6.5\.284 Sierra 142 Matchkings For Hunting

[bscott]

:idea: Has anybody out there has done any hunting out there using 142 Matchkings on whitetails. If so, what were the results?

 

[rcw3]

If it were me I wouldn't hesitate to use them if that's what you want to do. What issues do you think might present that cause you to ask? Berger has been promoting their VLD match bullets for hunting and while there are some differences between the Sierras and the Bergers, I doubt it's significant enough that a deer will know the difference.

When I was young I only had some ball FMJ ammo and the deer I shot went down with that just as well as any of the super duper expando energy dumping hunting bullets I used. Sometimes I think a lot of this specialty hunting bullet design stuff is a little over the top - people hoping that if they make a lousy shot the bullet will somehow make up for their poor shot and deliver a kill anyway.

Robert Whitley

 

[CoyoteVision]

I'm not really qualified to answer your question. Have no experience to share. My un-qualified thought is that they should work fine. However, as you may already know, the Sierra reloading manual states:

"Sierra does not recommend MatchKing bullets for hunting applications"

 

[Spotcheck_Billy]

My experience with using the SMK on deer and antelope sized game is that these bullets seem to work just fine if the impact velocity stays up there but tend to fail at achieving reliable expansion when they slow down, as when they impact at the longer ranges.

I believe that the success garnered by the Berger VLD's is due to the fact that the Berger has a thinner, less tough, jacket than the SMK but that's just conjecture on my part. I haven't sectioned one to find out for sure.

Any bullet will work for you if you can guarantee precise bullet placement on every shot at all times. Trouble is, most of us mere mortals can't truthfully say we can do that.

 

[2506]

I have never used the MK's but I have used the 140 GK's and they work very good on deer. I don't know if you plan on eye-ball shooting a deer but the 140 GK will hold minute of deer shoulder out to as far as you can push it.

 

[arthurj]

I killed a few last season with the 142 before I sold my 6.5-284,which I regret). One was a headshot, so that obviously worked. The other deer was facing me while he was feeding at 330 yards. It entered at the base of the neck and jellied almost all of the internal organs from head to tail. It didn't exit, but I didn't care, the deer spun around, then dropped. When I gutted the deer, it was like one giant bowl of soup. I could barely make out any organs. I will continue to use the smk for deer. I've killed deer with the .308 175gr, the 6.5 142gr, and this year the .224 80gr. The only deer that went more than 5 yards was dead within 20 yards. I was impressed with the 80gr .224 out of my new 22-243. It destroyed the frontside shoulder, hamburgered the top half of the heart, then destroyed the farside shoulder. That deer dropped faster than any.
Thanks,
Al

 

[chuckw2]

There are just too many good hunting bullets out therefor the 6.5 to shoot the Match Kings. Will it kill a deer, of course it will, but why not use a bullet designed for hunting.


That one shot of your life might be that one you have decided to test the Match Kings.

Several years ago I was going to TX to shoot pigs with my .243.

I had a bunch of good ammo loaded up with 107 Match Kings and did not want to reload any for this trip.

My partner and I called Sierra and ask them what they thought of using to 107's to hunt pigs. They said no way..

 

[gbp]

I have used both smk's and berger's on pigs out to 400+yds all have been DRT out of my 6.5X284. Bullet placement is a key as always

 

[chuckw2]

GBP,

What's DRT??

Chuck

 

[rhino]

at close range the 139 scenars don't expand very well. Often at fast speeds 2900 fps they don't leave much of an exit.

I would say Barnes TSX and live with the lower bc.

RHINOUT!

 

[2506]

DRT means Drop Right in their Tracks. As killed them dead as a hammer.

 

[Tommie]

A co-worker used the 142gr SMK's in his 6.5 Swede for whitetail deer, but only once. He said the bullet performed more like a FMJ than a hollow point. Possibly the additional FPS from a 6.5-284 might do the trick, but there's too many good hunting bullets to take that chance. IMO.

Tom

 

[mrugly]

In the EMS community DRT is a derogatory term and stands for Dead Right There.