To use or not to use 300gr SMK on ELK

[captacademy]

I have to agree with JE Custom, about 6 years ago I did use 190SMK's on a Barbary Sheep hunt in my 300 Win Mag because they shot so well. I grassed a sheep at about 315 yards and set up on him. I sent one shot and it hit right in the sweetspot, right behind the shoulder. The sheep did not go down, I quickly chambered and fired a 2nd and 3rd, but still he stood there. I had a Nosler 180 Balistic tip on my belt, so I quick chambered it and let it go. On impact the sheep fell over. On examining the animal all three shots of the SMK were just right behind the shoulder in a group no bigger than a baseball, all were small entrance and exits, pencil width small. The ballistic tip made a huge hole. In hind site, I should have hit the high shoulder, like the African game we shoot!

I for one will never use the SMK's in my 300 Win again, but having said that, I have had great luck with the 250SMK's in my 338. A top sniper friend of mine who is well noted, told me the same thing JE Custom indicated. He likes and shoots the Nosler AB's.

I guess I am just stubburn! My 2 cent's

 

[NZsavage]

the 300 SMK is all i use.....even on small games its deadly...here are a couple of shots from my fallow deer hunt in the weekend.

these shots were 747 yards and 807 yards out of my savage 110BA

i also shot about 20 wild goats at similar ranges with no issues

 

[jlamb]

Thanks for the info everybody. I'm going to limit my range to 500 yards max and use the SMK. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post in a few weeks.

 

[jmden]

Thanks for the info everybody. I'm going to limit my range to 500 yards max and use the SMK. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post in a few weeks.

That's barely long range and virtually no need for a precision match bullet at that distance--plenty of bullets will do the job at that distance. That bullet will do fine out of you 338 Lap 3x that far. Don't limit yourself.

If I were you, I would look seriously at the new 300g Berger Hybrid instead of the SMK. On game performance appears very similar to the 300 SMK with a better BC and some think better overall shooting precision and consistency that Berger seems to be known for. Carlock has switched to it. I just killed a 4x4 Muley at 580yds and 15 deg angle two nights ago with the Berger--it was very dead--caliber size entrance and big exit wound. There's a 9/21 post here in the bear hunting section where Carlock's sister in law hit a bear at 776yd with it as well. Similar performance.

 

[Boss Hoss]

If I were only shooting to 500 yards then a flat base would be one I looked at very closely.

 

[Tikkamike]

Exit hole from a 300 SMK at 820 yards..

The video from this one.

Extreme range hunthing with a .338 Lapua - YouTube


Jeff

This is you shooting or recording?