Something weird going on here - Sako factory ammo not what it seems

[Hook'N'Bullet]

I bought 3 boxes of Sako Game Head Pro supposedly loaded with Sierra Game changers. I I've shot one group to confirm zero (same POI as Superformace SSTs which is great) and they are very accurate.

I was reading up on them and stumbled across an article here that gave a good review. However, I came across the below sentence outlining the gamechangers have translucent green tips and the tipped match kings have solid green tips. I checked my boxes and indeed they all (60 of them) have solid green tips.

Is Sako loading them with tipped match kings and marketing it as the game changer?

How will a match bullet fair out on a deer?


Regards,

H&B

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

I’ll attach photo in a sec

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

 

[cjm1066]

What's the source of the article you read.

Try asking SAKO

 

[takbok]

I don't think there's any reason to doubt the info on the box.

 

[Klenchblaize]

NOS (New Old Stock)?

K

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

NOS (New Old Stock)?

K

It did cross my mind that maybe the article was old but I couldn't see a date on it

 

[safer]

Matchkings have green tip.
The tip on that billet is probably a lot softer making it a hunting cartridge / bullet.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Matchkings have green tip.
The tip on that billet is probably a lot softer making it a hunting cartridge / bullet.

They both have green tips

gamechangers have translucent green tips and the tipped match kings have solid green tips

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

They definitely look different to what I have

 

[freid]

On the basis that Sierra don't appear to offer a tipped 150gr tipped GameKing 30 Cal projectile (as used in your Sako rounds above), I would assume that the 150gr bullet used by Sako offering is made specially for them by Sierra, so I wouldn't be worried about the tip colour not aligning with their colour coding for available projectiles.

 

[safer]

They both have green tips

gamechangers have translucent green tips and the tipped match kings have solid green tips

They just did not look green in the photo. I only used Matchking and that was lighter green than your first photo. They looked black in that photo of Sako cartridge.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

They just did not look green in the photo. I only used Matchking and that was lighter green than your first photo. They looked black in that photo of Sako cartridge.

The ones I have are a darkish, solid green colour.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

On the basis that Sierra don't appear to offer a tipped 150gr tipped GameKing 30 Cal projectile (as used in your Sako rounds above), I would assume that the 150gr bullet used by Sako offering is made specially for them by Sierra, so I wouldn't be worried about the tip colour not aligning with their colour coding for available projectiles.

I noticed they didnt stock 150s on sierras website too. Maybe they are custom made for Sako but I cant imagine why they would.

 

[zambezi]

I do not see a "Game-King" ammo monniker anywhere in Sako's current ammunition line up.

Was it maybe a Sako-Sierra collaboration that was a pre-cursor to their later "Blade" tipped range?

 

[freid]

I do not see a "Game-King" ammo monniker anywhere in Sako's current ammunition line up.

Was it maybe a Sako-Sierra collaboration that was a pre-cursor to their later "Blade" tipped range?

View attachment 386402

It's on their website as Gamehead Pro Gamehead Pro, and the photo in the Ops post of the ammo box states "Tipped GameKing". GameKing is a Sierra trademark, so definitely one of their bullets, I think it's just specially made for the Sako product.

 

[palo]

The box says they are gameking so I would imagine they are.
Just go and shoot a few animals and let us know the results

 

[MarinePMI]

As said previously, most likely this is new old stock. The Gamechangers originally had the solid green tips. Then when Hornady made a big hoopla about the polymer that they were using was melting at certain velocities, everyone change to polycarbonate tips (which are clear). If they're marked GC,s then that is what is important, as the functional difference between GCs and TMK is the jacket thickness (and a slightly different ogive).

 

[monarman]

I'm sure the deer won't notice the difference.....

 

[fixedwheel]

According to the Sako website, for .308Win they list one option for the 150gr, but two for the 165gr.

Also on 30-06 & .300WM two options for the 165gr.

Could it be that the translucent/solids are only on the 165gr, and as you have 150gr it is not an issue?

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