How well does the Hornady SST round work on deer?

[k-robinson]

I recently purchased the Hornady superperformance rounds. I shoot a 25-06 and these rounds actually have me shooting about 1" group up to 200 yards, which is all I need here in South Alabama. My question is I have been shooting the 90 gr. rounds out on the range and I am very impressed with the accuracy, but how will they do when hunting deer?

 

[1prcntr]

I use 95 gr in 243, 150 gr in 308, and 139 gr in 7-08, 250 gr in muzzle loader. They work fine for me!

 

[redbullitt]

I have seen them do very well from a .243 and .308 and 7mm. Accuracy is very good and they seem to be pretty consistent. What velocity are you getting? I did notice that they worked better at moderate speeds from the 7mm mag, especially on closer shots.

If you are getting groups like that, go hunting lol. You should not have any problems.

 

[Rembrandt]

Took three deer with muzzleloader using 300 grain .50 cal SST's. All seemed to do well, little disappointed with the thickness of the copper jacket, thinner than what I expected. Later I'll post a picture of a recovered bullet from one of the deer.....you can be the judge.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

They expand great on deer. Like a ballistic tip almost but a little more controled. The only time I've killed one with a SST the core and jacket did separate, but it hit bone, so that's probably why. It was a 165 grain out of a .30-06.

 

[Rembrandt]

300 grain .50 caliber.....took out a 325lb whitetail. Somewhat surprised how the jacket peeled away from the lead.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I used them in my 7mm.08 and the only problem I had was them "blowing up" a bit too much at close range shots (inside of 50 yards). I switched to the Interlocs and Interbonds. I was using the 139gr SST's and had them cooking off at a little over 3000fps. Never had one of the Inter's "blow up" yet on deer or hogs so I guess I cured that problem.

 

[Kilgor]

Very well in the 165 grain 30-06. Good penetration and lots of expansion.

 

[788Ham]

Should do the job they're supposed to do, we've used these and Interlocks for ages here in Colorado, without any problems.

Rembrandt, looks to me the bullet worked like its supposed to, what more could you want?

 

[gspn]

My son took his first buck with a 95 grain Hornady SST this weekend. He shoots a .243 Winchester. I was very disappointed with the terminal ballistics.

This was a 170 buck that was hit in the shoulder and the bullet disintegrated before penetrating the chest cavity. It literally blew up on his shoulder. The bullet didn't make it three inches in. Nothing got into the boiler room...the chest cavity wall was fully intact and the lungs had not a scratch on them. The deer ran a measured 183 yards before collapsing.

Hornady advertises " Heavy construction with InterLock® feature delivers deep penetration every time." I can tell you that it doesn't perform that way "every time."

If there wasn't some snow still left on the ground I don't think I would have recovered that animal...there was VERY little blood to follow because the wound was so shallow. I'll be handloading for this rifle next year and will be using a more solidly built bullet. Perhaps a partition or a solid copper.

I may have gotten the one bullet that doesn't represent the SST line in general...but it will be very difficult for me to trust that bullet again.

They were quite accurate...but the terminal ballistics were a complete failure.

 

[pbrktrt]

I have been using them for 7 years on Mich. whitetails. Not one complaint so far. I do place them in the heart/lung area and the damage inside is complete. I have never recovered one to see what it looked like. 270 Win @ 3100-3200 fps.

 

[Kilgor]

Re: the .243 SST on deer

The caliber is light to begin with, so it makes sense that using a bullet that is known for a lot of expansion would give subpar results. Three inches is crazy shallow though! What are you using now? Maybe a Nosler Partition or Barnes X bullet would be a better choice in .243 to ensure penetration.

If the lungs and heart were undamaged, why did the deer collapse? Lay down and bleed out from the flesh wound?

 

[nathan]

On a another note, i called Nosler asking about my Nosler 100 grBTs in .2506. They said its intended for deer by design . They do recommend head and neck shots in close range further beyond 75 yds to aim for lung and heart shots.

They are very accurate and have good BC . The ballistic tips which are similar to the Hornady SSTs are basically the same . I would probably try the Federal Fusion in 120 gr .25 06 for deer and other bigger game if i get the chance. The 100 gr BT will be relegated for varmints from now on.

 

[Kilgor]

I've used both ballistic tips and SSTs (165 grain 30-06) on deer and the SST penetrates much better. I got an exit in all but one occasion out of eleven kills with the SST. I killed three this year with the ballistic tip and only got one exit and that was a neck shot.

 

[gspn]

It was really strange...after the initial big hole in the shoulder it looked like most of the damage went DOWN the shoulder toward the leg. I did a thorough search and found nothing left of the bullet core...it was all very small fragments. The fragments were just barely larger than the width of a toothpic. Explosive fragmentation.

I'm guessing the animal laid down from shock and internal blood loss. He made it a long way with only three wheels to carry him. Most of his run was in the open and then he collapsed about 50 yards inside the set of woods he went to.

I'm going to use the off-season to experiment with new bullets...I have to find somthing that will retain it's already limited weight.

 

[JEV]

SST's seem to be really particular about speed. I was shooting them in my .308 at a little over 3000 fps for deer. Couple years ago I hit a doe right behind the front shoulder. She was only a little over 100 yards when I fired. Hair everywhere. I've never seen so much hair blown off a deer. Zero blood. My son and I did track her for a couple hundred yards back in the brush and eventually found 2 drops of blood. Never recovered the deer. It's my belief that the SST splashed on impact with that deer. I've since switched back to regular 150 grain Hornady spire points and have had zero issues.

 

[hardluk1]

I have killed about 22 deer with a 7 rem mag with the sst hevy mag loads. I like the load. Deer have been hit at 29feet to just under 400 yards. I alway shoot for mid front of chest and always find destrution to heart and lungs with some in the spine. I have not hard single deer take more than a couple sets and fall die. Only had 2 with any real amont of pass thrue except for a couple that took more of a spinal shoot that blowed a half moon sized section out. My rifle is shooting 139gr sst at 3380fps with a 28" barrel and the hornady 7mm rem. heavy mags You my just have to try them and make your mind up.Do watch bullet placement with lighter bullets. If you just have to have a pass thru shot look to barnes X if loaded in 25-06 and shot at the shoulder. It will break them

 

[jbkebert]

My oldest son's buck from this year. .270 win 130grain SST buck did not twitch just fell in his tracks. Heart seperated into 4 peices. Mulitple broken ribs and broken leg. Most of the meat forward of diaphram was a loss.



Same boys deer from 2009. 178 yards .243 win 95 grain SST. Took the heart lungs, a couple ribs and broke the far leg. Deer ran approx 30-35 yards and piled up.

As a whole the SST is a hard hitting very accurate bullet. The Hornady custom ammo for the .243 win has outpreformed anything that I have handloaded. Off of the bench with myself behind the trigger it will print a sub nickel 5 shot group.

 

[Smokey Joe]

More penetration...

You want a little more penetration than with a Hornady SST or a Nosler Ballistic Tip, try a Nosler Accubond. Same nice plastic tip (doesn't deform with recoil, in the magazine, as does a lead tip) but slightly heavier jacket.

The Accubond is basically the Generation II of Nosler's famous Partition bullet, and in addition to being more accurate than the Partition (IMX) it's also cheaper. What's not to like?

JB Kebert--Nice bucks for your young'un!

 

[MGMphy]

I have hunted a few places in Texas where they specifically ask their hunters not to shoot Ballistic Tip / SST bullets as their experience has showed them if you hit bone, for example on a quartering toward type shot, they often fragment substantially and don't penetrate well. I thought that was interesting as they said they had quite a few clients very disappointed.
In my opinion, perhaps look into a Barnes TSX or Tipped TSX (TTSX) bullet. They expand very, very well and I get good accuracy out of them. They penetrate exceptionally well, and don't leave behind any lead fragments.
Hope this helps... just my opinion of course!

 

[BoilerUP]

I know of a guy who shot a whitetail buck square in the front left shoulder at about 50yd with a 7mm Rem Mag using...wait for it...a 130gr MatchKing.

The deer literally ran a half-mile on three legs before collapsing; the shoulder was completely disintegrated and you could move the leg in any direction with 100% free movement.

Moral of the story? Whitetails don't wear armor plating, but if you want to shoot through shoulders you gotta use a tough bullet...regardless of caliber.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

very very good!!!!

 

[hardluk1]

smokey joe the accubond is a heavier built version of the ballistic tip not the partition and it does work well. I just like a more bullet frag off some material for deer. Had to look for way to many deer shot with partitions over about a 20 year period. They were a friends favorate bullet. They allways killed but deer always ran some . Maybe only 50 feet but in a heavy brushy thorny to the ground or over a drop off area that s*cks.

I have used the sst since they came out and BT's a good while longer and neaver had a problem killing deer with them. I don't ever shoot at shoulders ecept the few times i shot barnes X. I use a 7mm rem mag and hornady's 139gr sst and a 308 125gr from geogia arms and both have worked extremy well. never had a deer go more that a couple sets and fall. Only mike shaked two deers insides with the BT bullets and that was the original thinner version.

 

[788Ham]

Kilgor,

You're saying the .243 SST is too light of a bullet to begin with for deer? I don't think so, if the .250 Savage 87 grain bullet knocks the tar out of deer, why would the .243 bullet be too light? If you shoot a deer with the .243 and he walks 5 steps before he drops dead, and a deer shot with the .250 walks 10 steps before dropping dead, whats too light? Dead is dead!

 

[Kilgor]

It'll work, no doubt. But it isn't shocking when a 95 grain bullet with a thin jacket fails to penetrate deeply.