Thread: Sierra Matchking 308 125gr HP for huntinf

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

I can get some of these cheap. Would they be OK for chest shots on goats, fallow?
Their web site suggests not for hunting.
Would appreciate comments from past users.

I have some 69gn in .224 to use up in my Ruger Ranch II, 223. Took two big Billy Goats recently at around 65m with head shots. They never took a step. Just dropped. Aimed and hit just in front of the ear. Heads were not pretty to see after.

Jhon,
What velocity?
Did they mushroom?

Well, the plot thickens.
Sierra indicates max velocity these 2500fps. Wonder how thick the jacket is now.

@Oldbloke

A few years ago I posted on here about modification of the Sierra MatchKing in bulk milsurp .308 ammo on the station in NT that I worked at. That was the 175gr, going about 2500fps out of a carbine spec hunting rifle. Can’t find the thread though. Might of been on another forum.

It’s important to remember that the hollow point on these bullets is not a proper hollow point in the sense of the Sierra GameKing HPBT. The MatchKing hollow point is an artefact from the manufacturing process and is very very small, verging on almost closed. This is why it gives very inconsistent results. Sometimes enough animal matter will make it into the hollow point to force open the jacket, whereupon the bullet will violently expand and defragment. Other times the soft tip will be forced shut on impact and the bullet will pass straight through with minimal damage. This is why you are reading such different perspectives.

On the station, the guys made a simple jig for the drill press. The cartridge was placed upright in the jig, centred directly below the drill. A medium file was passed flat over the tip twice to flatten the meplat and give the drill something to sit on. Then the meplat was ever so slightly drilled at low speed. The drill stop was set at ~3mm at a guess, and it would drill very slightly the lead core, not by much at all. The result was a clear, open hollow point.

The results were violently brutal on all game, but it must be remembered that pretty much everything up there was headshot with the exception of running pigs - donkeys, scrub cattle, buffalo, the occasional camel. The bullet would defragment almost completely. On larger pigs, it usually didn’t exit. I was a lot less into bullet construction and the nitty-gritty in those days but I don’t ever remember being worried that I had the wrong bullet. (It’s worth remembering that most large pest ungulates up there were headshot with FMJ.)

On soft skinned game like fallow and goats I have zero doubt that that the modified 175gr projectile would absolutely flatten them, but I would expect it to make a helluva mess.

The 125gr is specifically designed for the .300 Blackout and low / medium velocity. So keeping the speed in the mid-2000s is fine. I would however insist on the tip modification because otherwise you are guaranteed to run into problems. Because you are using a very light skinned jacket with a soft lead core you’re going to get inconsistent results. Sometimes it will defragment almost completely, especially after hitting bone, other times it will probably mushroom quite nicely. Six of 1/2 a dozen of the other. If you leave the tip intact you’re going to get the occasional pass through.

If I was using the modified bullet purely for pest control I would have no issues at all but if I was looking at carcass quality for meat recovery then you’re going to be writing off the front end of the animal most of the time.

Thx for that Flyblown. Great explanation and just the info im after.
Now thinking that perhaps i should sell them.

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

Jhon,
What velocity?
Did they mushroom?

From memory they are doing around 2600fps. Will check my range book when I get home tomorrow. They made a neat little entry hole as you'd expect. Half the head was missing on the other side, well, I exaggerate but not by much. So not so much mushroom as blow up is my guess.

Light pills in 30cal, the seirra prohunter 125 were cheap and are effective if you keep the velosity down round 2500ish, soft load to shoot as well

I would just shoot everything in the base of the neck. Thousands of deer were shot with FMJ 303 by the cullers, and thats where they aimed

Originally Posted by Jhon

From memory they are doing around 2600fps. Will check my range book when I get home tomorrow. They made a neat little entry hole as you'd expect. Half the head was missing on the other side, well, I exaggerate but not by much. So not so much mushroom as blow up is my guess.

Once they arrive i will section one to check lead hardness and the cup thickness. If the cup is very thin AND the core is very soft, e.g. pure lead i will sell them.
I figure that combination will result in very poor terminal performance if i drill them.
I hope to keep them between 2500 and 2800fps.

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

Once they arrive i will section one to check lead hardness and the cup thickness. If the cup is very thin AND the core is very soft, e.g. pure lead i will sell them.
I figure that combination will result in very poor terminal performance if i drill them.
I hope to keep them between 2500 and 2800fps.

A few of us have done lots of bullet sections in the past including the Tipped MatchKing.

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....ections-60712/

Something to consider is that that Tipped MatchKing has proven to be a very effective hunting bullet. The construction of the hollow point and tipped version is the same with the exception of the tip, i.e. the skin and the core are the same.

The definition of “very effective” does of course vary between two distinct groups of shooters, those that want controlled expansion and a definite exit, versus those that want the bullet to expend almost all its energy even if it comes to a dead stop in the animal. I tend to dwell in the second group.

For goats and fallow I am 99.9% certain that if you ever so slightly drill the tips of those bullets you’re going to have a very deadly projectile.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

@Oldbloke

A few years ago I posted on here about modification of the Sierra MatchKing in bulk milsurp .308 ammo on the station in NT that I worked at. That was the 175gr, going about 2500fps out of a carbine spec hunting rifle. Can’t find the thread though. Might of been on another forum.

It’s important to remember that the hollow point on these bullets is not a proper hollow point in the sense of the Sierra GameKing HPBT. The MatchKing hollow point is an artefact from the manufacturing process and is very very small, verging on almost closed. This is why it gives very inconsistent results. Sometimes enough animal matter will make it into the hollow point to force open the jacket, whereupon the bullet will violently expand and defragment. Other times the soft tip will be forced shut on impact and the bullet will pass straight through with minimal damage. This is why you are reading such different perspectives.

On the station, the guys made a simple jig for the drill press. The cartridge was placed upright in the jig, centred directly below the drill. A medium file was passed flat over the tip twice to flatten the meplat and give the drill something to sit on. Then the meplat was ever so slightly drilled at low speed. The drill stop was set at ~3mm at a guess, and it would drill very slightly the lead core, not by much at all. The result was a clear, open hollow point.

The results were violently brutal on all game, but it must be remembered that pretty much everything up there was headshot with the exception of running pigs - donkeys, scrub cattle, buffalo, the occasional camel. The bullet would defragment almost completely. On larger pigs, it usually didn’t exit. I was a lot less into bullet construction and the nitty-gritty in those days but I don’t ever remember being worried that I had the wrong bullet. (It’s worth remembering that most large pest ungulates up there were headshot with FMJ.)

On soft skinned game like fallow and goats I have zero doubt that that the modified 175gr projectile would absolutely flatten them, but I would expect it to make a helluva mess.

The 125gr is specifically designed for the .300 Blackout and low / medium velocity. So keeping the speed in the mid-2000s is fine. I would however insist on the tip modification because otherwise you are guaranteed to run into problems. Because you are using a very light skinned jacket with a soft lead core you’re going to get inconsistent results. Sometimes it will defragment almost completely, especially after hitting bone, other times it will probably mushroom quite nicely. Six of 1/2 a dozen of the other. If you leave the tip intact you’re going to get the occasional pass through.

If I was using the modified bullet purely for pest control I would have no issues at all but if I was looking at carcass quality for meat recovery then you’re going to be writing off the front end of the animal most of the time.

Hi flyblown.

Did drilling them this way have a detrimental effect on accuracy?

I have some Nosler Ballistic Tip in 125 gn I intend to load as a lighter load in 30.06 has anybody used them.

That's all I use on Sika out of my .308. None have complained. Usually find the jacket (and not much else) under the far side skin for a shoulder shot, unless its a direct hit on the bone, then its a grenade and all the vitals have lots of little holes in the them.

Originally Posted by erniec

I have some Nosler Ballistic Tip in 125 gn I intend to load as a lighter load in 30.06 has anybody used them.

great in both .308w and in the 7.62x39mm will be awesome in dirty06 quite a tough rear to the jacket.

Well, the Sierra 125gr MK #2121 arrived today.
I have cut 1 in half (bottom) tested the lead hardness and measured the copper cup thickness. Along with a few other bullets i had sectioned in the past.
When i cut it, it was obvious the copper was very hard. Although i cannot compare that ATM.



Note the lead hardness is about average and cup slightly above average thickness.

It was immediatly obvious that drilling the tip could not happen without filing the tip. And the cavity behind the tip was large so filing the tip off seemed the obvious thing to try. After filing the tip off by about 2.5mm and cleaning it up i ended up with a HP of about 1.3mm and 1gr lighter bullet.

I reckon these will work fine with the tip filed same as i did up to fallow.

Now, just need to find a nice mild load and a jig to make filing them easy and consistant.