SMK for hunting

[hotbrass]

I shoot SMK 175gr .30 almost exlusively in competition.

I have heard varying opinions on how they perform on deer and hogs.

I am going hog hunting this weekend and I have a bunch loaded already and I dont have time to load anything else.

I know I can do my job, what about the bullet?

Anyone used these for hunting?

[rjtfroggy]

Sierra does not recommend the MatchKing bullet for hunting. It has something to do with the lack of expansion, I personally would use the Game Kings.

[dolomite_supafly]

As long as there is enough energy to disrupt the bullet structure it would probably work well or if it bone. If it doesn't have enough velocity to disrupt the bullet structure then it will likely just pass through unless it hits bone. Just make sure you have enough veloctiy to disrupt the bullet and you should be fine.

Dolomite

[Blue Avenger]

yes no maybe. this is a topic that causes long heated discussion that go no where.

[scratcherky]

Sierra is the expert on their own bullet. I would heed their advice.

[rjtfroggy]

Blue I'm not trying to start an argument or debate. I just stated what Sierra recomends.

[Blue Avenger]

Blue I'm not trying to start an argument or debate. I just stated what Sierra recommends.

not pointing fingers at anyone, just saying where this topic goes every dam time.

[EFBell]

Seen deer with horendous "surface" wounds from them. Not the best choice. Of course there are those that insist on reinventing the wheel for little to no practicle purpose.

[xhogboss]

It will perform like a full metal jacket bullet - pass through without expansion. Lots of exceptions like hitting big bones, etc. A headshot into the think tank with that combo will kill a hog. A high shoulder shot will take out the shoulders and will probably drop the animal like a rock because it usually takes the spine and all those essential nerves with it.

If you make traditional shots like the heart/lung area, they will likely run off to die a slow death in the most dense brush at the absolute bottom of the steepest and most treacherous ravine or canyon in the county. That's experience speaking there......

Depending on your caliber, you could just buy a box of factory hunting ammo.

[dcloco]

It will perform like a full metal jacket bullet - pass through without expansion. Lots of exceptions like hitting big bones, etc. A headshot into the think tank with that combo will kill a hog. A high shoulder shot will take out the shoulders and will probably drop the animal like a rock because it usually takes the spine and all those essential nerves with it.

If you make traditional shots like the heart/lung area, they will likely run off to die a slow death in the most dense brush at the absolute bottom of the steepest and most treacherous ravine or canyon in the county. That's experience speaking there......

Depending on your caliber, you could just buy a box of factory hunting ammo.

Exactly what xhogboss said. I confirmed this with a perfect lung shot at 780 yards with my 6.5x55 AI. Perfect shot placement...two miles later.

[Uncle Jack]

What the HeII, I may as well get into this dog pile too.

NO, SMK's are not an ethical bullet to shoot at game. Years ago, I had the same question and called Sierra. One of their "Ing-ga-nears" explained it all to me. SMK's have a different jacket thickness and little or no taper. They are designed to be extremely accurate and nothing else. Their performance on game is spottie at best and disastrous at worst. If you want to shoot predators, do what you want. If you want to shoot legitimate game animals, get a decent bullet.

uj

[Fjold]

I use them for extremely long range varmint/coyote shooting but that's it. If I get drawn for Wyoming this year the 6.5x284 will go with me loaded with SMK's for prairie dogs and coyotes from 600 yards to infinity (and beyond).

The 243 will go for antelope loaded with Nosler Partitions (or another premium bullet).

[steveinwv]

I can tell you from experience that any SMK, from a .224 52gr. to a .308 168gr., will drop a whitetail without so much as a kick when shot placement is in the head/upper neck area. I've never hit one anywhere else to know what they'll do. Then again, I don't shoot them anywhere else regardless of my bullet choice.

I've also shot hundreds of groundhogs and crows with several different caliber SMKs, and they perform nothing at all like a FMJ.

[kkeene]

From personal experience, the 52 gr #1410 SMK will expand reliably on p-dogs out past 500 yards with my 223 at 3,300 fps. I was talking to one of the Sierra "bulletsmiths" on an unrelated matter and he told me that is the same bullet he uses for varmints also.

They are not as explosive as a 50 gr v-max up close but after 200 - 300 yards they act very, very similar. In fact I get less crawl-offs with the SMK than the v-max past this distance.

I have no experience using a SMK on a game animal and never intend to.

Keith

[jrmy_1]

Hogs are varmint around here.......shoot 'em in the head!

[hotbrass]

I did shoot three pigs weekend before last. And yes, they are pests.

They all dropped instantly, and the small one where the bullet went through had a exit wound the size of my fist. The other two the bullet did not exit, but there was plenty of damage. All heart/lung shots.

All were shot around 70 yds from a stand with .30 175gr SMK.

No pics this time since my son didnt go. But in a week or two I will be back out thinning the herd and will have my son and his camera.

[jrmy_1]

Yes, please pics!!!

[EFBell]

At that range it's no surprize.

[hotbrass]

No surprise, we have a neat system. We have a feeder and a game camera with a flash set up. When the flash goes off in the early evening, that means there are pigs having dinner. They arent afraid of the flashes anymore since they go off every time they come in to eat. So we start spot lighting them and pick them off from three stands.

There are so many they always return. Usually in an hour or two. But most definitely the next night.

We get a lot in the morning feed also. Pests!