Match bullets on game

[CPerkins]

Alright I have been reading alot of posts here and I constantly hear praises of the SMK on game animals. I now have no doubts that this bullet can take down large game. However, I often see the "if you feel comfortable" disclaimer when people suggest them. I was just curious what problems can stem from thier use and if anyone could share some negative experiences with thier use. I have also noticed that Sierra doesn't recommend the use of the SMK on game and that Berger claims thiers is a big game bullet. I know these bullets are not identical, but are they similar. ( I think.)

 

[ol mike]

Cody ,

There have been many -many discussions about this and many have become heated discussions.
Some absolute veteran longrange rifle men use them with conviction -i'm talking about the guys who do it not talk about it!
The jest of most discussions pertaining to sierra mk's is they make great big game bullets in the bigger calibers .284 and up-and shoot for the shoulder bone in order to improve expansion.
Bergers work well also by delivering alot of expansion i.e. damage to the animal.
The bigger caliber bullets have a bigger frontal area and make a bigger hole /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.Best of luck -Mike

 

[1doug]

[ QUOTE ]
I was just curious what problems can stem from thier use and if anyone could share some negative experiences with thier use.

[/ QUOTE ]

only problem i have with them is that i can not keep any sharp knives around. I aim them at stuff and then it dies.

I am only shooting the 6mm 107 smk and 105 bergers. I am averaging @ 2-3 inch exit on high shoulder shot on deer to 600 yds. My friend is shooting the 300 gr smk and they are averaging a 3- 6 inch exit hole with every thing in between destroyed.

d-a

 

[10X]

In my experience the smk kills dead, just as dead as dead could be but if you don't hit in the vitals you will have trouble. I have shot goats at 1400 yards with 140g 6.5 smk from a 6.5/284 and they go straight through, in one sholder and out the other . The exit hole is about 1 inch or less. In one case I hit the goat I was aiming at and the smk went through it and hit and killed another goat that was about 10 yards away. for the experts, the projectile changed trajectory about 40 degreed up when it passed through the first goat and the second goat had a J shaped hole in the entry side and no exit. I recovered the projectile and it was broken and a portion of the nose was missing,one of the petals.I was at about the same elevation as the goats,they were on one hill I was on another hill. the second goat was about 6 feet higher in elevation than the first and about 3 feet to the right. both goats were facing left. I have also used 168g smk's from a 308 on pigs and they did the job better than the factory pmc 150g ammo. I think because they could punch through the sholder better. the pmc ammo had a tough time getting into the vitals at 500 yards .just for the record these are feral pigs and goats in australia.

another thing to look at is your local laws. match projectiles are classed as FMJ. make sure that you can hunt with FMJ in your area.now as you know sierra make a game king. the only difference in construction and materials is the size of the hole at the pointy end as far as I can tell.

In my realistic opinion here un the US of A where every one is watching what hunters do. don't do any thing that will make them make laws agains long range hunting. like wounding animals. lets face facts here we have no chance of chasing the game from my experience. I shoot watch and then walk to the area and collect. where the 100 yard guys are alot closer and can follow a wounded animal quicker and easier. so I say If in doubt dont do it.

 

[30-06 boy]

cody,as far as i'm concerned the smk is a vey good lr bullet.i've personally seen 142gr/6.5 mm and 200gr/30 cal smk in action.they work fine if they are used at the right speed.ive seen threads of guys using them in 30 mags shooting deer at 50 yards.the smk is a hollow point.a 200 gr smk at 2900 fps shooting a deer at 50 yards is like shooting a groundhog at 50 yards with a 22-250 with a 40 grain vmax at hyper velocity.the smk works well as the bullets are slowing down at 600/700/800/900.they dont expand violently at long range.this can be taken too far too.if they sloww down too much they may just punch holes.the lighter the caliber-shorter the range.just my opinion and experience. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[screech]

I have had a little expierence with both the smk and the berger. I have had expierence with the berger in two guns in two different calibers. A 210 out of a 300rum on a coyote with a dead coyote as a result. I have also shot ground squirles with it ending with dead squirle pieces littering the landscape. The other gun I have tried them out of was a 6.5x284. I was shooting the 140gr. On rock chucks it was impressive enough. Blowing them of rocks, chunks flying along with a bright red mist. In other words I have never had one fail. On the smk I have used them in two different guns. First was the 190 out of a 300win. First dear was a spine shot at 340 ending with dead dear. Second deer was at 75yrds behind the shoulder shot with a 6-7 in exit hole. third deer was at 250. Blood found but deer never recovered. Fourth was deer standing at 50 yards with a behind the shoulder shot out of a dead steady rest and deer was also a failed recovery attempt. After that I quite using them for a few years. Then I found that they shot well out of my 6.5x284. First deer at 300 ended with a dead deer after a fifty yard run up steep embankment. Second deer ended with dead deer at 200yrds after a 20yrd run. Then we moved to coyotes. Only coyote hit with it hit the ground at the sound of the shot. Complete luck shot that he hit it so I am not holding this against it. Coyote ran off. Both bullets have acounted for lots of head shot grouse. Just my real life expierences with them.