Sierra 7mm 180gr MatchKing — Yet Another Great F-Open Bullet
Among 7mm shooters at the F-Class World Championships (FCWC), Berger’s 180gr 7mm Match Hybrid Target bullet was probably the most popular projectile. And a fair percentage of shooters were running the older Berger 180gr 7mm Match VLD. However, there were some very good scores shot with another .284-caliber 180-grainer that you may not know about, namely Sierra’s 180gr MatchKing (item # 1980). When some FCWC competitors couldn’t find sufficient quantities of Berger Hybrids or VLDs, they sourced the Sierra 180s. We heard many positive reports about these Sierras. The guys who took the time to sort and tip the 180gr MatchKings seemed very happy with how these bullets shot. That is not surprising, given the 180gr MatchKing’s modern shape and high BC.
This slippery new 180-grainer from Sierra has a claimed 0.660 G1 Ballistic Coefficient (at 1650 fps and above). That is virtually the same as the claimed 0.659 G1 BC for Berger’s 180gr VLD and it is very close to the 0.674 stated G1 BC for the Berger 180gr Hybrid bullet. (Sorry we don’t have a G7 BC value for Sierra’s 180gr MK).
Sierra says it developed this bullet expressly for long-range competition: “The 7mm 180 grain HPBT MatchKing was created in response to requests from top-level F-Class shooters. Sierra has designed this MatchKing to provide a higher weight/higher BC alternative in our 7mm line. This bullet’s 12-caliber secant ogive and lengthened boat-tail make it the perfect choice for the discerning 7mm long range shooter.” Sierra recommends a 1:8″ twist for this projectile.
OK, perhaps now we have your attention. But you may be thinking, “What good does this do me if I can’t find any 180gr SMKs to buy?” Well friends, take heart. These bullets ARE available right now from major vendors. Powder Valley Inc. (PVI) has the Sierra 180gr 7mm MatchKings in stock in 100-count boxes for $33.97. And Midsouth Shooters Supply has the 180gr SMKs in stock right now in 100-count boxes for $34.60. Based on part numbers, we believe Midsouth also has 500-count boxes of the 180gr SMKs for $171.03.
Note: On Midsouth’s website, the 500-count box is listed as “7mm 180gr HPBT Match Pro-Hunter 500 Count”, but we believe it is the same MatchKing bullet, NOT a Pro-Hunter. Sierra does not produce a 7mm (.284 diameter) 180gr Pro-Hunter. Midsouth’s listed part number, 1980C, is the Sierra stock code for the 500-count box of 180gr 7mm MatchKings. Before placing an order, have Midsouth check the label on the boxes to confirm the inventory is correct.
Has anyone checked the BC? I get the same elevation as the 175SMK using the same load at 1000y, but it should hit higher about 1moa.
Placing them side by side does not really show much difference. The 175 isa tangent, the 180 seems more like a secant ogive, but bullets have the same length and BT.
My dope was off using the advertised .660 G1 in my 7WSM, I couldn’t find legitimate data so I went and got some.
1:9 Brux barrel
180 SMK (product No. 1980)
2850fps over an Oehler 35P
200 yard zero
dialed 84.0 MOA at 2000 yards with a 22×56 Nightforce.
50˚F
50% humidity
6730′ elevation
JBM ballistics back-calculated the following BCs from my gun:
.590 G1
.304 G7
Not the greatest BC but they’re accurate and cheap. Fine for short course. I’ll use Bergers for the long shots.