# Match Ammo for Hunting?



## questor (Oct 4, 2011)

Interesting article and I agree with the author.

http://www.gundigest.com/tactical-g...-ammo-for-hunting?et_mid=592796&rid=233879035


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

The SMK 30cal 220gr and the SMK 338cal 300gr bullets preform very well. I do not ever think my bullets will not perform. As they have a track record of working so well.

I have heard and seen pictures of some match bullets just passing through. On another site there was a story about a guy shooting a 6.5-284 at an intruder and this 6.5 bullet passed through the perp and a few walls and lodged in the guy's freezer. The picture of the bullet showed it held up very well. He was shooting some SMK if I am remembering correctly.

What really bothers me is you can not get solid answers from the internet. Some will just say "not for hunting" and some will tell you they perform horrible you need a Barns "X:" type bullet.

Are some match bullets the real deal? Sure they are. Are some hunting bullets the real deal? Yes. The problem is there is not a single bullet that can serve all aspects of hunting for big game. Most hunting bullets tend to be pretty tough and need speed to make preform correctly. That becomes a real problem at long range. That is where soft target bullets are the deal.

When Chuck Norris falls in water, Chuck Norris doesn't get wet. Water gets Chuck Norris.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Yes, no, it depends.  I have used SMK and Lapua. I had nice exit wounds with SMK, but the Lapua was more like full metal. I run one lengthwise through a deer at 550 yards. It was the weirdest thing I have seen while deer hunting. My son dropped the deer it was with and when he rolled his over he found my bullet laying on the ground. It passed through and lost all of it's energy and must have just made it out of the animal. There was no expansion, the bullet was only bent in the middle.

You will find a picture here: gallery/album.php?album_id=367

Double click on the picture and notice there is no moly left. Some say that happens half way down the barrel. Perhaps moly prep in the bore is more important than moly on the bullet. Currently I have three rifles with very smooth bores that I no longer use moly in.

I have not tried the AMax on any sort of animal. I have shot a couple of hundred, but not even a rabbit with them. I get under .25 inch groups with Berger VLD hunting bullets, and I get good terminal performance in animals all the way out to 1200 yards. So I really don't need match. Would I ever shoot them again. SMK =yes, Lapua Silver Scenar = no, AMax = I don't know.

Edit: I see Hornady is loading the 123gr AMax for the 6.5 Grendel. I don't see any other loads so maybe they are saying that bullet is good enough for hunting.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

i have fired 8 168 amax at deer i have 8 dead deer. cal size entrance 50 cent size exit. i would not hesitate to use the amax on any thing up to elk then maybe i might think of using some thing different. with the sectional density of the 6.5's i have seen the 140 amax kill plenty of elk. in the end you put the bullet where it needs to go things die. it is simple holes kill stuff


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

I have not had any problems with SMKs taking deer. Shots have been under 400yds though.


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

Ive heard of people using SMK's with success on deer. I think there are better choices out there. For within 300 yards I have gotten pretty good accuracy out of hunting bullets, I dont think I have ever shot at a deer over 200, if I were hunting extreme distances I guess I would probably check out berger hunting bullets.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

name any bullet and i can find where it has failed. i dont care or preach what people should shoot as long as they kill what they are shooting


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

The gauge of a bullets performance isn't how it performs on the perfect shot but how it performs on the less than perfect shot. Since there is no necessity for a match grade bullet to expand that purpose is not taken into consideration in their design. That doesn't mean they won't but they may not perform over the wide range of distances hunters often encounter. The testimonials made dont give us a lot of detail. The article mentioned something about fragmentation of the bullets. I think the use of varment bullets on game has demonstrated to us the fragmentation isn't that desirable. I suspect in the case of match bullets the added mass of the bullet as compared to a varmint bullet is probably more a factor of the effective kill than the fragmenting. And claiming "it killed faster than anything I have ever seen" is prettty subjective. I have shot 1/2 dozen deer with the 41 mag loaded with cast bullets and they have all gone down on the spot. I'm not about to claim that is the perfect bullet for the job just because I haven't had any failures. I've been shootin Remington or winchester PSPs for years and only recall one failure. Again it is not a perfect bullet but gets the job done within it's limitations.

If match bullets are being chosen for their increase in accuracy most likely the shooters using them are hitting their mark and the bullet is never really being tested.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Some good points dakotashooter2. Even though I have had good luck with the SMK it has always been within a couple of hundred yards. The Lapua performed very poor at 550 yards. I would guess there is a reason manufacturers don't recommend match bullets for hunting. If I wasn't shooting long range I may try SMK again, but I don't find a need since I get under .25 inch groups with Berger VLD bullets.

I now have four rifles shooting very well. I think I need a lightweight 308. I like the 6.5 Creedmoor so well I think I will sell my 700P in 308. If I put an ad up for it what do you think a fair price for a 700P with faced action and barrel, lapped lugs, and barrel cut back to 24 inches with a target crown is worth? With two sets of Leupold double dovetail and attached one inch and 30mm rings? I think I'll pick up a cheap light Browning Stalker and add a lighter trigger spring.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Ive got about 50 kills now with 123gr Scenars in a .260 Rem.

Inconsistent terminal performance is putting it lightly. Very lightly.


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