Has anyone shot big game with Sierra Match Bullets?

A friend has shot caribou with a .338 LM at extended, known ranges. He was unhappy with bullet performance. He reported that the 300gr SMKs acted like varmint bullets. Killed the caribou as if lightening hit them, ruined a lot of meat. As has been repeatedly pointed out, SMKs are not engineered for expansion on game, results are not predictable, use something designed for the purpose.
 
Thank-you for your imput. I had to ask the question just because so much of what I use my gun for is NOT for hunting. The difference in accuracy from a SMK to a hunting bullet is really seen at extended range and since since everyone love to tell stories of how far they killed something at accuracy is the answer. Also since it only takes one shot to kill an animal and you don't kill even half a dozen big game animals every year, to work up load development for a bullet that isn't deemed all that accurate just seems like a waste of time and barrel life not to mention expensive when you're burning 111gr of powder every time you pull the trigger. We all know where I'm going with this.

I've seen a lot of animals badly wounded when a 'hunting bullet' out of a 300win mag dispenses it's full energy 6ft on the other side of an animal. If a 750gr A-Max bullet out of a 50BMG can stay inside a deer at 800yds I see no reason to blow through an animal and creat an exit wound. I've shot all of my deer with a 85gr partition 6mm bullet. This 338Lapua is new to me and though I'm a fan of over kill, blowing the absolute sh!t out of the other side of a big game animal boths me.
 
Shooting big game as exteme ranges does not make you better hunter or the deer taste better. Only something to tell stories about. If you can't get the accuracy out of a 338 Accubond or TSX at extreme ranges, then you are shooting too far to take an ethical shot anyways, to know exactly where you bullet will end up.

I have actually had better accuracy from Accubonds in most of my rifles than I can get with my matchkings. I find the matchkings cheaper to shoot, but would never consider them for hunting. Your 338 is most likely going to cause a lot of damage compared to your 6mm with any bullet you use anyways, its way too much rifle for deer.
 
Glock-a-maniac said:
Thank-you for your imput. I had to ask the question just because so much of what I use my gun for is NOT for hunting. The difference in accuracy from a SMK to a hunting bullet is really seen at extended range and since since everyone love to tell stories of how far they killed something at accuracy is the answer. Also since it only takes one shot to kill an animal and you don't kill even half a dozen big game animals every year, to work up load development for a bullet that isn't deemed all that accurate just seems like a waste of time and barrel life not to mention expensive when you're burning 111gr of powder every time you pull the trigger. We all know where I'm going with this.

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What hunitng bullets have you been using in your testing at extended range? Maybe there are more accurate options than you have tried.

What results have you got for accuracy wiht hunting bullets?
 
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mylesrom said:
Your 338 is most likely going to cause a lot of damage compared to your 6mm with any bullet you use anyways, its way too much rifle for deer.
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Not really. I have hunted with a .338 Lapua for the last couple of years and there wasn't a whole lot of damage on any game, even antelope.

Back to the point I couldn't get Accubonds to shoot out of my Lapua and my target loads use 250gr Lapua Scenars which for hunting are out of the question. I ended up using 215gr Sierra Gamekings with a mild charge still getting around 3100fps and very accurate(1" @ 300m) and the bullets kill antelope to moose as good as any other hunting bullet I've used including Accubonds, Partitions, GSs and TBBCs. In your rifle you could easily get 3300fps and mine are very accurate out to 800yds.

I would look for a good hunting bullet, mabey Richard Graves at Wildcat might have something that might fit your bill.
 
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