Hunting with Match King

Picked up a box of .308 168 gr. Federal Premium Sierra Match King. Never shot an MOA group at 200yrds in my life, till yesterday. Sierra website says they don't recommend them for hunting. Why not?

Because they'll fragment. Get some Sierra GameKing's in 165gr. They should shoot MOA or better(since your gun likes the SMK) & they're a good hunting bullet.

I killed an Axis with a Match King 308 last year, wasn't Axis hunting but one came out and it's what I had in the rifle. Killed him dead with a shot to the vitals, took about 15 yards to parish.

there are too many good bullets on the market that are designed with terminal performance in mind.

Why use one that was designed only for one purpose (accuracy) with no consideration given in the design process as to what happens after it hits something.

Good terminal performance (read adequate penetration and expansion) are MUCH more important than a group that is 1/2" or so larger at 100 yards.

MK's will work great one time, might fragment the next, and might pencil through the next. Why take the chance?

10-4
Gonna try and find some game kings today

good luck with that!

I know Dallas Reloads has some.

Those Gamekings will really shoot, and they seem to shoot just as well as my Nosler Ballistic Tips, which I consider to be extremely accurate bullets. And regarding bullet supply, I called Midway a week or so ago to ask about some bullets. I was expecting to hear the same old thing about being backordered. They had em, shipped em, and I have em.

That's good to hear!

Pick up a box at hill country rifles in new braunfels. Wasn't impressed at 100 yrds. At 200 yards they're as good as the match king. Think ill go pick up 2 more boxes

That doesn't make sense that they're bad @ 100 & good @ 200. I'd be willing to bet you were the problem.

Didn't say they were bad, the group was tighter at 200. Wasn't as tight as the match king at 100.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I see both sides and still live on the "hunting bullet" side of the discussion, but there's a growing trend towards match style bullets for hunting. Even Berger now offers a "Hunting" bullet line which are basically just a beefier version of their match bullets, but still a hollow-point. The theory being that you dump all the energy/shock into the animal when the bullet breaks up vs. a pass through+blood trail. It makes sense.

There's certainly enough folks out there having excellent success with them that I believe there's something to it. That said, I still haven't loaded any for hunting purposes, simply because I have solid loads with standard bullets already developed, but I have seriously considered taking a whitetail this fall with my 6XC either with a Berger "hunting" VLD or possibly with a 115 gr. DTAC. For me, in the end, as long as the animal is killed quickly and efficiently, it doesn't matter to me what the bullet is. Dead is dead.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

I understand what your saying BUT when a bullet frags it doesn't kill quickly, usually. Usually it dies from hemorrhaging. Which can be a slow process. And if you hit a good, thick shoulder then there's potential for no penetration. It can just blow up right where it hits. I have noticed a trend of more people using target bullets for hunting. I've also seen a trend of people using Nyquil to get drunk. Just because it'll work, doesn't mean it's the best option!!!

Well as good as they shoot, the only critters I would hunt with the match kings would be a nasty feral hog. Any deer I'd use the game king ammo. Or I'll use the suppressed .308 on the hogs, under 200 yds.

I have killed more animals with a matchking than any other bullet... They are accurate with a hi BC. Ball tips are fine... But I stick with smk!

My Favorite hunting bullet.

Sierra Spitzer Boat Tail Game King.

Reliable as the sunrise.

Just to add a few things. The hunting bullet actually has the thinner jacket. The match bullet has a thicker jacket to keep the bullet holding together during long strings of fire in matches.

The vlds are designed as a long range bullet. On close shots they will destroy a lot of meat. The thinner jackets allows them to expand at lower velocities. They are not designed for a a pass through. They are designed to penetrate a few inches then expand rapidly.

Main thing to remember is like many bullet, if used properly, they are excellent killers. Just don't expect it to be like a portion or barns.

As far as a match bullet for hunting the last two hogs I have killed have been with a 100 grain matchking out of a 257 wby. Both were large hogs. neither one was a pass through. Both ran less then 50 yards. Shot a coyote with the same round small entrance and cantaloupe sized exit. If it was me I would use whatever bullet shot best and know what that bullet was designed for and capitalize on it.

Appreciate the correction on that one Bo. Much obliged.

Lots of critters have died at my hand firing a Match King. If I have the option, I'll take a "hunting" bullet, but the Match King, and more so the A-max dang sure pile up dead bodies just the same.

If a round that crags doesn't kill quickly how do you explain coyotes and varmint rounds? They fragment and kill quickly from small calibers. Fragmenting rounds can kill quickly if they get enough penetration. They just don't leave much of a blood trail. There is a difference between a 50gr .22 fragmenting and a 168gr .30 fragmenting.

Not much my 55 grain death is the same as 168 gr death

I'm not saying the smaller round will not kill. Just that the larger round will penetrate deeper and have a wider wound channel.

Problem with Match Kings is they are inconsistent. One time they perform well, next time they go through like an ice pick, next time they blow up like a hand grenade. If you want to hunt with match bullets A-Max are good but orange box Berger VLDs are simply fantastic.

x2

Haven't used any Bergers yet but Amax's work very well. Their on game performance reminds me a lot of the Nosler BT's.

Whatever YOU feel confident with will normally suffice in 98% of the circumstances.