300 Sierra MK terminal performance

[roadhunter]

I am sure there is a thread on this topic somewhere, but I couldn't find it. I am getting to take my new 338 Edge on it's first northeastern Oregon elk hunt next week. I've settled on the 300gr Sierra Match King mainly because they are so accurate. I can reasonalbe expect to have shot oportunities from 0-700 yards (which is probably my personal limit). I am just wondering what kind of terminal performance guys have had with the 300 SMK on elk. Mine are going about 2822 at the muzzle. Any pics and/or war stories are appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug

 

[Booney]

They are tried and true. I we also be up the hunting. what unit are you hunting in, spike or branch? we have 2nd season spike tag for walla walla.

 

[roadhunter]

Hey Booney,

We have any bull tags for the Snake River Unit (Nov 6th - 14th). I've personally never hunted that unit before, but 4 of my buddies and I are are getting packed in about 8 miles by Shawn Steen Steens Wilderness Adventures - in Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Two of the guys going went on the same hunt in a different camp three years ago. They both killed decent 6 points the first two days of the hunt and saw a total of 19 bulls in three days. I'm freekin pumped since I've never killed a bull. I am just going to have to control myself and not shot the first rag horn bull I see. The outfitter says they've seen lots of 300 class bulls over there this year. I'm hoping that 300 sierra will be just the right elk medicine!

Good luck in Walla Walla, it's also a great unit.

Later,

Doug

 

[Rymart]

I am sure there is a thread on this topic somewhere, but I couldn't find it. I am getting to take my new 338 Edge on it's first northeastern Oregon elk hunt next week. I've settled on the 300gr Sierra Match King mainly because they are so accurate. I can reasonalbe expect to have shot oportunities from 0-700 yards (which is probably my personal limit). I am just wondering what kind of terminal performance guys have had with the 300 SMK on elk. Mine are going about 2822 at the muzzle. Any pics and/or war stories are appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug

300 gr. SMK @ 2825 fps:

Spike @ 760 yards in the shoulder = DRT, big exit hole, found the jacket laying on the dirt behind where he was standing, opened up, no lead, just copper.

Large lead cow @ 584 yards behind the shoulder, mid-lung shot, just stood there, didn't run, didn't go down... two more shots making a 3" group behind the shoulder and it tips over. Smaller exit holes, plenty of internal damage, no bullets recovered.

Based on experience on elk and deer with this bullet, I prefer to aim for bone.

 

[partisan1911]

680yds on a barren slope caribou. The performance was perfect, he didn't go anywhere.

 

[partisan1911]

680yds on barren slope caribou. The 300gr mk worked perfect. The caribou fell right where he was standing. Big hole on the back side of a double lung shot.

 

[roadhunter]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm leaving Tuesday.......and I'm having some trouble staying focused on work in the mean time. I can't wait to get up there in God's country!

Later,

Doug

 

[AJBello]

I have the 300 SMKs loaded in my Edge and it's the first year I've hunted with it. Unfortunately my hunting grounds were pretty well fogged in for the 2.5 days I had to hunt this year (coast / 1st season), and I didn't get any shots.

I went back up for the 2nd season opener to help pack out if need be. A guy in our party shot a cow at a little over 700 yards. He's shooting the 300 SMK out of a 338-378 Wby, MV is 2990 FPS (about 170 faster than my edge is pushing them). The bullet entered just behind the near shoulder, tore the heart in half, and exited near the far shoulder. Before we skinned it looked like there was going to be little damage. Once we got to skinning, we found the entire far shoulder was blood shot, extending almost the whole way down the rib cage. This was on a mature Roosevelt cow elk, which was pretty good sized. I found a large chunk of the jacket (base and much of the rest) in the far shoulder. Obviously there was full separation from the core, which didn't really surprise me. The extent of the damage however did surprise me. The bullet definitely put that elk down HARD, but it wasn't fun losing a whole quarter of the animal.

I'm wondering if this is "typical" damage and something that is tolerated in order to put them down hard at long range, or if this was a fluke? I did a lot of reading before I started loading these for hunting and everyone seemed to agree the damage was not too extensive. If losing the entire off side quarter is typical... I'm not so sure I want to stick with them... ? Thanks for any input!

 

[roadhunter]

Shot my bull at 658 yards with my edge. He was facing away from me and uphill. The bullet enter directly into the spine breaking the low back. I am assuming the bullet fraged into the guts, cause I didn't see an exit. Unfortunately, he was down in a huge canyon, so I boned him out and never gutted him to see what the bullet did.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f86/my-first-bull-63727/

 

[BigSkyGP]

I been eating bloodshot, and bruised meat for years, I aint dead yet.

Flush blood out with water, and chill to around 40deg F, 'till you get it packaged and into the freezer. Makes fine sausage, and burger. The more severe field conditions, the more meat you lose.

A good clean, and humain kill is more important to me than a little meat dammage/tenderising.

The pessemist says, "OH, POOP!"
The optomist says, "OOOH, fertilizer!"