Why do you use SMK bullets for big game?

[Jimm]

Hey POP !

Did that antelope die ? With exploded lungs I would expect it to /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif and quite soon actually . As far as friends experiences vs my own I see a problem there as it is not first hand ( i.e. you didn't see the sight pic when the rifle fired and so on)

At this point I have not had a single failure with the 190 smk I shoot out of my 300 winnie , however , if I do I will report it to all here .

The other day a " friend " arrowed a black bear and he showerd pix of to everyone and the pix had written on it 650 lbs. Yes , the bear was huge in the pix and I was also told that the skull measured 19 1/4 ". Although I have killed bears , none were this large or even worth measuring so I thought nothing of it until..........I told Richard Graves of Wildcat bullets about it and mentionned the wt. / skull measurement . Well , you see , Richard is well versed in Black bears ( calls them up and shoots them at absurdly close range /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif), and he replied that was certainly a big bear and he would havwe thought that the skull would have been much larger for its weight . That set me to thinking and I followed up on the "big bear " kill only to find out that it was never weighed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif, just " guesstimated ".Sheesh /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Point is , well hey , you see what the point is.Hard evidence is vital to give the best info to all here and not take awrong turn.

Just a few thoughts , Holy ,happy Christmas and a wonderful new year to all, Jim Brown

 

[Brown Dog]

[ QUOTE ]
not that British nasal gibberish

[/ QUOTE ] ...you cheeky former-colonial git /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

What about the coppering angle vs NBT?

 

[Dave King]

Brown Dog

Maybe a "git" but not a proper former-colonial! I might be worse off yet though, I'm second generation U. S. American of French-Canadian descent. My paternal great grandfather was Jean Noel Roi of Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. Maternal side is French/German (Alsace-Lorraine or Elsass-Lothringen) and Swiss with a tiny bit of Irish. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif



The coppering seems to me to be more barrel or perhaps cleaning procedure related. I've had a few rifles that copper badly with the SMK. My 338 RUM with a PacNor polygonal was terrible about coppering with the 300SMK (just carrying a few pennies in my pocket would cause that barrel to copper foul), and my 300 WSM with the Schneider likes to gild itself on the 175SMKs. On the other hand my Mike Rock, and Clay Spencer barrels seems to not copper at all and they're on a strict diet of Federal GMM 168 (168 SMKs) and custom loaded SMK 175s (ocassionally some M118LR).

I've not shot the Noslet BTs in a while but during the time I did I didn't notice any copper of consequence (didn't look too hard either I might add).

 

[Fotis]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey POP !

Did that antelope die ? With exploded lungs I would expect it to /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif and quite soon actually . As far as friends experiences vs my own I see a problem there as it is not first hand ( i.e. you didn't see the sight pic when the rifle fired and so on)

At this point I have not had a single failure with the 190 smk I shoot out of my 300 winnie , however , if I do I will report it to all here .

The other day a " friend " arrowed a black bear and he showerd pix of to everyone and the pix had written on it 650 lbs. Yes , the bear was huge in the pix and I was also told that the skull measured 19 1/4 ". Although I have killed bears , none were this large or even worth measuring so I thought nothing of it until..........I told Richard Graves of Wildcat bullets about it and mentionned the wt. / skull measurement . Well , you see , Richard is well versed in Black bears ( calls them up and shoots them at absurdly close range /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif), and he replied that was certainly a big bear and he would havwe thought that the skull would have been much larger for its weight . That set me to thinking and I followed up on the "big bear " kill only to find out that it was never weighed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif, just " guesstimated ".Sheesh /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Point is , well hey , you see what the point is.Hard evidence is vital to give the best info to all here and not take awrong turn.

Just a few thoughts , Holy ,happy Christmas and a wonderful new year to all, Jim Brown

[/ QUOTE ]

Fellas we are beating a dead horsie. All I am saying is there are better bullets suited for the task of hunting big game. That is all.

 

[rufous]

Dave King said this about using SMK bullets on big game: "The caveat being that one must ensure the bullet gets to the intended target (critical organ(s)) and not flatten on a gigantic bone before entry." With that said I do not think I will give them a try because I do not want to be limited in the shots I take. I want to be able to take a quartering toward me shot if necessary, not wait for the animal to turn so that it is broadside. I want to be able to take any reasonable shot the moment it presents itself because I may not get another chance. I know that with lots of bullets out there I would not have to pass up that quartering to shot. Thanks all for your input. If I misunderstood the limitations that Dave King placed on the SMK I would gladly hear more from him or others. Rufous.

 

[bailey1474]

I don't see a problem using them on anything other than elk, moose or brown bear. With that said, I would not hesitate to use the 240 SMK out of my RUM on either elk or moose. I would look for other options if using the lesser SMKs out of lesser calibers.

That 240 is lotta' lead and the bottom line is I KNOW it will go right where I tell it to. So as long as I put the crosshairs in the correct place, it will kill and kill as good as any bullet out there.

 

[abinok]

I hate it when I fall off the edge of the earth for a week (well... relatively speaking of gun stuff) aka fly to STL. Did you wack a deer with the 240s Bill?

 

[Dave King]

Rufous

That "gigantic bone" thing is some sarcasm and exaggeration for effect showing through. In gigantic I was thinking more like elephant or triceratops leg or such.

The SMK is limited like any other bullet by it's size. I would have no reservations about shooting a 300gr .338 SMK into any North American herbivore. BUT I still like to miss support bone on the near side with any bullet (even Barnes, Partitions,etc.) as it's the damage to vital organs that causes death and not damaged skeletal support. If I feel the need to break support bone I try for bone on the off side and let the post "vitals" energy break a bone. I don't believe I'd try large game (elk, moose, buffalo, etc) with the smaller caliber (generally < .30) or even the lightweight .30's.

Sorry if I caused you some confusion with the "gigantic" thing.




Et al.

" As with most other things hunting related; If you don't feel confident with it (the SMKs in this instance) don't use it but let the folks that are confident and/or experienced sally forth."

 

[bailey1474]

abinok,

Yeah. Here is the link and story.

http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=90117&an=0&page=2#90117

 

[abinok]

[ QUOTE ]
I sent a 240 SMK screaming, and I mean screaming on its way. That thing sounded like an artillary shell flying through the air!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Definately know what you mean at this! I don't know what it is, but this bullet definately has a different sound to it as it flies through the air. Sounds a lot like the 155mms to my ear. Glad to hear you didn't "waste" them all on paper!

 

[rufous]

Dave, thanks for the follow up. I shoot a 300 Win Mag. I may eventuall step up to a 300 RUM. If I were to shoot the SMK it would be the 220. I also prefer a slightly quartering away shot where I can punch through ribs into the lungs and then break the off side shoulder. I think that is the best shot. But if a big black bear or elk shows up at 25 or so yards and is facing me or quartering toward me I want to be able to take the shot.

So again the big question is would I be better off sticking with the Barnes TSX or Nosler Partition or Accubond such that I can take any reasonable shot presented or would I just as easily be able to take that shot with the 30 cal 220 SMK out of my 300 Win or RUM? I am not looking for a 1000 yard + bullet. I am looking for a 5 yard to 600 yard bullet. Maybe eventually I will be able to stretch my range beyond 600 but at this point that is about it. I can see that if one were trying to get set up for solely long shots (600 to 2000 yards) then the SMK would likely be the go to bullet (unless it were the new Wildcat bullets). Rufous.

 

[Jimm]

Pop,
You did'nt answer the question /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[bailey1474]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not looking for a 1000 yard + bullet. I am looking for a 5 yard to 600 yard bullet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd say shoot the Accubond then. It's the best of the 3 you listed ballistically and one could argue it's the best terminally as well.

 

[Fotis]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey POP !

Did that antelope die ? With exploded lungs I would expect it to /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif and quite soon actually . As far as friends experiences vs my own I see a problem there as it is not first hand ( i.e. you didn't see the sight pic when the rifle fired and so on)

At this point I have not had a single failure with the 190 smk I shoot out of my 300 winnie , however , if I do I will report it to all here .

The other day a " friend " arrowed a black bear and he showerd pix of to everyone and the pix had written on it 650 lbs. Yes , the bear was huge in the pix and I was also told that the skull measured 19 1/4 ". Although I have killed bears , none were this large or even worth measuring so I thought nothing of it until..........I told Richard Graves of Wildcat bullets about it and mentionned the wt. / skull measurement . Well , you see , Richard is well versed in Black bears ( calls them up and shoots them at absurdly close range /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif), and he replied that was certainly a big bear and he would havwe thought that the skull would have been much larger for its weight . That set me to thinking and I followed up on the "big bear " kill only to find out that it was never weighed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif, just " guesstimated ".Sheesh /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Point is , well hey , you see what the point is.Hard evidence is vital to give the best info to all here and not take awrong turn.

Just a few thoughts , Holy ,happy Christmas and a wonderful new year to all, Jim Brown

[/ QUOTE ]

Did it die? Absolutely or else my buddy would not have the jacket in a little ziplock bag for a reminder of what NOT to load in the future. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif