Right at dark yesterday, a sow and some larger shoats appeared in the pasture about 160 yards away, and I was awaiting them with the 6.5x30-30 AI sitting atop a sandbag.

Within seconds, one of the shoats -- from my perspective looking to be 48-50 pounds on the hoof -- appeared in front of the large sow, presenting a perfect opportunity for a double as the vitals aligned perfectly. Without hesitation, I sent a 123 grain Hornady SST downrange at 2601 fps MV and heard the unmistakable "whop" of bullet impact. The sow made a short run into the brush, and the shoat was down and unmoving. I figured the sow would be dead just inside of the treeline.

Wrong. With no sign of the sow, we went back, picked up the shoat and went back home for a flashlight. Before heading out again, I flipped the small hog over to see what the exit looked like -- and, to my dismay, there was none.

The 123 grain SST entered mid-body right above the front leg -- right where I wanted it to align with the larger sow's lower chest. There was minor splash on entry and a hole of 1.4" wide on the ribcage (dime-sized through edge of shoulder blade), indicating to me it was already coming apart at a rapid pace. (There is no chance it hit anything prior to impacting the hog as that area was just shredded yesterday).

The onside lung was completely demolished and just a bloodied/jellied mess. The damage ranged back to the liver, which was ruptured. The stomach was completely intact and undamaged. The second lung was also heavily damaged though to a notably lesser degree than the first, but in it, there were dozens upon dozens of tiny chips of lead and copper along with numerous bone shards. The heart had numerous punctures, much as if peppered by a shotgun and birdshot. None of them appeared to exit the heart. Many more tiny pieces of copper, lead and bone were found in coagulated blood (clots) in the chest cavity. Nothing penetrated the opposite-side ribcage.

While something may surface later, there was not a single, significant piece of jacket or core to be found. And we looked pretty thoroughly.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear this impact was from a highly frangible varmint bullet. I have not seen a wicked yet shallow wound cavity like this since shooting coyotes back in the 80s/early 90s with the 70 grain Hornady SX in a .243 WCF.

This bullet has served me rather well to this point, but if I said I wasn't concerned, I'd be lying. I'm not going to write off the 123 grain SST just yet due to one weird performance, but that doesn't mean I won't switch to another projectile, either.

I'll never rush to hasty judgment from one poor performance, but I have to admit being rather disappointed right now. Had I been shooting the Waters or 7mm Bullberry with 120 grain Ballistic Tips, there would be 2 hogs on the ground.

--

quote:

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear this impact was from a highly frangible varmint bullet. I have not seen a wicked yet shallow wound cavity like this since shooting coyotes back in the 80s/early 90s with the 70 grain Hornady SX in a .243 WCF.

Except for backing the time frame back to read 70's/80's, that bullet performance is why I developed a dislike for the .243 that I have not gotten past.

I deer hunted with a group and they used that very bullet you listed, spectacular kills if the hit was in the head or neck, but a shoulder or behind the shoulder shot and it ended with a wounded deer and lots of meat lost.

I know the .243 is a better caliber than that, but it soured me on it for my own personal use.

I had a similar situation a couple of years ago. Several hogs came into a field I was deer hunting with a smaller hog between me and a larger sow. I The shot was quartering away on the small hog so I shot at about the last rib on the near side which would have been behind the shoulder of the big sow. At the shot the small hog went down and the sow ran into a thicket. I was hooting a 7 mag with a 154 Hornandy at about 2800 fps so I thought this would work. I have killed several hogs but I still have trouble judging size, the small hog turned out to be about 150 lbs. with the bullet recovered in the off shoulder. So much for my two-fer shot.

Wow I would have figured it would have at least exited. May need to swap to the 125gr Partition..they happen to be on sale right now along with the 100gr Partitions on Midway

I've had the same luck as CHC with the .243. I am sure it is a great caliber for something but I wasn't excited about having to track a wounded hog.

My calibers jump from .223 up to .280 with nothing inbetween...I think I have just always stuck with at least 30 caliber...although my 280 and STW have proven to be pretty impressive.

I wouldn't worry about a single bullet. I had much the same thing happen on a broadside shot on a 150# doe with a 120 grain Ballistic Tip out of my 6.5-06AI at 3000fps and 50 yards. No exit, but it looked like the insides had been whipped by a blender. The rest have always exited with a nice exit hole. Just file it under "shit happens".

Larry-

You are right. I'd never judge a bullet based on one single performance, either. That 123 grain SST has served me quite well. But an oddity like this sure gets the wheels turning for a while...

Get a 45-70 and a 500 grain hardcast bullet and you will always get a twofer. Guaranteed.

quote:

Originally posted by sharpsguy:
Get a 45-70 and a 500 grain hardcast bullet and you will always get a twofer. Guaranteed.

Now if my decrepit joints could handle it, I may consider it.

In all seriousness, though, if memory serves, this would have been about my 20th double, and none were accomplished with anything over .30 caliber and with anything heavier than a 150 grain projectile.

But as Larry noted, sometimes stuff just happens...

Stuff does happen. I use the SST in 6.8 SPC where muzzle velocity is about 2450 fps. My favorite hunting bullet is the Nosler Ballistic Tip. I launch them from 2600-2900 fps and they work great at those velocities. I follow your posts so I know you are a big NBT fan as well.

im shooting the sst's in a 7.62 x 39 in a cz527 carbine about 2300 fps... I had a similar failure in a pig that was coated in mud... at the shot, dust flew... maybe there was a rock in the mud???...the bullet entered about 3" behind the shoulder on a 60 pound pig , broadside at about 60 yds.. nearside lung was jellied, liver was clipped... offside lung was damaged... did not find many bullet fragments, but I did find rock chips...

Jim-

I am wondering if there was a rock in the hog's esophagus that you shot -- and the bullet somehow impacted it. (Of course, there could have been one stuck to the mud on the hide.) I have seen rocks in their stomachs and also rocks in the digestive systems of deer. A buck I shot a few years ago had an entire un-chewed wild orange in his stomach. Those are not huge but big enough to make you wonder how the heck he swallowed that.

Scott-
Yes, those Nosler BTs at moderate speeds make me smile. I have never been disappointed in their performance and have used them quite a bit. They are as predictable as the best in Swiss clockwork.

the interlock would have done what you expected.
the SST's are waaay too fragile in the frontal area for good penetration.
the Hornady inter-bonded are built like the SST's just bonded.

stick with the old school interlock they are built to take the punishment and come out the other side. [pun intended]

Lamar-

You are correct about that lead-tipped Hornady. I've used the 129 grain Spire Point for quite a few hogs & a couple of deer in my original 26"/1:8 6.5x30-30 AI barrel and recorded at least a couple of doubles on hogs that I recall.

I've posted photos of a few large hogs taken with this same SST, however, and had good results, including a perfect mushroom on a brute of a boar. I was using the 120 grain Nosler BTs, which typically out-penetrates the 123 grain SST and similar cup-and-core bullets in test medium. But when they became unavailable for a long while, I tried the SST, and my barrel shot it exceptionally well.

Guys-Is the picture of the little piggy showing up for you, or do you have to click on the icon? Since photo bucket went $$ crazy, I set up accounts with flickr and imager but really haven't figured out either just yet.

I am pretty sure it was there the first day.

All of which is why I don't use those small gimmicky calibers on any game; 35 caliber minimum. 9.3 better; 375 and up, really good.
I know all you guys use the small varmint calibers on real game, so no hate mail.
I am with sharps guy; the calibers I use, I guarantee I can penetrate completely through any hog from any angle with power to spare on another one.
450 Nitro works well with that.
As Elmer said, 300 Magnums and below are strictly pest guns. And I would never shoot a 300 magnum at anything.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
All of which is why I don't use those small gimmicky calibers on any game

Well, those "small gimmicky" calibers have around 500 hogs to their credit, including numerous doubles, and have never, ever resulted in a wounded or lost animal. A perfect 100 percent track record with that many kills is OK in my books.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
All of which is why I don't use those small gimmicky calibers on any game; 35 caliber minimum. 9.3 better; 375 and up, really good.
I know all you guys use the small varmint calibers on real game, so no hate mail.
I am with sharps guy; the calibers I use, I guarantee I can penetrate completely through any hog from any angle with power to spare on another one.
450 Nitro works well with that.
As Elmer said, 300 Magnums and below are strictly pest guns. And I would never shoot a 300 magnum at anything.

Pretty good at satire you are! I will admit the 223 has been spotty for me at times but the 243 and up calibers have given me no problems. I really like the Whelen though.

Ive use a 6x45, 25-35, 30-30 and other calibers on a lot of hogs, no problem killing them..I tend to blame the SST bullet, not the caliber in your case, or some kind of bullet performance..bullets can react differently regardless of make etc. good expansion, unless you hit bone, or visa versa can change things in many cases.

Ive never found a hog hard to kill, used a 222 on many of them, even a few with a 22 L.R., but its a little light, I was using a automatic, and shot them two or three time in quick succession at a water hole or feeder...

I use 100 or 105s in my .243 and never had a problem. All one shot kills on a couple dozen animals, only two head shots on pigs though. When my .223 gave out and was in the shop being rebarreled I did use 60gr .243 on a couple coyotes. Blew one out of his body with a rib shot, another I hit her at the base of the neck and blew the head clear off except for 2" of skin on top. Head flew up and hit on her back at 80yds. Never seen that before with anything. Needless to say: "no fur was saved on either" the next trip out the .223 was done and went.

Picture was there when I got to this Bobby.

George

Hogs are funny critters, sometimes hey go down like squirrels, other times like elk.

.243 should be adequate with most hogs, but SST would not be my first choice. The SST opens fast and early and peels apart fast. For the oinkers I would consider a TSX as a first choice and one of the better bonded bullets as a second choice.

I have shot pigs with .223 all the way up to 450 marlin, I will say there is a certain satisfaction of drop right there performance with big bullets moving at high velocity. So what if you can't here for two days after blasting a group of them with a .340 wby.

My 243 gets 85 grain Partitions when I take it hog hunting. Works pretty good.

Hmmmmm--think I'll go get my gimmicky little .22-250 and go shoot a pig tonight.

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
Hmmmmm--think I'll go get my gimmicky little .22-250 and go shoot a pig tonight.

Ya could break out the shotgun and buckshot!