.308 Sierra MK for whitetails?

[TackDriv3r]

I refrain from using Sierra Match bullets for hunting, but due to its accuracy and penetration on non AR steel but I always used hunting bullets and feel comfortable with them. I like your opinions on using Sierra Match bullets for deer and hogs. I always shoot behind the crease of the shoulder for lung shots to prevent meat damage. Here is an article I read about Sierra's for hunting with a .308

http://www.gundigest.com/tactical-gear/tactical-military-arms-blog/match-ammo-for-hunting

 

[XTR]

Which SMK? If you are shooting the 168 then load the 165 SGK and don't look back, you won't even have to change your zero or come ups for what most would consider reasonable ranges (like inside of 400 yards) and you will have a bullet with better terminal performance.

 

[TackDriv3r]

Which SMK? If you are shooting the 168 then load the 165 SGK and don't look back, you won't even have to change your zero or come ups for what most would consider reasonable ranges (like inside of 400 yards) and you will have a bullet with better terminal performance.

Yes, the 168.

 

[spencerhenry]

i think the question of match bullets for game has been asked a few thousand times. pretty sure sierra says that they are not suitable for use on game.

i have used 168 SMK on javalina, pencil through like an fmj.

 

[swd]

I have a friend who has shot lots of deer with the 168SMK and they work great on them.

 

[snert]

I culled 30 deer and 1/2 were hit with 308 168 MK. Hole going out was silver dollar size, and sometimes two holes. Deer would run 40-50 yards. I switched to 220 Swift, 55 grain Vmax. Hole in, no hole out, deer were bang...flop. Jello. But I could pick my shots. eventually I just shot them in the head with a 222.

 

[M.Stilley]

I shot one with a 168 SMK and it pencilled through like a fmj
Bullets are the cheapest part of deer hunting. Do it right the first time.

 

[TackDriv3r]

Most of your opinions are what I leaned on,,,use the right bullet. I picked 165 Ballistic Tips and 165 SMK off my shelf and some Varget for the .308. Hopefully see some good groups when I get out to the range. Cheers.

 

[284winner]

This question keeps coming up and is probably one of most controversial issues in the shooting/hunting field. Amax, MK, Scenars, Berger's and Nosler CC are just fine for shooting game animals. My personal experience on deer and smaller game has been 100% perfect one shot kills on those game species with good bullet performance. Ranges have been from 100 yards to 1000 yards. Yes many people have AMD will continue to disagree with this and have had different experiences. Not sure where they placed their shots or what specific issues were involved in their particular scenarios. All my shots were lungs or shoulder shots. These bullets in many cases did not stay together but fragmented and dispatched the animal quickly and humanely. Never once had a pencil hole exit. Many had no exits and many had very good exit holes. Gut shots or longs hits without rib bone contact may cause little or no expansion but that's with any bullet. All you can do is give them a try and bullet placement like with any bullet is paramount. Share your results. Bullet weight should be based on Game size but the 155,168&175 are great for deer size game.

 

[TackDriv3r]

Before going to bed last night ( was bored ) and my mind was running 100 mph to decide what hunting bullet to use for my new .308 Crusader with 26 inch barrel I just got on Thursday. The assortment of bullets I had in the garage was Nosler BT, Hornday AMax and Sierra GameKing. So I had decided on 165 Nosler Ballistic Tips for deer season so I warmed up the scales and prepped 12 pieces of Lapua brass with Fed 210 and filled with three round charges of 42.7, 43.1, 43.5 and 43.9 grains of Varget. Seated .020 off the lands to fit the magazine of the Crusader. This morning I hit the range and wind was pretty calm. Sucks when I prepped the Oehler to check SD/ ES and the stupid battery went dead. So the first 3 three round groups varied from .6 to .4 and last charge of 43.9 printed a nice group. When shooting the last round, it drifted a little to the right when a little 10 -12 mph draft hit from the west. Book and box closed.

http://imgur.com/a/q5wp3
http://imgur.com/a/1tXQY

Sorry, on my last post I mistyped SMK instead of SGK.

 

[284winner]

Great group and beautiful gun. Good luck with it this season. Give those 168 Amax's a try when you get the chance. You won't be sorry with on Game performance of the Amax.

 

[Albany Mountain]

Depending where you hunt, using match kings may be illegal to use. No expansion and little transfer of energy to game. Provides for little damage but will kill if it penetrates the lungs, heart, brain, spine.

 

[284winner]

Depending where you hunt, using match kings may be illegal to use. No expansion and little transfer of energy to game. Provides for little damage but will kill if it penetrates the lungs, heart, brain, spine.

Untrue. Here's a match bullet after recovery from a 170 lb buck. Shoulder impact no exit.

 

[Down South]

168 Berger VLDs (hunting, orange box) is a great whitetail bullet in .308 as well. It's all i use nowdays for deer.

 

[284winner]

168 Berger VLDs (hunting, orange box) is a great whitetail bullet in .308 as well. It's all i use nowdays for deer.

I used the yellow box for years in 6.5-140 vld and they also did great. I think some guys had some bad experiences with match bullets and it tainted their opinions. I had a buddy that had some bad experiences with the Winchester silver tips in 270 win 150 grain on whitetails years ago. These were game bullets and went clean thru the deer without expansion. Not just one deer but several before he went to another load. Guess since they were "Game" bullets it was just a isolated incident. Many game bullets don't do whats expected on Game either. I use both depending on range.

 

[XTR]

I don't currently shoot a 308 for a hunting rifle, several yrs ago I built a 7-08 and sold my 308 hunting rifle; however, when I did carry the 308 for deer I used 165SGKs over a reasonably stout charge of Varget in LC brass. Mine would routinely shoot one inch groups at 200, plenty good for shooting game, and probably as well as I could shoot it at the time.

In addition to all the other chatter here something to consider, the bullets were/are routinely available, and typically cost less than the target versions. I did spend a fair amount of time at the range shooting groups with my 308, and I never felt that the ammo was limiting. (part of the reason I sold it was that it was a VLS and the heavy barrel just wasn't fun for a hunting rifle)

I personally never shot the 168SMK for any reason, it has a pretty awful BC for a target bullet, and doesn't perform well past 600, and there are lots of other bullets that shoot better out to 600, so for me it wasn't ever a question.

For hunting white tails you don't need a heavy bullet. If I could have gotten 155s or 150s to shoot well in my rifle I'd have used them, but I couldn't get them to work for me in the factory barrel.

I found that for me the 165 was an all around winner. There are two versions of the 165SGK, one is a HP the other is a SP. I never proved this for myself, but I've read that the HP has a somewhat thicker jacket to handle magnum velocities better. I tried both, they shot equally well in my rifle so I loaded the SP version and never looked back.

 

[people]

This dead horse is getting a beating again. I have shot a few with the 168smk and they all died. I shoot the 175 gr smk and that bullet does not ice pick critters.

If you are going to switch bullets just swap to a traditional hunting bullet to get the fudds off your case.

 

[rebel]

Just an opinion, this is a forum of precision shooters, probably the only one I wouldn't question a MK use for hunting.
Some of you guys probably have your trigger pull in the ounces because 1.5 feels way to heavy. I have fellows like that frequent my store. If they told me they were hunting with spitwads and rubber bands I wouldn't doubt them.
Point is, whatever your skill level produces an ethical kill - that's OK. Have no problem with that. Just be honest with yourself. I personally like something that expands and is designed for game because there are no perfect shots in the field.

 

[rifleman700]

At one time or another I have seen MK's and Berger HVLD's fail. Problem was that they penciled through and did not open up and fragment. The fix for the Berger's was a simple matter of just trimming the meplat. The jackets on the MK's are different and require more to help them disrupt. The new TMK's will help this and they will perform just like the Amax which is excellent within its velocity window of 2800 fps and less. Also the lead line affects the bullet also. Marshall Ambrose with Matrix puts the lead line at .275" down in his 7mm 190's for this reason alone.

 

[FatBoy]

At one time or another I have seen MK's and Berger HVLD's fail. Problem was that they penciled through and did not open up ......

I had this happen last year on two deer with 45 cal Thompson Center XTPs. Two Pyrodex pellets under them at 30 and 37 yards. Both double lunged, one had half the heart taken. 45 cal hole in and 45 cal hole out, even exiting a shoulder blade on the second. Sometimes sh!t happens. I prefer to use the best kit for the job, however if all I had was SMK'S I would use them. I actually have some loaded up now in my pack as backups or if we get into coyotes, but for the distanced I have access to, the 165 Nosler BT over 46gr of Varget works outstanding and is my go to bullet.