165 Grain SSTs on Deer Sized Game

[Paul Spaulding]

Haven't had any experience with the 30 cal SST's but a friend almost lost a couple deer using the 50 cal muzzleloader version. Long tracking jobs, and when we skinned out the deer, the bullets had essentially fragmented inside, with very little penetration and no exit at all after just glancing off bone. He switched bullets after the second deer.

 

[skipglo]

Tagging in

Tagging in? What does this mean Red? That you are openly declaring you are following this post rather than silently skulking the site? It's okay Brother....we know you are here!

 

[JWhitty]

I run the 150's in my 760 308's....DRT when I do my part

 

[Greybeard]

I picked up a couple boxes of 30 caliber 165 grain SSTs to load over some H4350 for my .30-06.

Anyone got good reviews of the SSTs for deer sized game?

used the .2.84 162 gr SST on both deer and elk with great results.

 

[Western4444]

The 165 SST is great in any gun for accuracy. Runs very well in the 30-06 Remmington 742. There are many better deer bullets, but the accuracy of this bullet in any gun is great.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

What velocity were you shooting that 123 at? I was half tempted to try them for myself at about 3050fps. Don't need alot of penetration for deer.

Right at 2900 - pass throughs were common on deer sized game.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Right at 2900 - pass throughs were common on deer sized game.

I'll give them a go around 3000-3050. I can get 140s to 2900 with rl-26 so I don't have much interest running 123s that low for myself. For my son a 123 T 2800-2900 will most likely be money

 

[Lee Goodwin]

I am thinking 165 is a real good sweet spot for 30 caliber rifles....for some reason my long distance ( I am not LD) friend says....
"Friends don't let friends shoot 165s" (in 300 wm)
And I never understood that. So I went 190...ugh.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on accuracy and deer slaying, later on.

 

[RWE]

Yep, friend shoots same bullet in 30-06. Pretty good performance and always an exit hole. He's killed dozens of deer with them. He's running them at around 2950 range. IMR 4064. Used it for years and won't consider another powder.

I am running the 150's over 2850 in my 30-06 using 4064. Quick and efficient killer. Started as a youth load (125 gr) and evolved. Now I run them because they work.

When I run out I may go to the 165 just to try them out as the rifle loved 165/168 back in the day...

Now... where is all the 4064 powder!!!!!!!!

 

[Roughrice]

My son's 280AI shot the 162 sst really well but splashed on impact everywhere. Whitetail and hogs all made a death sprint after impact. All died but the damage was horrific. One perfect shot in the crease on whitetail buck blew out lungs wonderfully but fragmented and made green soup in gut that ran everywhere when skinning..
He switched bullets after repeated damage.

 

[JamesWilson5]

The sst is a great bullet for deer size game. I wouldn't use it on anything larger and they also destroy meat .

 

[emp1953]

The tipped core lokt is a sst.

I'm pretty sure they SST comes via Hornady and the Core-lokt comes via Remington. something may be going on behind the scenes that I'm not aware of like they share a bullet manufacturer, but I'm pretty sure that its Hornady and Remington.

 

[emp1953]

I've shot Nosler 165 partitions and Accubonds (not the ABLR,s they didnt work as well) in my -06 with stellar results. For a while I also put Swift A-frames and sciroccos through with likewise results. Great accuracy over Imr3031. Really good performance on deer sized game out to 325yds

 

[Andrew Massi]

I'm pretty sure they SST comes via Hornady and the Core-lokt comes via Remington. something may be going on behind the scenes that I'm not aware of like they share a bullet manufacturer, but I'm pretty sure that its Hornady and Remington.

Remington introduced the tipped core lokt recently- during a period when the Remington ammo plant wasn't making ammo.
keyword is tipped it has a ballistic tip not the traditional lead tip. It just so happens to be a hornady sst or Remington in their haste to release a bullet copied the hornady sst 100% oal, ogive length, tip length, shape length and angle of boattail are all identical.