TXAoudadKlr
Well-Known Member
Anyone have any experiences with these in the field that they'd like to share? My rifle really loves the 129gr SST and I'd like to know how they've performed for others terminally speaking.
Hornady SST terminal performance
- Thread starter TXAoudadKlr
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
I don't have any luck with the 129's but I did have great success with the 123's in 6.5 flavor on whitetail.
Performed well, punching through both shoulders at 225 yards with exit. Also a friend used the rifle on a 100 yard shot where shot was high shoulder with exit. I was quite surprised, I suspected them to be more frangible and not exit on heavy bone.
Performed well, punching through both shoulders at 225 yards with exit. Also a friend used the rifle on a 100 yard shot where shot was high shoulder with exit. I was quite surprised, I suspected them to be more frangible and not exit on heavy bone.
TXAoudadKlr
Well-Known Member
That's what I wanted to hear. I'm not expecting it to exit but want it to be able to handle going through the shoulder on an aoudad. I'll have my 300 with me if a really big one shows if that's not in the cards I'd like to use my 6.5 on a smaller one for they're similar in size to a whitetail.
snox801
Well-Known Member
Yep same experience I've had. Hold in bigger hole out. Lots of bag flops. Seems they are a bit softer than the nosler bt but that not always a bad thing.
EricL
Well-Known Member
Shot an elk at 160 yds with a 162gr 7mm, hit it 3 times none of them came out but one stopped under the skin on the far side. Moral of story, I agree with snox801 they are just a little soft but for deer size game they should be about right.
TXAoudadKlr
Well-Known Member
Sounds like I'll be just fine. Thank you gentlemen
I have found while using the SST and the Ballistic Tips that you need to pay attention to impact velocity. Max impact that is given for the Ballistic Tip is 3200 fps if my memory is correct. I have found that 3000 fps in my experience is max to get much penetration without blow ups. 2800 down to 1500 fps works really well. I have used the SST in a 25-06 the 117 SST at 3000 fps muzzle on white tail deer. In my experience it is a bit tougher than the Ballistic Tip. The interlock ring on the SST I think helps hold it
together better. I gave the 162 SST a try on deer out of a 7mm Rem mag 2900 fps muzzle. It would exit also but just like most any bullet I tried unless you hit the spine deer would run off a ways before going down. I was doing crop damage control in fields surrounded by NC swamp and jungle and most of my shooting was the last hour of light in the evening and I did not want to be crawling around in that stuff trying to find a deer in the dark. I and my buddy killed 100 deer a year for 15 years and shot them with about everything from a 22 through 45-70. My favorites are 257 and 6.5 in most any flavor pushing most any bullet 100 to 140 grs. They are just stone cold killers.
together better. I gave the 162 SST a try on deer out of a 7mm Rem mag 2900 fps muzzle. It would exit also but just like most any bullet I tried unless you hit the spine deer would run off a ways before going down. I was doing crop damage control in fields surrounded by NC swamp and jungle and most of my shooting was the last hour of light in the evening and I did not want to be crawling around in that stuff trying to find a deer in the dark. I and my buddy killed 100 deer a year for 15 years and shot them with about everything from a 22 through 45-70. My favorites are 257 and 6.5 in most any flavor pushing most any bullet 100 to 140 grs. They are just stone cold killers.
snox801
Well-Known Member
I have found while using the SST and the Ballistic Tips that you need to pay attention to impact velocity. Max impact that is given for the Ballistic Tip is 3200 fps if my memory is correct. I have found that 3000 fps in my experience is max to get much penetration without blow ups. 2800 down to 1500 fps works really well. I have used the SST in a 25-06 the 117 SST at 3000 fps muzzle on white tail deer. In my experience it is a bit tougher than the Ballistic Tip. The interlock ring on the SST I think helps hold it
together better. I gave the 162 SST a try on deer out of a 7mm Rem mag 2900 fps muzzle. It would exit also but just like most any bullet I tried unless you hit the spine deer would run off a ways before going down. I was doing crop damage control in fields surrounded by NC swamp and jungle and most of my shooting was the last hour of light in the evening and I did not want to be crawling around in that stuff trying to find a deer in the dark. I and my buddy killed 100 deer a year for 15 years and shot them with about everything from a 22 through 45-70. My favorites are 257 and 6.5 in most any flavor pushing most any bullet 100 to 140 grs. They are just stone cold killers.
Ive had the oppisite experience. I drive the nosler at over 3600fps out of my .257 roy and never had an issue blowing right through a big deer. The sst on the other hand seems to have a softer jacket. The tend to make a mess and rarely exit. Just moving to fast. Now that's no a bad thing as I use them in slower moving rounds to get better expansion. Like the 95gr in my 6x45 works amazing. I'm also trying the 125sst in place of the nosler in the 300 blk as the softer bullet should expand better at the slow speeds of the blk.
TXAoudadKlr
Well-Known Member
I have found while using the SST and the Ballistic Tips that you need to pay attention to impact velocity. Max impact that is given for the Ballistic Tip is 3200 fps if my memory is correct. I have found that 3000 fps in my experience is max to get much penetration without blow ups. 2800 down to 1500 fps works really well. I have used the SST in a 25-06 the 117 SST at 3000 fps muzzle on white tail deer. In my experience it is a bit tougher than the Ballistic Tip. The interlock ring on the SST I think helps hold it
together better. I gave the 162 SST a try on deer out of a 7mm Rem mag 2900 fps muzzle. It would exit also but just like most any bullet I tried unless you hit the spine deer would run off a ways before going down. I was doing crop damage control in fields surrounded by NC swamp and jungle and most of my shooting was the last hour of light in the evening and I did not want to be crawling around in that stuff trying to find a deer in the dark. I and my buddy killed 100 deer a year for 15 years and shot them with about everything from a 22 through 45-70. My favorites are 257 and 6.5 in most any flavor pushing most any bullet 100 to 140 grs. They are just stone cold killers.
My dad and I both shot nosler ballistic silver tips for some time. I experienced premature expansion issues on my first aoudad I was using a 7rem and 150's. Now the following year my dad shot a much larger sheep than the one I had taken with a 270 win and 130's however he didn't have such an issue as I had. One day playing around with a ballistic calculator I figured the extra 200FPS I had on impact over my dad's 270 win is why I had issues and he didn't with almost the same exact same bullet. Your concern was a concern of mine until a few guys chimed in and taking into account my creedmoor's slower muzzle velocity.
jimbires
Well-Known Member
I have shot hundreds and hundreds of the 130 sst's with my 270 wins at my home range and every single sst separates from its jacket when recovered from the soil backstop behind the target rack.They shoot well but I wouldn't feel comfortable using these bullets on elk or moose.They should be fine on smaller game imo
Waynzee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2016
- Messages
- 732
This is some good stuff here, I'm planning on using the 123 gr. or 129 gr.SST out of my Browning X bolt 6.5 creedmoor this year and was kind of uncertain as to how good the SST's were. But this confirms what I have read other places about keeping the Vel. to around 2900 fps. I've always used Sierra GK bullets and have no complaints or issues with them. Just want to try something different.
