Hornady bthp match 168 grain for hunting?

[Jodipuma]

It's says not to be used for hunting but my buddy is using them out of his 300 win mag and dropping deer like a sack if potatoes. What's your take on the match ammo for hunting?

 

[Damascus]

All the testing that I have done using standard match HPBT's (Sierra Matchking, Hornady Match, Nosler Custom Competition, Barnes Match Burner), the rounds either fragment on impact (probably due to the extremely thin jackets), or make a straight "ice pick" wound and do not transfer any energy or disrupt target material.
That being said, for long range hunting, you still have plenty of choices for match-grade accuracy that still perform great - The Barnes TSX, Tipped TSX, and Berger Hunting VLD are some that I've used to great extent on whitetails out to some insane distances.
Personally, I respect what I am hunting enough to ensure that I am going to be shooting it with a proper bullet.

 

[Grumulkin]

It's says not to be used for hunting but my buddy is using them out of his 300 win mag and dropping deer like a sack if potatoes. What's your take on the match ammo for hunting?

Your buddy is dropping deer like sacks of potatos (yes, remember Dan Quale; it's potatos not potatoes)? That should be answer enough for you. Of course, your buddy must be hitting the deer right as well.

There are certain myths among different factions like the bullet was going so fast it didn't have time to do any damage. The bullet didn't expand so it didn't didn't do much damage. The bullet didn't exit so there was no blood trail which is supposed to be bad. The bullet has to be expensive if you respect the animal. U.S. Army snipers shoot Sierra Match Kings because they would rather wound than kill.

Keep in mind that bullets meant for the toughest animals going are not supposed to expand. Primitive weapon hunters have also been known to shood round lead balls that don't expand at all. Also keep in mind that some bullets were marketed that were supposed to disintegrate upon entering the animal.

If a bullet makes a hole in a vital part of an animal it's going to do damage no matter how fast or how slow it's going. If a bullet disintegrates in a vital part of an animal, it will do more damage to said vital part than if it stayed together or made a perfect mushroom. Now if the bullet disintegrates before it penetrates to a vital part; that is a problem and one not likely to occur with a match bullet.

Too much is made of the premium bullet crap.

 

[RT2506]

I have had the same experience as Damascus with match bullets on deer size game.

The Berger VLD old match now called their hunting bullet is a different critter though. It usually enters even through a shoulder 2 to 4 inches and explodes but blows pieces and parts out the other side leaving baseball size exit holes on deer.

By the way pure lead balls used in muzzle loaders DO EXPAND. A .490 ball will expand to a somewhat flattened disk about double it's size.

For deer size game and match bullet accuracy I use Noselr ballistic tips or Sierra game bullets. I did control work on a big farm for 15 years as a control hunter were 100 deer a year had to be taken. I learned a lot about bullet performance on deer. I have used about everything from a 22lr through a 45-70.