Winchester Launches Super Match Competition Ammunition Line

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Winchester Ammunition has introduced Super Match, a new competition line covering centerfire handguns, rifles, and 12-gauge shotguns. The announcement lists 19 configurations aimed at everything from action-pistol matches to long-range rifle shooting.That is a much broader launch than the usual new bullet weight in an existing box. It also requires a little sorting, because Winchester's current Super Match catalog page displays 16 loads rather than all 19 named in the announcement. Handgun and rifle loadsThe six handgun loads currently cataloged include four 9mm choices: 115- and 124-grain round-nose FMJ, plus 115- and 147-grain flat-nose FMJ. A 180-grain .40 S&W flat-nose load and 230-grain .45 ACP round-nose load round out the live listings. All come in 50-round boxes. Winchester says it uses high-sensitivity primers for tuned competition pistols.The announcement also lists a 130-grain .38 Super +P load that is not on the family page. Owners should verify that their pistol is rated for the exact cartridge and pressure designation printed on the box.Seven rifle loads are currently shown. They include 69-grain .223 Remington and 77-grain 5.56 NATO BTHP loads; .308 Winchester with either a 168-grain BTHP or 175-grain BC Max bullet; two 140-grain 6.5 Creedmoor choices; and a 140-grain 6.5 PRC BC Max load. Rifle ammunition comes in 20-round boxes.BC Max is Winchester's new polymer-tipped rifle projectile. The company describes it as a heavy-for-caliber bullet with an extended boattail and heat-resistant tip. Those are design claims, not independent accuracy results. Winchester has not published ballistic-coefficient figures on the product pages checked for this article. Three shotgun choicesThe 12-gauge side includes a 2¾-inch, 1⅛-ounce No. 7½ target load at a listed 1,235 fps; a nine-pellet 00 buckshot load at 1,300 fps; and a 1-ounce rifled slug at 1,300 fps. Winchester says the thick-walled hulls and high-brass heads are intended to hold their shape in box-magazine-fed shotguns. Box quantities are 25 for the target and buckshot loads and 10 for the slugs.The other two announced but not yet cataloged rifle loads are a 175-grain 7.62 NATO BTHP and a 107-grain 6mm ARC BTHP. This may simply be a website rollout delay, but buyers should confirm the specific SKU before ordering. Winchester says Super Match is available through dealers and online, but its announcement does not include numerical MSRPs.