TMK for hunting?

[Luked]

I have quite a few of the TGK bullets from Sierra.
Has anyone used the TMK for hunting and what were your thoughts on them?
I know Sierra says they do not recommend the Match bullets to be used for hunting.
But I know a lot here love the ELD-M for hunting.
Courious about the TMK.

Looking to maybe load some 175s for my 300 WSM

 

[Ferrulewax]

I have quite a few of the TGK bullets from Sierra.
Has anyone used the TMK for hunting and what were your thoughts on them?
I know Sierra says they do not recommend the Match bullets to be used for hunting.
But I know a lot here love the ELD-M for hunting.
Courious about the TMK.

Looking to maybe load some 175s for my 300 WSM

.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

With the success of .223 and 6.5 threads on big game, thought I’d throw this one into the mix. Show and detail your results harvesting big game (deer, bear, elk, moose, African game) using 6mm/.243 cartridges. Please detail bullet, MV, impact velocity, and whether hand load or factory ammo.

rokslide.com

6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit...

rokslide.com

TMK and ELDM/ELDX are the vast majority of projectiles in all of these threads. If you open a thread, go to search and just search that thread for TMK you will get plenty of answers. Here:

Search results for query: TMK

rokslide.com

 

[KHNC]

I just shot two more does this past wkd with 77gr TMK .223. Blew a cannon hole in both of them. lol

 

[sierracharlie338]

Ummmm yeah they work….

 

[StupidLightweight]

OP, if you have a few years to waste, search "TMK" on this forum. You'll find 13,464 firsthand accounts of kills that range from 10 feet to 1,000 yards on lil' critters like prairie dogs up to the big stuff like moose and brown bear.

Even the little TMKs work great. Most on Rokslide love 'em. The ones who don't either refuse to use match bullets, like to argue more than hunt, or live in a state where lead-free bullets are mandated.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

The 175 from a 300 wsm is likely to damage more meat than what I would want.

 

[Pharmseller]

You should try the new ELMK.

Or is it MKLD?

 

[Fire_9]

Shot three whitetail with the 6.5 130 TMKs starting at 2860 fps this year. One shot was at 50 yards and two were 385. I had used the Berger 130 VLDH for the last 10+ years and it appeared to me that the TMKs fragmented more the vlds. Most definitely had a shorter neck length but that wasn't a surprise as that's what has been described by others here. I will likely use them again next year to but in the end they may be a little too destructive for me.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I tried 77 TMK in my 223 and won’t be using them for hunting again.

 

[RDF1]

Ive been using 77gr TMK in 223 for about 6 years now and love them. Works great on hogs and whitetails.
For my slower twist 223s ive been using the 60gr TMK and for coyotes and deer they seem to be doing much better than the Vmax.

Tried 125gr TMK in 308 and pretty flat shooter. Only taken a few deer with them but no issues.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I liked how the 6.5mm 130TMK performed on an elk this year. It was my first time using TMK’s on an animal. Two lung hits turned lungs into soup, with one round being caught in the opposite side skin and the other full penetration. Also fired a third into the neck which fully penetrated. All at 300 yards out of a 16” Creedmoor.

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

I tried 77 TMK in my 223 and won’t be using them for hunting again.

Why?

 

[Castle Rock]

They are way too viscous

 

[N2TRKYS]

Why?

I didn’t like the on game performance. I never got an exit and no blood trail.

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

I didn’t like the on game performance. I never got an exit and no blood trail.

Not being confrontational, you're just the first person ive noticed in all 9k comments of the 223 thread that tried it and didnt like it and im asking for perspective.

How many animals did you shoot?
How did the internals look?
Did you recover animal(s)? How far did they run?
Were these the aac tmks or black hills? Or did you reload?

 

[N2TRKYS]

Not being confrontational, you're just the first person ive noticed in all 9k comments of the 223 thread that tried it and didnt like it and im asking for perspective.

How many animals did you shoot?
How did the internals look?
Did you recover animal(s)? How far did they run?
Were these the aac tmks or black hills? Or did you reload?

I can’t help what others say that they like. There’s a bunch of reports in that thread with the same experience that I had, but they drew different conclusions than I.
I’ve shot two whitetails(doe and a buck).
Doesn’t matter what the internals look like, so I don’t pay any attention to it.
I recovered both, because they were shot with enough daylight that I was able to grid search to find them. If it had been dark when my tracking started, then I highly doubt either of them would have been found. They ran over 50 yards.
Handloads

Based off what I read in that thread, I was expecting this outcome. However, I was hoping to get some drts, but this was enough for me to quit using them for hunting.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I can’t help what others say that they like. There’s a bunch of reports in that thread with the same experience that I had, but they drew different conclusions than I.
I’ve shot two whitetails(doe and a buck).
Doesn’t matter what the internals look like, so I don’t pay any attention to it.
I recovered both, because they were shot with enough daylight that I was able to grid search to find them. If it had been dark when my tracking started, then I highly doubt either of them would have been found. They ran over 50 yards.
Handloads

Based off what I read in that thread, I was expecting this outcome. However, I was hoping to get some drts, but this was enough for me to quit using them for hunting.

Why don’t you take a CNS shot to prevent them from running if tracking is such an issue for you (I assume due to terrain)? Just wandering? Just for reference I shoot bergers so I’m not a fanboy picking on you cause you don’t like them. With a CNS shot bullets matter less as long as you put it where it’s supposed to go.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Why don’t you take a CNS shot to prevent them from running if tracking is such an issue for you (I assume due to terrain)? Just wandering? Just for reference I shoot bergers so I’m not a fanboy picking on you cause you don’t like them. With a CNS shot bullets matter less as long as you put it where it’s supposed to go.

Because crap happens sometimes. Much larger room for error behind the shoulder in my experience.

 

[Rams horns]

First let me say I have not tried the SMKs or TMKs on game so have no real experience with them but I would think the TMK would be ok as the tip should initiate expansion. I would be concerned with the SMKs that have been pointed and the meplat closed. They may pencil through and not expand but again have no first experience.

 

[wind gypsy]

The 175 from a 300 wsm is likely to damage more meat than what I would want.

^ This. That sounds messy as hell. I'd probably go 195 TMK if wanting a TMK for a WSM to get velocity down and have a higher sectional density, more penetration.