Match bullets for long range big game hunting

[Tiny Tim]

This is a hotly debated topic and I believe it will for quite some time. I have been hesitant to get on board with the use of "match" bullets, but the ones I have used have not disappointed! But there are many more things to consider. Certain match bullets need to make sure the hollow point is open. Some barrels are too rough or may deform the jacket too much to have reliable terminal performance (like three groove), and this may not be as large an issue as caliber increases (not sure on this). Understanding the entire system and using correct shot placement are all critical to success.

 

[bigngreen]

A bullet that has been given the name Match may work absolutely flawless for some, it may be an utter wreck for others and that we know is fact from all of the stories on both sides of this, bottom line is we've got choices for a reason and testing them out can lead to better performance than what your currently seeing and that is always a positive for us as hunters and the game we take!!
Personally I don't comment on a specific bullets performance unless I've personally seen or shot myself 10-12 animals with it which around here can happen in a couple days of decent hunting. Even the bullets I don't like I try to figure out the why they do what they do so I know their strongest position and weakest. The only way your going to know is to shoot something with a bullet!!

 

[deerhorn]

This is a hotly debated topic and I believe it will for quite some time. I have been hesitant to get on board with the use of "match" bullets, but the ones I have used have not disappointed! But there are many more things to consider. Certain match bullets need to make sure the hollow point is open. Some barrels are too rough or may deform the jacket too much to have reliable terminal performance (like three groove), and this may not be as large an issue as caliber increases (not sure on this). Understanding the entire system and using correct shot placement are all critical to success.

Thanks for the reply. I killed a whitetail buck in 2018 that field dressed 170 pounds at 50 yards with a 140 grain Berger vld hunter 6.5 creedmore impact velocity around 2600 fps when shot the deer showed no sign of being hit there was no blood or hair to be found I thought I missed started looking in the direction the buck ran found him 110 yards dead the shot was slightly quartering away about 1/3 up the chest 3 in behind the heart the lungs were turned into jelly no exit hole no blood trail at all this got me really thinking about what bullet to use would have been easy to lose that deer in some of the thickets on the farm I hunt

 

[Tiny Tim]

Thanks for the reply. I killed a whitetail buck in 2018 that field dressed 170 pounds at 50 yards with a 140 grain Berger vld hunter 6.5 creedmore impact velocity around 2600 fps when shot the deer showed no sign of being hit there was no blood or hair to be found I thought I missed started looking in the direction the buck ran found him 110 yards dead the shot was slightly quartering away about 1/3 up the chest 3 in behind the heart the lungs were turned into jelly no exit hole no blood trail at all this got me really thinking about what bullet to use would have been easy to lose that deer in some of the thickets on the farm I hunt

That is another aspect of the complexity of the equation. In open areas, it may be easy to see an animal go down even if it runs 100+ yards. In thick cover, especially lush vegetation, it can be difficult to find blood if there is any or to see very far in it to find a downed animal. Most people I've encountered that are unfamiliar with whitetail deer are amazed at their determination to live. But recovery is another issue. I understand all too well both sides and have experienced both. Glad you found your deer.

 

[Elkeater]

I figure bullets are like golf clubs. I think no one bullet will work in all situations. I think if I was consistently taking 700+ yard shots a high BC match bullet would be my choice. My reality is that shot distance tends to be either 1500 yards plus which I am not taking or 300-500 yards. I choose my bullet for those shots.

 

[Backcountry sports]

I bought and read the Nathan Foster series of hunting and shooting books and I really enjoyed them.He has killed a lot of game with match bullets. He is very knowledgeable and learned alot.What are you guys thoughts on the use of match bullets for hunting thanks for any reply.

I always use Berger vld and classic in 7mm 168 no problem just practice practice practice

 

[TxHeartShot]

What's a "match" bullet? I'm hunting for food...I use a food bullet (Nosler = full freezers)

 

[Sledhead406]

Ive read Nathan Foster's books as well and agree with his observations. As mentioned above, heavy for caliber is key as well as paying very close attention to impact velocity. I use ELD-M in my various .284 bore rifles for long range work.

Years before reading his books I shot a mule deer at around 575 yds with an A-max, confusing it with my SST hunting rounds... grabbed the wrong ammo wallet that morning. Anyway it was like he got hit by a lighning bolt, the most emphatic kill id had at that distance with a 308. I tested the amax a few times on cull does after that and can say that at lower velocity they are very hard to beat. Sample size for me is probably now around 30 deer and elk with Amax and ELD-M.

Do not expect something like a 160gr match bullet to perform well at 100 yds out of a 28 Nosler, for that there are WAY better options. But if you are going to be "long range hunting" and want them to drop in their tracks, they work as well or better than anything else I have used.

 

[osok-1k]

Shot placement may have more to do with it than the bullet design, to a point. As an example, I would never shoot a deer sized or larger animal with a varmint bullet (I know we are talking about target vs. hunting bullets) but even a varmint bullet in the right spot will do the job. When I got my first 6.5 Creedmoor somewhere around 2009 the only ammo I could find was Hornady 129 SST Superformance. It was very accurate in my Browning and 25-30 deer later I only had one goes more that a few feet and that one was trotting after a doe where momentum carried him a little further. I have since loaded 140 A-Max in the same rifle to good success but it does tear up more meat than I like. I'm transitioning to the Berger 140 Hybrid but haven't shot anything yet. My 308 loves the Nosler RDF 175 and I would like to see what happens on a deer sized critter. All of which brings me back to my first statement which shot placement trumps most everything else. 35 years ago I knew a guy who poached deer whenever he ran out of meat, he would head shoot them with a 22LR, usually at night and to my knowledge never lost one. Shot placement.

 

[JC in Calif]

I bought and read the Nathan Foster series of hunting and shooting books and I really enjoyed them.He has killed a lot of game with match bullets. He is very knowledgeable and learned alot.What are you guys thoughts on the use of match bullets for hunting thanks for any reply.

With the number of excellent hunting bullets available, why risk a possible bullet failure by using a match bullet. Crippling and possibly losing an animal is hardly worth it.

 

[bigngreen]

With the number of excellent hunting bullets available, why risk a possible bullet failure by using a match bullet. Crippling and possibly losing an animal is hardly worth it.

Because there are a PILE of poor performing Hunting bullets!! I've had by far more failures with Hunting bullets than Match bullets, in fact I've seen one match bullet have an issue and we still recovered the animal and that is how I know we actually saw poor performance on that one singular shot. I've had to dispatch three elk with in a couple hours shooting Hunting bullets, I've only shot one elk twice with a Match bullet and it was not needed. Once you get past marketing hype and just trust what you see inside dead game it clears things up fast!!

 

[dogz]

sooner or later, if you use a bullet long enough it'll do something that makes you go hmm...........

 

[Sledhead406]

With the number of excellent hunting bullets available, why risk a possible bullet failure by using a match bullet. Crippling and possibly losing an animal is hardly worth it.

Many of the otherwise excellent hunting bullets have limited or sometimes near zero expansion at long range/low velocity. I've had many simply pencil through, leaving small entrance and exit holes with little blood trail.

a match bullet will dump all it's energy into the animal, rarely with an exit wound. They do ruin shoulder meat for sure but that's not as bad as losing the animal entirely.

 

[JC in Calif]

Because there are a PILE of poor performing Hunting bullets!! I've had by far more failures with Hunting bullets than Match bullets, in fact I've seen one match bullet have an issue and we still recovered the animal and that is how I know we actually saw poor performance on that one singular shot. I've had to dispatch three elk with in a couple hours shooting Hunting bullets, I've only shot one elk twice with a Match bullet and it was not needed. Once you get past marketing hype and just trust what you see inside dead game it clears things up fast!!

Thanks for your input, very interesting. This has not been my experienc. My choices are made on performance, like you, not on marketing hype. I wonder, thinking of marketing, why if the match bullets are effective/efficient on game, why companies (like Sierra) aren't marketing them as hunting bullets?