SST Blowup on deer

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Sea Buck

New member
I am going to reload using Hornady SST bullets. I have been told some local "experts" that SST's have been noted to "blow up" on deer. I would guess that would mean fragmenting and little penetration. I am going to use these in a .30-06 Ruger MK II, for shots out to 200 yds. Has any one had any experience with this bullet on deer, moose, elk, or maybe a hog.
 
My buddy killed a buck this year with one, it hit bone and yes it turned into schrapnel... End result, dead deer.

I wouldn't hesitate to use them on deer although there are better options out there that don't have the tendency to come apart.
 
The whole idea behind an SST bullet was to give good expansion at "long" ranges (i.e. after the bullet had slowed down). The problem with that is that people shoot deer at short distances far more frequently than at long range. SST bullets traveling at high velocity do fragment terribly. This results in lots of body damage (i.e. sometimes valuable meat) and frequently poor penetration.

So, for your use you need to determine what it is you are trying to accomplish and use the bullet that meets those needs. Don't just load an SST simply because it looks cool or because somebody's brother says they like them. Use the bullet designed to do what works best in your particular circumstances.
 
Your "local experts" opinion mirrors my experience with them @ 400 yds from a 300WSM loaded to 2900fps.Better bullets out there to shoot deer.Bullet blew up on the shoulder and 2 subsequent shots finally killed the deer,all perfectly placed,they just would not penetrate.Fine bullet for blowing up what you don't want to eat or recover.
 
Thanks folks, just about what I was looking for. I'll ignore the SST ( now what do I do with them, another box of target bullets!!) and go with a Hornady Interlock. Basic and it will do the job.
 
I load the 130 sst in 270 and I normally lung/heart shoot behind the leg and they have worked perfectly out to 300. I don't know that I would anchor in the leg with them, but softer tissue hasn't been an issue. Very good accuracy as well.
 
I found the same problem with SST's coming a part, but I also like the way they shoot. The seem to be quite accurate in my hunting rifles.

So I found an alternative. I buy and use SSTs for practice and use InterBonds for hunting.

If you check the BC of the two bullets (assuming same caliber and weight) they are identical. Meaning my IBs shoot the same place at the same velocity, loaded the same way as my SSTs.

The IBs are more expensive but if I can use SSTs for practice, a box of IB's will last a long time using them only for hunting.

In my 270 Win, I use 150 IBs for elk with zero problems, I wouldn't consider using 150 SSTs.
 
Doyle in post #3 hit it exactly.

We've used them for years in 30-06 and 243 without a problem. But we shoot longer range then most.

Though we've had little trouble at short range, they dont work as good at the higher speeds. You could slow the load down for short range work.
 
Hornady Interlock

The Hornady Interlock and the SST are the same construction with the exception of plastic tip and boat tail. Get the InterBOND.
 
I've shot 7 whitetail at 50 to 360 yards and a 100 pound hog with my .260rem running 129 SSTs and have not had one "blow up" yet. But then again, I load for accuracy not velocity.
 
I dropped 2 Doe drt at 100 yards with 243 95gr sst, one shot quartering towards me. Neither bullet exited. Just killed a 180 lb boar with 165gr sst out of a 308 just behind the shoulder, about middle of body. This bullet also did not exit, and the hog did not take a step but I did run up and shoot him with a 357 as he was still suffering (not the leg kick nerves). I do plan on using tsx or interbond when I go elk hunting, though.
 
Pick a bullet that behaves the way you want it to behave. My two favorite hunting bullets are the Barnex X (in several of its variants) and the Berger Vld Hunting. The two behave entirely different, but they are both devesdating in their own different ways. The SST will behave very similar to the Berger, except it will not be nearly as accurate.;);)
 
A picture is worth.....

I have posted this before, and while it is only one instance it does show what a SST is capable of. Please understand, THIS IS A VERY GRAPHIC PICTURE of a buck shot in the neck with a .284, 156 grain SST out of a 7mm Remington Magnum at close range. In the end the results were a tagged filled, but had the shot not been in the upper neck the meat loss may have been catastrophic.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=86827&d=1360261777

That is the entry wound.
 
My daughter has put 3 deer down with 120gr SSTs in her 6.8. Nothing abnormal. Entry/exit wounds as expected and were heart/lung with 1 a quartering away which went through the off shoulder. All shots under 100 yards. But, the 6.8 is only pushing 2450 MV IIRC.

Compare that to my .308 with Interbonds. 4 deer between 30 and 105 yards. 1 head on through the chest, 1 through the head, the other 2 broadside. The 2 broadsides were through and through with typical results and damage. The head on stopped under the skin on the backside.

I think Allen is fibbing a bit with the pic... Not sure how he confused 7mm RM with 50 BMG!:eek::D
 
Allen, any bullet that expands properly is going to cause a huge amount of hydrostatic damage when it impacts meat at 3300FPS. If I actually took pictures of animals bullet wounds, I could show you some deer the Bergers field dressed. The more damage, the quicker the kill. The less damage, the more tracking one will do.
 
I don't know if the construction of the sst's is the same as the interlocks, but that's all I've used in my 6.5 Swede... 140gr interlocks. On 4 or 5 deer, and one small hog, the results have been flawless. No excessive meat destruction, full pass throughs, and all deer except one dropped at the shot. The exception just staggered sideways about 25 or 30 feet and fell through a barbed wire fence, dead.
These are starting out at 2625fps, and none have been over 160yds or so. I don't see any need to try anything else.
 
reynolds357, the bullet was not even close to that velocity. We chronographed it at sea level right at 3000 fps, and we hunt in the 3000-5000 foot range. I agree that the level of hydrostatic shock contributes to how fast the animal is dispatched, but you have to agree there is a point at which there is to much. I think that picture is displaying to much:eek:
 
Allen no neck roasts for you. Reynolds I disagree about massive damage and trackin sjot critters. I use Nosler products for the most part, and I rarely ever have to track any down, with the Accubond and a well placed shot, I get pass throughs and a super shock effect, usually deer down right there.
I have seen deer hit with explosive type bullets and they usually need trackin. I might pay a little more for my brand, but it saves me in the long run with less tracking and less meat distruction.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top