Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Hornady SST

When did the SST change to a Interlock design with a cannulure? I had tried some of the earlier factory SST loads and was not super impressed with the performance or overall accuracy

I thought the SST was always an Interlock.

Maybe just cannulure is new. The older ones were smooth, like the Interbonds if I remember correctly

It can't be all of them, I have some old ones that have a cannelure.

I used SSTs when they first came out. They had the cannelure back then in both 7mm and 308 versions. Always had the Interlock ring too. The Interbonds were always smooth.

Supposedly, the only change in the SST line was to make the copper jacket a bit thicker but that would not be visible on the exterior.

I think they increased core hardness as well.

That is good, because the 0.277-130gr SST I used on a deer when they first came out seemed awful soft and ruined a bunch of venison.

First ones I ever bought, 165gr SST .308 had a cannelure and that was twenty years ago or more.

SSTs have always had it, Interbonds didnt

According to Hornady, they always have been.

Yep, I have used SST's for many years and they have always had the cannelure (which I like) but i do think Hornady toughened the bullet up some with maybe a thicker jacket or it could have been done with a harder core..Hb

The earliest SST’s were fragile, but very accurate. Evidently Hornady fixed the fragile part.

Agreed, these are maybe the most accurate hunting bullet i have loaded, certainly in my top 3 most accurate bullets that i have used over many years and a pile of hunting bullets....Hb

Good info. Thanks. The only ones I had were in factory ammo and maybe were seated past the cannelure.

Ive used the SST's for several years and have killed many many deer. No issues whatsoever with any type of meat damage when I do my part and keep them off heavier bone. As for the when did Hornady "toughen" them up? It came somewhere around the 2014 time frame or a little earlier. I found an E-mail from Hornady that was posted on the Campfire a couple years ago.

"Yes we have, from the original SST we have made changes to the jacket in thickness and internal contour to aid in proper expansion and overall performance of the bullet including some tweaking of the ogive of the bullet."

Thanks,

From:
Hornady Manufacturing, Inc [mailto:webmasterhornady.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2014 6:24 AM

Like the Interlocks, the key to success with the SST is don’t drive them too fast.

I shot a small buck with a 130 SST in my 270 Win with an impact velocity of 2900 fps. Hit the spine, and flopped right there about 30 yards away. I found the copper jacket against the offside hide. The bullet expanded past the Interlock ring, and the lead core separated.

Not complaining about the terminal performance, and it would have been a complete pass through if it didn’t hit bone. But it shows that in order to keep the core and jacket together the key is to not drive them too hard.

I shot a 500 lb cow Elk with a 165 SST out of my 30-06 with an impact velocity of about 2300 fps. The bullet passed through the chest, and I recovered the bullet against the bone on the left front leg. Perfect mushroom with > 75% weight retention.