# SMK bullets only for targets?



## SKYKOWBOY

I was wondering if any of you men have ever taken a predator using a round loaded with a Sierra Match King? Clearly I am aware that Sierra does not recommend them for hunting. You see I have 100 or so loaded (22-250) that I use for targets. I am ready to shoot something besides paper! Just thought one of you might have experience with these bullets. Give me some infro before I use the neighbors cat for testing. You surely know what I mean shomeyote:roflmao:


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## showmeyote

Well it was a match bullet that took him out! Lol


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## SKYKOWBOY

good point smy . I see I should have posted under ammo section, oh well still new


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## Bigdrowdy1

Welcome skykoboy . I am sure any properly placed bullet will achieve a good result but using bullets for a specific purpose serve that purpose best as that is what it is intened for. This could be penetration with expandsion desigened for certain size animals to rapid explosive type bullets for for smaller prey. I would think a target or full metal jacket style bullet would kill all the same though if bullet placement is not the best could lead to a suffering animal with very little blood trail based on small hole in small hole out type situation. Place the odds in your favor and be as humane as you can for your prey and use the properly intended bullets. This is just my opinion. Again welcome to the site.


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## youngdon

Please feel free to test on the neighbors cat and report back.

I agree with bigd dead is dead and a bullet through the heart is a bullet through the heart, the possibility of a poorly placed shot and the lack of immediatly terminal damage would definitly be a defining factor in my bullet choice. Varmint rounds are very frangible and are meant to disintigrate upon entry, there by turning a less than perfect shot into a immediatly terminal shot.


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## SKYKOWBOY

Thanks BR1 and Don for the quick replies. Really liking this (new to me) forum. Some time back at the range I recovered a known bullet from the berm behind the target that sparked my interest. I noticed it had a very thin jacket. After passing through a half inch piece of rubber the jacket (only in two pieces) looked like a ninja star. That got me thinking would this not make a great, explosive varmint bullet? I wonder if the mfg. list them as a target only bullet because it comes apart quickly?


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## bar-d

Welcome SKB. I have loaded the 52 and 53 grain Sierra Matchkings for many years. I shoot them in my .222 and .22-250. It has been one of the most consistent and dependable loads for both of these rifles. I have NEVER had a coyote run off after a square hit from these bullets. If I do my part, the bullet does it's part. I have even 1 shopt dropped a 125 lb. boar at about 60 yds with the 52 gr. Don't hesitate to take on varmints with them. They work well.


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## youngdon

Coyotes aren't necessarily hard to kill at all, most any bullet will do the job. They are hard to call and hard to see and fool but nearly any bullet will kill them dead. Light for caliber bullets will sometimes splash on shoulders but mid weight for caliber and heavier will do the job with a well placed shot.


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## SKYKOWBOY

Thanks Bar-d good to find someone that has used them. I have asked quite a few and never found anyone actually using SMK bullets. I appreciate the other advice also.


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## Eyemakecalls2

I've been reloading .223, .308, 338 Win Mag for years. I have hunted with Sierra Match King sucessfully for decades. I can place 77 grain .223 rounds that I reloaded in a 3/8" group 12.4 mph wind at 257 yards Yep shooting a AR-15 24" 1:8" E.R. Shaw barrel. With that kind of placement it's going down. I have tried Barnes, Berger, VLD's the SMK are king. I have to use Barnes in some of the areas I hunt and I won't shoot past 200 yards cause my groups with Barnes (And I have tried everything) are two to three inches. Thats still a kill but no room for error. It's used up in the bullet inaccuracies. No thanks. My quess is we have alot more wounded animals and the condors are feasting. *So accuaracy is more important to me than expansion.* I wll say Barnes are great pistol loads. I have shot deer at 300 yards they took three steps and down with my .223 My message is: Practice practice practice and just be accurate!






Those are five holes. The two shots, lower left and right are my only sighters. SMK .223 12.4mph wind from 1:30 O'CLOCK 257 yards. 23.4 grain R-15 .003 off the lands with .002 thousands to spare OAL in the magazine.


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## youngdon

I've never been a dedicated to one bullet guy, but after seeing your groups I may have to re-calculate.


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## Eyemakecalls2

I am happy to share what I do and how. Just ask me what ya want to know. I do my best to keep it as simple as possible. The targets are the proof. Watching my older brother look down and away from my tight group targets is proof enough for me. He seem to forget he taught me half of what I know. Stayin with it I learned the rest.


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## rdsi64

SKYKOWBOY said:


> I was wondering if any of you men have ever taken a predator using a round loaded with a Sierra Match King? Clearly I am aware that Sierra does not recommend them for hunting. You see I have 100 or so loaded (22-250) that I use for targets. I am ready to shoot something besides paper! Just thought one of you might have experience with these bullets. Give me some infro before I use the neighbors cat for testing. You surely know what I mean shomeyote:roflmao:


There are a lot of varibles when you are talking about hunting with a "match bullet" What a lot of people don't know is that the jacket thickness of match kings and game kings are exaclty the same. the only difference is the game king has an exposed leat tip. The jacket on the match king is very thin for accuracy reasons. if you keep the ranges short it will act almost like a varmint bullet. Since you are using a 22-250, Load your ammo as hot as you can and still retain accuacy then keep the range under 300 yards and those match kings wil come apart when they hit a coyote. They won't liquifiy the heart and lungs like a blitzking, a ballistic tip, or a vmax will, but dead is dead. when you get out to ranges that the matchking has had enough time to slow down you will get thin pass thorughs and run offs. match bullets will kill effectively if you have the discipline to make good shots and keep the ranges reasonable.


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## rdsi64

I forgot to add that for what its worth, the Berger hunting bullet used to be their match bullet. They made the jacket thicker when the fancy compitition target shooters were complaing that at long range the Berger bullets would sometimes come apart. This was because they used a jacket similar to the J4 that Nosler uses on their Custom Competition bullet. Berger then put the original VLD bullet in an orange box instead of the yellow one and called it their hunting bullet. If you push it fast enough It drops big game very well by comming apart inside the animal and train wrecking the vitals. If you don't drive the Berger fast you WILL GET PASS THROUGHS AND RUN OFFS.

If you just use a Nosler Ballistic tip you get a bullet accurate enough for target shooting and will absolutly train wreck the heart and lungs even when you don't drive them at light speed.


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## rdsi64

Eyemakecalls2 said:


> I've been reloading .223, .308, 338 Win Mag for years. I have hunted with Sierra Match King sucessfully for decades. I can place 77 grain .223 rounds that I reloaded in a 3/8" group 12.4 mph wind at 257 yards Yep shooting a AR-15 24" 1:8" E.R. Shaw barrel. With that kind of placement it's going down. I have tried Barnes, Berger, VLD's the SMK are king. I have to use Barnes in some of the areas I hunt and I won't shoot past 200 yards cause my groups with Barnes (And I have tried everything) are two to three inches. Thats still a kill but no room for error. It's used up in the bullet inaccuracies. No thanks. My quess is we have alot more wounded animals and the condors are feasting. *So accuaracy is more important to me than expansion.* I wll say Barnes are great pistol loads. I have shot deer at 300 yards they took three steps and down with my .223 My message is: Practice practice practice and just be accurate!
> View attachment 2049
> Round of .308 190 gr SMK I loaded for a friend in the military.
> View attachment 2050
> Those are five holes. The two shots, lower left and right are my only sighters. SMK .223 12.4mph wind from 1:30 O'CLOCK 257 yards. 23.4 grain R-15 .003 off the lands with .002 thousands to spare OAL in the magazine.


Yep the match king will kill if the shooter has the skill to put the bullet where it needs to go.
Since you like hunting with match bullets, Might I suggest the Nosler Custom competition. it has a thinner jacket than the SMK and I have seen with my own eyes how they will Train wreck a 250 pound pig. the last time I had the opertunity to go pig hunting, I used a 175 grain Nosler Custom Competition over 44.6 grains of N150 and a winchester case.(.308 Winchester) On impact that pig just dropped like it was hit by the hand of God. I like the Nosler Ballistic tip these days but as you stated, match bullets will get it done.


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## bison66

i have used matchkings very successfully out of my 243 on woodchucks here in PA never had one run/crawl off if i do my part longest shot to date 375yds hit center mass


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