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new Sierra bullet : MATCH KING X

20 Jul 2025
@ 10:43 am (GMT)

BT

Regarding the newly released mkx, do you think it has the potential to surpass TMK?

Replies

21 Jul 2025
@ 07:13 am (GMT)

Quote this

Nathan Foster

Re: new Sierra bullet : MATCH KING X

Hi BT, I have not tested these yet so anything I say is just going to be an estimate of performance.

The new bullet has a tapered ogive and a low or non-antimony core. These are features that the Berger VLD lacks but can be found on other hunting bullets.

It has a narrow meplat (no tip) rather than a wide meplat as per the jacket mouth behind the TMK's polymer tip. In my experience, a tapered jacket, narrow meplat design can be useful in that the initial expansion may be gradual, lending itself to fairly good penetration regardless of whether the bullet breaks up completely. Having said this, a narrow meplat design reaches its limits at around 1800fps - even if the jacket is tapered.

"The MKX has been tested on thin skinned game out to 500 yards". No cartridge was identified. Assuming they used a 6.5 as this is the hot trend these days and assuming it was a 6.5 PRC to ensure it had some downrange speed (also as shown in their youtube release video), that means an impact velocity of 2200fps. If I am incorrect and their quote instead relates to the lower powered Creedmoor, this would be 2000fps.

A video is provided for customers. The hunter looked to be wearing brand new clothes with not a single spec of dust on him. He had no visible sheath knife for finishing or butchering game and no day pack / visible provisions for a hunting trip. A deer was taken with the 6.5 PRC. It was an unethical shot at a moving animal, taken as it passed behind scrub, rather than waiting for the animal to present itself broadside and pause as one should do, if shooting at long ranges. No useful information was provided in the video regarding the shot distance or terminal performance. If you slow the video down to quarter speed, it appears that the deer was hit just ahead of the hind leg in the intestines, but close enough to the spine to cause spinal concussion. The bullet raked forward to the offside ribs. The video was cut immediately thereafter. The final footage shows the carcass from the opposite side so that we cannot see any wounding whatsoever. There was no necropsy so again, no useful information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVi2__-WDT4

I would like to reiterate, I have not used this bullet and am instead relying on past research.

All the best.