We know our readers are curious about the new Tipped MatchKings (TMKs) introduced by Sierra Bullets this year. Our friend Bill at Rifleshooter.com got hold of some of the .30-Cal 175-grain TMKs and tested them in his .308 Win rifle. He found the bullets were very consistent in weight. As for bearing surface, the SD was fairly low (.002″), but measurements varied from 0.400″ to 0.407″. Seven-thousandths extreme spread is more than we like to see, as it may affect accuracy. Therefore we recommend you sort by bearing surface length before loading these in match rounds.

READ Full Sierra 175gr TMK Bullet REVIEW in Rifleshooter.com »

The new 175gr TMKs have a better BC* than the older-design 175gr BTHP MatchKings. The improved BC is a combination of a different shape and the plastic tip. Unfortunately, that tip increases the bullet’s overall length. Rifleshooter.com notes that this may be a factor those who are already loading SMKs to max mag length. With the new, longer TMKs you’ll need to put more bullet shank in the cartridge to maintain the same Cartridge OAL.

Bill explains: “The 175 TMK has an overall length of 1.380″, compared to 1.239″ of the SMK. The additional .141″ in length effects the OAL of the complete cartridge. In my .308 Winchester rifle, chambered with a Manson .308 Match reamer, the 175 TMK measured 2.950″ to the lands with the TMK, .070″ longer than 2.880″ capacity of a AICS magazine. While this isn’t a big deal for a shooter single loading his rifle, such as in F-Class … it is problematic with guns using a detachable magazine system.”

Measured weights of the Sierra 175gr TMK bullets were very consistent.

Bill tested for accuracy, but found the results somewhat disappointing, both with mag-length and single-shot-length loads. He believes more load development was in order. Keep in mind that Bill was NOT testing with a benchrest-grade rifle. On the plus side, Bill was pleased that he picked up some speed with the TMK: “Velocities were approximately 50 FPS faster than the 175 SMK with the same powder charge. This matches some reports I have read about the TMK being slightly faster than the SMK. However, my 175 SMK data was gathered during the winter when temperature were significantly cooler, I would not predict higher velocities with certainty.”

*Sierra advertises a G1 ballistic coefficient (BC) of .545 for speeds over 2400 FPS. This is an improvement over the 175 SMK, with an advertised G1 BC of .486 between 1800 and 2800 FPS and .505 over 2800 FPS. Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics tested the 175 TMK and recorded a G7 BC of .267. That’s nearly 10% higher than the .243-value G7 BC of the 175gr SMK.

Barry reports: “Here is my 300WSM Varminter built by Richard Franklin of Richards Custom Rifles. This is one awesome piece of work — And YES, it shoots! I expected a lot when I asked Richard to build this gun, and believe me; I got more than I expected. I am not a machinist, nor am I an engineer, but I can tell you for certain that this is the finest quality work you can expect from a gun builder.

As you can imagine, my reason for building this gun was for long range varminting. I had read articles about the flat-shooting 300 WSM Varminter on AccurateShooter.com, and how it could launch a projectile at over 4000 fps with great accuracy. I also read some of the brutal articles on other sites from the nay-sayers. So, I had to have one. Simply put: THE NAY-SAYERS ARE WRONG! You CAN launch a 125gr Ballistic Tip bullet over 4000 fps and terrorize those little fury creatures way far away. I love this thing… I think I’ll ask Richard to build me another!” [Editor’s Note: Anyone wanting Richard Franklin to build a custom rifle had better act quickly. Richard is retiring and he will not work on any orders submitted after January 1, 2011.]

Franklin 300 WSM Vaminter Specifications:

BAT Machine SS Model ‘B’ action, RB/RP, Diamond fluted bolt
BARTLEIN 30″ SS str. 1.25″-diam. barrel (polished) 1:16″ tw, .337 neck
BAT Machine polished aluminum trigger guard
HOLLAND recoil lug
JEWELL BR trigger set at 1.5 oz.
HARRELL’s muzzle brake
UNDERTAKER stock in Quilted Maple, clearcoated
RCR polished SS pillar bedding
LIMBSAVER recoil pad (I hate recoil)
BAT Machine SS 20moa scope base
NIGHTFORCE 30mm scope rings
NIGHTFORCE 8x32x56 NSX with NP-2DD reeticle
NIGHTFORCE angle meter
U.S OPTICS cant indicator

Richard Franklin To Retire — Final Order Deadline Announced
Richard Franklin, builder of the beautiful rifle shown above, has announced his retirement. He will be taking orders for custom rifles through January 1, 2011, but that’s it — he’s giving up the business. Orders received after January 1st will be built by Richard’s protégé Tommy Shurley. Read on…

High-BC 22 Cal Moly A-Maxs for under $20/100
Because Service Rifle competitors must shoot long strings of fire without cleaning, many prefer to shoot moly-coated bullets. Varminters likewise appreciate the fact that coated bullets may extend cleaning intervals. PrecisionReloading.com currently has moly-coated 75gr A-Maxs on sale for just $19.65 per hundred. That’s a good deal for bullets that are more than capable of winning Service Rifle matches. Consider that Sierra 77gr MKs are selling elsewhere for $25-$28.00 per hundred. If you have a fast-twist .224 and you like Moly, you may want to snap up some A-Maxs at this discounted price.