Bullet Performance

[JDT]

I have read that certain bullets are not recommended for use on big game as a result of their terminal performance becuase they are designed to be used on targets.

This includes the Sierra Boat-Tail Hollow Point MatchKing and the Berger VLDs.

My question is this. If you are using a magnum cartrdige in 6.5 caliber and up on varmints, does terminal performance really matter? For example, can a 7mm Remington Magnum with a 26" barrel consistently kill prairie dogs before they get back into their hole when launching 175 SMKs or 180 Berger VLDs?

How about if we go a little bigger and try these bullets on antelope?

Anyone have experience with these bullets on smaller game?

 

[Kevin]

I have shot many 30cal 190SMK's at praire dogs. As far as I could tell the bullet did not expand at all at any range. I think the target is just too small and fragile for that bullet, because I know they will expand very well in small deer. Most of them did not make it back into their holes. Most of the time the little critters would just quiver or freeze for a second and then tip over, kindive intresting I thought. Some would even grab their chests just like in the movies and then fall over, those were the funniest ones.

 

[nighthunter264wm]

Just recently read a report where smk's were used on 2 Whitetail deer with horrible results & one animal not recovered. With the precision quality of most hunting bullets nowadays, it just doesn't make ethicalsense to me; to use target bullets on game.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I have shot my last 2 coyotes with the 210g VLD out of my 300 RUM leaving only 3000fps estimate. The 2 I have shot have been 118 yards, and 275 yards running. The 118 yard one I called in and he was a dead sitting duck. Bullet struck a little high on shoulder and blew a friggin pie plate size hole. Left fur in a 10ft radius. The 2nd I let a friend have the first standing shot. He missed low with my 222 at 250 yards and I had 1 shot in my 300 RUM because the bullets are so long, I gave it my best as that yote was hauling. After the recoil, the yote was down twirling, clearly a butt shot. By the time I got to him he was dead. Once agaon, huge hole, fur everywhere. Awesome expansion bullets. Probly work good for deer as well.

 

[2506guy]

i also shoot 2506 hand loaded some 100 grain nosler ballistic tip spitzer got a deer this year he was like jello in side iam new at this iam sure you can tell like to know more about all reloading and long range shooting etc.

 

[EZShooter]

[ QUOTE ]
Most of the time the little critters would just quiver or freeze for a second and then tip over, kindive intresting I thought. Some would even grab their chests just like in the movies and then fall over, those were the funniest ones.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't care who you are, that is funny... as Larry the Cable guy would say.... I just had to reply to this, it's hard to type right with tears of laughter in your eyes... oh well I guess that just shows how bad I am. I don't know if you ment your post to be this funny, but the picture you painted was hilarious.. kepp em coming.

EZ

 

[Kevin]

Yes, I meant it to be that funny. Believe me the first one I shot that reacted that way had me rolling with laughter. I am used to shooting them with small 22 cal bullets launched at about mach 4 (Only small parts of them could possibly get back into a hole after being hit with that)

I do have one more bit of useful information for the orignal poster. I have shot a few rabbits with the 190SMK's as well, all impact velocities were above 2500fps. None of them ever ran anywhere after being hit. Exit holes were 1-2 inches in size.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I have shot hundreds of groundhogs with A-Max bullets. Most with the .224 75gr and some with the 140gr 6.5mm. These bullets are devastating on these small critters but I never shot anything as small as a PD with one.

As for antelope; I shot only 1 proghorn with a target bullet. It was another A-Max but this one was a 162gr bullet launched from my 7 STW. A low chest hit severed several ribs and then (somehow) blew its stomach wall open and allowed all of the entrails to drop free of the animal. Kind of nasty but he died quickly. Range was 465yds.

 

[Charles A]

[ QUOTE ]
Just recently read a report where smk's were used on 2 Whitetail deer with horrible results & one animal not recovered. With the precision quality of most hunting bullets nowadays, it just doesn't make ethicalsense to me; to use target bullets on game.

[/ QUOTE ]

And that right there is why I get in such heated arguments when someone posts crap about "match" bullets not being used on game. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[LRHWAL]

I'm cautious to open this right up, but after all of these I'm not certain whether there was consensus. I don't have experience to comment and would like to see more opinions. I'm totally new to this.

Also, from your experiences, which of the hunting bullets give good long range accuracy? and performance on larger game too? Anybody using the Hornady Interbonds beyond 300 yrds?

I think it was Dan Lilja who said - "you've gotta hit them first to kill them".

He seems to use a lot of match grade Sierras 220gr in .30 and 250grs in .33. Referring to the .33 he says " This big Sierra is a true match quality bullet capable of outstanding accuracy at long-range. And from my experience and that of other long-range hunting friends, it works well on game too."

Earlier in the article he refers to using the .30 220's on long range shots on sheep, mule deer and whitetail.

http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/longrange_shooting/shooting_hunting.htm


Before finding this forum this one of the few articles that I had read on LR Hunting.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I have shot quite a few Nosler BTips and Accubonds, as well as Sierra Gamekings and Matchkings out to 300, as well as 500, and 800. The Nosler Btips and Sierras will usually shoot the same MOA out to 200-300 yards, but for the longer shooting, for some reason the plastic tip wins in accuracy. I have pulled some 3.5 inch and 4 inch groups at 800 yards using BTips, as well as a 1.5 inch at 525 and a couple 2 inchers. Out to around 700-800 yards, as long as you have a nice load worked up and know what it shoots, you dont need a target bullet. I have shot the 200g SMK out of my 300 RUM, I did kill a large black bear with it. 1 shot at a little over 200 yards. Bullet did not fully penetrate, weight retention was about 20%, and that was with no major bone being hit. After that, I switched to a 200g Accubond. I did not want to chance losing an elk due to a shoulder shot. I have smacked 2 elk in the shoulders with those 200g AB's and I imagine there still flying.

 

[LRHWAL]

Rem 25-06,

That's great shooting. You must be doing plenty right. Thanks for the input. It looks like I'll be giving AB's a try.

WL

 

[Distributor]

I have used SMK 240's in my 308 Baer and 162 Amax in my STW on whitetail.Both bullets provide a very clean kill,At ranges in excess of 1k yds.