Like a lot of people, I've had pretty good luck with the old HP 69 grain SMK's atop a healthy charge of Varget. I picked up some of their new poly-tipped SMK's and was surprised at how much longer they are. Had to readjust the seater stem to get them to magazine length.... which meant a lot more bullet in the case. Has anyone played with these? How much did you have to drop your powder charge? Does the longer ogive-to-throat jump make it tough to get accuracy out of these things when loading to magazine length?
69 grain 224 TIPPED Sierra Match King advice/experience?
- Thread starter ATLDave
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I don't have any of the new 69 gr SMK's. If they are of the same profile as the old 69 SMK's, you will shoot knots with the things. I won a number of medals, at Camp Perry, with 69 SMK's in my AR15 match rifle, they hammer out to 300 yards. The old 69's were not jump sensitive and that made them real reliable.
If you have to push them in the case deeper than the old, cut your loads by at least 1/2 grain before testing them. AR's are loaded to the max, does not take much to pop primers in the things.
If you have to push them in the case deeper than the old, cut your loads by at least 1/2 grain before testing them. AR's are loaded to the max, does not take much to pop primers in the things.
Yeah, I have made sub-MOA groups out at 300+ yards with the old 69 SMK's out of my AR (rested/bagged) with only a 6x scope and a lousy shooter (me) behind the rifle. Those things are EASY to make shoot well.
Dropping half a grain is exactly what I did. My old load was slightly compressed (OK per the manuals), but these would have been crunchy seating the bullet with the same seater stem setting. I think the ogive is going to be a bit further back, though I don't have a comparator tool to really tell. Anyway, interested to hear what others have found with the new tipped ones... maybe they're not even worth fooling with, given how well the old HP ones have shot for me (as long as Sierra doesn't stop making them).
Dropping half a grain is exactly what I did. My old load was slightly compressed (OK per the manuals), but these would have been crunchy seating the bullet with the same seater stem setting. I think the ogive is going to be a bit further back, though I don't have a comparator tool to really tell. Anyway, interested to hear what others have found with the new tipped ones... maybe they're not even worth fooling with, given how well the old HP ones have shot for me (as long as Sierra doesn't stop making them).
Blue68f100
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The tipped MK I've seen were for a 6.5 CM and required a faster twist (stated on the box) to stabilized. I have not tried them for the 223R yet.
243winxb
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I did not like the plastic tip, to long for a Savage Axis bolt action. Have they changed from 2015?
Best load out of 4-IMR powders was IMR 4895-23.8 grs- 2.300" OAL. CCI 400 primer-BHM brass. 5-.630" group. Sierra 69 gr TMK plastic tip.
The CCI 400 showed pressure on mid range loads. Kept using them because i bought 5000. The Rem 7 1/2 , no pressure signs.
Best load out of 4-IMR powders was IMR 4895-23.8 grs- 2.300" OAL. CCI 400 primer-BHM brass. 5-.630" group. Sierra 69 gr TMK plastic tip.
The CCI 400 showed pressure on mid range loads. Kept using them because i bought 5000. The Rem 7 1/2 , no pressure signs.
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Ifishsum
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I have used RE15, Varget, W748 and BL-C(2) with the 69SMK all with good results
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