Federal Gold Medal Match loaded with the 168-grain Sierra MatchKing is the standard by which other .308 match ammunition is judged. The boat-tail hollow point exits the barrel at 2,650 fps and carries a 0.462 G1 ballistic coefficient that resists wind deflection better than any hunting bullet in this weight class. Lot-to-lot velocity spreads are typically under 15 fps, which is why this round appears on equipment lists at NRA High Power, F-Class, and Precision Rifle Series events year after year.

The 168-grain MatchKing stabilizes well in the 1:10 and 1:11 twist barrels found in most factory and custom .308 precision rifles. At 100 yards, sub-half-MOA groups are common from a good bolt gun. At 600 yards, the bullet still carries enough energy and stability for reliable hits on steel, though it does begin to lose stability in the transonic zone around 800-900 yards. For competitions and training that stay inside 600, this is the load many shooters never bother replacing.

This is a target round, not a hunting round. The hollow point on the MatchKing is a manufacturing feature that improves concentricity, not an expansion mechanism. Sierra does not recommend it for game. What it will do is remove ammunition as a variable from your shooting. When you miss, you know it was the wind call or your trigger press, not the load. For anyone building a data book, validating a new scope, or zeroing for a match, Gold Medal Match is the factory baseline that handloaders try to beat.