Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Hunting with Match Bullets

Folks:

John Snow's article about hunting with match bullets has made the rounds since it was published in Field and Stream back in 2019. Other have also used them successfully as well (cf. the Death by Scenar thread), but for years we've also heard warnings about not using match/target bullets on game since the claim is they don't hold together or penetrate deeply enough. For those who have used them, what's your experience?

Thanks

RM

OMG, lets not start this again. It will run 100 pages (again).

Even Berger now makes hunting bullets so don't be stupid.

"Match bullets" is too broad of a category to cover with a simple answer. Which match bullet, what impact speed and on what game?

At my camp my hunting partner has had excellent results with the 168 grain Berger VLD. He's shooting a 308 Win. for deer and pigs. The version he's using would be called a VLD hunting nowadays, but it's the original VLD match. When Berger has two similar bullets labeled hunting or match it is the current match version which has the heavier jacket. The hunting version was the original match.

Another camp member uses a 280AI and the 162 grain Hornady Amax.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MATCHED VLD HUNTING BULLETS ?

i will start making popcorn

I’ve had outstanding luck with the Tipped Matchking from Sierra. I watched a buddy shoot some game in Alaska with 168 Matchkings out of his 308. They also worked well.

I’ve used the 75 BTHP Hornady some and it has been erratic on pigs.

I used the Sierra .308 168 grain Matchkings on a couple of deer and many feral hogs. My snivel was they were not consistant at all. Had some go through appearing not to have opened and others that came apart. Recently use the Barnes Matchburner 140 grain bullet on one feral hog and it came apart impressively. Hardly any big pieces left. Played with the .224 Hornady 75 gr. BTHP and also found it was not a consistant performing bullet other than things died when I shot them with it. Still using it in my 223.

I've used 162 grain A-Max bullets on deer the last 6 years. They group well in my 7-08. Ideally, I'd be using them at longer distances but I think my longest shot so far is right around 167 yards with them. Most in that 45-65 yard range which is just how the deer have come out for me, not by design.

That said - they've all resulted in dead deer that fell over long before they got out of sight. Longest traveled another 45 yards.

I have not caught a single one. Small entry hole, massive damage to shoulder and then the heart/lungs, usually minimal exit hole. They seem to come apart inside. I tend to shoot shoulders. I'm changing my mind on that though. Too much lost meat.

Context -

These are average Upper Michigan deer. Maybe 160-180lbs. I have absolutely zero qualms about shooting deer with them at the ranges I hunt - 20 feet to 300 yards.

This year I hope to give some 140 TTSX's a try instead, mostly just because I want something more substantial worked up for the one day I draw a bear tag.

It appears you don't understand hunting vs match bullets in the Berger line. See my post above about the VLD version.

If you're referring to the Classic Hunter versions I believe that designation is more about the ogive shape being easier to tune with respect to seating length. They are not built tougher. Quote from berger website:

I was skeptical but have been using bergers off and on for deer sized game last few years and they work as described. This includes 130 270, 170 270, 140 6.5, and 168 7mm. Game includes whitetail, mule deer, antelope, and hogs. Game has dropped very quickly with them. Penetration has been sufficient on this sized game. I have had hit or miss luck getting them to shoot in some rifles where cannot get near lands and when they dont shoot its scattergun not just bad, at least for me. Not my experience with non-secant super pointy bullets.

Lou

In the Brian Litz book called ballistic Performance of rifle bullets, page 181 , in big print Berger 25 CALIBER 115 GRAIN HUNTING VLD

these bullets worked great on 2 large whitetail bucks fall of 2020 in my rifle 257 Weatherby Mag.

Thanks for the interesting comments thus far. I guess I missed the thread on this topic that ran over 100 pages. Sorry if this one is redundant.




I'm assuming that heavy vs. thinner jackets on bullets intended for target shooting varies by manufacturer, correct?

For years I used M118LR professionally, which uses a 175 grain SMK. I knew its trajectory and what it did in the wind quite well, since I shot it more than any other bolt action centerfire round by a ratio of far more than 10-1. It only made sense to use it on my own time. I found that when I used it on animals, they all fell over dead. Literally dozens.

After reading about the terminal ballistic characteristics of the 155 Scenar in the .308, I tried them. So far, they have killed literally every single thing I have put in my crosshairs. I switched from the 175 SMK to the 155 Scenar a number of years back, and will continue to shoot them. Lots of dead elk have been the result. They just work fine.

Nothing really exciting. They are accurate, and they kill stuff efficiently.

Thats it in a nutshell.

It does.

I have had mixed results on game with target bullets, One bullet I absolutely swear by is the 338cal Sierra 300gr Match king, this bullet will take down anything immediately.

Probably have had the worst luck with the Berger 30cal 210grVLD, out of my 300WM this bullet blew up on the hide of an antelope at 250yds, my friends daughter used this rifle to take a desert bighorn sheep at 800yds. it left a soft ball sized exit. anymore I just use this rifle for Looong range rock chucks, I cant bring myself to change bullets in this rifle because this is the most accurate bullet I have ever used

I have used the 120 and 123 Sierra 6.5 a lot on hogs. If I put it somewhere that is deadly, stuff dies. I try most often for what might be considered neck shots. I am down to about my last 20 Sierras and will be switching over to the 123 g Scenar. I have only lost one pig with a poorly placed Sierra. Ranges are out to about 375 with a 6.5 Rem and muzzle velocity of 3275.

The only experience I can recall with match bullets in a hunting application was a number of years ago (probably mid-late '70's) with, IIRC 52 or 53 grain Sierra match bullets (pre "Kings") in my .220 Swift. They were wonderfully accurate, but after several woodchucks that should have expired really quickly ran a ways and down the hole, I quit using them. One woodchuck I shot at pretty close range (<100 yards) didn't make it to his hole, but he did run a ways and just had pencil in/pencil out damage, about what my .22 WMR would show, but the .22 mag would have anchored him right there.

The so called "Berger Hunting Bullet" was originally their MATCH BULLET

I've seen the 175 SMK in action and it produces a lot of damage.
The 338 caliber 300 grain SMK is extremely effective

I have killed truck loads of critters with 6 mm 105 Berger hybrids. They are deadly on everything big and small. my boy and I have killed a bunch with the 308 155 scenar as well. Elk, deer, coyotes, and wolves. They are very impressive. Scenars have a thicker jacket than bergers, but both perform well, and both are very accurate. The only match bullet that I have tried, and had poor performance with, were 52 grain Sierra match kings shot out of my 222. I shot 6 or 8 deer with them,and they simply would not expand. Pencil hole in, pencil hole out. I remedied this by switching to the 55 game king. Maybe the 52s would have opened up better at higher velocities from a 22 250.

We’re all adults here, I think (some have been adults for a long, long time!). Use your head, take your pick, and be responsible for your actions. I’ve not found any hunting bullets lacking for my use, so I’ll just use what’s worked. Got too many on hand to start ‘sperimenting with new ones.