Thoughts on Hornady SST....

J

jimmyp

New member
OK, first off lets start with, I have VERY limited experience on game with the bullet other than the 12ga offering which I have used extensively, Indianas new rifle season has allowed me to see the bullet in action exactly twice on deer.

This weekend my father and I each shot a deer, his a roughly 200lb buck, and mine about a 215lb doe.

Buck- 150-175yds bullet entered quartered away hit a rib, and just destroyed everything in the chest cavity, no exit wound no bullet to be found.

Doe- 250-275 bullet entered shoulder broke both shoulders and exited off side leaving a quarter sized exit wound little to no blood trail.

Both guns 18" bbl 308 running the same exact load of 150gr SST over benchmark

Neither deer went more than 20yds.

I had pretty high hopes for the SST but the results of the 2 deer ( I know hardly a pool of experience) seem to be pretty opposite, and inconsistent.

My reason for this long winded post is that I am about to assemble a 6.8spc upper for my AR with pigs, and coyotes in mind and the 110gr SST was one of the bullets I have been looking at.

So what have balls experience been with the SST in general, deer, coyotes, pigs, [beeep] anything.

Thanks
Jim

Now, in my mind these are ver
 
Ive been hunting with the 6.8 for several years now. Mostly using 120gr SST on hogs, deer, coyotes, and armadillars....
Did you mean the 110gr VMAX or the 120gr SST?

With the 120gr SST in a 16" 6.8 barrel ive had a mix of exit wounds to no exits, and never recovered a round. But even out to 425 yards ive had really good luck with them on deer. On hogs my furthest shot has only been 330 yards but still it put the hog down.


Its not a SST but ive tried some new Cavity Back Bullets in my 6.8 and they are wicked. 105 grain at 2750fps. It did a number on a 240# sow. Entered right shoulder, busted shoulder, 4 ribs, internals were mush, broke 3 ribs and stopped just shy of exiting opposite side hide.
 
Ive used the 110gr Vmax on a deer and at 200 yards it didnt penetrate much. I then found the 120gr SST and never shot any of my other Vmax out of the 6.8. Ive taken the 120gr SST out to 600 yards and it still shot well (7" 5 shot group) with my hunting load in a BHW 16" 11twist 3groove.
 
Ive been loading them in several calibers for a few years now. Most generally speaking we see massive internal damage and no exits. Usually recover them on the opposite side just under the hyde. I like a bullet that dumps all its energy on the inside, fits my needs. The buck kill sounds like what I see with them most often.
 
I use them in all calibers with about the same results. Dead deer or coyotes if I do my part. 6mm,7mm,308s. Cheaper version of ballistic tips. I have the same experience with the bt. Some exit some dont. I shot one a couple of years ago with a 7mag at 250 or so. Pencil in and out. Both ribcages looked like it got hit by a truck.
 
On a whim I once bought a box of Hornady light magnum ammo for my .30-06 loaded with the SST. I only ever shot one coyote with that bullet but after that I'd never use it on game. It just opens way to fast and I've heard lots of reports like the OP where a bullet won't exit at 100 yards. No way, that is plain and simple crap bullet performance. Fine for varmints I suppose but not big game.
 
Originally Posted By: jimmypIve got an 18" BHW on the way 11 twist.

Jim

My BHW barrel is from back in 2008 i think. It has been a good one too. Cleans up really fast when i do clean it. It doesnt like the heavy bullets or i havent spent enough time working up a load after i found the 120 sst and the 105 CBB.
 
IMO SSTs are a good Varmint bullet and a poor big game bullet. They have thin jackets, upon impact especially at high FPS speed typically separate the lead core from the jacket and don't penetrate. They're much like a Nosler BT but more explosive.
 
I used the 165 gr out of my 30tc icon for two elk,one shot each. Bull at 178 shot through both shoulders at down hill angle bullet recovered under hide opposite side. Cow at 135 same result. I have a 2850 fps muzzle velocity with my handloads. Bullet from bull weighted 100.5, bullet from cow weighed 105 grs.
 
I've always had amazing luck with the 95gr SST on deer. All of them died within 50 yards of being shot, great terminal performance, and an easy bullet to get shooting well
 
I have used SST's for years, 165gr .308, 95gr .243, 123gr 6.5 Grendel, 139gr 7RM and 180gr in 300 RUM. I can't think of one time I have shot a big game animal and wasn't happy with the performance. Below are some pics a snapped this year from the mule deer buck I killed with my Grendel. At 385 yds, I couldn't have asked for more. This deer went about 25 yds. I would say that is about normal from my experience.

Entrance on the left, exit on the right. From the outside, the entrance wasn't noticeable while the exit was about the size of a golf ball.


Took both lungs and appeared to hold together nicely.


I guess if think there is no way a more "favorable" shot can be taken, go with something else, but what you see here is pretty par for me.
 
My experience with the current SSTs are much like Smokin Barrel's. I use 129 grain SSTs exclusively in my 6.5x55 and have killed a number of critters with them - deer, antelope, hogs. I have yet to recover a bullet, even from large bodied heavy mule deer bucks. I think the secret is not to push them to hard. With nice modest velocities from standard cartridges, they seem to work well. But magnum velocities, close range shots, and/or heavy bone may not yield the best results. For that kind of action, I'd recommend a stouter bullet.
 
Originally Posted By: DesertRamMy experience with the current SSTs are much like Smokin Barrel's. I use 129 grain SSTs exclusively in my 6.5x55 and have killed a number of critters with them - deer, antelope, hogs. I have yet to recover a bullet, even from large bodied heavy mule deer bucks. I think the secret is not to push them to hard. With nice modest velocities from standard cartridges, they seem to work well. But magnum velocities, close range shots, and/or heavy bone may not yield the best results. For that kind of action, I'd recommend a stouter bullet.

So 165's should be fine in a .308...
 
I have loaded over a 1000+ 139 gr SST. The SST if a different bullet than a Nosler BT bullet. I shot a 250 pd boar at 130 yds and shot thru both shoulders. Out of my 280's.There way more than a varmint bullet. A v max blows up faster.
 
I am not saying that they are the best bullet out there but they killed everything, that I shot, pretty dead. I used 150 gr SST in a 308 for a bull Elk @ 339 yds and 95 gr SST in 243 for several white tail but never tried them on a coyote. The bonded bullet is supposed to stay together better for more penetration but I haven't tried them.
 
Originally Posted By: Brad PhillipsOriginally Posted By: DesertRamMy experience with the current SSTs are much like Smokin Barrel's. I use 129 grain SSTs exclusively in my 6.5x55 and have killed a number of critters with them - deer, antelope, hogs. I have yet to recover a bullet, even from large bodied heavy mule deer bucks. I think the secret is not to push them to hard. With nice modest velocities from standard cartridges, they seem to work well. But magnum velocities, close range shots, and/or heavy bone may not yield the best results. For that kind of action, I'd recommend a stouter bullet.

So 165's should be fine in a .308...

Based on my experience with 129s in my 6.5, I believe 165s would work well in the mild-mannered .308.
 
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