30-06 sst load developement

[OFFGRID]

a quick question for you guys about 150 grain boat tail sst bullets. im currently working on load development for them with blc2 powder and LC69 cases. i loaded 33 last night starting at 49g and increasing 1/2 g until i reached 53g. i plan on testing this weekend, but im wondering how much velocity is actually needed for my hunting situatuon
where we hunt shots can range from 40-150 yards and maybe im some rare cases reach 200 yards.

would the bullets perform better at these ranges with a little less charge? if i get a set that groups decent some where in the middle of the min and max would that be better than one that may group a little better at high charge weights/velocities?


thanks again for helping out a newby

 

[OFFGRID]

sorry i forgot to mention we hunt whitetail.

 

[jmr40]

As a general rule most cup and core bullets expand reliably with impact speeds between about 1800-2800 fps. Much faster and they overexpand and may not penetrate enough, much slower and they may not expand at all. But those numbers vary depending on the individual bullet. SST's are one of the softer bullets and may still expand below 1800 fps and may over expand below 2800 fps.

You can push 150 gr bullets over 3000 fps in a 30-06 with some loads and at close range might get a pretty explosive bullet impact. On whitetails you don't need a lot of penetration so it should still kill dramatically. But you could lose a lot of meat. On bigger game, or shots from bad angles where penetration is needed a tougher bullet might be better. A 165 or 180 gr SST would be a lot slower, and the added weight will improve penetration.

I'd want at least 2800 fps from a 30-06. That's 308 speed, but at that speed you shouldn't have to worry too much about over expansion on close shots and you should still be over 1800 fps well past 200 yards, closer to 500 yards in fact.

That's why my 30-06 hasn't been used much lately and my 308's have. If you load them to 3000+ fps in a 30-06 you'll retain 1800 fps to around 700 yards.

 

[OFFGRID]

As a general rule most cup and core bullets expand reliably with impact speeds between about 1800-2800 fps. Much faster and they overexpand and may not penetrate enough, much slower and they may not expand at all. But those numbers vary depending on the individual bullet. SST's are one of the softer bullets and may still expand below 1800 fps and may over expand below 2800 fps.

You can push 150 gr bullets over 3000 fps in a 30-06 with some loads and at close range might get a pretty explosive bullet impact. On whitetails you don't need a lot of penetration so it should still kill dramatically. But you could lose a lot of meat. On bigger game, or shots from bad angles where penetration is needed a tougher bullet might be better. A 165 or 180 gr SST would be a lot slower, and the added weight will improve penetration.

I'd want at least 2800 fps from a 30-06. That's 308 speed, but at that speed you shouldn't have to worry too much about over expansion on close shots and you should still be over 1800 fps well past 200 yards, closer to 500 yards in fact.

That's why my 30-06 hasn't been used much lately and my 308's have. If you load them to 3000+ fps in a 30-06 you'll retain 1800 fps to around 700 yards.

thank you sir! that makes things pretty clear

 

[Seedy Character]

I have shot 150 gr .30-06 for whitetail, since 1975. 180 gr for elk and mule deer.

I load 4064. Could get more velocity with different powder, but 2900 fps and 5/8" groups give me everything I need.

Loaded some 120 gr @ 2600 in grandson's. 30-06, mid .25-06 load. Accurate and mild recoil. He loves his .30-06, now. He bought 180 gr Hog Hammer, only thing on the shelf, when he bought the rifle. Too much recoil for him.

 

[OFFGRID]

I have shot 150 gr .30-06 for whitetail, since 1975. 180 gr for elk and mule deer.

I load 4064. Could get more velocity with different powder, but 2900 fps and 5/8" groups give me everything I need.

Loaded some 120 gr @ 2600 in grandson's. 30-06, mid .25-06 load. Accurate and mild recoil. He loves his .30-06, now. He bought 180 gr Hog Hammer, only thing on the shelf, when he bought the rifle. Too much recoil for him.

i was thinking of trying some 212 grain eldx for hogs. lol that should knock em down

 

[Hugger-4641]

i was thinking of trying some 212 grain eldx for hogs. lol that should knock em down

The Eldx will tolerate more speed than the SST and still expand well at closer ranges. If you are more concerned about flat shooting and still getting expansion farther out, I'd switch to the ELDx. I use the 178eldx in .308 and 30-06 with excellent results. If I was never gonna shoot past 150yds, I'd load to 2800 or less and use the SST.
I use the 200 and 212eldx in my 300wm.

 

[OFFGRID]

The Eldx will tolerate more speed than the SST and still expand well at closer ranges. If you are more concerned about flat shooting and still getting expansion farther out, I'd switch to the ELDx. I use the 178eldx in .308 and 30-06 with excellent results. If I was never gonna shoot past 150yds, I'd load to 2800 or less and use the SST.
I use the 200 and 212eldx in my 300wm.

if i post some pics of the testing/grouping this weekend would you guys mind looking at them and helping me pick a load?

 

[Hugger-4641]

if i post some pics of the testing/grouping this weekend would you guys mind looking at them and helping me pick a load?

Absolutely.
From what I infer, these would be within published data, if not, just make sure you include the disclaimer.

 

[OFFGRID]

Absolutely.
From what I infer, these would be within published data, if not, just make sure you include the disclaimer.

its lee data

 

[Thomasss]

I've hunted Wisconsin whitetail with your exact load using BLC2 and 150 grain Hornady SST bullets out to 350 yards. I found the SST to be a great bullet than expands well and gives great penetration at slightly slower speeds. I load them at just over 2700 fps and they do quite well. Their high BC is G1 .415, so I wouldn't be too concerned of similar type bullets unless you plan on shooting 600 yards or better.
Min. to Max would be 2700 to 2800fps.

 

[Ks5shooter]

I like a 165 SST personally in 30-06 for my reloads.

 

[OFFGRID]

I like a 165 SST personally in 30-06 for my reloads.

honestly i got them by mistake. i really like the 150 interlocks, but when i got them home i figured "what the heck?" its good to try new things.

 

[Okie_Poke]

I used to load a bunch of 150 SSTs in a 30-06. It’s a pretty fragile bullet for close range shots on deer. It kills, no question, but I got tired of picking little pieces of jacket out of my deer. Of course, I was pushing them about as fast as I could, and my shots were almost always under 100 yards, and so of course they fragmented pretty violently.

All of that to say, for the use case you specify, I wouldn’t hesitate to load them down a bit if I found a powder charge I liked at a somewhat slower velocity.

 

[kalielkslayer]

My experience with SSTs is similar.

I loaded them in 7-08 and .280. Even in the 7-08, they are little grenades, they blow up on impact.

But they are so accurate!

My wife has shot 5-6 antelope with them and not even close to 1 exit hole. But thin skinned game dies quickly with them, usually in their tracks.

Her furthest shot was 350 yards and the bullet still discinerated.

 

[Random 8]

I shoot the SST for some target applications. I swore them off for hunting whitetail forever. They have been extremely accurate for me. On a deer, they disintigrate leaving far too many secondary missiles for my taste.

 

[OFFGRID]

I shoot the SST for some target applications. I swore them off for hunting whitetail forever. They have been extremely accurate for me. On a deer, they disintigrate leaving far too many secondary missiles for my taste.

sounds like they would do well on coyotes if nothing else.

 

[Random 8]

sounds like they would do well on coyotes if nothing else.

Yes, very much so. Shooting the neighbor's nuisance crows with them is like blowing the fluff off a black dandelion also. I found them too soft even in my wife's .308 slightly reduced power at ~2600fps. I greatly prefer the Speer HC or Hornady IL flat base to the SST on game. I do like them for dinging the long steel at my local club and varmints as you mentioned. They are VERY accurate from my .280 rem and I use them for our club's annual informal "deer hunt match," which includes an old fashioned runner target and shots on steel at unknown distance to 300 yards from field positions.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I’ve used BLC2 for decades. IIRC 51.0 and 53.5 were accuracy nodes.
Use 5-shot groups as 3-shots can be deceiving.
I’ve shot several dozen deer with 51.0gr which got 2,900fps from my gun with the 150gr Nosler B.T.’s.
I used the recommended magnum primer because it can get below freezing in the mornings of late January in Alabama.

My 24”bbl MkX Mauser shoots under 1” with these.
FWIW, a .30/06 shoots 150’s flattest To 300yds. Only past 300yds do the heavier bullets show an advantage.

 

[Varminterror]

its lee data

I’d personally use Hornady data for Hornady bullets, especially over Lee data. Lee doesn’t do any testing of their own, only regurgitates data from other sources, while Hornady pressure tests every load they publish.

SST’s are a good deer bullet. But they’re not built to kill in the same way as slower expanding lead tipped soft points. Lay off the hard stuff with any tipped bullet and death will come on swift wings, with de minimis wasted meat.

 

[Stevenvalleyky]

The SST is a great bullet and in my 308s, 243s and 30-06, was easy to find accurate loads for. But....ive shot deer with SSTs in all 3 calibers at under 50 yards and they are extremely explosive. None had a complete pass thru taking rear lung shots. While the animals never go more than 40 yards, there was not much blood to trail as the bullet entered and grenaded inside the deer without exiting. Just be aware of this possibility if you shoot 1 up close. Past 100 yards this has not been an issue for me.

 

[OFFGRID]

i actually took a doe with this round this year. load was 52 grains of blc2. did the job at 120 yards. no exit tho.