[E.O]

I just got a box of Sierra Matchking BTHP, (168 grains, 30 cal). that I will be using for reloading 300 Weatherby mag. cartridges with the intention of using them for deer hunting. I understand these bullets are not the best choice available for hunting purposes, but it is what I got. I would appreciate any experiences and information on hunting with this type of bullets.

 

[nsb]

Not sure why you think the Sierra Matchkings aren't good for hunting. I've shot lots of them over the years and never found any fault in them. I think the term "Match" may make people think they are a target bullet but the word was put on there to imply accuracy. Accurate bullets can still be very good hunting bullets. I'm not saying they're the best there is but they are certainly very good. FWIT, I did not use them in a 300 Weatherby mag. Same bullet, different cartridge.

 

[BearBear]

It's my understanding that the match bullets are not expanding bullets. The have a hole in the nose because of the way the jacket is formed. But they are not designed to expand and that is why they are not considered hunting bullets. I don't know whether they actually do expand or whether they are legal for hunting.

Doing a bit of research, I guess the problem is not no expansion but too much since the match bullets have a very thin jacket to obtain consistent weight and balance. They explode at high velocities. Perhaps they work okay for low velocities

 

[nsb]

I've offered up some first hand experience in my response. If you do an internet search you will find a never ending list of comments from both sides of the issue. The people who actually used them found them to work pretty good. The more scholarly group had varying opinions. I guess you'll need to be the judge.

 

[MikeG]

What species of deer will you be hunting? I presume in Peru?

A little more info might help figure out how to best use them.

 

[moosehunt]

With that big of a cartridge and that big of a bullet, I don't believe expansion quality is going to be a major factor on deer! Nobody is ever going to criticize you about not using enough gun!

 

[E.O]

Huh, I always hunt with my .270 win. But I have this south gate .300 wby that belonged to my grandfather and I am eager to hunt with it. So I bought a new scope for it, and managed to find a few of old boxes of the Norma – Weatherby cartridges with the bear head in the box. These cartridges should be around 50 years old but still shooting pretty well. I can group 1.5 MOA at 100 yards with them.
But, I also had to figure out what to do once I get out of ammo. So a friend of mine brought me dices from the US. Here in Peru you don’t find any weatherby cartridges at stores, large magnum primers, or even suitable powder for reloading. But I managed to find some IMR 4350 and large magnum primers for reloading some 70 cartridges. Next step was finding bullets. It took me 4 months getting these matchkings… The only thing I found.
Here in Peru we have a subspecies of white tail (Odocoileus virgininanus peruvianus) which resembles your Coues deer and another stocky Andean deer specie which inhabits high mountain regions approximately 14,500 feet above the sea level. A fine deer should be weighing approximately 150 to 175 pounds. The .270 does the job flawlessly and it is light enough for carrying it in the mountains. But I still want to give the Weatherby a try. I believe hunting in the Andes resembles more to your sheep hunting, and shots may vary from less than 50 yards to the furthest you are confident hitting.
I think that the high speed should give an instant kill due to the hydrostatic shock as I’ve witnessed when hunting these deer with the .270. But I’ve also shot at longer distances where the .270 did not kill the deer instantaneously but as result of large damage caused by the expansive bullet in vital organs inside the rib cage. However, I don’t know what would happen at similar long distances with a bullet designed for hitting targets rather than for hunting.

 

[broom_jm]

What "may" happen is that the bullet will hit where you aimed, come apart in spectacular fashion, and not penetrate very well at all. It may also penetrate somewhat and then go to pieces...it's hard to say. The higher the impact velocity, the more likely the above scenario tends to be. If you shoot a 150# deer with that load at 50 yards, it could get messy. :twocents:

I empathize with your situation and the difficulty of finding suitable bullets. Big game hunting bullets are of much sturdier construction, designed to penetrate and expand, but certainly NOT come apart. Hopefully you will eventually be able to locate more suitable bullets, in the future. Is it not possible to mail order bullets in Peru?

How is it you write in English so well?

 

[fred243]

I guess, just don't be surprised if you see quite the mess after hitting the animal. I've seen some pics of match bullets hitting deer and it does a lot of damage. I haven't used them but I would think the higher the velocity the greater the damage with a bullet not really designed to hold together and retain weight. The below statement is from Sierra's site.



From Sierra's site,


MatchKing Bullets: This is the classification for Sierra's pre-eminent target bullets. The driving motivation for the design of each MatchKing bullet is accuracy. These bullets have very thin jackets drawn to an exacting concentricity standard of 0.0003 in maximum variation, and their weight is held to within ± 0.3 grain. All MatchKing have a hollow point design with a very small meplat for high ballistic coefficient. The majority of these bullets have a boat tail shape to further minimize drag and improve ballistic coefficient. They are manufactured to the very highest quality standards. Their accuracy has been acclaimed worldwide, and they have been used to win more target competitions than all target bullets from other manufacturers combined. Although some of these bullets have been used for hunting, Sierra recommends them only for target shooting.

 

[Lowpower]

I shoot both 175 gr Berger and Sierra HPBT Match bullets all the time. My preference is with the Berger as I find them much more consistent in weight, OL and OAL.
I also like to stick my bullets into the lands for more consistent accuracy, shot to shot. Sierras like a jump.

IMHO I'd treat a HPBT like an arrow. It will run a nice clean hole through the deer but unless you nail him in the boiler room or other killing spot he may run off leaving you with a probable dead deer that's wasted meat.

If you gotta use Sierra's then try one of their Hunting bullets. THey can do anything you want, perhaps more so when it comes to hunting.

 

[MikeG]

There are a few folks on the board using Matchkings with good results. I used to be against that, in principle, till talking with one of them (he uses 300gr. Matchkings in a .338 Lapua, as I recall).

Good luck with your hunting. I would just put a bullet through the ribs behind the shoulder and that should do it. Whitetails aren't that hard to kill if you put a bullet through both lungs. I think the smallest cartridge I've shot a whitetail with is a .22-250, and the largest, my .444 Marlin. All of the deer are still dead.... your deer aren't much bigger than our small southern whitetails.

We sure have it easy with our reloading, compared to you.

Folks, when you give advice, consider he's not in the U.S. and can't run down to Cabela's or Bass Pro for a box of any kind of bullet he likes. Let's help him use what he has. Good luck with Grandpa's gun......

 

[moosehunt]

I didn't mean to degrade you rifle choice, just kidding you a bit about plenty of power, in spades! Heck, I've hunted Pronghorn with a .338 Win Mag. Your bullets may not be ideal, but they will do fine if you do your part. You have to work with what you have. Were I you, I might make somewhat light loads in the .300 WBY when going after deer with that bullet. You'll do just fine!

 

[7MMRLC]

They will do the job as will a rock at 3000 fps. A fellow I was hunting with several yrs ago shot a Black tail buck with his 300 win mag with a 168gr SMK bullet. The bullet entered behind the shoulder and exited the other side leaving a hole about the size of a softball. Deer weighed about 90 lbs on the hoof.
Go hunt and enjoy!

 

[Dollar Bill]

Folks may have had acceptable results with SMKs but I tell you for a fact that they are designed as a non-expanding bullet, are rated as such under Geneva Conventions, and are considered no better than FMJs for hunting. In other words, it's not considered an ethical bullet for hunting wild game. Too much chance of no expansion and wounded game.

 

[nsb]

Folks may have had acceptable results with SMKs but I tell you for a fact that they are designed as a non-expanding bullet, are rated as such under Geneva Conventions, and are considered no better than FMJs for hunting. In other words, it's not considered an ethical bullet for hunting wild game. Too much chance of no expansion and wounded game.

Bill, you'd better do a little more research on this. Sierra claims the jackets are very thin. Half the posts on this bullet claim the jacket is too thin and the other half say it's too thick. I think some actual experience, good or bad, is called for to answer this question.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/14...308-diameter-168-grain-hollow-point-boat-tail

 

[freefloater59]

Never used the Matchking HPBT but always the Gameking with flawless results at all ranges. I've talked to fellow hunters on both sides: punch a hole through with no expansion or explosive damage. I expect it's where and what you hit. Putting the bullet into a thick shoulder bone at high velocity will be explosive. Miss the bones with a ribcage shot and its a clean hole through. IMHO use what you have, be confident in shot placement, and best of luck.

 

[Dollar Bill]

Bill, you'd better do a little more research on this. Sierra claims the jackets are very thin. Half the posts on this bullet claim the jacket is too thin and the other half say it's too thick. I think some actual experience, good or bad, is called for to answer this question.
Sierra MatchKing Bullets 30 Cal (308 Diameter) 168 Grain Hollow Point

First thing is that I would like to apologize for my tone in the first post. I did not intend to imply that anyone here is unethical in their behavior! For the most part, everyone on this forum is here to share knowledge and learn, myself included.

So again, please accept my apology.

I'll look some more. My post is based on current use of SMKs in SWA. We got a ruling from the JAGs on the Geneva accords specifically to use the SMK line of bullets. Here's a good summation on the issue for m a legal standpoint but offers good info on the performance of the SMKs on flesh and blood:

Sniper Use of Open-Tip Ammunition

In reality, their performance will be hit or miss.

The 165 SGK bullet, on the other hand, is very accurate on can be depended on to perform in hunting situations. It's actually so accurate that I have noted no difference in accuracy out to 300 yds in a few 30 cal rifles.

 

[jwp475]

Dollar BILL, it has nothing to do with the Geneva Convetioon it is the "Hague Accord" that cover munitions. Of which the US is not a signer of.

 

[jwp475]

Folks may have had acceptable results with SMKs but I tell you for a fact that they are designed as a non-expanding bullet, are rated as such under Geneva Conventions, and are considered no better than FMJs for hunting. In other words, it's not considered an ethical bullet for hunting wild game. Too much chance of no expansion and wounded game.

They not designed as a non-expanding bullet if fact their design is for accuracy. The fact is they do expand and/or fragment in soft tissue.

 

[jwp475]

The use of Sierra Match King bullets for long range hunting is not new.


Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels - Articles: Long Range Shooting and Hunting: Page 1