John, you ever use things for purposes the manufacturer says they are not intended?
I do, but when I do, I do so with the full understanding that:
1. The item may not perform well for that use.
2. That even if one item seems to perform well for that use, the next one I buy may not because the manufacturer may have changed something that alters the suitability for my purpose since they aren't concerned about particular aspect of the product.
I generally don't do so unless there's a good reason to or a good reason I can't follow their recommendation. I don't go out of my way to ignore manufacturer recommendations when it's just as easy to follow them.
I also generally refrain from advising others to follow my example because of the two reasons above. Unless of course, there's clearly no possibility of any significantly negative outcome. For example advising someone that they can use a roll of masking tape as an improvised bench block isn't likely to result in property damage, personal injury, etc.
Seriously, take a box of 168's out one day and work a sound of hogs over with them. They will change your mind.
No they won't.
First of all, I'm not going to give them a chance to change my mind because:
A. I get to hunt so rarely that I would never consider risking wasting the time and effort by using products that the manufacturer says are a bad choice for the application. I know it seems crazy, but I'm actually going to pick the best products I can find/afford.
B. If I'm going to shoot a big game animal, I'm going to do my best to kill it humanely. Part of that is making sure I'm up to the task. Part of that is making sure my equipment is up to the task.
Second, even if they worked, it wouldn't convince me that they're a good hunting bullet just because they kill things and the core "usually stays together". A 30 caliber bullet will often kill things even if it's a really poor bullet choice for the job at hand. J.H. Patterson killed lions in Africa with FMJ rounds from a .303 enfield. Poachers kill elephants with AKs. That shouldn't change anyone's mind about the suitability of .30 cal FMJ bullets for lion or elephant hunting, it just proves that you can kill things even with bullets that aren't a good choice for the task at hand.
Getting back to your analogy about using things for purposes the manufacturer didn't intend. The fact that I can use a screwdriver for a prybar doesn't change my mind and convince me that screwdrivers are actually great prybars. It just means that I got away with misusing a tool.
The fact that I manage loosen some bolts with a pair of pliers doesn't mean that my mind is now changed and I will try to talk people out of buying wrenches or try to convince them that pliers are great tools for loosening bolts and nuts. It just means that one can often manage to accomplish a task with a tool even when it's not the right tool for the job.
The fact that I can hammer a bunch of nails with a torque wrench doesn't mean I'll change my mind and start believing that it's smart to use a torque wrench for a hammer, it just means that any hard and reasonably heavy object can be used for a hammer in a pinch.
Many, Many, people shoot match 168's in their ar's at pigs.
Many, many people smoke, overeat, don't wear seatbelts, don't lock their doors at night, don't change the batteries in their smoke detectors, don't exercise, use drugs, spend more than they can afford, ignore gun safety rules, break the law and do any number of ill-advised things and get away with their ill-advised courses of action for many years--maybe even all their lives. It doesn't mean what they're doing is smart or that they're making good decisions, it just means that poor decision making doesn't always result in an instant debacle.