Match bullets for hunting-not recommended

[Alderman]

My hunting partner harvested a cow elk this morning. The initial shot was broadside at approximately 165 yards. 165 grain bullet out of a 308. She turned and ran 50 yards across a field and then stopped broadside. He proceeded to hit her three more times before she finally went down.
Upon skinning we found three bullets against the off side hide but what struck me as odd was they were all badly fragmented. I was puzzled as I’d never seen bullet performance like this before.
As it turned out, the ammo he was using was factory Federal loaded with Sierra Match King bullets and was the only ammo available in the store when he purchased. This is no knock on the bullet as it’s designed for the signal purpose of hitting a target.
A lesson learned here and glad this didn’t go completely South.

 

[DrMike]

Sounds as if the bullet performed about like I would expect it to work. It is good to verify what seems obvious, just as it is a good reminder to choose a good bullet designed to work on game. Terminal ballistics is still a good field of study.

 

[noslerpartition]

Hm.
As expected from a match bullet.
Still they almost made it through, dumped a lot of energy and probably damaged some organs with multiple wound channels.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Sierra match bullets are terrible on game. Hornady ELD-M's and Bergers perform way different. I've killed 20+ elk with those bullets and watched at least 20 more taken by others. Very few go far if anywhere and most don't require follow up shots. Sierra's tend to not open at all or blow up. I had the same issue with .30 210gr Matrix bullets out of Canada.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Yep that is also my experience with using match bullets on big game. My brother in law did the same on a small five point bull five or six years back. He’s since switched bullets. I know lots of guys personally that do, but I never will. Its a bad idea.

This might not be the case with your hunting buddy but it seems the average consumer is pretty oblivious where it comes to factory ammo. A bullet is a bullet, right? Wrong!

Took an adult onset hunter deer hunting back in 2012 and loaned him a Savage 99 .308 of mine to do so. We practiced all summer with reduced power handloads and Remington Core-Lokt factory loads. Before coming up to camp I told him to grab another box of cartridges.

When he showed up on opening day he produced a box of 7.62x51 factory loads loaded with 147 grain FMJs!!! Luckily I had some leftover Remingtons to load him up with. But had I not caught that little detail, geez.

 

[FOTIS]

The only bullet I have used on big game (antelope) only is the 108 ELDM from my fast twist 240 Bee. Worked like an SST.

I did use a berger VLD on an antelope about 10 years ago out of my 264 Win mag Sendero. Worked ok but not for me.

 

[ShadeTree]

There are some match bullets that work well, or at least you can say they are consistent in how they work and you can match what they do to the task at hand. The Hornady A-max comes to mind, which is likely the same bullet as the new ELD Match.

But the Sierra GK Match is a very erratic bullet in what it does terminally. Your friend was fortunate in that it did fragment. It could've just as easily penciled through like a FMJ. I shot a groundhog with a 6.5CM loaded with matchking bullets since the groundhog came meandering out when I was shooting.......don't remember the bullet weight and it doesn't really matter. Around 100 yards through one shoulder and out behind the opposite shoulder and that thing ran a big loop circle like a hit deer and almost made it back to his hole. Small caliber size hole in and out. Zero expansion. A 22 HP would've done a better job at that distance.

 

[xphunter]

Well said guys.
Not all match bullets perform the same.
Yes, there is a lot of ignorance about bullets.
The only SMK I have seen that does remarkably well the majority of the time, is the 6mm 107 grain in a rifle with a performance level of the 6 Creed or 6XC.
The 338 cal 300 grain SMK has a decent record with the big 338's as well, if I remember right

 

[RL338]

I’ve taken deer with Berger’s 230gr Hybrid and all I can say is they flatten deer. Many people swear by the 215gt Hybrid for game , hence the huge demand for them. Another target bullet that works well for deer for me is Hornady’s 500gr A-tip.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

scenars suk for hunting, massive core/jacket separations

 

[wvbuckbuster]

There are some match bullets that work well, or at least you can say they are consistent in how they work and you can match what they do to the task at hand. The Hornady A-max comes to mind, which is likely the same bullet as the new ELD Match.

But the Sierra GK Match is a very erratic bullet in what it does terminally. Your friend was fortunate in that it did fragment. It could've just as easily penciled through like a FMJ. I shot a groundhog with a 6.5CM loaded with matchking bullets since the groundhog came meandering out when I was shooting.......don't remember the bullet weight and it doesn't really matter. Around 100 yards through one shoulder and out behind the opposite shoulder and that thing ran a big loop circle like a hit deer and almost made it back to his hole. Small caliber size hole in and out. Zero expansion. A 22 HP would've done a better job at that distance.

Last groundhog I shot was with a 6mmBR using a Sierra 70gr BTHP match at 272 yds. Exit was about the size of a quarter. Wasn't my first. Dan.

 

[HeathSexton]

Match bullets I’ve used or seen used

140 eldm 6.5mm - a few deer and a lot of hogs. Excellent performance, great expansion and penetration

105 hpbt match 6mm Hornady - whitetails and a few other critters. Excellent performance

123 Scenar 6.5mm - whitetails - excellent performance

139 Scenar 6.5mm - whitetails, mule deer, hogs - excellent performance


6.5mm stuff was from a 260 Remington and a 6.5 Creedmoor

6mm stuff was from a 243 win