Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Current Opinions: Hornady SST

What are your current thoughts on Hornady SSTs for deer, pronghorns, hogs?

I ask, because I'm seeing/hearing more positive reports on their performance. I know there has been a negative opinion of them by some reporting they are soft and cause a lot of meat damage. I'm wondering if Hornady stiffened their construction like Nosler did the BT or if opinions on bullet performance for smaller big game is evolving?

I'm considering the 95gr for anything I hunt with my .243 and the 150gr for my .30-06 for pretty much everything except elk, for which I use a 150gr mono.

Thanks,
Expat

I'll go against the Campfire grain and say that I love the SST. My experience has been mostly with the 150 gr in 30-06 and 154 gr in 7mmRM, both pushed as hard as you can safely push something. Also have seen a few killed with a 139 gr in 7mm-08. After seeing several hundred whitetails killed with these loads, I've never seen a single instance where the bullet failed or deer got away because of the bullet.
Yes, they damage some meat, but I can live with that and I don't think it is any worse than any other lead bullet running 3100+ fps.
Just guessing that I've seen 70% have exit holes. I would also guess that 85% or more drop in their tracks or fall in sight.
My $0.02.

I shoot the 95's in a 6-284 at around 3400 and the 123 out of a couple of 260 AI's at just under 3100.

I haven't shot more than 6-8 antelope and MD with them but all of them have worked very well.

I've killed my last half dozen deer, several coyotes, and a couple of bobcats with the 150 grain SST out of a .308 Win started at about 2850 fps. All have exited with good wound channels. The ones where the damage could be considered a little excessive were on the bobcats.

I would not shoot them in anything. There are better game bullets. The standard Interlock is a much better bullet. I am not concerned with meat damage, but I will not shoot a bullet that dynamites on game. I had 150 sst bullets at low velocity from a .308 unwind on small does.

Will they kill deer-yes. Not from my rifles, though.

The hardest part about killing an antelope is hitting one. They are small targets especially in the wind.

^^^^^^^^^^

This.

They were very accurate in my .280 but a bit too bloody for me. I was kinda let down. They shot great - around .396 if I remember correctly.

After shooting a deer at 100 yards this past fall with my 760 06, never again! I was using a mild load at 2600 with the 165. The bullet turned into a hand gernade and didn't exit. It also resulted in the longest blood trail I've ever followed on a lung shot deer.

Plenty of better game bullets out there like the Interlock.

I remember a time when folks said they were a tad tougher than the Ballistic Tip.

I'm firmly of the opinion the Nosler has beefed up the BT since then, and I'm thinking the Nosler is the tougher bullet these days.

In a 6mm Remington, the 95 grain Nosler BT has been a very good bullet for me, when applied to whitetails.

I'm with these guys.

Right on. I will not use them on any big game animals again.

I feel that the "problem" with the SST is its inconsistency concerning over-expansion.

Most of the time they open up, sort of hold together, and even punch through after a lot of damage.

But too often they start expanding quickly and don't ever stop--they simply expand until there no base left and blow apart. That results in poor penetration.

The Nosler BT has the tough jacket base to hold together no matter what happens up front.

CT, I do believe you are right.

I used (briefly) the 150 SST in a .308 rifle, but found them way too frangible for close-up shots.

They worked good in my Lone Eagle .308, and shot well out of my Garand.

Yep. I'm in this camp. Heck, I have not even found a rifle that likes them, whereas most rifles like Interlocks or Ballistic Tips, which are both better hunting bullets.

Mixed - maybe diff lots, maybe the mentioned change.

I've used factory SuperPerformance 150 SST (MV an advertised 3080 fps) in my '06 the last two years, on 6 caribou and a moose. The moose was shot in the head at 30 yards and is the only bullet that did not exit. The two pieces were found a half inch apart. The rifle was zeroed for 200+ yards at the time. Before hunting this last fall I got around to shooting for group/ sight check, and found the POI had moved since last year- probably due to rough handling on ATV and boat since.

Pretty good accuracy in my rifle, a M98 with heavy contour, 27 inch barrel - hung on there 3 years ago. Advertised as "Finnish sniper barrel" from Sportsman's Guide. I believe it! That 3rd shot was after a 2-click adjustment left on the Leupold VXIII 3.5 to 10 scope. This is, as indicated, with a solid rest at 300 yards. After the first caribou this year I adjusted the scope 4 clicks down for an estimated zero at 300. but did not shoot check. I sorta trust Leopold, and was short on locally unavailable ammo. Worked just right....





The first 3 caribou (2014) were shot at 300 (neck), 200 (lungs), and about 80 (quartering toward) respectively and all showed huge wounds, with nearly instantaneous beginning expansion. The exit wound just behind the ribs of the latter one was about the size of a nerf ball. Lots of tissue damage.

This year's caribou showed much less tissue damage, considering. The first was taken at about 150 (spine shot) followed by the 4 clicks down scope adjustment mentioned, before the next hunt a couple weeks later. This spine shot (with brisket hold) pulverized several inches of spine, ruined about 4 inches of backstrap either side,both sides.

First caribou 2 weeks later after the unchecked scope adjustment was taken at 290 yards (carcass ranged, back trailed by blood) through the ribs at POA. Missed bone coming and going, nickel sized entry, quarter size exit. Almost no meat loss. Bullet went to POA.

Maybe 2 minutes later I dropped a second 'bou at a pre-ranged 433 yards, also to intended POI, with back-line holdover. Missed bone going in, nickel sized entry, broke a rib going out, half-dollar sized exit. Lots of blood-shot between muscle mass, but easily trimmed out during processing. Almost no meat loss. On the broken rib side, just two strips of rib meat on either side of broken rib, about 4 " long each way from bullet hole.

I went to the SP for it's flatter trajectory past 300 yards over the entirely satisfactory Corelokts I had used the year previously. At 300 yards the Corelokts were plenty accurate with consistent 2-2 1/2 inch groups, but impacted 6 inches lower and 3 inches left of the SP group (after the SP for-group shoot, I burned my remaining 11 rounds of Corelokts, just for fun.).

After the re - barrel 3 years ago I used first 10 rounds down the barrel (Corelokts) to get a 225 yard zero, then whacked a caribou at 374 yards with the 11th, using holdover.. So much for "breaking in" a new barrel..... .

Hornady has a new bullet out with a "non-melting" (due to bullet speed/air friction) poly-carb tip. I don't remember what it is called, but should be fun to try out. Don't know what the rest of the construction is like.

Little different application, I have a Ruger #1 in 7.62x39. Not quite as many bullet choices there as other calibers, and so far the 123gr .310 dia SST is the best shooting bullet I have found in it.

Here's what I reported last year, after shooting a doe:

I'd say you were exactly right on the nose about moderate velocity being a friend to the SST.

I have been hearing good reports from guys using the 125 grain SST out of the 300 Blackout as well.

I have some uses for fast opening bullets that the Monometals and partitions are not as well suited to. One is night hunting feral hogs in urban areas. Nice when the expanded bullet is fragments and copper jacket. I like them for doe hunting and rib cage hits. No real meat damage on the ribs and quick kills.

I use the 95gr SST in my .243, with great results.

As a meat hunter, I'm a broadside, behind the shoulder guy, anyway.

Kills like lightning.