300gr matchking close range

[partisan1911]

I see the 300gr matchking works well at extended distances. How does it do at close ranges on elk? I expect you would have to hit bone in order for it to be effective?

 

[timeless61]

not sure how well wet newspaper translates into game, but, at 50 yards I shot a 300 smk that left the muzzle at 2950 fps. the first inch was roughly 338 diameter, next 2" or so was a 1.5-2" hole, from say 4"-17", it was a 5-6" hole and paper was destroyed and displaced. then from 17-22" it was scaling down to 2" hole, then at the end I just found the bullet, shed most of its core, and the copper jacket was opened up in around 24" of wet newspaper tightly packed. did it twice actually, same results..

same day, shot a 168 a-max .308 out of a 300 wsm, went in 2-3" and went vertically out of the box, and pretty much repeated what happened after I tried it agian, that kind of worried me..

 

[groper]

shot a hog @ 50yds with a 300SMK travelling 2900fps... pig was DRT but no exit, just a tiny little entry hole and then it exploded inside him. The bullet is too fragile for best efficacy at short ranges...

 

[partisan1911]

So what do all these elk hunters do if they see an elk close range? Carry a different bullet for those shots or aim for front shoulder to break it?

 

[Derek M.]

So what do all these elk hunters do if they see an elk close range? Carry a different bullet for those shots or aim for front shoulder to break it?

The above questions are the pitfalls of the concept of LRH when taking into account using projectiles designed for paper but loaded for game. There is always the "what if" in hunting.

I've been fortunate to kill a few whitetails up close with Bergers in a couple of calibers and there was no evidence to suggest they performed any differently than any other hunting bullet I've used in the last 25 years. But none of those Berger shot placements were on bone either, and all of them were 50 yards and less.

The SMK debate has been discussed time and time again, and you'll find equal numbers of guys with experience who are pro and con for up close shots. My personal opinion is that the closer the game, the bigger the gamble.

If I had an elk inside of 50 yards and I was using a 338 Edge with a 300 SMK (which is highly unlikely because I'd really have a bow), ...I'd be confident with aiming at the base of the skull if I knew I had no intentions of getting it mounted. Otherwise, I'd probably just lung shoot it & hope for the best.

 

[ewallace]

I recovered a 300g SMK from a elk I shot in 06 the elk was shot at 10 yards with a 20 pound 338 Nawakwa 30" 10 Twist Broughton barrel muzzle velocity of 3045 fps. The 300g SMK retained 69.55g of bullet found it a small exit wound and the lead was parsley threw the skin. This was a quartering away shot, bullet entering just in front of the right back leg and was recovered in front of the left shoulder penetrating 36". The elk went down and did not move. I have used this same rifle to harvest elk and deer from 10 yards to 2045 yards the 300g SMK has been working for me.

 

[jwp475]

I recovered a 300g SMK from a elk I shot in 06 the elk was shot at 10 yards with a 20 pound 338 Nawakwa 30" 10 Twist Broughton barrel muzzle velocity of 3045 fps. The 300g SMK retained 69.55g of bullet found it a small exit wound and the lead was parsley threw the skin. This was a quartering away shot, bullet entering just in front of the right back leg and was recovered in front of the left shoulder penetrating 36". The elk went down and did not move. I have used this same rifle to harvest elk and deer from 10 yards to 2045 yards the 300g SMK has been working for me.

The 300 SMK has also worke for me on Deer and Elk

 

[Varminator 911]

I expect you would have to hit bone in order for it to be effective?

Hitting bone would be the last thing I'd try to do up close. At impact velocities above about 2200 fps I'd treat this bullet just like a Berger hunting VLD, thru the ribs into the lungs. The bullets are similar, with the SMK maybe a little tougher.

So to me the problem up close is that I'm limited on the shots I can take. Shots from the front or behind aren't the best. I'd be concerned penetration would be lacking. At lower velocity I'd still rather have a Barnes or Accubond on the bad angles. But the SMK would likely penetrate more elk at 2000 fps than at 3000.

 

[LR3]

Ewallace, your 2045 shot sounds interesting - have you described in detail in another post - elk/ deer/ setup / how did you range / conditions etc?

 

[jwp475]

Hitting bone would be the last thing I'd try to do up close. At impact velocities above about 2200 fps I'd treat this bullet just like a Berger hunting VLD, thru the ribs into the lungs. The bullets are similar, with the SMK maybe a little tougher.

So to me the problem up close is that I'm limited on the shots I can take. Shots from the front or behind aren't the best. I'd be concerned penetration would be lacking. At lower velocity I'd still rather have a Barnes or Accubond on the bad angles. But the SMK would likely penetrate more elk at 2000 fps than at 3000.

A shot from the front into the brisket neck junction is terminal for sure. Yes this bullet will come unglued at close range for sure. A 300 grain bullet into the chest cavity of a bull Elk does a tremendous amount of internal damage at 150 yards, but do not expect an exit. At true long range this bullet will indeed exit and is a true hammer at any distance IME

 

[wadedc]

I will be hunting elk with a .338 AM this year. I will be using the 300 SMK but have also loaded a few 285 barnes tsx bullets for close range work. Best of both worlds I guess.

Wade

 

[wadedc]

I tried the 285 TSX bullets today and they have the same POI as the 300 SMK in my barrel at close ranges.

 

[ewallace]

Ewallace, your 2045 shot sounds interesting - have you described in detail in another post - elk/ deer/ setup / how did you range / conditions etc?

It was in 2004 here is the story we used a Wild range finder set up on top of a mountain shooting accost to another mountain Rifle is a 20 pound 338 Nawakwa shot was off a pi pod.
link to story http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/deer-elk-hunt-1594/


We just got back from a Elk and Deer hunt in Colorado. We scouted for 2 days hiking 13 miles in on the first day and 6 miles on the 2nd day. We also checked our zeros on the rifles at 250 and 400 meters. On opening day we decided to set up on the back side of a cliff over looking a far mountain that we had spotted some elk the previous day. We got up at 4 AM and got some breakfast and headed out to the cliff we arrived at 7 AM. We set up the Wild range finder and the 338 Nawakwa rifle on the side of the cliffs. As the side of the mountain started to light up Rob spotted some Elk in the Aspens I ranged them at 1425 meters. There was one 4x4 in the herd. I looked at the drop chart and turned in the 36 Moa for elevation and estimated 6 Moa for wind. We viewed the Elk for over 1hr feeding with his herd but decided not to shoot them. He got spooked by something and the herd ran into the black timber. Rob and I hung out in the area for the rest of the day with no success. On day 2 we decided to set up on a hill just out of camp there was 3 small deer bucks on the far mountain I ranged one of the bucks at 1850 meters. I looked at the drop chart and it called for 53.25 Moa I dialed it into the scope and put 12 Moa in for the wind and fired 3 spotter shots and made the adjustments that were required. I centered the cross hair on just behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. We both saw the hit. The bullet went through the deer's chest and dirt sprayed up behind him. The deer made it over the mountain into the black timber on the back side. We headed out to look for the deer. On arrival there was a good blood trail to follow into the timber I could see where the deer started to roll down the incredibly steep mountain bouncing off trees leaving a red painted look to the bark. The deer came to rest around 200 yards down the mountain and on examination where the bullet had exited I could put my fist threw the hole. We deboned him and went back to camp for some tender loin lunch. On day 3 we had 12" of new snow so we went for a long hike looking for fresh Elk tracks it was snowing so hard we could only see 100 meters most of the time. We only saw fresh deer tracks in the 12hrs we hunted that day. On day 4 we were both very tired and wanted to take it easy so we went to a meadow at the bottom of the mountain. I decided to go for a hike and left Rob to cover the mountain. I stalked to the east along the edge of the mountain. I heard some shooting to the east of where I was so I got in a clearing that I could see up to the top of the mountain. I saw a nice Elk and ranged him at 597 meters with a Leica 1200 LRF. I shot one shot as he was moving and missed. I took off running to the west to see if I could get into the next clearing before the Elk moved through the clearing. When I arrived in the clearing there was a log laying 20 meters from where I popped out of the timber. I dove to the log and laid my rifle over for support. Being the Elk looked to be about the same distance I did not range the Elk again. I put the cross hair the same distance over the Elk's back as the thickness of his body and pulled the trigger. I saw the bullet impact the Elk's side a little back from where I wanted so I put another round in the chamber and fired another and another firing 3 times. The Elk fell over and started to slide down the mountain on the 12" of snow we had. He slid over 100 meters before his antlers dug in and stopped him. I went over to where I left Rob and we went up the mountain. We quartered the Elk and removed the tender loins and back straps I had hit the Elk with all 3 bullets 2 in the lungs and one just back from the lungs.

 

[jmden]

I tried the 285 TSX bullets today and they have the same POI as the 300 SMK in my barrel at close ranges.

Hmmm...that's good to know. Might have to investigate with my setup.