125 Matchking modification for hunting use in the 300 BLK?

[slickyboyboo]

Has anyone thought about or tried modifying the 125 gr .308 SMKs by trimming the meplat to more like the gamekings? I would figure with a larger meplat and the thinner jacket of the Matchking, it should open well at the lower velocities experienced with the 300 Blackout.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Has anyone thought about or tried modifying the 125 gr .308 SMKs by trimming the meplat to more like the gamekings? I would figure with a larger meplat and the thinner jacket of the Matchking, it should open well at the lower velocities experienced with the 300 Blackout.

I don't think it will help, what may work is this bullet annealing guys have been doing to the berger hybrids.

 

[RT2506]

Get you some Hornady 125 SST from Midway. It is made just for the 300 black out. Everybody body I have talked to about them says they are really a good game bullet.

 

[slickyboyboo]

Get you some Hornady 125 SST from Midway. It is made just for the 300 black out. Everybody body I have talked to about them says they are really a good game bullet.

I got several hundred of the 125 SSTs already, just wanted to tinker with the SMKs, and see if I could make a good hunting bullet out of them, since they initially have a better BC, and were also specifically made for the 300 BLK.

 

[ZSteinle]

Trim them up and shoot into a milk jug or wet phone books and see what u get. I have read on the Internet that a Norma 6.5mm golden target is a terrible game bullet...they say it pencils right through. My milk jug results show the complete opposite. Test it and...then let us know.

 

[slickyboyboo]

Trim them up and shoot into a milk jug or wet phone books and see what u get. I have read on the Internet that a Norma 6.5mm golden target is a terrible game bullet...they say it pencils right through. My milk jug results show the complete opposite. Test it and...then let us know.

That's the plan, bought me a trimmer, should be here next week. Going to trim a few, and test them side by side with the untrimmed.

 

[slickyboyboo]

My trimmer came in, so I modified a few yesterday evening. I drilled the pinched tip out with a 1/16" bit, then trimmed the bullet's OAL down by .050" opening up the meplat similar to that of a SGK. Now I just have to test them, but won't be able to do that for another couple of weeks.



In theory, it should work as planned considering that the bullet design between the SMK and SGK are basically the same other than a few tweaks of the SMK for better ballistic performance. You can see this in the cross section comparison pic I found of the 2.

SMK left, SGK right

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Trim them up and shoot into a milk jug or wet phone books and see what u get. I have read on the Internet that a Norma 6.5mm golden target is a terrible game bullet...they say it pencils right through. My milk jug results show the complete opposite. Test it and...then let us know.

LOL, the SMK is a horrible big game bullet! It works sure, but when you consider the guys who use them and what size the bullets are, you get why it works and then compare it to what was offered at the time etc, where there other choices? No.

 

[slickyboyboo]

LOL, the SMK is a horrible big game bullet! It works sure, but when you consider the guys who use them and what size the bullets are, you get why it works and then compare it to what was offered at the time etc, where there other choices? No.

That's the reason for modifying them, I'm also keying in to the fact that when modified it might reliably expand at low velocity (1600 fps and below), seeing that it has a thinner jacket. Currently there aren't any hunting bullets for the 300 BLK that will reliably expand at 1600 fps and below.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

That's the reason for modifying them, I'm also keying in to the fact that when modified it might reliably expand at low velocity (1600 fps and below), seeing that it has a thinner jacket. Currently there aren't any hunting bullets for the 300 BLK that will reliably expand at 1600 fps and below.

Try that annealing thing guys are doing, 8 seconds on the bullet tip with your propane torch, less time for map gas, I would assume.

 

[ZSteinle]

I would test those and try annealing some and try that also. That thinner jacket on the smk will work in your benefit for sure. And the trimmed tips looks good. Maybe even try trimming them up a bit more to make a nice wide hollow point.

 

[slickyboyboo]

Yeah, probably going to try a several scenarios, to determine which one works the best at low velocity. I may end up loading some up with some Trail Boss, in order to start with a MV around 1600 fps.

 

[ZSteinle]

What about some 125 vmax? I would think they would expand at relativly slow velocitys.

 

[slickyboyboo]

What about some 125 vmax? I would think they would expand at relativly slow velocitys.

I don't think they make a 125 vmax, I think 110 is the largest. Also, even with the modification, the SMKs should still have a better BC.