I know this is an old thread but after reading thru it i noticed no mention of Berger bullets. Berger was not designed as a hunting bullet but after much todo from hunters Berger started to put HUNTING on the box. The Bergers do much the same as the SMK's and fragment. I guess what i am trying to say is it all depends on what you want the bullet to look like after the fact. As for myself i just want the animal DRT. I have used both SGK's and SMK's and both work very well for the deer i hunt. If you insist in having a bullet look like a bullet after it passes thru a game animal then use a fmj but don't whine when it pinholes and you lose the animal.
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Why do you use SMK bullets for big game?
- Thread starter rufous
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Nomosendero
Well-Known Member
Reading this one would think that the Berger & Sierra behaved the same, but not so from reading tons of info from the use of both on a wide variety of game.
timmyatnop
Well-Known Member
Iam no gona lay blame on the bullet. I got a tc single shot oh 7 years ago and loaded 175 gr smk at I think 27somthing. There I was opening day in my stand along the south platter river in central. Neb. It was getting light out and I could start to see. A doe bedded in the fragmitie just stood up.. Oh my there he was the biggest deer I have ever seen on out property.. I pulled my rifle up cocked the hammer and looked through my pride fowler scope. Oh it was gona be great I centered the cross hairs behind the sholder kind by a crease on his side Mabey kind high up on him though ok 8 inches to high. The shot looked awsome the deer bolted ran 30 yards then went down kinda rolling on his side then up he jumped I was so excited and happy I called my dad and said bbd. Just then to the south I saw a nother one looked huge. It jumped the fence and ran into the ceder trees. I got down walked to where he fell and seen lots of blood on the snow. I started following it. And found where it jumped the fence 200 yards from where I gave him the bisness . Dad showed up I told him what happened we went ate lunch called the neighbor ,asked if we could cross fence .he said ok we walked 100 yards found a pool the size of dinner plate . Went further 100 the same . Fallowed him half a mile before blood ran out . I was heart. Broken a week later a shot a smaller buck and took him to taxidermist. Oh my god he said let me show u the one your neighbor killed . Yea u guessed it it was the deer I had shot . I don't know if its bullets folt or shot placment foult . But there u have it. I should have put it on the shoulder .live and learn I guess. Hope u enjoyed my tale of the hunt when I was 19 .
timmyatnop
Well-Known Member
What nobody liked my story . Come on .did it suck or was it good .
Booney
Well-Known Member
Sounds like your neighbor is a **** head
WyoElk2Hunt
Well-Known Member
Would of been nice if your neighbor would of called you.
tnshooter111
Well-Known Member
timmyatnop
Well-Known Member
The next time I see a monster on my neighbors side I might just shoot it to get even.
timmyatnop
Well-Known Member
I had a guy tell me one time that's. There's a shop behind the sholder somewhere that u can shoot a deer and not hit any vitals. I don't think its true . But that's what this old timer told me at the local coffie shop once.
C.O. Shooter
Well-Known Member
I think she slipped and bumped her head!!!!
I have been shooting deer with a 220 SMK out of my 300 RUM since 2003 and have never had one get away! I would have to say 9/10 never took more than a few steps! I wouldn't use anything else in my opinion!
gonetocamp
Member
While not long range, I use 100 gr. SMK in 25.06 and 130 gr. SMK in 7mm-08 on Pennsylvania whitetail. Lung shots create about a 2" wound channel and have always exited the far side.
SpikeSniper
Active Member
I am a wildlife biologist in South Texas. I have taken over 500 animals with a 130gr SMK fired out of my 7STW, 150+ of which were at >400 yards. I have never seen results like the SMK produces. I have loaded 160 accubonds, which tend to poke small holes without bone contact, 140 VLD's, 160 gamekings, and barnes ttsx. I originally loaded the SMK's for playing on hogs/coyotes in the offseason @ 500+, but after seeing the internal damage, I have stuck with them. Generally, the petals peel off leaving a "cigarette butt" that mushrooms and makes a large hole, while internal damage is brutal. Most of my blood trails, while short, look like you poorer blood from a bucket, and the heart/lungs look like they were run through a blender. My longest kills, 815 and 835 yds on consecutive shots, were a pair of does- one shoulder shot, one hit in front of the vitals low neck/ point of shoulder. Neither made it more than 30 yards because of fragments that contacted lung and significant muscle damage. The same load was used to take a 3/4 grown bison, shot through the shoulders and lodged under skin opposite side. The only negative is that at extremely close range, the 3,550 fps only makes a hole about the size of a golf ball and they will generally run 50 yds or so. That's alot in south Texas brush! I also load the SMK's in 308, 300 RUM, and 6.5 calibers with similar results.
