Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 69 SMK On Game Performance

It seems from some other threads that the 75 Hornady BTSP works fine on deer/pigs/antelope, what about the 69 gr Sierra MK in .223? Anyone tried them?

Not going to shoot a huge deer, probably 150 lb or less.

Not really looking for opinions on other bullets, I know from experience that 65 GK and 64 BSB work, but I have an accurate load for the 69 and got to wondering.

Thanks in advance.

I believe it was Rost who said he shot an old refrigerator sitting out in a field at 300 yards with that bullet and it went through both sides. Great penetration but no expansion was my take-away. It is a fairly easy bullet to get to shoot well.

Fridges and flesh might cause the bullet to do different things.

Ok

I've shot a fair amount of groundhogs with 69 grain Matchkings. Results are very inconsistent. Sometimes they blow up like a grenade, other times they just pencil through. I gave up on them for shooting varmints and wouldn't begin to consider using them on a deer.

The 65 grain SGK is a MUCH better bullet for deer.

At 200 yards, I've found accuracy of the 65 GK and the 69 MK to be the same with good loads.

I've found the same.

I've also found that the loads are very similar, other than optimum seating depth. That 65 SGK is a nice little bullet.

Yes, the 65 GK is an excellent little bullet, I've used it and will continue to do so. But if the 69 SMK works for things other than paper and steel I'd like to have a load worked up for it too.

Personally, I'd just use the 65 SGK if I already had a good load worked up for said rifle. Why take the chance using a match type bullet that has been known to have unreliable characteristics on opening up on small game animals.. If I were going to hunt deer with a .223, I'd look more in to the Hornady interlock, or TSX... I shoot a lot of 69gr sierra match kings into paper as well, but that is their intended purpose. I don't like to second guess what a bullet is going to do to a big game animal before, during or after I pull the trigger. That doesn't add confidence..

Yes, it was I that said they made it though the side by side fridge freezer.

Yet we have shot a fair amount of stuff with em and have not had an issue with em.

Watched a book deer drop to a lung shot from one too.

That said its not a big deal to use a game bullet, though I"ve had really bad issues with Sierra game kings so I won't use those.. we just shoot with match bullets or with TTSX. Bigger rounds like 308 etc.. we use a few Berger match bullets too.