Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Hornady 6.5 123 SST experience??

Has any one shot anything with the new 123 6.5mm SST? it looks like it was designed for the grendel and was wondering if it would just be a bomb terminal performance wise if started out at 2800 from a creedmoor on a whitetail

Anyone shot anything with it yet?

Oddly enough, Hornady reps indicated the 123 has the same velocity window of performance as the other SSTs. When I asked about Grendel being the target market and any design changes for lower impact velocity... All I heard was crickets chirping.

SSTs are pretty explosive already, so the slower velocities of the Grendel will likely make an honest shoulder-puncher out of a little bomb.

If you like explosive behind the shoulder performance they'd be a good, if somewhat messy, choice.

I used a 308 150SST out of a 308 on 6 deer and it was the softest bullet I ever used on a deer, so the 123g 6.5 scares me a little. Its a shame, because its super accurate from my creedmoor and has a pretty nice BC for a 120g class bullet(and comes in boxes of 100, which are in stock)

Luckily both 120 sierra pro-hunters and Balistic tips shoot fairly well too, so I will use one of those this year and see if somebody else develops some field experience with the 123s.

To me the 120 Ballistic Tip is the better cup/core for the lighter weights. I would go stouter bullet for anything larger than varmints. Broadside in the lungs a 123 will surely do fine in that SST. I'd trust a 100 SP more than the Amax or SST in the 123.

The 129s are to me a great place to be. Like Berger and Nosler 130s, the 129 SP has a stellar reputation, it's performance in bullet test rivals the 125 Partition, which says alot.

The 129 SST seems to have a decent reputation on deer, but I personally would rather use a 130 AB.

I'm hope to find out how they work on antelope here in a few weeks started at 3100.

They shoot very well out of my 260 AI.

I have a box on the shelf.

The Grendel guys bust hog shoulders with em at 2500-2600 fps.

Cheap, high BC, you can substitute the 123 A-MAX (which I probably will on the next box).

I'll shoot em for practice, yotes, varmints. Maybe toss one in the chamber for longer range deer or for those times that I don't feel the need to waste a TTSX or LRX.

Antelope will DRT no doubt, not that large or hard to kill.

The Grendel is slower so will expand slower and dig deeper, less chance of a blow up on close range bone hits. Broadside lungs should be fine on larger deer/hogs, but I would not hit shoulders unless impact speed 2400 or so, on upper end.

Shot several whitetail with the sst and 6.5 creed has done well for me

123 gr SST? Id sure like to hear rifle loony talk about velocity, range, impact area, penetration, angle, distance after shot, blah blah.

New bullets always get my curiosity going about their construction.

Along with the SST, anyone using the 123 Scenar in the Creed on game?

The 123 Scenar is a favorite as it shoots so well so easy. I've wondered about trying it on deer but that's as far as I've cared to go so far.

Now that we are well into this years hunting season, any experience to add regarding the 123g SST on game?

Give me the 129 Interlock over an SST any day of the week...

Link

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth.../Re_Little_4_point_Mule_Deer#Post8201243

Thanks for the link 6mm.

Any other experiences? Would especially like to hear what happend on a close up shot or shot through a shoulder.