Experience with Hornady SST on deer?

[MachV]

Never had the SST shoot best out of any rifle but pickt up some 162 grain SuperPerformance loads for the 7 mag last year. They shot alright but I hit a goat @ 45 yards broadside throught the boiler room, I was kinda laughing figured it would blow a big hole in him and blow him off his feet=WRONG he took off like I had missed......Wich I did with the second shot but the third took out his back hocks and he crawled 150 yards farther(downhill) before I could get reloaded and finish him off. The first shot went through both lungs without hitting a rib and it lookt like I had hit him with a target arrow!!
The other two guys with me where useing 154 grain reloads and thier goats droped in thier track with off shoulder hits.
For goats and deer I still prefer the 160 grain partition that also works for elk and they shoot great out to 600 yards in the old 7mag.....when I take the time to reload

 

[R20]

I use the 120 SST out of my 6.8 Ar-15. Getting sub moa at 100 yards. This bullet is a deer and hog machine. Bullets look good coming out of the hogs i've shot, as for deer, I shoot most of mine in the neck and have yet to have one move.

So I guess this bullet sounds like it's suited for thin skinned smaller game? Like whitetail and bellow? I shoot 168 gr ballistic silvertips out of my .308 and have wondered whether I should try the SST for it. May just stick with the silvertips.

here is a review from the 6.8 forums.

120gr SST Hogs/Range Report....

 

[Snowman]

I've used the 129 SST in a long throated 6.5 Rem, the 139 gr SST in a 7mm Wby and a 165 SST in a 30-06. All 3 killed deer. All 3 opened violently (similar to a ballistic tip) and messed up a bit of meat. If you get a broaside lung shot they work pretty good. If you need a little more penetration I don't think they are the bullet. I've switched to Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets and I am very happy with the complete penetration and less meat damage.

 

[JackinSD]

I reloaded 95gr SST's in my dad's .243 for antelpe and deer hunting. They were rather explosive. First antelope, quartering shot, hit just behind front shoulder and exit in front of hind quarter. There was little need to field dress that one. Most everything you would have to remove was already laying on the ground from the large cavity left at the exit. Second antelope, barely hit the front shoulder and heart lungs to jello. Front shoulder was a complete loss.

The SST's, in my experience, will definitely put an animal down. However, the damage they do at exit or upon hitting bone makes them too explosive.

They were accurate in my dad's .243 but we will be looking for a different bullet after the seasons are over. Accuracy is still the most important part of putting an animal down.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Took a deer today at 270 yards with the Hornady 165 SST Superformance in 308. Velocity was about 2340 fps at impact. Broadside hit, bottom of both lungs shredded, heart cut in two. I made a good shot, which I have to brag about to you all because nobody in my family cares. Small exit wound. Deer took a few steps before he realized he was dead...but he went down in a hurry. Upon skinning, noted massive blood shot around ribs at entry wound with shattered rib, less at exit, but I don't really care cause I throw the ribs to the dogs anyway. The rest is quartered and aging in my fridge, though!

 

[Bisbee]

I killed a coues whitetail buck two weeks ago with a 130 grain sst from a 270 Winchester. I found that the wound was no more dramatic than what the Sierra 130 gamekings do. The buck was 360 yards away facing me. The bullet entered his neck and exited on his shoulder.
My son shot a javelina in the neck broadside at 222 yards with the sst in a 270. Three vertabrea were fractured and blasted out the other side, this wound was dramatic! Any other bullet would have done the same.
My brother shot a spike elk using a 165 grain sst from a 30-06. The bullet exited and the elk died quickly. I think that sst's are a fine deer bullet and accurate to boot.
Bisbee

 

[Thumper1991]

I have taken 2elk and 2mule deer with ssts. 1 with 3006 150gr. 265yards 1shot 1kill.bullet recovered off leg at knee or elbow. Did not weight it but not much left of bullet. The second elk right at 400 yards. 165gr 300 win. Same as above. The 1st deer just over 300yards no bullet recovers. 3006 150gr sst. The second deer 285 Yards 270 130gr sst. Not much left of bullet. All dead in tracks.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Had a runner after hitting a deer broadside with a 165 SST in 308 this Sunday. Good hit through just behind the shoulder blades, tore both lungs up but not the heart. Exit wound the size of silver dollar. Velocity at impact probably 2700 fps (Superformance at 90 yards.) Deer ran 25 yards, leaped a barbed wire fence (&%$@), ran about 50 more yards into the woods before laying down (&^%$). Larger deer, practically killed myself dragging it through brush and through the fence. Finally got it to the point I could get an ATV to. Not sure the bullet was at fault or he was just spunky. I'll try to hit the heart next time...or neck maybe?

 

[Bravo 4]

Sounds like it did it's job, sometimes they just don't want to die!
What did the insides look like?

 

[RFtinkerer]

Lungs were pretty torn up, heart was scraped but not punctured. Glad I used up my 2 tags, I don't want to have to pull another this year.

Maybe I could stand to work out a little before next year, though.

 

[idfishnhunt]

My daughter whacked a nice muley buck with a 139gn SST. It did not come out, and I did not find the bullet. One hole going in, then it expanded and shattered all the ribs on the other side. The deer dropped in it's tracks though. Luckily it hit up front and didn't make a mess...but I can see this bullet doing just that if hit more in the guts. Might try an accubond for next season and see how they shoot. One thing for sure, these SST's in her rifle are tack drivers.

 

[1denogean]

my dad shot a deer last weekend at 285yds with 180 gr sst's and it was awsome. deer dropped in its tracks and there was mayber a 1 in entrance hole and then everything inside was like chopped liver. none of the meat that we eat got ruined. it made for an easy gut job. I will definitly be buying some more to load up

 

[idfishnhunt]

I managed to come across the 139gn SST when we were cutting up our scraps to make sausage. Here is what it looks like. It shattered all the ribs on the opposite side in about a 6-inch area. There was quite a bit of bullet fragments around the area, which I wasn't overly excited about. DRT with good shot placement, and you can't beat the price if your doing a lot of shooting. Half the price of a bonded bullet...I can live with that.

 

[ruger300]

Been shooting hornady sst on deer and like sized game for a few years, yeah they are explosive but have always recovered the animal. This whitetail came down the game trail while I was sitting in my ladder stand. Stopped him at 50yds when I had a good shot and killed him with the 300wm 180sst at 3000fps, still ran 50 yds before he dropped in sight.

Dropped this whitetail buck with the same load at 150 yds, ran nearly 100yds but still left a blood trail.

Took my first bighorn with a 140gr sst out of the 270WSM at 200yds going 3220fps. He also took a 20yd run before he toppled.

Killed these 2 deer last season with the same gun but a 150gr sst. The mule deer ran 20yds before he dropped and the whitetail dropped where I stopped him.

Never recovered a single bullet but every shot did its job. Will continue to use these non premium bullets when I'm in pursuit of deer sized game.

ruger300