Sierra match king HP for deer
- Thread starter GRIZ1911
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Blue68f100
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SMK are not designed for expansion. Sierra does not recommend them for hunting.
Nature Boy
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Never used a Sierra Matchking but several years ago, in a pinch, I had to use commercial Hornady 168 BTHP Match.
On that hunt I doubled lunged a buck who expired ~50 yards from where he was shot, just like every deer does when shot through the lungs, regardless of bullet design.
On that hunt I doubled lunged a buck who expired ~50 yards from where he was shot, just like every deer does when shot through the lungs, regardless of bullet design.
GeoDudeFlorida
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Tried it once. Not too good. It was like a FMJ but with a real brittle tip. Punched through the ribs spiraled through the chest cavity. The deer fell down after a hundred yards or so. My usual Core-Lokt 180gr works better. Pins them to the ground where they’re hit.
Dale Alan
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Perfect example of proper shot placement being key no matter what bullet being used.
KYregular
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Never had one go more than 10 yards with a double lung from a Partition
Varminterror
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I haven’t used the 140 SMK in question, but I‘ve killed hundreds of coyotes and hogs with 77SMK’s, and several deer and hogs with 168SMK’s in ‘06 and 308. I’ve killed even more deer since with 105 Berger Hybrids, which are a relatively similar BTHP design.
Don’t run frangibles into hard stuff. Hit soft stuff and they’ll penetrate to the pumphouse and explode. Instant, staggering death.
Don’t run frangibles into hard stuff. Hit soft stuff and they’ll penetrate to the pumphouse and explode. Instant, staggering death.
This is my experience with them also on coyotes. I never made it to see because one liked like a grenade went off. The other not so much.
irishlad
Contributing Member
Hornady 6.5 140 gr HPBT match work great for deer. Midway has em in stock.
There are so many good hunting bullets available right now, why wouldnt you just use a bullet designed for it?
Im not saying what you are suggesting wont work. In fact, it will work more times than not, but what happen when Mr Murphy comes calling? So lets look at it from this point of view? You have a trophy buck a 100 yards out. Your gun is loaded with what is not a true hunting bullet. You have a perfect broadside shot from a fully stable position. You line it up, touch it off, and the deer runs off. You scramble through the woods, not finding much of a blood trail, so you wait to get the tracking dogs. You get in there the next day with the dogs and find the buck 400 yards from where you shot it. The carcass is torn up from coyotes, wolves, or whatever other predator you have in your neck of the woods. The rack did survive. You get the animal opened up and start looking for your entrance and exit wounds. You find that your target bullet penciled through the lungs, creating what was a minor wound that the animal was hurt by, but would have died a painful death. Or maybe you hit major bone structure and the bullet just disintegrated once again only wounding the animal. Ive seen this happen to hunters far too often. We owe it to ourselves and the animals we hunt to cleanly kill whatever we shoot at. Not using a hunting bullet is quite frankly irresponsible. Youre shooting at trash animal like hogs and such where you just need to cull the herd on an invasive species? Who cares, we need to hunt those with ruthless intent. But what could be a once in a lifetime shot? Why take that chance?
Im not saying what you are suggesting wont work. In fact, it will work more times than not, but what happen when Mr Murphy comes calling? So lets look at it from this point of view? You have a trophy buck a 100 yards out. Your gun is loaded with what is not a true hunting bullet. You have a perfect broadside shot from a fully stable position. You line it up, touch it off, and the deer runs off. You scramble through the woods, not finding much of a blood trail, so you wait to get the tracking dogs. You get in there the next day with the dogs and find the buck 400 yards from where you shot it. The carcass is torn up from coyotes, wolves, or whatever other predator you have in your neck of the woods. The rack did survive. You get the animal opened up and start looking for your entrance and exit wounds. You find that your target bullet penciled through the lungs, creating what was a minor wound that the animal was hurt by, but would have died a painful death. Or maybe you hit major bone structure and the bullet just disintegrated once again only wounding the animal. Ive seen this happen to hunters far too often. We owe it to ourselves and the animals we hunt to cleanly kill whatever we shoot at. Not using a hunting bullet is quite frankly irresponsible. Youre shooting at trash animal like hogs and such where you just need to cull the herd on an invasive species? Who cares, we need to hunt those with ruthless intent. But what could be a once in a lifetime shot? Why take that chance?
irishlad
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Accurate. Massive exit hole(heart shot) on this cow elk at 630 yards. Grandson is doing the shooting.
GeoDudeFlorida
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Nice deer! Great shot! But... That's real odd looking sugar sand they're in. Don't think I've ever seen it that clumpy, even on the beach.
Varminterror
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This part just doesn’t happen with BTHP’s.
Lots of guys like to imagine these scenarios, but those of us which hunt with them don’t watch deer run off... we watch them stagger and drop. Faster and harder than any “controlled expansion hunting bullet” I have ever used.
Dale Alan
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Pic and info borrowed from the web . 77 Grain MatchKing . Looks like it did the job quite well . Who am I to judge, looks as dead as any deer I have ever killed .
"A bit over 100 yards. Again 18-20" penetration. Shoulder, ribs, lungs, liver, ribs, caught under skin on far side."
"A bit over 100 yards. Again 18-20" penetration. Shoulder, ribs, lungs, liver, ribs, caught under skin on far side."
Hugger-4641
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I'm not usually goaded into much that I don't already want to do, but a couple years ago I had a know-it all acquaintance who was certain that an AR-15 was not adequate to kill deer. I don't recommend anyone do this, but I intentionally proved him wrong with a 75gr BTHP at just under 100yds. 170lb doe with one shot from my AR. That doesn't mean I want to hunt anymore deer with my AR, but I know I can if needed.
As already mentioned, shot placement is more important than the type of bullet. Certainly, a hunting bullet can increase the chances a not so perfect shot will still be lethal and/or reduce the distance the animal can travel after. This is why I almost exclusively use the ELD-X now, but if I couldn't get anything else, I wouldn't be afraid to use any BTHP to take a deer with a 6.5cm.
As already mentioned, shot placement is more important than the type of bullet. Certainly, a hunting bullet can increase the chances a not so perfect shot will still be lethal and/or reduce the distance the animal can travel after. This is why I almost exclusively use the ELD-X now, but if I couldn't get anything else, I wouldn't be afraid to use any BTHP to take a deer with a 6.5cm.
GeoDudeFlorida
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Well, hang on now. The thread is specifically about Sierra Match Kings, not HPBT's. Yes, the SMK is a BTHP but it is a particular design and construct of BTHP. The Sierra Game King is also a BTHP but it is designed with a thicker jacket and wider meplat to do real damage and deliver a quick kill. I'm objecting to taking a thread exclusively about using Match Kings for hunting when Sierra says don't do that, and trying to turn it into an argument about all boat tail hollow-points from all manufacturers, including Sierra's Game King BTHP which they do recommend for hunting. Trying to turn the thread isn't right.
irishlad
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I was trying to give him an alternative , since he stated he couldn't get what he used before. Sorry you were offended.
GeoDudeFlorida
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Not offended since you named it - Game King - that's a good bullet. But some folks are trashing those of us saying not to use MATCH KINGS claiming any ol' BTHP works fine on deer and, yeah, that's a little offensive. Sorry you chose to take it personally since no one called you out by name.
irishlad
Contributing Member
That was a quote from the OP. I didn't name it. This is my post.
I didn't take it personally, I thought I had a offended you. I apologize for any confusion .
Hugger-4641
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If anyone takes any of this personally they need to realize they take themselves too seriously.
I'm fully aware what Sierra says about the Match King. Of course they're not going to recommend it for hunting when their Game King is a better choice for hunting. But that doesn't make the Match King or any other BTHP magically useless for hunting. I stand behind what I said and if it offends anyone, its their issue, not mine.
I'm fully aware what Sierra says about the Match King. Of course they're not going to recommend it for hunting when their Game King is a better choice for hunting. But that doesn't make the Match King or any other BTHP magically useless for hunting. I stand behind what I said and if it offends anyone, its their issue, not mine.
gonetocamp
Member
I use Sierra 130 gr. Match Kings in two 7mm-08s. They kill deer just fine.
I read an article on that subject a few months ago and will try to find it.
The Match King HP has a lead core and the article's author modified the tip to expose the lead core to some degree and the author said it worked just fine. I have the impression that he cut down the HP some. I did have a relative try something similar by cutting the front end vertically with a hacksawin .30 cal. Problems with both methods is how will it affect POI and at what distance And will the darn thing expand as expected. If you got plenty of ammo and like shooting wet newspapers I suppose one could experiment. I did check with Optics Planet and they have a 130 grain 6.5 Creedmoor HP Frangible Hunting HP bullet in stock. They say it will penetrate 1 to 2 inches and then break into 3-4 petals creating a massive wound channel. Vista Outdoors also said they will be selling ammunition directly to customer users sometime in late September.
The Match King HP has a lead core and the article's author modified the tip to expose the lead core to some degree and the author said it worked just fine. I have the impression that he cut down the HP some. I did have a relative try something similar by cutting the front end vertically with a hacksawin .30 cal. Problems with both methods is how will it affect POI and at what distance And will the darn thing expand as expected. If you got plenty of ammo and like shooting wet newspapers I suppose one could experiment. I did check with Optics Planet and they have a 130 grain 6.5 Creedmoor HP Frangible Hunting HP bullet in stock. They say it will penetrate 1 to 2 inches and then break into 3-4 petals creating a massive wound channel. Vista Outdoors also said they will be selling ammunition directly to customer users sometime in late September.
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bluejay75
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I was withholding my opinion on this as I have mixed reviews. The problem is in the tips. Some are all but closed. Some work better than others. The Berger Juggernaut is about as good of a killing target bullet as can be shot. As is. No mods. I shot them as Factory ammo and they killed reliably. Scenars are killers. I have been modifying Nosler Custom Comps and SMKs for quite a while with a tapered burr bit in a dremel. As you see the dremel got away from me but it didn’t affect accuracy. It made for reliable 100 percent fracturing in water jugs. It’s not like you have to do 1000 of these. Do them as needed. Does not affect accuracy. I contacted Little Crow to see if he would make a trimmer like his brass trimmer to do the job on loaded ammo. If you’re interested give him a call or email him. He was interested too.- Status
