Long range accuracy shooters including hunters, have pretty much always relied on match grade bullets.
The only ones still arguing against using them are the label readers who never actually tried them.
In the very early 50s, Norma introduced a 139 gr 6.5 (match) bullet at the Camp Perry National Matches.
Fred Huntington who later created RCBS, became the sole U S distributer for them.
Shortly after a l/r target shooter by name of Paul Wright from New Mexico got the idea of necking down the 300 Weatherby case for that bullet. He developed the reamer and the first 6.5x300 WBY cartridge was created. Fast forward a couple years and a l/r gunsmith/hunter from PA by name of Hoyer made a deal with Wright for the reamer. But, But, that Norma bullet wasen't (legal) for hunting in PA due to its metal, not copper jacket. The law there simply states that any bullet attracted to a magnet isn't legal for hunting.
But did they actually work? Damn right they did, to the point some didn't give up on them when legal ones became available.
Might even still be some of them stashed back in the deeper hollows somewhere.