). So it’s not the cheapest bullet, for instance,the similarly high-quality and structurally similar Hornady SST .308/165 gr is two crowns cheaper per piece. On the other hand, if we factor in the potentialfor accuracy, versatility, and reliability in terms of terminal effect,personally, I would pay the extra two crowns. Sierra has really done a good job on this bullet.
You can purchase GameChanger TGK bullets at STROBL.CZ s.r.o. For more information, visit strobl.cz, or the manufacturer's website at sierrabullets.com
Advantages/ Disadvantages
+ extraordinary accuracy
+ reliableterminal effect
+ excellentballistics
- moresuitable for experienced reloaders
- may notfit some barrels
Photosources: Author's archive, manufacturer’s materials – sierrabullets.com (photofactory ammunition)
Author ofthe article: Tomáš Prachař
The article originally appeared in the Lovec magazine by Extra Publishing.