Flip, why should they encourage the use of Match King bullets when the Game Kings are 2-3x the price ?.... Personally I do not have experience with the SMK on larger game, but do you suppose that the marine sniper teams gave no thought whatsoever to the ballistic performance of the 175gr SMK's that are loaded in the LR ammo ? After all, what can be worse that shooting at people that shoot back ?
Not sure how to address that. When I was in the Navy during the Vietnamn campaign, I wasn't involved directly in combat so I never had anyone shooting at me. Working in ship board communications on a carrier insulates you from direct cintact with the enemy...
I happen to deal direct with Sierra on projectiles and thats what they recommend (SGK's). I don't own an underground world class shooting tunnel and employ professional ballisticians who do nothing day in and day out other than optimize projectiles to loads.
Far as price, I don't really look at a per bullet cost. I look at the BC, how the bullet acts down range and the fragmentation in gelatin, all within the testing regimen at Sierra.
If you ram any pill with enough velocity and kinetic energy at impact, it's going to do damage, most likely lethal damage, however, at less than optimum velocities and kinetic energy, thats where a ballistic tipped pill outshines a solid tip.
You and I both have been on this forum long enough to note the penchant for ultra high muzzle velocities, in fact, almost to a poster, the vast majority here likes to load at the very upper end of whats considered safe case pressures and then some, with the resultant case head to bolt issues and throat erosion on 3 series and better calibers.
Not I. I find my accuracy loads to be more toward the mid point of most load tables (for a corresponding propellant). That results in a lower muzzle velocity as well as less kinetic energy. Consequently, a solid pill or a pill with a modified point (hollow or semi), isn't as capable of fragmentation as a ballistic tipped pill.
I look at guns like tools. You don 't put a cheater pipe on your 1/2" drive ratchet every time you use it and expect it to last, because it won't. Same applies to a rifle.
I read the Berger blather and the Hornady blather and the Barnes blather but, I think we can all agree that more animals, both large and small, have been taken with Sierra Bullets than any other brand...probably humans too.