Any feedback on Hornady Superperformance Ammo? I'm specifically interested in .257 Roberts and .35 Whelen. They claim 2920 fps velocity for the 200 grain Whelen load.

I used it for the 35 Whelen in a Remington 700 Classic with very poor results. Gave away the two
remaining boxes.

It is not very accurate in 300 Savage caliber, at least in my rifles.

I forgot to mention I shot it in 30-06 caliber in a New Ultralight Arms rifle. Fast and accurate in that rifle, kicked like hell!

Pretty pricey, won't be buying any given the reported spotty results.

I have had good luck with Superformance ammo in 308, particularly with 168 Amax bullets. I have tried it in several 308s and 3006s, including several Kimber Montanas. For my experience, the 168 Amax, or 165 SSTs seem to be more accurate than the 150s in several rifles. I have used the Amaxs and SSTs on elk and I much prefer the SSTs; the Amaxs are pretty fragile. For whitetails, the Amax bullets work fine. The Amaxs did the job, but it wasn't very impressive, and not recommended. The Superformance GMX bullets were not extremely accurate in anything I tried, but that has been my experience with copper bullets across the board so far, but I keep trying.

Getting 3000 fps (advertised) out of a 308 with 150 grain bullets sounds interesting. I have had acceptable, but not great accuracy, with any 150 grain Superformance bullet, at least in the guns I tried. Regarding velocity, I have checked the 168 Amax bullets in a Kimber Mountain Ascent and got 2746 fps average, compared to the 2840 fps advertised velocity. It is pretty close to advertised velocity in that gun, and with the shorter 23" barrel. I could hand load some hot loads to get similar results, but Hornady goes an extra step by crimping-in the primers. They are hot loads, and since the primers are crimped, its hard to see a flat primer, and probably reduces the risk of blowing out a primer. I have never crimped-in primers and not sure I want to start.

If I am milking the most out of a lightweight rifle non-magnum rifle, such as a Montana, they are a good choice. When carrying a lightweight short-action (308) rifle for elk, adding Superformance 165 SSTs to the mix doesn't handicap you too much. I prefer my own handloads, which are tailored to each rifle with a specific bullet. However, if I had to grab something off the shelf, it would be Superformance in SST bullets.

Both guns in 7-08 I tried it in were 2.5-3" at 100. Those same guns with hand loads were well under 1" for 3 shots.

It's been terrible in every rifle I have tried. My 7mm-08 shot about 5"-6" patterns with it and the primers were smoked.

It wasn't too accurate for me. My favorite factory ammo is Nosler Custom, but I'm mostly concerned with accuracy rather than velocity.

I shoot the 180 grain SST Superformance in my 300WM. Rifle loves it............ Elk,Deer and Axis not so much!

Tried it in .280 and .30-06. Velocities were near what Hornady advertises, but accuracy was mediocre in both calibers. Won't be spending money on it again.

I've had good luck with it in a 7mm-08. Couple elk I've taken with it probably didn't feel so lucky

I tried in a Remington 700 Heavy barrel and it was terrible. If you like 1.5" groups at 100 yards it would make you happy. My cousin tried the 204 stuff in his rifle and it shot fine, but the actual velocity was a couple of hundred feet slower.

I bought a couple of boxes for my 30-06 and 308 when it 1st came out. Neither matched advertised speeds and the 30-06 loads gave poor accuracy. In fact my handloads with H4350 were within 30 fps of what I got with Superformance and much more accurate.

I don't recall the exact speeds, their 308 loads didn't match advertised claims, but they were faster than I felt I could safely get with hand loads. And they were acceptably accurate. I wouldn't feel handicapped using that load, but my re-loads are still a bit more accurate and a lot cheaper.

I've tried the 7mm08 ammo in two different rifles. The best group in the ruger American was 2 inches. The worst was in a Weatherby vanguard at 3 to 4 inches.

My experience with most Hornady ammunition has been better than satisfactory. Their regular factory .308W and .270W ammo give fine accuracy for me. I reload with Hornady equipment and components. Hornady is my favorite go to brand for quality and customer service. But our rifles do not like Superperformance ammunition. The groups are too big. I am not sure what powder formula they use, but perhaps it is unwise to try to wring every last bit of velocity out of a load. As I indicated, I like Hornady the best, just not the SP line.

I would like to add another data point; my Ruger M77 in 7mm-08 loves Superformance GMX ammo, but the elk I pointed it at didn't like it one bit. I haven't hunted with that rifle in two years, so maybe I had an older, better lot of ammo?

I tried the .30-06 Superformance. No significant velocity improvement, mediocre accuracy.





P

The only load that I've had any luck with in Superformance or the previous Light Magnums, is the .444 Marlin 265gr FP. Everything else I've tried shoots into patterns, rather than groups.

The LIght Magnum in .257 Roberts gave good accuracy, I have only shot it on target though have not hunted with it.

The 7mag stuff shoots well outta my 700.

7mm08 works well for me. My Grandson took his first deer last fall using it and 1 shot it was DRT passed through and did plenty if internal damage to the heart and lungs. The deer went down so fast i thought he had missed. I dont shoot for target accuracy though, just minute of Deer.

I have tried it in 257 Bob,7mm-08, 270 Win, 30-06, 6.5 Creed and 308. It was the least accurate Hornady ammo I tried in all rifles and did not get on sub 2" group from any of them with this ammo. Some grouped a good bit less than 1" with the Custom, Match and even American Whitetail. I generally love Hornady ammo, but have had awful luck with the Superperformance.

I myself personally have never purchased Superformance ammo but I've shot a lot from folks asking me to sight in their rifles. When I'm sighting in the rifle I have to remember that I am shooting this ammo because it not very accrate. Pretty hot stuff. The sloppier your barreled action the more noticeable the inaccuracy. Now when I say not very accurate it's all relative to what doing with the rifle. I could get just over an inch at 100 on a non-custon, off the shelve 30-06. Savage would tell you that 1.4 inch group @100 is accurate.

Using that same 165 great 30-06 data, Superformance ammo should have a PBR of 275 yards. And down goes the deer. Do not use this ammo for your F class shoots. Yes I met someone once that used factory match ammo for his F class rig and no he didn't win much if ever.

I'm shooting '06 150's out of a heavy, 27 inch barrel on a Mauser 98, full length bedded. 3-shot, one inch groups at 300 with good rest. Rifle weighs about 9 lbs, or a bit more on the bathroom scale, including scope and sling. Recoil is mild - not much more than the 725 with light (700TI) barrel, shooting 140's in .260. I can and do easily shoot both (no fore-end hold) one handed across the rests without recoil problems.

I have never chronied any load, but at 300 yards, the SST Hornady SP loads (advertised 3080 fps) print 6 inches higher and 3 inches right of 150 gr. factory Corelokts in this rifle. The Corelokts groups are only 1/4 inch or so larger at 300.

I've taken a number of caribou with the SP above, out to 433, usually using the snow machine wind screen for a rest, or the bars of the ATV (374 longest). And one head-shot bull moose at 30 yards, offhand, from the snow machine seat, sitting..... . The SSTs will leave a substantial hole if encountering much resistence- bone or large muscle mass, probably more so at under 300 than beyond, after it has lost a little velocity. Two caribou shot at 300 and 433 yards had quarter size entry holes, 50 cent piece size exit holes, but the bullets missed rib bones both in and out.

The only bullet recovered was with the moose. Nicely mushroomed, but with probably half the lead gone.

GMX (mono) bullets supposedly will not produce as large wound channels as the SST, but I have yet to try them. They are supposedly interchangeable as to POI in the same weight, so SST could be used for light game/practice, and the GMX for more serious stuff. There is roughly a $10 difference for a box.

I don't think I'll be shooting SP out of the 17 inch barreled Ruger 77 '06, however..... that one has a little more bark and bite to it!

It shoots fine out of my .30-06 and my brother's .270. I use the 150 GMX load and my brother uses the 130 GMX and SST loads. I get 1.5"-1.75" 3-shot groups at 200 yards. Better from my brother's rifle.

Expat

I clocked some Hornady Superperformance 225-grain 338 WM loads ammo out of a 24" Browning Safari Grade at 2,775 fps. That's still pretty fast, but it's not the 2,940 fps that they claim. Accuracy wasn't bad, but I'm not a very good shot off the bench.


Okie John

I tried some in 30-06, not so good for the gmax, but the 180 SST held 5 shot MOA groups. I was just trying it for accuracy, I've read mixed reviews with most leaning negative for the SST on game, never tried it on game, what do you guys think of it?

I had mixed results with it: tried the .30-06 and 35 Whelen Superformance 1.5 - 2" at 100 yards but slightly faster than published speed.

But in my .223 Rem Savage LWH the NTX & GMX Superformance loads are sub moa.

This post is slightly off topic but since we're talking GMX v SST, of the three monos I shoot, the GMX has always had the larger group by any where between 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch at 100 to 200 yard sight in. I would have zero issues hunting with them. I've shot SST's but never hunted with them. But if their construction is anything like their smaller cup and core siblings (AMAX/VMAX), they will work. And if they didn't work no one would buy them so...

At 250 yards a .224 AMAX and VMAX has destroyed javelina.

HaYen

My Daughter shoots the GMX out of her Tikka compact 7-08. She has three Bucks with it and it groups well in her rifle. I must mention that anything she shoots out of that rifle groups well. I all my years I have never seen a rifle that shoots that well with anything you put in it.

What he said. Shoot what the rifle likes! And if the rifle don't care - shoot what you like!

Like any other factory ammo or handload, it's up to your barrel.

Over the last 3 seasons I've killed 6 caribou from maybe 70 to 433 yards with SST, 150 Gr. '06 Super Performance, boiler room placement.. And one moose at 30 yards, head shot.

Mixed results, but they all died, with larger or smaller wounds, the longer range ones without mass/bone contact showing the smallest entry/exit wounds. The only bullet recovered was from the moose. Rest were pass-thrus. Resistance (muscle mass/bone) may be futile, but at closer ranges. especially, seems to produce large wound channels. Once the velocity drops, wound channels seem to get smaller. contact with major muscle mass or bone exponentially increases the wound channel,. (More research needed! . )

The last caribou (300 yards) was -uh- "prematurely" shot thru the hams while positioning on the rest, producing a large wound channel thru both hams, with exit. The second round properly placed thu the lungs produced a ho-hum wound channel.

Like SGK, the SST Super Performance is probably best used from 300 yards out, IMO.

And properly placed is good!

Am not a fan. I tried a box of 165 grain Hornady Superformance GMX in one of my .30/06 rifles. The bolt wouldn't open and had to be beaten open with the palm of my hand. Cratered primers. Clearly overpressure in that particular rifle.

The gent shooting next to me that day was using Hornady Superformance .22-250 ammunition in his Savage 110. Bolt also had to be beaten open. Primer had fallen out. Clearly overpressure.

IMHO, the extra 100 fps simply ain't worth it.

I have never tried any, lots of nays here.

I have only tried Superformance in my .338 Win Mag 185 GMX. The last two bulls I have shot were with that ammo. They performed well and are MOA in my rifle. Over the chrono the avg velocity is 3031 fps from my 22.5" bbl. ES 9.0. Conversely the older Light Magnum and std. Hornady ammo in 257 Roberts are dogs. I cannot get them to shoot at all. My Roberts is a sub moa rifle with handloads when I'm capable. They kill fine for whitetails at 100 yds. So I would say they shoot "minute of paper plate"

I plan to try the 139 GMX Superformance in my new 7 Mag before I start the loading process. I may not need to work up a load.

They don't shoot as fast as they say on the box, especially once it cools off some for fall hunting temps. The GMX also doesn't open well at lower speeds. My report from a few years ago.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5850125/1

Tried some a few years ago in .308. While trying to sight in rifle had misfires about every 3 or 4th round. Went back to Federal 165s that the rifle liked and resighted it in to those.

I contacted Hornady via phone, and they asked to ship it off to them. They called back never really gave me a straight answer as far as what was wrong with it. Offered to replace the 3 boxes I had sent them, and I complained about the shipping cost, so they sent 1 additional box, which covered about half the shipping cost. Still have those 4 boxes as I never really trusted it for hunting. Last ammo I ever considered buying from them. Anyone want to buy them?

Well my .243 doesn't like it @ 95 grains. I was hoping it would but it prefers the Federal Fusion at the same weight. ya never know

Might not have the twist for the 95gr bullet. My 243 AI 10twist shoots the 100gr horn btsp into ovals and the bullets won't stabilize.

I hate to hear the spotty results. Back when it was called Light Magnum, I found that my pet .30-06 bolt gun, a commercial FN action, custom stocked, liked the 180 Interlocks, so I bought a large supply which is almost gone. It shoots about 1 1/8" at 100. I suppose the extra velocity is not needed all that much, because I have mostly gone with a Federal 150 loaded ..308 that shoots around a half inch and kills deer just as dead. If Superformance does not perform equally, I will break out the dies.

Best,

Jack