175 smk

I'm a bullet caster, reloader, target shooter.
I'm new to the 308 round.

I was looking on Sierra's web site doing some reading.
They say their 175 Match King was designed for the military in their M118 lr sniper round.
BUT, Sierra doesn't recommend it for a hunting round.

I've shot plenty of their Match Kings in my 6.8 SPC and really like them, but they have no such warning to not use them as a hunting round.

I've heard there has been some controversy over the open tip on 175 military round
I'm just wondering if Sierra put that warning on their site because of the controversy or what.
Of course it depends on what you're hunting, but I really can't see why the 175 can't be used as a hunting round.

Somebody set me straight on this, Please

All the sierra match kings have the not a hunting bullet disclosure. I don't use them to shoot game except for prarie dogs and squirrels.

Sierra does not recommend Matchkings for hunting.

That said, if you put one into the heart/lungs or CNS of a deer, it'll kill them just as dead as any purpose-built hunting bullet. There are threads upon threads over at Snipershide showing kills with SMKs and other match bullets.

The 178 Amax is probably a better "dual use" bullet, though.

As others have said, Sierra doesn't recommend the MatchKing bullets for hunting. The bullets were designed from the ground up for accuracy, with no thought given to how terminal ballistics would be affected. In a few calibers Sierra does offer a GameKing version of the hollowpoint, but you'll find these are constructed with both thicker jackets and the nose opening is much larger.

Now, as someone who has used MatchKings on game, I'll tell you that most of the time they work very well; often performance is similar to a Nosler Ballistic Tip of the same weight/caliber. However, if you shoot them enough and hit enough animals from enough angles, eventually you'll get one that seems to zip right though like it was an FMJ. That's okay if you had perfect shot placement, otherwise it's a long day tracking.

Bottom line, SMK's will work okay for hunting, but if someone was taking a shot at a once in a lifetime animal, it wouldn't be the bullet I'd recommend you be using at that moment.

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They say their 175 Match King was designed for the military in their M118 lr sniper round.
BUT, Sierra doesn't recommend it for a hunting round.

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Not sure why they would. It is easy to kill or wound a homosapien. You don't need to worry about ethical killing or tracking your quarry or even cleaning you carcass.

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I've heard there has been some controversy over the open tip on 175 military round

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The only controversy I am aware of was its use as a military projectile. Its hollow point designation concerned the powers that be that it was a hollow point hunting bullet that was designed for maximum damage. This was proved to be untrue and was later allowed. I am not certain of the accuracy of this statement but it is how I understood things.

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Of course it depends on what you're hunting, but I really can't see why the 175 can't be used as a hunting round.

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Why when you could use a 180 SGK which has proved to be a top notch killer with fantastic accuracy?

The only controversy I am aware of was its use as a military projectile. Its hollow point designation



Yep Stangfish that was the controversy I was talking about.
I guess I'll just stick with my Noslers & Pro hunters
Thank you all for the responce