There may not be any faster way to open up a vigorous debate on a gun forum than by asking that very question!
Here's a bit on it from my perspective:
Berger has recently been promoting their VLD match bullets as excellent game bullets, and from what I've read, as well as from what a few of my buddies tell me, I'm not at all hesitant to give them a try. They seem to penetrate a couple of inches, then expand like crazy, creating a huge wound channel inside the chest cavity of the game animal. Sounds like pretty much perfect bullet performance on deer sized game to me.
Sierra Matchkings have been used by a number of hunters over the years with some amazing success. They've also failed miserably. I think this inconsistency is what prompts Sierra to warn hunters against their use. From what I've seen, and gathered, they do particularly well if they're driven hard by a powerful rifle, and can be especially effective if they tumble. A number of long-range specialist hunters have used them with great success for decades. A number of guys have tried them, and found that sometimes they'll essentially pencil through without opening up at all, and other times they'll darned near blow up on impact. With the right setup I think they're a viable hunting bullet.
The Hornady A-Max generally expands quickly, and kills fast. I know a young fellow who contracts out killing problem animals, and sick animals. He's one heck of a marksman. He uses the A-Max exclusively on animals up to and including elk, and swears by it. It has produced instant death and incredible wounds in his hands. He does take a lot of CNS shots, but claims it also works well when placed in the heart/lung area. From his results, and the results of others I've spoken with, I'd have to say that the A-Max qualifies as a hunting bullet.
I played with Sierra Matchkings as a hunting bullet 10 - 12 years ago and wasn't impressed,except for the accuracy) but that may have been because my little .308 Winchester wasn't driving them hard enough for optimal results on game.
Since then I switched back to hunting bullets of proven accuracy: Nosler's ballistic tip is likely at the top of my list, it often shoots as well as a match bullet, but expands well on game. I haven't tried the Nosler Accubond, but it's supposed to be more of the same with better weight retention. Sierra's good old Gameking SPBT bullets work very well for me, and are within a smidge of being as accurate as their match bullets in my hunting rifles. Have a special soft spot for their 160 and 175 grain SPBT bullets from my 7mm Remington magnum. Nice, really nice, combination.
There ya go... That's about the extent of my input. On some forums this question has led to some real nasty debates, I trust the posters here will display a little more maturity.
Regards, Guy