Hunting & Fishing Sierra SMK's for Hunting

[GardDog]

Sierra does not advocate using their Matchking bullets for hunting. I've harvested several whitetail deer using the 168 gr SMK over 42.8 grains of R-15. Anyone else use SMK's for hunting?

This 6pt was taken last November in TN using a 168 gr SMK.

 

[psinclair]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Looks like it worked well on that one. Thats the exit hole showing I presume? What was the range?

 

[GardDog]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Correct, that was the exit wound. He was shot at 50 yards.

 

[Jerry m]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

This topic get beat to death every month or so. Use the search feature. Welcome to the hide.

Jerry

 

[shooter65]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Yep, same results you had. They work well.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

I see you are new to the forum so I will attempt to save you some grief on the whole hunting with a match bullet topic.

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Just a few I was able to find. I use Berger's VLD myself, but as always shot placement is key.

 

[GardDog]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Thanks. I tried a search prior to posting, but did not get the extensive results that you provided. Thanks for the welcome wishes.

 

[Kinsman]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting



one of our members came up with this search engine that works wellhttp://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=010955838166721108978%3Aqcbx5qqy10o&hl=en

 

[GardDog]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Thanks, I won't make that mistake again.

 

[Tackleberry]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

there should be plenty of criminals to test them out on in New Orleans! Seems crime is out of control and maybe some 168smk's are needed down there

 

[Dennis_in_VA]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

If ya bagged a drug dealer, do you get to keep his loot?

 

[GardDog]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tackleberry</div><div class="ubbcode-body">there should be plenty of criminals to test them out on in New Orleans! Seems crime is out of control and maybe some 168smk's are needed down there </div></div>

I'm in the profession, but my agency will not approve us to carry a .308 rifle as our duty long gun, only 5.56. I did, however, have my M1A with me during my extended tour in the chocolate city. I figured that I would beg for forgiveness if I got into any shit for using it.

 

[diGGer]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Son used SMK for his first kill. Took a Catalina Ram with an M1 in .308. Bullets went on through. Needed 3 to keep it down. First one knocked it off its feet. It got up and walked then jumped over a log. Shot at 45 yds. All three through lung/chest area. Not going to make that mistake again.

 

[GardDog]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

My only negative hunting experience with SMK's came a few years ago. I had a 7 pt walk up directly behind my tree stand and come into view over my left shoulder at 15 yards. I hit him just behind the shoulder in what I thought was the ideal spot. The SMK bullet, I learned during post-mortem gutting exam, veered right and cut along the inside of the hide exiting behind the gut sack. After impact, the buck jumped straight up and what looked like a huge pink jelly bean hung down and dragged the ground to point of final rest. It was easy to finish gutting the deer, because most everything was already loose. I could not find where it had deflected or any explanation for the wound path. I just figured that at such close range the bullet wasn't able to do what it was designed for.

 

[microsuck]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

They work just as well as any other bullet, when driven accurately. If you cant make head shots, I would not advise them. I like meat, so I do this.

 

[Outsydlooknin75]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Well I was told that at 717yards a 168smk will go slap thru a human with street clothes on. I dont see any reason it wouldnt be useful on game.

 

[LSOSGT1109]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

I've taken several deer with both the 168 SMK and the Hornady 168 BTHP. Both have performed extremely well for me. All have been clean kills with no deer being lost.

 

[Doc Holiday13]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

They are G2G IMO, but remember that they will fragment at close ranges 125 yards or less(with 6.8 SPC loads at least, so the .308 may be a bit further out) so keep that in mind

 

[mdesign]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Yep, this has been covered before....they work well especially at longer ranges.

 

[Jimmym40a2]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

I've shot 6 elk with them no problem.(out of my 308) one I shot at 503 yards and it went the full length of his body (front cavity shot) and came out his a$$. With a 308. Tell me 308's are not powerfull enough for elk.

 

[microsuck]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Yeah but they punch like an ice pick. exit wound = less energy transfered to game. Which is why I recommend head shots only. Its like bow hunting, they have to bleed out.

 

[Strangedays]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: microsuck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">They work just as well as any other bullet, when driven accurately. If you cant make head shots, I would not advise them. I like meat, so I do this.

</div></div>

I have never had any meat loss shooting the heart! Unless you like to eat that part? So what you lose a couple small peices of rib meat, so what.
Nice shot though! I have taken three deers with my 308 and no problems! All were under 300 yards and the SMK performed well!

 

[LSOSGT1109]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Here's a pic of an exit wound on a little buck I shot a couple of years ago with a 168 SMK. Doesn't look like an ice pick wound to me! I can assure you he bled....alot!! He didn't take a step after the shot but did stand there for a few seconds. Through the scope I could see blood pouring out of that exit wound like pouring piss out of a boot! They work!!

 

[esorensen]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: microsuck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah but they punch like an ice pick. exit wound = less energy transfered to game. Which is why I recommend head shots only. Its like bow hunting, they have to bleed out.</div></div>

I believe you are misinformed , sir.

 

[skinney_7]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

I used the 175 gr SMK to bring down my 320+ class bull elk last season.

 

[bfeucht]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

I saw a bear shot with 300 GR Smk. There was not an organ left in its chest. It was amazing.

 

[Guest]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Micro...huh? Bro, you take out the heart and/or lungs with a good shot through the breadbasket, "bleeding out" isnt the right term for it. They tend to drop on the spot.

I think I know what youre saying, but the phrasing makes it seem like you think that a bowhunter takes his shot and has to wait for the deer to bleed out to die.

That being said, I use SMKs on deer. I do headshots as well. It does make cleaning a little easier when you dont have to worry about getting cut by a jagged rib. And, they always drop right then and there.

My caviat to this, is if you are not VERY sure of your rifle and your ability, dont take headshots. It will result in (hopefully) a clean miss. If not, you blow the deer's jaw off or something like that, and it dies a slow painful death. No animal deserves that.

Ive seen too many guys who shoot 30 cal shotgun groups at the range, too many guys who fuck up and gutshot the deer, too many cleanly missed deer to recomment head shots to very many people.

 

[microsuck]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Everyone else is technically correct also, IF you are shooting your deer at close range. Anyone else here had a body shot at over 500y on a deer? SMKs dont fragment at all once they slow down. I'm trying to find the link again, but a Marine did a bunch of research on the .30-06 penetration tests and found that the round penetrated DOUBLE the depth at 600m targets than it did at 300m targets.

Why you say? Good question. The bullet needs plenty of speed to self destruct on impact, transfering maximum energy to the target. Slower velocity on a high BC bullet causes it to go in and out with just a tiny little hole, with a perfetcly intact bullet. And as we all know, little energy is transfered to target. Little energy transfered to target equals little hydrostatic shock = little internal damage = depending on the target to bleed to death. Not a rapid process with a pinprick hole.

Once again, this is for 500y and farther. I suppose a direct heart shot will work just the same as a direct brain shot, however, in my experience, I think a perfect heart shot is harder than a head shot.

 

[skinney_7]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

with regards to the tiny little hole the bullet causes because of the lower vel. and high BC, would depend on wether you hit a rib or a bone causeing the bullet to frag out or tumble.

 

[jroberts]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

i have shot many critters with smk 175s..everything from groundhogs to deer and i can say it will kill with out a doubt..my only problem with the bullets is shot placement is key..you have to hit the nervous system wether it be the head spine or get lucky to drop them...ive shot deer at the base of the neck/high shouder and head and droped them on the spot and i have put one right behind the shoulder with them quartering away and had them run 200 yds....not good...i have come to prefer 168 amax for hunting these days....just my oppinion

 

[jwfrazier]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Shooting 168gr. SMK .308 2650fps. I can tell you that they most certainly do not punch through like an ice pick. Most of the time at medium ranges, between 50-250 yards they leave an exit wound like a tennis ball and are very effective. I had one "fail" on a deer I shot 3 years ago. He was about 15 feet away when I shot. We were both on the ground standing right next to each other. I have never seen anything so devestating in my entire life. Shot in the chest, and that deer fell over and did not even twitch. He had a bruise on the far side of his chest the size of a car tire. The bullet did not exit, just went to pieces.

 

[oneshot976]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

300grn SMK from a .338 Lapua, this is one of the many that I have shot with a Sierra Match King and I have gotten the same results on every one of them. At many different ranges, from 200 yards to about 1400 yards.

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I have also used the 168gr and 175gr SMK's from a .308 with the same results, shot placement is key but it does not always have to be a head shot.

Oneshot

 

[orkan]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

.

 

[patriotoutlaw]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

Shot a doe @ 50 yds. with a 240GR. SMK. out of my .300 Whisper. She ran 75yds.,leaving a sparse blood trail, after a double lung shot yielded a 30cal. exit wound. From that ONE experience I will not use them again on game animals w/o a head/neck shot. There are too many accurate hunting bullets out there to go with a bullet made famous solely on its merits of accuracy. Sierra doesn't recommend it's use on game and I am not always assured of a head/neck shot on game and don't like trailing minimal blood trails. So, although the deer was just as dead as if it was shot with a slug gun, personally I'll stick with bullets designed for their purpose.

 

[IdahoMike]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

HELL YEA, some folks might think your are a "neck" for using SMK's for game but who cares, in 09' I drew on a moose and dropped him in his tracks, double lunger dead as it gets 168SMK

 

[flyboy]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: patriotoutlaw</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Shot a doe @ 50 yds. with a 240GR. SMK. out of my .300 Whisper. She ran 75yds.,leaving a sparse blood trail, after a double lung shot yielded a 30cal. exit wound. From that ONE experience I will not use them again on game animals w/o a head/neck shot. There are too many accurate hunting bullets out there to go with a bullet made famous solely on its merits of accuracy. Sierra doesn't recommend it's use on game and I am not always assured of a head/neck shot on game and don't like trailing minimal blood trails. So, although the deer was just as dead as if it was shot with a slug gun, personally I'll stick with bullets designed for their purpose. </div></div>

Really thou, what outta a 300 Whisper is gonna expand much if any.

 

[guther]

Re: Sierra SMK's for Hunting

I too have shot deer with the Sierra MK bullets in a 338 Lapua Improved. It does the job very well. BUT accuracy is the final word in making a good shot with a clean kill. Some folks may shoot the MK's in a smaller caliber's and have trouble if the velocity is not adequate and shot placement is not what it should be. If I am correct Berger in the past did not advertise their VLD bullets for hunting but now they do. They are of similar design as a Sierra MK.