SMK's for deer hunting?

[gathumper]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Shit ya they will put em down, I've shot over 200 hogs and deer with SMK's, and Amax rounds and they flat smoke em.

 

[KYpatriot]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rancid Coolaid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">KY, I appreciate the post, but...

I am not new to hunting.
I wrote allot, deleted it, will summarize:
SMKs not good for hunting unless caliber far exceeds what is needed for the animal in question. A 300WM against a 120-pound white tail: have at it, I've done it many times. A 260Remington against a 200-pound hog: it'll die, but it'll run first.

I've seen SMKs puree animal parts, and I've now seen it cut a clean, small channel and produce a small exit wound.

Do as you wish, but I am done hunting SMKs in smaller calibers.

</div></div>

Yeah, I changed my post because I realized you weren't new to hunting. I agree with you about the SMKs, I only use Accubonds for hunting big game, the story about the buck I shot was an accubond that performed perfectly and still didnt drop the animal instantly. That all I was saying.

In my 308 the Accubonds are just as accurate as the SMKs, so I think you could work up a load for the Accubond without losing anything and gaining the toughness/weight retention of a bonded bullet.

The only thing I dont like about the Noslers are they are expensive. I dont shoot them at smaller stuff for that reason. I still use SMKs for varmits and coyotes. Seems to me they are a little unpredictable compared to the Accubond. I havent' hunted with the AMAX but hear good things.

 

[dbateman]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

I am not as experienced as some of the guy's here but I have not had any problems hunting with SMK's .

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Absolutely no question it'll kill something graveyard-dead, but is it best...

My tune has changed. I'd recommend a purpose-built bullet - especially in smaller caliber guns and when chasing an animal a long distance isn't possible.

 

[BoilerUP]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Match bullets will kill...hunting bullets kill 'better'.

Sure dead is dead, and shot placement is the #1 consideration...but all things being equal, wouldn't one want the best possible chance at a clean, humane kill, especially on a trophy?

Most shooters wouldn't risk the outcome of a match using a hunting bullet, so why risk an animal using a match bullet?

To that end, the 6.5mm 120gr Nosler BT is a fantastic hunting bullet for the 260. It is a very accurate bullet that expands well and won't "blow up", even on close-range (<50yd) whitetail shoulder shots.

 

[22_250]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Shot placement is the key as stated before. I have shot, killed deer at those ranges with smks and fmjs. Never had one walk more than 80 yards with most only taking a few steps.

 

[WyomingShooter]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

As others have said, the 175 SMK is "fine" so long as the shot is perfect. Unfortunately, the real world is far from perfect. Animals move unexpectedly, winds shift, ranges are misjudged. We owe it to the game animal to use the appropriate bullet. SMK = square range. AMAX = field.

 

[Jeepocabra]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

I somewhat see the logic of wanting to use the smk for hunting but I'm not convinced. The us military found that the performance was similar to traditional fmj bullets. Meaning that they don't expand or cause significantly different wound characteristics. This was important due to the military's ban on expanding bullets. Hunting bullets don't really cost more than FGMM and work so much better on game. If you reload I'm fairly sure you could do some bullet sorting and load development and get nearly the same accuracy.

Buy two boxes of premium hunting rounds, go out shoot one box to re zero your rifle and see that it will produce groups around 2.5 MOA, smaller should be the reality, and find drops out to 300 yards if you really think you will shoot that far. 2 MOA is plenty accurate to kill an animal out to 200 yards. Sure long range hunting is a challenge but so is stalking in on game. Then again I grew up bow hunting.

 

[hooksz86]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Burger makes very nice hunting bullets. if you like the SMK's witch i also do. and you want to be able to shoot the same as far as being sited in the same with hunting round as you are with the SMK. I would buy the Burger VLD Hunting match round. they are HPBT with same accuracy as the SMK but are ment to kill very well. I have the same group at all ranges on paper with the burger and SMK 168gr in my savage model 12F/TR. And dont ever have to change elevation clicks on scope when interchanging the two rounds and load them the same too.

 

[hooksz86]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Now i just wish Burger would come out with a 300gr VLD match bullet for the .338 Lapua.

 

[XTR]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Psersonally I don't use target bullets for deer. Will they work? Sure. I like 165 SGKs. Not expensive, shoot under 1 moa in my hunting rifle and are designed to expand

 

[distantfoe]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: longdistance</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Now i just wish Burger would come out with a 300gr VLD match bullet for the .338 Lapua.</div></div>

They're available. I know of one elk taken at 1140+ yrds with them.

 

[Megahoser]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: XTR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Psersonally I don't use target bullets for deer. Will they work? Sure. I like 165 SGKs. Not expensive, shoot under 1 moa in my hunting rifle and are designed to expand </div></div>
+1
I can shoot sub MOA groups with 165gr SGKs. I used to hunt with match bullets until I had them fail me twice on one hunt. Since then I shoot SGKs, if not DRT...they hardly ever walk more than a few feet.

 

[Big Cal]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Smk's IMO are ok for thin skinned deer and if you can guarantee shot placement on bigger deer then fine but if you can't and your gonna try chest shots I'd choose something that won't break up on a rib or shoulder too easily. Hornady sst's are good Sierra game kings are also good we've shot sambar with both and they break through ribs or if you want a guarantee that their gonna drop where they stand with a vital hit even through the shoulder or ribs barnes triple shock x or ttsx or mrx are all good but painful to develop a load with cos their so pricey

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Sierra says no.

Who would I have to be to argue with that?

Personally, I know that whoever that person might be, I'm never going to be that smart.

YMMV.

Greg

 

[jonbearman]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

All I can say is sierra says not to use them in hunting application.I am not saying they wont work,but they caution against them all throughout their manual.

 

[bignada]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Sierra bullet jackets in matchking series are notably much heavier than J-4. I often shoot into rocky backdrop and find 168gr bullets mangled like pretzels but still in one piece.

If you're gonna hunt, try Sierra GameKings. Most are BTSP designs and will prove almost as precision capable as MKs. Not really even necessary to rezero between 165GK and 168MK. Even easier to swap if running 180 or 200gr bullets. Try GameKings for accuracy and you may find the value is superb.

 

[calling4life]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Shot two coyotes with the fgm 168 grainers yesterday morning, one at about 20 yards, the other was close enough to kill with a sharp stick.

The bullets expanded, or blew up, I'm not sure, I just know that the holes created coming out, were big.
I do know that the close bullet did not hit bone, still had an exit hole that had the internals spilling out everywhere.

I'm not going to tell you they are the best choice for hunting, but I don't know that I'd be thinking of them as fmj either.

 

[XTR]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bignada</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...

If you're gonna hunt, try Sierra GameKings. Most are BTSP designs and will prove almost as precision capable as MKs. Not really even necessary to rezero between 165GK and 168MK. Even easier to swap if running 180 or 200gr bullets. Try GameKings for accuracy and you may find the value is superb. </div></div>

Actually if I am not mistaken all of the "Game King" line are BTs, it is the "Pro Hunter" line that is flat based.

 

[Tangodown911]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Longbow_06</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got 6 deer last season with Hornady .308 150 grain SST rounds. Not one of them ran more than ten yards.


Lee. </div></div>

This is it. I am glad some of you guys have good luck with SMKs but for what I have seen first hand and heard SMKs don't do the trick. I guess our GA deer are tougher than elsewhere. 150sst will drop them in their tracks. I popped one last year with the 150sst. It looked like the hand of God slapped him off his feet. He was DRT.

 

[chrisj]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Sierra SPECIFICALLY states that Matchkings are NOT intended for hunting. They design & manufacture these bullets and I image they have good reason to state that. Matchking jackets are thin and I know of a few hunters (including me until I got educated) that shot deer and a black bear and found that the bullet completely came apart and penetrated nearly stopped after initial expansion inside the animal. Will they kill a deer/ Absolutely, but why take the chance when there are so many "Hunting bullets out there that come close to matching Matchking accuracy?

 

[kurt]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tango__Down</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Longbow_06</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got 6 deer last season with Hornady .308 150 grain SST rounds. Not one of them ran more than ten yards.


Lee. </div></div>

This is it. I am glad some of you guys have good luck with SMKs but for what I have seen first hand and heard SMKs don't do the trick. I guess our GA deer are tougher than elsewhere. 150sst will drop them in their tracks. I popped one last year with the 150sst. It looked like the hand of God slapped him off his feet. He was DRT. </div></div>

I have had the 95 grn sst out of a 6mm blow up twice on differnet deer shoulders and both at 200 yds not extreme velocity. Now it is the 168 amax with no problems. All bullets fail at one time or another. Ask enough people and you can find some one with a bad experience with every brand every make.

 

[Big Cal]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kurt</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tango__Down</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Longbow_06</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got 6 deer last season with Hornady .308 150 grain SST rounds. Not one of them ran more than ten yards.


Lee. </div></div>

This is it. I am glad some of you guys have good luck with SMKs but for what I have seen first hand and heard SMKs don't do the trick. I guess our GA deer are tougher than elsewhere. 150sst will drop them in their tracks. I popped one last year with the 150sst. It looked like the hand of God slapped him off his feet. He was DRT. </div></div>

I have had the 95 grn sst out of a 6mm blow up twice on differnet deer shoulders and both at 200 yds not extreme velocity. Now it is the 168 amax with no problems. All bullets fail at one time or another. Ask enough people and you can find some one with a bad experience with every brand every make. </div></div>

If you shoot something with soothing twice the weight ofcourse it's gonna do more damage and drop it easier why don't you try I 168gn sst and see what it does to it I bet it will do more damage then an amax I've shot deer with both 178gn amax's and 180 gn sst's let's be honest if Bambi pops his head up and you've only got an amax you'll still shoot him as we have shooting wild dogs but but if I'm going specifically after deer I grab the sst's then I don't have to worry about his shoulders and ribs getting in the way

 

[Tactical Support]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

SMK's worked well for me I tend to shoot the hogs in the ear as the dont go running far after the ear shot!

They work well on Deer' Elk and Moose just fine as long as you do your job.

 

[idaho1]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Killer Spade 13</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Helped track a nice buck once that was shot with a 30-06 using a 180 grain power point. Perfect shot, right through the heart. Deer went more than 400 yards.

Adrenalin . . . </div></div>

As a veterinarian and hunter/killer of 35 years experience, no deer or other animal can run nearly a quarter mile with a .308 hole in it's heart. Simply to big of a leak.... Near the heart maybe but not through........

 

[Kilmore]

Re: SMK's for deer hunting?

Not the bullet or the rifle. It's the hunter.