"Match" bullets for hunting?

[AaronEdwardJames]

Snipers don't use expanding ammunition they hit were they aim where it's going to kill.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Snipers don't care if their targets gets recovered or not. I care if I recover my trophies. Snipers and hunters share some similarities but are vastly different in other areas. Bullet selection is one of them. Besides, the human species is about a weak as a mammal as it gets. Bad comparison.

 

[AaronEdwardJames]

You make a valid point Jeff . I never thought about recovery of the beast, a good saying maybe train like a sniper but kill like a hunter.

 

[hawk4974]

This is a long range site and Long range hunting dictates bullet performance. Both in accuracy and terminal performance. This is why I use High BC bullets that will result in less drift and drop. They in turn allow it to be easier to place shots well. We all agree shot placement is king with any bullet. This means long range hunting sometimes takes a total different bullet design than what we would choose for a 400 yard or less shot. Also a bullet that is labeled to be "the better" choice could preform miserably at long distances and not expand at all.

Jeff

This is exactly what prompted the thread. I am definitely interested in the BC & terminal performance with the end game being animal recovery. I will definitely be looking at 250gr or higher. I like to hit my game with a slow brick rather than a fast rock....

 

[AaronEdwardJames]

Yeah I see what you mean Jeff, what would be your suggested ideal velocity range for an ax .338 27" Harrell with 300 grain smk.


Cheers

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Good discussion. 300 whisper , if I may ask could you report an impact velocity? I am very curious and like to learn from results.

This is a long range site and Long range hunting dictates bullet performance. Both in accuracy and terminal performance. This is why I use High BC bullets that will result in less drift and drop. They in turn allow it to be easier to place shots well. We all agree shot placement is king with any bullet. This means long range hunting sometimes takes a total different bullet design than what we would choose for a 400 yard or less shot. Also a bullet that is labeled to be "the better" choice could preform miserably at long distances and not expand at all.

Just some more criteria for picking a bullet. And also the reason I and some others agree there is not perfect bullet for all scenarios. Just a bullet that choice that works better for your use if you use it properly.

Jeff

+1 on high BC bullets just weary of the SMK as the moment. Here is the bullet break down: .308 Win 180 grain SMK, Federal Brass, Federal Primer, 44 grains of IMR4046. I was trying to mimic the 168 grain loading by Federal but with a 180 grain bullet. It is pushing roughly 2,600 FPS. I do not have ballistic software so I do not know what it hit with in terms of FPS and KE at 125 yards.

 

[Broz]

+1 on high BC bullets just weary of the SMK as the moment. Here is the bullet break down: .308 Win 180 grain SMK, Federal Brass, Federal Primer, 44 grains of IMR4046. I was trying to mimic the 168 grain loading by Federal but with a 180 grain bullet. It is pushing roughly 2,600 FPS. I do not have ballistic software so I do not know what it hit with in terms of FPS and KE at 125 yards.

Thank you

Jeff

 

[C.O. Shooter]

I have been using a 220 grain Sierra Match King (SMK) in my 300 ultra mag (Sendero) since 2001. It is backed by 90 grains of H1000, in Remington Brass, and powered by Federal 215M primers. For me, this combination yielded the best performance. To date, I have never lost a deer nor had to track one. I probably have killed 25-30 deer here in PA and two in Wyoming. Kills I have made were between 100 to 605 yards. I believe shot placement is crucial to the success of "this bullet." Shot placement on kills varied from center mass, behind the shoulder, neck, and head.

I agree with Broz about shooting the high BC bullets, less drift, less drop. I have never loaded any 215 or 230 Bergers in my 300, just because of the performance I got with the SMK.

For my new 6.5 build I went with the Berger 140 hybrids. (49 grains H4350, Lapua Brass, Federal 210M primers) Haven't really got to shoot them much (52 rounds) . I took them out hunting this year, but didn't have the opportunity to try them out on any game yet. http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/140-gr-6-5mm-hybrid-hunting-117904/

 

[tikkat3270wsm]

Snipers don't use expanding ammunition they hit were they aim where it's going to kill.

first off I would like to address the sniper comment. The Geneva Convention does not allow expanding ammunition. only FMJ target type ammo is allowed.
If I were you match grade bullets, look at Matrix Bullets or Extreme. Very high BC and they do a great number on the animal

 

[ramrod79]

I use SMK 123GR out of my 260 , shot a real nice WT buck this fall at 275 , he only went 20 yards and piled , and he knew he was hit . After skinning animal I found a nice pin hole entrance , and where it hit the ribs on opposite side looked like any other exit wound , I would not hesitate to shoot anything else with this bullet, that being said shot placement is key!!

 

[Nomosendero]

first off I would like to address the sniper comment. The Geneva Convention does not allow expanding ammunition. only FMJ target type ammo is allowed.
If I were you match grade bullets, look at Matrix Bullets or Extreme. Very high BC and they do a great number on the animal

How about OTM, perception is bigger than reality.

 

[morcey2]

How about OTM, perception is bigger than reality.

OTM/Sierra Match Kings are considered within the parameters of the Geneva and Hague conventions.

Sniper Use of Open-Tip Ammunition

There are more officialer (yes, it's a word) versions out there, but the text is correct. The M118LR round used currently by the US military carries a 175 gr SMK bullet.

The gist of it is that the OTM bullets they tested have effectively identical terminal performance to FMJ bullets.

Matt

 

[benchracer]

first off I would like to address the sniper comment. The Geneva Convention does not allow expanding ammunition. only FMJ target type ammo is allowed.

Though I am sure this comment was offered with the best of intentions, you don't know what you think you know. But, rather than hijack the thread with a bunch of minutiae, that is a conversation best left to a dedicated thread of its own or taken private.

 

[seanfoster13f]

I used 168gr SMK for my deer hunt last Oct. I ranged my deer at 340 yrds. I held on his lungs and fired. I thought I missed. He looked around and walked 15 yards or so. I put a shot in the side of his neck. I thought I missed. He trotted over the hill. When I came over the hill there was no deer in sight. No blood. I tracked him a few yards before I heard him kicking in the brush. A minute or two later he was dead. Both rounds hit their mark. Entry and exit wounds were the same size. Inside the deer there was hardly any blood in the body cavity at all. The round in the neck did nothing in my opinion, a clean pass. The round in the lungs did no more than collapse them and he simply ran out of air. I feel confident with this round and the accuracy of my weapon and I. However, the failure of the round to effectively knock down the animal leads to follow up shots and uncertainty. You just don't know. That being said, the 168 gr SMK .308 gives me sub .25moa and I have yet to find a round as accurate through my platform. Do any of you have a suggestion for a comparable round?