Hollow Point Match bullets for Hunting?

Using "Match" bullets is not a good idea for a couple of reasons, already stated, but I think the most important one is that you might actually be breaking the law!

If I am not mistaken, most provinces have a provision that states that you must use a bullet that expands or mushrooms for hunting, the exact wording escapes me at present. If you are using "Match" bullets, you are not using bullets designed to do so and therefore, you would be in contravention of the act!

Just a thought

Scott
 
I find the comments by some on this topic to be most interesting. Again, if you, yourself, have not seen the results of these bullets, match or otherwise, how can you truly comment on performance? Just because you read some crap on the internet, or read what a manufactures recomendation is, suddenly makes you an expert? I am betting that if people limited their comments to things they have tried themselves, these types of threads would be very short indeed. Sierra has had a miltary contract to supply Matchking bullets for quite some time. Saying they are an expanding bullet would put that contract in a bad spot. After personally shooting animals (gasp!) with is bullet, I don't know how it can be classified as it is. It works, very well. Rick is correct, again. Keep your speeds lower, or your distances longer, and you won't be disapointed in the Matchkings performance. The A-max, regardless of distance/speed, is an absolute hammer on game. IF you haven't tried either one of these bullets on game, how can you even comment as to results?

R.
 
I take Mr.ATR's word for it. He's done it firsthand and knows his stuff, he is not known as a BS'er. Manufacturers always have to lay a blanket down for the uninformed for liability sake, there's always an exception to a rule.
 
y2k said:
Will the match bullets ie Sierra .30cal 168gr Match King perform/mushroom well for hunting?
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I believe if you look on their website they don't recommend the match king bullet be used as a hunting bullet....for hunting Sierra make the "Game King" bullet. :D
 
Rman said:
I find the comments by some on this topic to be most interesting. Again, if you, yourself, have not seen the results of these bullets, match or otherwise, how can you truly comment on performance? Just because you read some crap on the internet, or read what a manufactures recomendation is, suddenly makes you an expert? I am betting that if people limited their comments to things they have tried themselves, these types of threads would be very short indeed. Sierra has had a miltary contract to supply Matchking bullets for quite some time. Saying they are an expanding bullet would put that contract in a bad spot. After personally shooting animals (gasp!) with is bullet, I don't know how it can be classified as it is. It works, very well. Rick is correct, again. Keep your speeds lower, or your distances longer, and you won't be disapointed in the Matchkings performance. The A-max, regardless of distance/speed, is an absolute hammer on game. IF you haven't tried either one of these bullets on game, how can you even comment as to results?


R.
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Ummmmmmmm, not to disrespect your judgement or personal observed results on terminal ballistics of Matchking bullets but I do think I'll stick to the recommended use of a perticular product as recommend by the bulletsmiths that designed it. :D
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
When trying to combine the 2 it is best to have a hunting type bullet loaded as 1st up. Anytime a long range shot is presented you have time to change out a round to match ammo.
At shots taken under 500 yards the margin for error due to differences in trajectory is not as critical as it is beyond that, so having your come ups and wind dope figured out on the match bullet for long range work is the best way to go, then confirm as close as possible with a hunting bullet for the differences.
Using 2 different bullets is less than ideal, but does work if the effort is put in to use both in their respective uses.
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This is exactly how I do it. I load a TTSX in the rifle as 1st up, and if I'm presented with a long shot, I've got time to load up either a MK, a VLD, or an AMAX, depending on the rifle, that I've practiced with extensively.
 
Hawk did it occur to you that nearly all hunting is done in the 50-350 yard range, few go beyond. That is within the range that some knowledgable hunters admit the bullet is the not a good choice. Long range, where very few venture, these same people say they work. Why does Sierra not recommend the match king for hunting?????? Because nearly every hunter hunts too close for them. Would you expect them to make a notation on the Matchking box "for the .1% of you that can shoot beyond 500y". No. They play it safe and sell you a bullet that is designed to function at the ranges 99.99% of hunting shots are taken. Perhaps these .1% know something you don't? I'm not one of them but it makes sense to me. High velocity needs a strong jacket to keep it from disintigrating, low velocity can afford a lighter construction to aid in expansion. And yes I can prove those percentages scientifically.
 
I tried out some Hornady 165 HPBT 30 cal bullets 13 years ago, after hearing how HP bullets would blow apart etc. I filled milk jugs with water, set them at 100 yards, and grabbed my M1 Garand. For comparison I had the same load with HDY 165 BTSP tipping them. The spire points would blow the jug apart, water 6 feet in the air. The HPBT's penciled through, no expansion. That being said, I've heard Sierra Match Kings expand well, with guys using them at long range. Not the ticket for me at 400 yards and less.
 
I've used a variety of bullets over the years. Try a MK on an elk or moose and you are going to be tracking or worse not even finding.A deer is small enough I believe that more likely than not a hollow point bullet can kill placed in the correct spot.

IMO if you are looking for a suitable bullet to use at major long ranges for hunting, you are now taking the "hunt" out of it and just turning the hunt into long range target practice with a game animal at the end. Some of us could have had good results to date, maybe you haven't had to track one "yet". I won't bother with the ethics side of it.

Again this is my opinion, I don't expect everyone to agree, but I believe the hunting side of it is starting to disappear for long range shooting. Seeing how close you can get to the animal or get the animal to you is where the sport is, not how far away you can harvest it.
 
OMG it's the return of the MK thread! :eek::eek:

Seriously, it can be done with larger cals, as proven in a huge thread years ago on another site. (Was so large it got deleted for taking up space).
Some guys had pics of deer taken with the 338RUM at ridiculous distances.

Stuff smaller than 338, I think best that can be said is that it's inconsistent performance wise. Sometimes pencils through, sometimes explodes on impact, sometimes works fine.

It was never designed as a hunting bullet, and that's from Sierra.

It also may be illegal in your area.
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
Again this is my opinion, I don't expect everyone to agree, but I believe the hunting side of it is starting to disappear for long range shooting. Seeing how close you can get to the animal or get the animal to you is where the sport is, not how far away you can harvest it.
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:agree:

Extreme long range shots on game prove nothing other than good marksmanship and very few can consistently kill game at these ranges, though many try anyhow,thanks to shows like "Best of the West".

As for legalities on HP bullets I believe they are legal in most areas. It's solids which are illegal for hunting in many provinces.
 
15 or so years ago, I had an opportunity to hunt an area that was traditionally off limits. However there were very stringent covenants to do so. One was that you could not go into the Farmer's fields to set up, you had to do so from the tree line adjacent to it. Second was that, once you shot a deer, you would not go into the field to retrieve it without the farmer. This made for minimum shots of over 500yds. I was using a Mauser K98 in .30-06 at the time and wanted to make sure that I got the best shot I could. So I contacted Sierra bullets, got a tech on the line, and explained the situation. He suggested a powder/bullet combination that completely surprised me. The bullet he suggested was a Nosler Partition since he felt that none of the bullets Sierra made would reliably do the job without having to track the animal forever. Remember, it would take at least 15 minutes to get back to the farm, then get the farmer, then back out to the field, then to where you shot the animal. Animal can go a long way in a half hour.
So, built the round, sighted the rifle, shot the deer, went for farmer, came back, shot a coyote going for the deer that had only gone 5yds after being hit.
 
I have some personnel experience with this. Back in the 80s I shot full bore silhoutte with a HB rem 700 in 308. I used sierra matchking bullets on the chicken,pigs and turkeys. I also used a 308 calibre rifle for hunting and loaded up some 168gr MK bullets for a november hunt. My partner and I were on a ridge and I shot this muley buck uphill from me and going directly away from me. After the shot he turned and went down hill and bedded. I shot him in the neck in his bed. Later when we gutted him we found the first bullet up in his chest. I kid you not other than the rifling marks I could have reloaded that bullet. It did not expand at all. After doing some checking I found that this bullet was not recommended as a hunting bullet----Cowboy
 
I have just started using berger bullets in late fall 2009. I did not hunt with them b/c of lack of practice time. this year hunted with them and they performed awesome. a 370 yrd backup shot on my buddies ram, and a 400 yrd shot on my mulie. both showed full penetration , with good sized exit wounds. the sheep stopped, and the deer never moved. they are 168gr .284 vld bullets- match grade. i dont think berger makes any bullets that arent match grade,they just make a hunting line, with the same BC
 
My uses for the bullet would be, in order of priority.

1 Target or Silhouette shooting

2 Shooting at odd COYOTE maybe 3/4 a year
 
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