Ammo Review: Sierra GameChanger 165-grain TGK 30-06 Sprg Hunting Ammo
Russ Chastain 11.30.20
Sierra GameChanger 165-grain TGK 30-06 Sprg Hunting Ammo
(Photo © Russ Chastain)
Last month, I posted about sighting in my late father’s old custom Mauser-Springfield hybrid rifle, which he named “SpringMaus,” with some Sierra GameChanger ammunition which provided some seriously great accuracy. I also wrote about my first deer hunt of the 2020-21 season, which became magnificent but required me to use my old Savage 308 on the deer I took. (You can read about that hunt here and you can read my review of Sierra GameChanger 165-grain 308 ammo here.)
Manufacturer Specs
- Sierra Catalog no. A4669–06
- 30-06 Springfield cartridge
- 165-grain Tipped GameKing bullets
- Boattail bullet design with polymer tip seated in a hollow point for fast expansion
- G1 Ballistic Coefficient: .517
- Muzzle velocity: 2800 fps
- 20 cartridges per box
- Sierra price: $41.99
“Each GameChanger round utilizes a Sierra Tipped GameKing bullet with an extremely accurate boat tail profile and a polymer tip seated in a hollow point design for fast expansion upon impact. A lead core encased in a thick, tough copper jacket delivers outstanding penetration and controlled expansion at any range.”
(Image: Screenshot from Sierra’s website)
This hunting ammo had proven shockingly accurate in the old rifle, and after swapping the scope I hit the range to zero it. Once I got it on paper, I fired two 2-shot groups at 200 yards, allowing the barrel to cool in between groups. The groups were 1″ and 1-1/8″ or just a tad more than 1/2 MOA, which is superb for 1) me and 2) a deer rifle.
Due to my wonderful first hunt, I only had two deer left on my club quota when I returned for a hunt with my nephew Ox, so I spent most of that hunt sitting on stands hoping a coyote would show up (it didn’t), waiting on him to slay a deer or two. He shot a nice doe under odd circumstances and didn’t catch up with a shooter buck before he had to head home, so with one deer left on my tally I set out on the last evening of my trip to test the Sierra ’06 Ammo on some live game by trying to lay down a nice doe.
I hunted first at the tripod stand Ox and I had put up a couple months earlier, but when 4:00 rolled around I decided to play the odds by relocating to a stand where a friend had been seeing does every evening. By 4:24 I was settled on the stand, and at 5:18 two deer stepped out of the woods downrange.
Waiting for some game.
Sierra GameChanger Hunting Ammo Goes to Work
I settled in behind my old rifle, which sat securely on a wooden wall in my Crosstac Jester shooting bag. I identified the pair of deer as a doe and fawn, confirmed the doe was mature, and settled the crosshairs on its shoulder. I squeezed the Timney trigger, the old rifle barked, and my hunt was over.
After the deed was done.
As with the three deer I took with the Sierra 308 ammo, the doe collapsed and didn’t move again. The range was 155 yards and the 140-pound doe was broadside to me when I fired into her right shoulder.
Exit wound.
The bullet passed through the deer, and I found a small bit of the green plastic tip in the entry wound during the post-mortem. Near the exit wound I recovered a couple scraps of copper jacket and a bit of lead.
In between those wounds was an impressive amount of devastation.
The bullet passed through this ribcage from right to left.
(Photo © Russ Chastain)
After laying down a total of 4 big whitetails with Sierra ammo in 308 and 30-06 — using the same 165-grain TGK (Tipped GameKing) bullet — and not having to track a single one, you can bet yer bippy I am a fan of Sierra GameChanger ammunition and this bullet in particular.
When this rifle was built, the chamber was purposely left with generous headspace so it would happily digest any and all surplus 30-06 military ammo. Any factory ammo that can provide sub-MOA accuracy in this gun along with deadly terminal performance on whitetails has gotten my attention and earned my admiration.
Do I recommend Sierra GameChanger 165-grain TGK ammo in 30-06 Springfield hunting ammo? Yes — absolutely and without reservation.
