300 Grain SMK Performance

[buzz4me2]

I'm new to shooting the 300 grain SMK's. I'm shooting a .338RUM at about 2690 with these guys. I've shot 2 animals, one a moose at 50 yards and a bear at 535 yards.

Both animals dropped on the spot, which is great. On the moose I found a few shards of copper near the entrance wound. On the bear I found the outer jacket or shell from the SMK.

The center is gone and this was found somewhere in the bears chest. Is this typical for the SMK? I'm just curious not complaining. Both kills put the animal down in his tracks. That's all I'm looking for.

On the bear and the moose there wasn't a large exit hole at all. I was expecting something larger but I figure the moose was too close and the bullet just traveled in and out. On the bear the exit hole was pretty small.

Any info would be great. Thanks

 

[TH]

I have had similar expirences with the 300grn smk. I have shot 2 elk one at 1750 and the other at 1115. I have found fragments of the copper jackets in both animals but both shots were complete pass throughs. I also harvested an analope at 900 yards with the 300grn smk. It was like shooting a ground hog at 100 yards with a 30 cal ballistic tip going 4000pfs nothing left but a pile of guts. All i had to do was pull the heart and lungs out. I made a perfect shot right behind the front leg. I dont know if the bullet exploded or what but i could not believe the damage they cause. The only difference is I have had all large exit holes but I am pushing the bullet a lot faster. The 1750 elk and the 900 yard analope was shot with a 338 Allen mag the 300 gr smk traveling 3427 fps. The 1115 yd elk was shot with a 338 lapua improved 300grn smk at 2950 fps.

 

[BH Hunter]

I also harvested an analope at 900 yards with the 300grn smk. /QUOTE]
Does that mean it was a Texas heart shot on an antelope?

 

[mike33]

So you guys that have had experience with the 300 smk, are you happy with the results as a hunting bullet? Im having a new edge built for elk and was plannng on using it.
Mike

 

[Broz]

So you guys that have had experience with the 300 smk, are you happy with the results as a hunting bullet? Im having a new edge built for elk and was plannng on using it.
Mike

Yes, Last two years took a bull at 526 yards and 1130 yards with my 338 LM. The 1130 fell in his tracks and never kicked the 526 made it 30 to 50 yards and DRT. Both one shot kills. Also took many Deer and antelope, 300 , 500, 700, 800 and 1100 plus. All DRT. You will be fine if you place it well.

Jeff gun) gun)

Below, the 526 yard bullet recovered from the 6x6 bull after entering at the back of the shoulder and taking out both lungs and the oposite shoulder. About 1/2 of the bullet weight was retained.

 

[buzz4me2]

2 shots, 2 animals dropped in their tracks. Can't ask for much more.

 

[mike33]

As we say back east " Get r done " Looks like one bad *** bullet.
Mike

 

[RockyMtnMT]

As long as the meat loss is acceptable, great. I personally do not like seeing unnecessary damage. This is a personal preference, not say one way is right or wrong. I was raised that the most important part of the hunt is the meat. Any wasted meat was looked as a place that should be improved. In fact, my father taught me that a shot that would waste meat should be passed. Out of respect for the animal, the goal was to harvest as humanely as possible, and utilize as much of the animal as possible.

Sorry for the side bar, just trying to explain why my opinion is what it is.

Steve

 

[jessej]

I have had similar expirences with the 300grn smk. I have shot 2 elk one at 1750 and the other at 1115. I have found fragments of the copper jackets in both animals but both shots were complete pass throughs. I also harvested an analope at 900 yards with the 300grn smk. It was like shooting a ground hog at 100 yards with a 30 cal ballistic tip going 4000pfs nothing left but a pile of guts. All i had to do was pull the heart and lungs out. I made a perfect shot right behind the front leg. I dont know if the bullet exploded or what but i could not believe the damage they cause. The only difference is I have had all large exit holes but I am pushing the bullet a lot faster. The 1750 elk and the 900 yard analope was shot with a 338 Allen mag the 300 gr smk traveling 3427 fps. The 1115 yd elk was shot with a 338 lapua improved 300grn smk at 2950 fps.

Im trying to decide between the 300 and the 338 lapua improved. Your velocity on the allen mag is unheard of. Tell me more. Barrel length, action, powder charge?
I was also under the assumption that the allen mag and lap improved were almost twins. Am i wrong?
I am shooting a 338 RUM now, 100 grns of retumbo, 3000 fps. I feel that I am at my ceiling. Time to step up.

 

[jmden]

Im trying to decide between the 300 and the 338 lapua improved. Your velocity on the allen mag is unheard of. Tell me more. Barrel length, action, powder charge?
I was also under the assumption that the allen mag and lap improved were almost twins. Am i wrong?
I am shooting a 338 RUM now, 100 grns of retumbo, 3000 fps. I feel that I am at my ceiling. Time to step up.

The 338 Allen Mag (and several other wildcats like it--the Allen Mag generally seeming to be accepted as the most improved version) is based on the the huge Chey-Tac cartridge with charges of 140+ grains of H-50BMG powder and the like being the norm. Even the 338 Lap Imp is typically 250-300 fps or more (probably more with a sane powder charge) slower. Different actions, etc. for the most part due to the size of the .408 Chey-Tac case. I personally think the 338Lap Imp in a 30" barrel is the biggest I'd want to 'walk around' with but there's no denying the awesome power of the 338-408 Chey-Tac Imps...

 

[TH]

My 338 Allen Mag I have a 34 inch Kreiger barrel, bat action, Mcmillan A5 stock. I load 141 grains of H-50bmg.

My 338 laupa improved I load 92 grains of R25 I have a bat action 30 inch broughton barrel and a manners stock.

I also have a 30 338 laupa improved I shoot the 240 smk at 3050 with 85 grains of H 1000. This is also built on a bat action kreiger barrel.

If you dont plan on taking game over 1 mile I would build the 30- 338 lapua improved and shoot the 240 smk.

 

[jmden]

My 338 Allen Mag I have a 34 inch Kreiger barrel, bat action, Mcmillan A5 stock. I load 141 grains of H-50bmg.

My 338 laupa improved I load 92 grains of R25 I have a bat action 30 inch broughton barrel and a manners stock.

I also have a 30 338 laupa improved I shoot the 240 smk at 3050 with 85 grains of H 1000. This is also built on a bat action kreiger barrel.

If you dont plan on taking game over 1 mile I would build the 30- 338 lapua improved and shoot the 240 smk.

TH,

What's the rest of your load for the 338 Lap Imp? Kirby is typically right around 100g Retumbo with the 300 SMK hovering just under and sometimes a fair amount over 3k fps MV in his 338 Lap Imp (Allen Xpress (AX)).

That 300 SMK is better in virtually all departments that the 240, although I've taken a couple of elk and a deer with the 240 out of a RUM at 3K fps MV and about 104g US869. Ended up not liking dealing with the temp sensitivity of the US 869, so went back to Retumbo and 210 Bergers, but it sure packed a punch behind that 240, at least the lot I had did. I get the impression newer lots are faster burning--I couldn't get better than about 2920fps MV with the 240's and a new lot of US 869 before I started seeing pressure signs I didn't like.

Jon

 

[TH]

Jon,

What's the rest of your load for the 338 Lap Imp?

I shoot a 300 gr smk 215 match federal primer. I shoot Dave Tooleys design he calls it the 338 yogi. Its not a hot load at all just where my best accuracy is. I have 2 stocks for this gun a tooley anti torque stock, I got to shoot benchrest with this year cant wait for the first match. I also have a Manners T4A tactical stock that I take hunting and shoot tactical matches with.

That 300 SMK is better in virtually all departments that the 240

I disagree 300 grain smk has a bc of .76 the 240 grain smk has a bc of .71 If the 240 was pushed faster which it is compairing it to the 30-338 laupa improved and the 338 lapua improved it would shoot just as flat or flatter than the 300grn smk. Accuracy wise the 240 will shoot smaller groups. It holds the world record in 1000yd benchrest. Its a know fact that the smaller the bullet the better the accuracy will be. Energy wise they are very verry close.

I totally agree that the 210 bergers and 208 A max at 3300 plus fps are awesome and hard to beat out to 1300 yards. Another good one to try for 1000 and under is the 185 berger at 3500+ fps.

going back to jessiej question

Im trying to decide between the 300 and the 338 lapua improved.

Pick the 300 lapua improved. I have never tried to see how fast I can shoot the 240grn smk Im sure it can be shot 3100+ fps. You alread have a 338 get a 30 cal you have a huge choice of bullets. I shoot tactical steel matches and the fast flat shooting 208 A maxes and 210 bergers are hard to beat. Plus you have a big variety of bullets to choose from

 

[jmden]

Jon,




That 300 SMK is better in virtually all departments that the 240

I disagree 300 grain smk has a bc of .76 the 240 grain smk has a bc of .71 If the 240 was pushed faster which it is compairing it to the 30-338 laupa improved and the 338 lapua improved it would shoot just as flat or flatter than the 300grn smk. Accuracy wise the 240 will shoot smaller groups. It holds the world record in 1000yd benchrest. Its a know fact that the smaller the bullet the better the accuracy will be. Energy wise they are very verry close.

I totally agree that the 210 bergers and 208 A max at 3300 plus fps are awesome and hard to beat out to 1300 yards. Another good one to try for 1000 and under is the 185 berger at 3500+ fps.

TH,

Whats your MV on that 338 Yogi?

In regards to the G1 BC's Sierra uses: more recent test at long ranges over a much wider velocity range has shown that the 300SMK appears to have a 'above 3k fps' G1 bc of .802. This from Bryan Litz's recent contribution to long range shooting: Applied Ballistics of Long Range Shooting. Other G1 velocity bands are as follows for the big 300g pill: 2500fps--.769, 2000fps--.742, 1500fps and below--.665. So, the 300g pill, in actual long range tests does better than Sierra's numbers until hit gets going quite slowly. This makes sense with it's tangent ogive and and meplat that is small in comparison to it's caliber than the 240. Ballistically speaking, the 300SMK is built much better than the 240SMK, not to mention it's higher sectional density. From what I've seen on this board, it also seems to enjoy more confidence in game taking ability as well. It will hit harder at much longer distances than will the 240 and that's why so many on this board use it.

On the other hand, the 240 didn't fair as well as Sierra's typical above 3K MV G1 bc of .711. With is short, pudgy tangent ogive, that's no surprise. It just does not have a good form factor--not nearly as good as it could be. In Bryan's testing, it showed an above 3K G1 bc of .639, much lower than Sierra's published number of .711. Other G1 velocity bands are as follows: 2500fps--.644, 2000fps--.662, 1500fps and below .643. Others on this board have previously tested the 240 with, for intance two Oehler 35Ps at the muzzle and another at 300yds and came up with essentially the same numbers as Bryan did, however Bryan's testing went out to 600 yds and is as accurate as we can get short of the military's doppler radar. In fact in data that Bryan collected on bullets that he had tested and could compare to doppler data, the comparison of the two data sets was extremely close.

If you can shoot a 240 at 3050MV or even 3100MV it will not hang with a 300SMK shot at or near 3K from a 30" barreled 338 Lap Imp pushed by 100g or Retumbo at long distance ballistically, nor will it hit as hard.

However, with that advent here soon of the new Berger 300g line up with projected BC's for the VLD of over .9, it will be very interesting to see what happens to Sierra's lineup. Berger is also working on some 'weightier' .308's than they already have with their 210g, as you probably know. It will be very interesting to see how these perform balistically and on game.