View Full Version : SMK for Hunting?
I was curious if people consider the SMK's a decent hunting bullet. If its Boat Tail HOLLOW POINT, shouldn't it expand decently? I dont have a typical 308 hunting rifle, but my new Rem700 makes me wonder?
I was in Cabelas and a guy in there said he killed many Elk with them? I didnt see it, so...and it doesnt mean its a great idea.
Any feedback?
m1a_scoutguy
09-03-11, 08:32
Hmmmm,,it wouldn't be my 1st choice thats for sure. Although like any bullet if the bullet placement is good,,I'm sure it would kill the intended animal,,but with all the Quality Hunting bullets out there,,why risk wounding or losing a animal !
Sierra recommends against it. They have a game king bullet with a soft point and thicker jacket.
Perhaps for certain varminting applications it would be sufficient, such as woodchuck and coyote.
match bullets are indeed fine in the smaller cals for varmint hunting with their thinner jackets, but it's foolish to trust them for larger game animals with all the premium hunting bullets available.
eventually, you are going to have bullet failure & lost game.
ICANHITHIMMAN
09-03-11, 10:10
If you shooting the 338 300g SMK or the 240g 30cal SMK then yes they are great hunting bullets at ranges beyond 300 yards.
If your not shooting a large magnum however there are better choices. Bergers new 240g 30 cal HYBRID is and option or the 208g AMAX.
If you just shootiong the 308 win for extended range hunting engagements I would look at the 155g Berger VLD, 155g SBT or something simmilar. If your keeping you shots under 500 yards there are alot of options with larger bullets. The issue with the 308 win and big game hunting is impact veloicty. Most bullets have a specific impact veloicty in which they will reilibly expand.
So all that said if you load the 240g SMK in your 308 win I would keep shots inside 500 400 yards depending of cours on the velocity your rifle can acheve.
Not sure how SMKs would compare to Berger VLDs, but here's an intesting piece that I wouldn't have believed until reading about it.
http://www.bergerbullets.com/Information/Barsness%20Article.pdf
Two schools of thought on using match bullets vice expanding bullets on game.
Precision shooters will tend to use a match bullet that goes exactly where they aim, every time. The point is to kill the target by smashing its central nervous system and killing the central processing unit.
Expanding and tissue-destroying (exsanguination, i.e., bleeding-out and shock inducing) bullets are typically designed for shooters who can hit a general vital zone area, but may not necessarily always hit their point-of-aim.
If you can't hit precisely what you're aiming at (due to limitations in your range estimation, shooting, weapon, or ammo) go for the game bullet.
Two schools of thought on using match bullets vice expanding bullets on game.
Precision shooters will tend to use a match bullet that goes exactly where they aim, every time. The point is to kill the target by smashing its central nervous system and killing the central processing unit.
Expanding and tissue-destroying (exsanguination, i.e., bleeding-out and shock inducing) bullets are typically designed for shooters who can hit a general vital zone area, but may not necessarily always hit their point-of-aim.
If you can't hit precisely what you're aiming at (due to limitations in your range estimation, shooting, weapon, or ammo) go for the game bullet.
And yet the above article link demonstartes that target/match bullets can function very effectively in the "general vital zone" targetting mode as you describe it. These aren't brain/spine hits, these are heart/lung hits. Kind of defies conventional wisdom, but the proof is in the pudding.
And yet the above article link demonstartes that target/match bullets can function very effectively in the "general vital zone" targetting mode as you describe it. These aren't brain/spine hits, these are heart/lung hits. Kind of defies conventional wisdom, but the proof is in the pudding.
No it doesn't. It says that Berger VLDs do this. Not target/match bullets. (The VLD was conceived as a match/target bullet but the results cannot necessarily be generalized).
I dont even own a 308 Big Game gun. I just wondered what the current thinking is. And as it stands, there are a lot of different opinions. I always buy Premium hunting bullets for my 270 win & 7 rem mag etc.
Back East a lot of guys shoot 308's ti hunt where shots are often inside 100 yards. Out West, we "send it", so flatter shooting variety tends to get the nod.
No it doesn't. It says that Berger VLDs do this. Not target/match bullets. (The VLD was conceived as a match/target bullet but the results cannot necessarily be generalized).
I conceded that on post #7.
But when you ask yourself, why was the VLD designed, the answer, as you rightfully point out, was target/match work. All Berger did was try them out on game and found out they worked well in that application too. Not by design, but rather as an artifact of the design driven by target/match design parameters.
If you look at jacket thicknesses and lead alloy compositions, I'd bet you'd find there's not going to be a big difference between Berger/Nosler/Sierra match bullets. From a observed terminal performance standpoint, the interesting takeaways to note are short 1.5" neck length followed by continued penetartion while accompanied by mushrooming & fragmentation. If you're a meat hunter, they may not be the best choice, I would guess they would pulverize edible meat along the wound channel, moreso than a traditional hunting bullet.
I'm in no way endorsing these types of bullets over more classic spitzer softpoints, partitions, etc. But before reading this I would have advised strongly against using match HP BTs for non-dangerous big game hunting. Now I'm not sure that they're not an adequate substitute/design, just note that you'll destroy alot of meat along the way, at least on the entrance side.
It's well documented that some of the SMK bullets, such as the 168gr BTHP loaded as the standard sniper type match round by so many makers, in loads such as the Federal Gold Medal Match, display inconsistent and often very poor wound ballistics.
Check it out here;
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19878
OK. Use A-max's instead. Or get a meplat uniformer and trim the nose until the HP is a bit bigger. Or use a conventional, proven bullet design (Hornady Interlock, Nosler Partition, Speer Deep Curl or a bonded/penetrating design) like the remaining 98% of the hunting masses and leave the BTHP's for the range.
ICANHITHIMMAN
09-03-11, 20:48
All killed with SMK bullets
http://youtu.be/14eQWPiSLAM
http://youtu.be/HA4UyRGe3sU
The reason so many people argue about the terminal performance of the SMK is obvious with testing, both sides are right about what they have seen.
From the link tdp223 posted above:
"SMK’s have significant terminal performance problems, including very inconsistent behavior"
I would consider a video about long range hunting suspect for good info. First, at that range I doubt bullets of any design would upset. Second, you won't see the hunts that go bad on TV.
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