155gr Scenar Effect on game

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Rotek

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Hey folks,
any one have any first hand knowledge on how the .308 155gr Scenar
@approx 2800-2900fps would perform on deer sized game at ranges from
100-300yrds?

thanks in advance folks
 
Just curious to know why? from 100-300m, you don't need match precision to kill a deer. Even if genuine hunting bullets only make 2MOA out of your rifle, that's still adequate for deer
 
Just curious more than anything.It came up in a conversation and as usual
as many opinions as ther were people. Mostly by those who didnt even hear of them untill the topic came up never mind actually loaded some up and shot them Thats the reason that I asked if any one had first hand knowledge.I also have several hundreds of these for my M40A1 clone that I use for long range persion shooting. The thought of using the same load for hunting which would simplify reloading and scope adjustments. I currently use a 150 gr balistic tip or Barns for hunting dear sized game.Thats if I dont use the 35 Whelan improved.
I knew this question would come up LOL
regards
 
I made the mistake once of using a match bullet for hunting, because they were so damn accurate. 107 grain Sierra MatchKing in my 260 Remington, for coyotes and wolves. Would shoot in the .3's from my mountain rifle 700.

Well 1st yote I shot, I trailed him for 20 mins, about 500 meters or so Id guess in the snow, before he crawled into a brush pile den and I couldnt find him.

Went home and ordered some 95 gr Vmax, and a couple days later saw me out hunting again, assuming maybe I just had a bad bullet. Called in a wolf to 150 yards and hit her, then she took off across a field, hit her again on the run at 350+ yards, rolled her, she got back up, and made it into the bush half a km away. I followed her up and she was laying just inside the timber, under a small tree. Finally ended it by cranking her in the brainbox with a 10 yard shot.

Upon skinning the wolf it was found that my bullets penciled through like a FMJ. Wound channel like a target arrow.

I strongly suggest you do not use bullets designed for paper, for hunting. Stick with something else....theres a ton of great options out there these days.
​
 
I hit a yote at 400yards with a 168 federal gmm (I think they use a smk)... 4" exit wound. It definately fragmented, would definately not want to use it on deer. Im not sure how the bullet you mentioned is constructed. You probably could work up a load that will have a similar poi with a similar weight soft point bullet, or close enough that you wouldn't have to change your zero.
 
Therein lies the problem with using a "Match" type bullet for hunting game. You can never be sure what they will do, since they were not designed with killing animals in mind. They will often pencil through, but occasionally they are like a grenade, blowing up dramatically. We did an experiment a number of years ago on a dead cow that a farmer let us take for 'yote bait. We were using the 200 Sierra Match King shot from two rifles, a 30-06 at about 2600 fps and a 308 Norma Mag at close to 3000. Of 10 shots fired,[5 with each rifle] 7 pencilled through, and 3 made like bombs, one not penetrating more than 2" before making a 8" diameter surface wound. Dead animals are not exactly like live ones, but close enough to convince me that match bullets should be left to their intended purpose....shooting paper. I have no personal experience with the Lapua Scenar except to know that the 6.5mm 139 grain shoots wonderfully well in my 6.5x55AI. I personally would not use it on game. There are so many great game bullets out there these days, that to test fate by using a bullet not made to hunt with does not tempt me in the least. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Donny Fenn1 said:
todbartel, a Vmax went through? usually they just turn everything inside to slurpee....
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DF1; TB ordered the v-max bullets, but continued to hunt with the match bullets, thinking the first incident had been a bad bullet. EE
 
the Vmax will go through too, (95 gr 6.5mm), and it will tear them a new one in the process :eek: .

Ive heard of guys having good results with the larger caliber match bullets like 30 cal 220 gr, 338 300 gr etc, but I still wouldnt do it as Im not into extreme range hunts. :) ​
 
Tod, that is a sobering story. V-Max bullets are supposedly designed to fragment explosively. They're specifically designed as a varmint bullet, hence the "V" in V-Max. Your story is analgous to a Barnes X blowing apart after penetrating one inch on a small deer -- an absolute failure of the bullet's designed performance.

Personally, I was planning to load those very bullets for occasional long-range varminting in my heavy 6.5x55. Now I'm concerned.

On the other hand, I've heard that 155 A-Maxes in .308 generally perform like Nosler Ballistic Tips on deer-sized game, which means they should work. But I have heard that the Scenars have a fairly hard jacket, which means that there's a good chance they would act like a full metal jacket on impact.
 
hmmm...to end any confusion :

Vmax are very explosive and effective on thin skinned non edible game

Sierra Matchkings (in *my* experience) are the poorest choice one can make for hunting animals.

Barnes X, especially the new Triple Shocks, work terrific.​
 
There was a great thread on this very topic on longrangehunting.com not too long ago confirming that as tempting as it may be to use a Scenar on game that it would indeed be a very poor choice. There are too many great hunting bullets out there to use accuracy as an excuse to use a match bullet on game.
You've got Accubonds, Interbonds, TSXs even Sierra Gamekings are a very accurate hunting bullet which I have found to perform very well in both my .264 Win Mag and my .338 Lapua Mag.

Ivo
 
Rotek said:
Hey folks,
any one have any first hand knowledge on how the .308 155gr Scenar
@approx 2800-2900fps would perform on deer sized game at ranges from
100-300yrds?

thanks in advance folks From what people are sharing, it kinda reminds me of gambling where you can’t just rely on stats alone. On paper the bullet looks super accurate with great BC, but in real “game” situations results can vary depending on distance and shot placement. Feels a bit like poker or blackjack, where the numbers help but the outcome still depends on how things play out in the moment. Some guys get clean pass-throughs, others talk about fragmentation at higher speeds, so it’s not always predictable. That’s kinda like chasing a jackpot - sometimes everything lines up perfectly, other times it’s more subtle but still gets the job done. There’s definitely a mix of skill and chance involved. I’ve been into that vibe lately, even found this cool spot https://cryptopayingnz.com/bitcoin-casino/ that blends crypto with slots, roulette, and other games, and it hits that same balance between strategy and luck mid-session.
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155 Scenars definitely kill, but they’re still basically a match bullet at the end of the day. When they hit right (rib/lung, decent velocity), they tend to open enough and dump energy fast enough for clean kills. You’ll see the usual mix of pass-throughs and some heavier internal damage depending on what they hit.
 
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corriganogjournalis said:
155 Scenars definitely kill, but they’re still basically a match bullet at the end of the day. When they hit right (rib/lung, decent velocity), they tend to open enough and dump energy fast enough for clean kills. You’ll see the usual mix of pass-throughs and some heavier internal damage depending on what they hit.
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you really dug deep for this thread. I'm sure he's figured it out in the last 20 years 🤣🤣
 
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