Litz Field-Tests BCs of Sierra Tipped MatchKings

Following Sierra’s introduction of Tipped MatchKing (TMK) bullets, Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics LLC has received many requests to determine the Ballistic Coefficient (BC) of these bullets through testing. Below are Litz’s findings for four out of the six bullets he has able to acquire and test so far.

As you can see from the above table, when Sierra’s G1 BC is averaged for all speed ranges (which is representative of long range shooting) the results closely match the Applied Ballistics’ measurements of the same bullets, averaged from 3000 to 1500 FPS. The G7 BC doesn’t suffer nearly the velocity sensitivity as G1 and should be used for modern long range bullets when possible. Bryan tells us: “When I get the .22 caliber 77gr, and the .308 caliber 168gr tested, I’ll update the table.”

How do these Tipped MatchKings compare to standard MatchKings? According to Bryan’s measurements, here are some comparisons:

• The 69gr TMK BC is +8% compared to the 69gr SMK
• The 125gr TMK BC is -5% compared to the 125gr SMK (Litz believes this SMK was ‘pointed’)
• The 155gr TMK BC is identical to that of the 155gr SMK (#2156, which is also pointed)
• The 175gr TMK BC is +10% compared to the 175gr SMK

Bryan provided this additional advice for users of Ballistics programs: “Sierra’s stated BCs are measured by live fire, and are typically pretty accurate if the velocity bands are properly observed (7mm being the exception). A common error is to look at the BC that Sierra gives for your MV and just use that. Doing so overestimates the performance of the bullets over long range, and will cause you to hit low compared to your trajectory predictions.”