30 Cal 240gr SMK's for Hunting

[.300 RUM Guy]

Guys, this has probably been thrashed out many, many times before on this (and other) forum/s, however, I've found myself thrust into a position whereby I need a quick answer as to what the 30 Cal 240gr SMK's are like for hunting deer sized animals.

Now, what I can say is, I've heard very little about them for hunting, however, the comments I have heard are positive. What's your opinion, and why?

Thanks
Jack

 

[Dosh]

.300, a couple years ago I was visiting a friend in SE Az who introduced me to his neighbor. The neighbor and a group of 7-8 friends are long range addicts and they all swear by the SMK for hunting. They have some very nice custom rifles and claim they only take game from long range. They hunt Coues deer up to elk. Not my first choice to hunt with, but I recall the Bergers were only target bullets until people like John Burns started hunting with them.

 

[TH]

I have shot elk and whitetails with the 240 SMK. Definitely puts them down. I would use this bullet again. Hits like a sledge hammer!!!

 

[.300 RUM Guy]

Thanks Dosh. I heard/read somewhere once, the the only reason Sierra don't recommend the MK's for hunting is, because they haven't yet done tests with them for that purpose.

I'm just in the throws myself of getting a custom built .300 RUM that's set to cost me around $8,000.00. The guarantee is that it'll shoot 1/2 to 3/4 MOA with either the 212 or 220 ELD-X bullets. The builder's poured around 150 rounds through it, and it can only manage 3/4 MOA 'marginally', which I thought was bad for a rifle like that, especially when my old (virtually 'stock') MKII Ruger in .30-06 caliber can consistently manage that out to 200 yards with 180gr Nosler CT bullets, and Winchester Nickel brass (holding 1MOA out to around the 400 yard mark) all for around $1,000.00, purchased back in November of '95 (I'm from New Zealand, by the way, and predominantly shoot red deer, not as big as the Elk)

The rifle builder then changed to the 240 SMK's and bingo, the groups tightened up to .3 - .4 MOA 'consistently', however, that wasn't the agreed upon bullet and both him and I know nothing of it's performance on deer, hence that's why I'm needing to know in a hurry coz I could be having to pay him today! If the SMK's will work perfectly for deer, then that'll be the way to go alright!

Thanks.

 

[.300 RUM Guy]

I have shot elk and whitetails with the 240 SMK. Definitely puts them down. I would use this bullet again. Hits like a sledge hammer!!!

Thanks TH for your input, it's all looking positive!

 

[.300 RUM Guy]

Just an update for anyone interested! [ame]https://youtu.be/9-BPz4mJwOU[/ame]

 

[Dosh]

300, great video. Looks like the SMK makes some big holes. Would like to see pics when more game is taken with your SMK's.

 

[.300 RUM Guy]

300, great video. Looks like the SMK makes some big holes. Would like to see pics when more game is taken with your SMK's.

Actually, the SMK's made 'small' holes, VERY 'small' holes, it was the Hornady 208 A-Max's that made the 'fist sized' holes!
Anyway, thanks for the compliments on the vid, I'll keep you posted, although they are poisoning here now, and I expect the deer to be very sparse from here on in, so updates might be a while in coming!

 

[snox801]

Very cool vid keep them coming nice rifle to.

 

[.300 RUM Guy]

Very cool vid keep them coming nice rifle to.

Thanks snox.

 

[Trnelson]

I'm not surprised that it didn't perform well for you. I can add two kernels of knowledge from my own testing of 'match bullets'. I spent some time with the 240 SMK (among others) and can share my direct experiences.
First on shot placement. AIM for the shoulder, hit bone, that really helps initiate expansion, once it starts expanding it transfers energy more reliably. You have enough mass that it will carry through and break down the animal. Otherwise the 240 SMK demonstrated tumbling after about 8-10" of penetration and carried on base first in every test I ran. I found that impact velocity of an un-modified 240 SMK needed to be >2,200fps in order to open with any consistency. Even when you hit bone.

Second, 240 SMK is not intended to expand, and they are tough to get reliable expansion. In un-modified form they did not test well at all. would try to soften the bullet through annealing. It will result in more consistent expansion, down to lower velocity. Here is a link to a video that demonstrates rudimentary bullet annealing. It plain works. [ame]https://youtu.be/AEisehCPtdw[/ame]
I saw limited expansion of the 240 SMK in testing down to around 2,000 by annealing the 240 SMK and hitting bone. It still had a tendency to demonstrate tumbling inconsistently IMO, the center if mass is too far aft in that particular bullet.

I settled in on the 230 Berger OTM tactical in two of my rifles. I anneal the bullet forward of the bearing surface and see expansion down to 1,500 fps when I shoot to hit bone, penetration of 15" -18" and retained mass of 120-130g in wet newspaper media and expanded diameters of ~3/4".
Exit wounds on deer at that velocity are between 1" to 1-1/4" and bleed very freely. I have taken 14 white tail with this modified bullet. All but three fell DRT and the farthest any deer has made it was 23 yards from my .30/06 at about 230 yards. Two others mule kicked and fell dead within five yards of where they were hit.

 

[.300 RUM Guy]

I'm not surprised that it didn't perform well for you. I can add two kernels of knowledge from my own testing of 'match bullets'. I spent some time with the 240 SMK (among others) and can share my direct experiences.
First on shot placement. AIM for the shoulder, hit bone, that really helps initiate expansion, once it starts expanding it transfers energy more reliably. You have enough mass that it will carry through and break down the animal. Otherwise the 240 SMK demonstrated tumbling after about 8-10" of penetration and carried on base first in every test I ran. I found that impact velocity of an un-modified 240 SMK needed to be >2,200fps in order to open with any consistency. Even when you hit bone.

Second, 240 SMK is not intended to expand, and they are tough to get reliable expansion. In un-modified form they did not test well at all. would try to soften the bullet through annealing. It will result in more consistent expansion, down to lower velocity. Here is a link to a video that demonstrates rudimentary bullet annealing. It plain works. https://youtu.be/AEisehCPtdw
I saw limited expansion of the 240 SMK in testing down to around 2,000 by annealing the 240 SMK and hitting bone. It still had a tendency to demonstrate tumbling inconsistently IMO, the center if mass is too far aft in that particular bullet.

I settled in on the 230 Berger OTM tactical in two of my rifles. I anneal the bullet forward of the bearing surface and see expansion down to 1,500 fps when I shoot to hit bone, penetration of 15" -18" and retained mass of 120-130g in wet newspaper media and expanded diameters of ~3/4".
Exit wounds on deer at that velocity are between 1" to 1-1/4" and bleed very freely. I have taken 14 white tail with this modified bullet. All but three fell DRT and the farthest any deer has made it was 23 yards from my .30/06 at about 230 yards. Two others mule kicked and fell dead within five yards of where they were hit.

Thanks TR.
You're the first person I've ever heard speak about the SMK's in that manner, and to be honest, I fear you're right! The SMK's (based on that one experience)are too stiff in the jacket, and I've never been a fan on using Target/Match bullets for hunting!

When I clicked on the video you put up, I thought to myself "that's a Kiwi accent", moreover, that's Nathan Fosters voice! I rang Nathan and spoke to him about the pitfalls of annealing the bullets, and whether or not that altered the BC? And he warded me off the process, on the grounds that it's a big hassle and you've got to shorten the me-plait (in conjunction with annealing) saying the bullet won't work properly with just annealing alone! He claimed the bullet I required was the Hornady 225 ELD-(M). Hell, another $100 or so needing spent (which it's just not gonna be!)

I will try annealing them 'ONLY', and if I have no success, I'll look back at the 'lesser accurate shooting' ELD-X's (of which I have plenty of) or, the Nosler 210 grain Accubond Long Range bullet, of which, I also, have plenty of. There's not a heck of a lot of room for further load development for, I have a Gradient Lens Hawkeye Borescope, and if what I'm witnessing down the chamber end of the barrel equates to a sore throat in a human, then this thing's got and extremely bad case of the flu already, 'at BEST'!

 

[Trnelson]

Indeed, that's the guy. Great results-based data on his site. I found the 240 SMK didn't exhibit much better expansion even when annealed. I recovered them base first nearly every time. I found them to be very easy to accurately tune though. I ran them up to just past 2,800 fps from my magnum and had nearly the same result. After 200 total rounds of testing I moved on.
If I were starting over with a new 30 caliber magnum rifle I would go straight to the 215 or 230 Berger hybrid. I would buy 1,000 of either one from the same lot and not look back. Both perform well on game with no modification according to what I have read on several threads. You certainly have the horsepower to make either one work well past 1,000 yards. I will test both of those bullets personally when I re-barrel or run out of 230 OTM tactical bullets. The ONLY reason I didn't choose either of those bullets in my rifles is because they were all sold out when my magnum rifle finished, the 230 OTM tactical was. I bought 200 to test and had a load sorted out within 11 rounds. I ordered 1,300 more and discovered annealing. They worked so well in my 30 magnum and showed reliable expansion at acceptably low velocities so I started using them in my .30/06. I have taken 11 deer from ~30 yards out to 517 with that .30/06 and the 230. It is lighter, and handier than my 30 magnum so it gets to play more often as I get older.
I have not worked with the Nosler LR Accubond, or any of the 308" ELDX or M bullets. I have a friend that is testing the 208 ELDM and 212 ELDX from his 300 win mag currently and I'm keeping a close eye on his results.

 

[TH]

I have killed 2 white tail deer with the 240grn SMK. One was at 140 yards. I shot him right through the heart. When I first shot the deer he stood there for seven seconds never took a step I thought I missed loaded another round aimed getting ready to fire the second round and he fell over stone dead.

The second white tail I shot was at 740 yards. The deer was quartering away I shot it right behind the shoulder and it came out through the lungs. The deer did a back flip and was stone dead.

I shot an Elk in Colorado at 423 yards it was facing me and I shot it in the chest and found the bullet mushroomed I'm the rear quarter.

I was shooting a 300 Hulk pushing the 240 grn SMK at 3053 fps. I switched bullets to the 215 Berger hybrid for 2 reasons less recoil and I could push the bullet faster.