Sierra Matchking Questions

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svehn

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I'm looking at buying some Sierra Matchking HPBT Palma bullets in 150gr. for 30 cal. Has anyone used these for hunting? How are they? Or should I just use them for low cost plinking like I was intending? Thanks.
 
I know a fella who loaded them in his .300 Weatherby. He never shot anything larger than deer with them, but it is not recommended to use match bullets for hunting ... I know some brands of match bullets work fine, but some I have never shot anything that was alive with a Sierra.
 
Sierra does not recommend that they be used for hunting. Erratic expansion and unpredictable. Most experienced hunters would agree, but a few do use them on deer sized game with success. There are more appropriate choices in the Sierra line such as the game king or pro hunter versions.
 
From the Sierra manual. "Sierra does not recommend the Matchking for hunting purposes. We talk to many people who have used it successfully for years in taking all types of game with excellent results. We have also talked to a lot more people that tried it as a hunting bullet with poor results. If used as a hunting bullet it will give very unpredictable results. One time it may penetrate and expand and the next time it will enter and exit without any expansion whatsoever."

I have used both the Sierra 150 and 165gr boattails for deer with excellent results. They are accurate and expand and kill well. On the plus side they are cheaper than the Match bullets. The 155gr Palma Match is an excellent target bullet and should be reserved for that purpose.
 
A friend has used 168gr Sierra match in his .308 Model 88 for 30 years + and never lost a deer or moose. He calls most moose in to under 200 yards. He claims Sierra tells shooters not to use the MK for hunting, just to sell there hunting bullets, a marketing thing
 
When I did my 6.5 bullet test, the worst result was from the 142gr Matchking. I wouldn't use them, there are so many better hunting bullet out there.
 
Give the Sierra 165 gr. Spitzer Boat tails a try they are decently priced are very accurate and perfectly suited to deer sized game.
Another choice is the Hornady 165 gr. SST bullet again decently priced and very accurate.
Being curious I weighed each bullet in the two boxes all the Hornadys weighed exactly 164.8 grains.
Then when weighing the Sierras six weighed 165.2 gr., the rest were split between 165 gr. and 164.8 gr. not bad for an inexpensive bullet.
 
I'm not a hunter. If I were, chances are I'd be using a .57 Snider or a .43 Mauser for everything that a .303 can't handle. I do, however, have a friend who was one of the finest hunters you will find anywhere. His health precludes him hunting these days, but we waste a lot of time at the range.

HIS experiences with Match bullets on game is precisely what Sierra says: sometime they will wor, often they don't. Match bullets are harder than hunting bullets, so the jacket doesn't deform as easily. Also, the very small hollowpoint on the better ones (and this definitely includes Sierra: take a look at their scores) tends to CLOSE on impact. The result is just the same as shooting the animal with an FMJ.

Your best bet is a bullet designed for the job at hand, even if it does coat 30 cents.
 
Been there, done that, have the T-shirt . . . won't be doing it again. If you want to become a believer that bullet failure can occur, using MKs for big game over normal hunting ranges is a sure way to get there. The exception to the rule seems to be those folks who engage in long range game shooting, where the ranges tend to be closer to a half mile than to a quarter. It is claimed by some that Bergers produce acceptable performance on game. But when the design favors the necessities of external ballistic performance over the importance of terminal performance, I don't know if that reputation on game over normal hunting ranges will be very long lived.
 
I personally use Nosler Silvertips for deer and coyotes and Barnes Tipped TSX's for moose/elk. I use the matchkings for plinking currently. I have been hearing how everybody and their dog just uses the matchkings for hunting from my hunting buddies. But for some reason none of them use them. So I figured I'd just ask on here to see if "everybody and their dog" really do use them. LOL.

I think my hunting buddies are just jealous I knock down animals regularly.:p
 
while not being quite as accurate the gamekings will work fine, its not like the animal will care if you can shoot 1/2 moa or 1 1/2moa if you put it through the vitals
 
That is very true mikeman. LOL. I'm pretty sure a copper jacketed chunk of lead perforating your heart at 3000fps will ruin your day whether it flies apart or not.:D
 
svehn said:
That is very true mikeman. LOL. I'm pretty sure a copper jacketed chunk of lead perforating your heart at 3000fps will ruin your day whether it flies apart or not.:D
Click to expand...

I had a bullet come apart on a 100 pound Island deer that produced about 6 inches of penetration and barely nicked the heart. I got the little deer, but it wasn't easy.

If I were using a SMK on game it would be at very long range only and it would be the heaviest SMK I could get. Same thing for the Bergers.

150 grains of delicate bullet at the better part of 3000fps is asking for trouble.
 
Have you considered the Berger VLD hunting match bullets. Designed to maintain the ballistics of a match round and meant for taking down targets with a pulse. Plus a wide variety of weights...155,168,175,185,190 and 210 grain in .30 caliber.
 
match bullets are not meant for hunting. the points were not designed for expansion on game. try the sierra gameking bullet. they were designed for hunting and boy are they accurate. i don't hunt but tried them many years ago in my rem788 and they were about the most accurate bullet i tried. one group i put 3 shots touching with outside measurement being 3/8". usually held 3/4" which for a bottom end hunting rifle was great.
 
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