In the past some of you have wondered if the SST was as strong or stronger than the NBTs so, I've been trying to get a few examples to compare.

I have used NBTs for years and I've always had great perfromance w/ them. They exit 99% of the time on WTs and Hogs and always have great expansion but, not bad fragmentation. I have found that the solid-base provides a good platform for the mushroomed bullet to do it's job. The couple of NBTs that I have recovered from Large bucks where from Quartering shots where bone/lungs/diaprhram/liver were hit and the bullets where a bump just under the far hide. Those few recovered NBTs (.284 140s @ 3210 MV) still had lead in the core and where great mushrooms.

Now to get to the topic, a couple of years ago I decided to start trying HDYs SSTs to see how they held up on the same game animals. I have been using the 150 SSTs in 30-06 and 300 WM loads (2950fps/3265fps MVs). I only have two game animals for a sample so, it will take more time to conclude my little comparison. #1 was a small buck shot w/ the 30-06 @ approx 20 yards (Broad side) right through the lungs which left a nice sized exit and descent blood to follow. I was pretty pleased w/ that performance on the first kill but, that quickly changed w/ #2. #2 was a small doe(90-100#)shot w/ the 300 wm @ 100 yards on a very slight Quartering to angle, the bullet hit two ribs right behind the shoulder and simply shattered into tiny pieces. One 40-50 grain chunk of lead made it to the off side skin but, the rest of the bullet was history. The deer only ran 30 yards but, blood was very thin(no Exit).

This was a very, very small sample size compared to the NBT samples I have gathered so, I will not know for sure what the outcome will be of this little experiment until I have a chance to get some more results (This weekend Hopefully). The SSTs are not looking very good right now but, I will keep you fellows updated when I have a chance to try them again.

I will try them w/ the 06'/SST load this weekend if the opportunity arrises.


Good Luck!

Reloader

My experiences with Nosler's ballistic tips for hunting are with the .240 weatherby, the .25-06,the .264 Mag., the .270 and the .308 and all have been for positive results except that I haven't seen as many exit holes as you report.

Accuracy of Ballistic tips is normally excellent and a key reason I've used them.

As for Hornady's SSTs the accuracy of them is also excellent and I've used them in .257 cal. 6.5MM, .270 and .300 mag and again with similar results. I consider them roughly equivalent bullets.

I've turned to bonded bullets for hunting because I've changed my mood about exit holes. I want them for better trailing when the silly animal don't know it's supposed to die in the tracks it made when the bullet hit him.

There's simply no bullet that warrantees instant kills and in that light I want an easier job trailing them.....which means I want an exit.

Swift A-Frames seem to deliver that for me so far. Is it needed for animals the size of deer????...Of course not!!! Most of the time it's just an expensive way to put venison in the freezer.....but the one time that ornery whitetail trots off with it's internals mixed like jelly and hides in a brushy thicket and I can't find it.....well.....that's what the premium hunting bullets are for.

Even then it's no guarantee but it improves your odds of trailing him and in fact the extra cost is very little.

I did the 'experiment with SST's' thing last year. I shot 4 deer, 2 with 180 NBT's, 2 with 180 SST's. The SST's seemed a bit softer, thereby expanding faster. (300WSM, 64 grains H4350)

They definately weren't 'better' in the 2 I tried, and were measurably less accurate. End of experiment for me! YMMV!

Reloader:

I tried SST'S in 270, and 6.5. I was so disgusted with their lack of accuracy compared to the Ballistic tip, I threw, gave um away.

Accuracy is the most important thing I look for in a bullet, while working up loads. If you can't place the bullet where you want to, "superior" bullet performance isn't going to help much.

I have used Ballistic tips on game in various calibers, and have never had a complaint, of course I can say that about Speer Hot Cores, and Sierra hunting bullets as well. I've taken elk, deer, antelope, and hogs, with no complaints about any of them.

I will say though, in most cases the Ballistic Tip is the bullet that groups best for me.

Jerry

CDH, I don't think my experimenting is going to take me much farther w/ them either. It's sure is nice to test them .



Vapodog, I get the exits w/ the Heavier NBTs, I have not tried them in the <.277 cals but I've been Taking my 25-06 quite a bit in hopes for some results. I guess I'll have to break down and shoot a doe I have not seen a Buck in over a month but, the does are everywhere. We all no that if there is some does in the area, the bucks wont be far. The rut is about to kick off here so, I should start seeing bucks before long.



Jerry and others, Ya'll are right about the accuracy, the NBTs seem to have an edge.



Good Luck!



Reloader

for the record the Ballistic tips I've used are 100 grain in .257 cal, 95 grain in .243 cal, 100 grain in .264 cal, 130 grain in .277 cal and 125 grain in .308 cal.....yes...I've definitely favored the smaller and faster bullets.

The SSTs I've used are 117 in .257 cal, 129 in 6.5 cal, 130 in .270 and 150 in .30 cal.....

Good point....it's not exactly apples to apples and I'll rethink the ballistic tips in heavier weights as a substitute for the bonded bullets I'm now using.

I've used the SST's with great success, but not at magnum velocities. Using them in standard/moderate velocity 30'06 and 308 loads they give fine expansion on deer and sheep. I have recommended against them for larger game, or higher velocity, simply because my experience leads me to believe the expansion will be a bit too violent. My .308 loves the 150 gr. and my '06 BAR really does well with the 180 gr.

I don't think is is fair to use a 150gr 308 cal SST in a magnum and complain about the bullet failing. Try the 180gr SST in the magnum; if that fails, then you can complain.

I wouldn't use a 150gr 308 bullet in anything larger than a 30-06.

Aaron

Aaron wrote:

Quote:

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I wouldn't use a 150gr 308 bullet in anything larger than a 30-06.

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When you are talking about animals that average 150#, a 150 grner is more than adequate and offers a much better point-blank range than the 180s.

Browningguy, I agree, I believe they would perform much better at the 308 velocities. I think the 150 grner 06' loads I've been using @ 2950 MV are about max (if not, alittle too much).

Reloader



Reloader

A few years ago someone reported that someone at hornady had told them the sst had a thicker jacket than the interlock. I was bored one rainy day and cut apart a sst and interlock and the jackets were the same. I'm just not 100% sold that anything with a plastic tip is going to give consistant expansion--and that includes the new bonded bullets. Too many reports of this and that happening. Seems like every bullet failure you hear of today is happening with bullets started over 3000 fps. I'm coming to believe if you hunt with more than a 30-06 what you can expect...............is the unexpected.

Got alittle more data for the SST.

Small Doe shot w/ the 300 WM (150 SST @ 3265). Shot was 90-100 yards, the bullet hit behind the shoulder. After Rib, Heart, Rib, the bullet left a nice size exit and the deer was pronounced dead at the scene. That is still not enough data for the SST at high velocity but, it's showing more promising results.

I will try the 30-06 load (150s @2950) this weekend if a shot is presented.

Reloader

Shot a buck with 95 gr SST from my 243 moving at about 3200 fps in the shoulder, bullet seems to have exploded with no exit on the other side, deer didnt take a step and its lungs were a mess. This deer wasnt very big and the penetration seems marginal at best. On two other deer the bullets exited with large exit wounds and made quite a mess. I dont think I trust these bullets when they have a MV of over 3000 and hit bone.

This is why I use the Nosler Accubonds...no worries!

wish they had a 6mm bonded core

I shot a white tail buck (168# dressed wt.) with a 165 gr. SST at 75 yards. MV is 2980 fps. I was not impressed at all. The buck was quartering away. I put the bullet low and just behind the front leg trying to take out his heart. I hunt high in tree stands so there was some angle. Anyway, the entrance hole was the size of a half- dollar. I retrieved the bullet from the brisket. It now weighs 91.4 grains. I would worry about this combo on larger game. I also shot a coyote with this load at 203 yards...what a mess!!!!

I have shot a tahr, chamois, and mule deer wtih SSTs.

I shot the 180s in a RUM last week; shot a three shot group of 6 inches at 850 yards, that sitting with a bipod and a shooting sling.

I have shot at over 30 animals with a plastic tipped bullet and never missed or lost one. Even shot a gemsbok and zebra with a 7mm 150 grain Nos BT. Those are two tough animals.

Well, I got to try the 30-06 (150 SST @ 2950 MV) on a couple of bucks this weekend and here is a brief explanation of each:

#1- I had two does come by right at daylight saturday morning w/ a 170# 10 pt. following about 3 min later. He stopped broadside at 110 yards and the bullet impacted right behind the shoulder. The entrance hole in the hide was small but, the shoulder meat underneath was damaged (no shoulder bone contact). There was a hole the size of a tennis ball on the entrance ribs and the top of the heart and lungs were blown apart. The opposite ribs had a hole the size of a golf ball. The exit hole was very small(3/8" dia). After close examination while dressing the deer, I recovered no bullet fragments . The buck made it 60 yards and didn't leave any blood.

#2- Small buck at 120 yards @ a pretty swift walk. Bullet impacted at the very rear of the lungs destroying the diaphram, liver, and part of the lungs (didn't rupture the stomach/intestine area ). The buck dropped at the shot which was very surprizing for that particular shot.


After a small sample of only 5 deer w/ these bullets, I would only suggest they be used at moderate .308 win velocities in the 150 grn weight class. They have proved to be much more fragile than the NBTs but, I believe the 180 grain version would be well suited at the 06' velocities. I think in the 300 WM its going to be the tried and true 180 NBTs next season. I've never tried the 180 NBTs in the 06' but, I do intend on trying them next season.

Now that the rut is kicking in, I think I'm going to hunt the rest of the season w/ the 300WSM w/ 180 NBTs and the 7mm Weatherby stoked w/ 160 Gamekings. I might also drag out the tried and true "Dirty Thirty" for those up-close brush hunts on some fresh rub & scrape lines.

Good Luck to all of you!

Reloader

How 'bout a picture of that 10 pointer.

I would say the SST's are more suited to 308 win velocities than the magnum stuff. Work great in my 308 win.

Floridabigfish,

Pictures was a sore subject w/ this buck. I bought one of those cheapy disposables to leave in the truck (Wife usually has the digital). I took a few pictures of the deer to finish that disp. camera off and would you believe that that dang thing didn't even take. I took it to the local 1 hour and when I went back they only had 15 pictures from 27. Every picture I took last season came out but, this years were all blank. Oh well, thats part of it.

I've got the head at the house. I'll snap a pic. w/ the digital and post it.

Good Luck!

Reloader

Can't wait to see it. Our bucks are pre-rutting hard right now, need a cold front to really get em going. It's all play and very little work through the second week of December

SST/BT//

harder/softer////

Ya'll know I aint a fan of either for hunting bullets (heh)...
even a reminton corelock is going to deliver better penetration and weight retention than either.... Heck, even a hawk bullet is harder...

What ya'll are discussing, from my perspective, is the fine line between total bullet failure in perfect circumstance and total bullet failure in most circumstance...

or why I don't use BT (assuming they are "tougher" than SST) on game... if a SST fails in a "perfect" shot, and a bt marginally makes that, then when the chips are down, that BT might fail on a less than perfect shot....

so, you know what? I'll spend the extra 2� and get a stronger bullet.... after all, I would rather the bullet perform ON THE ANIMAL than make a .25" smaller group on paper.

BT's stronger than SSTs? that's like saying cat turds are stronger than dog turds.... neither one would I shot at game

jeffe

Jeffe,

You just had to throw your opinion in on this one didn't ya .

We've been through this time and time again. It seems the NBT crowd always makes it clear that there is nothing wrong w/ using NBTs on game from Elk on down. I've never had a NBT fail or "Marginally" fail on game. You'd think after taking a pile of animals w/ em', I would have had one of these so called "Failures." I guess the deer and hogs down here are all panzies .

I know I should just switch to FMJs and be done w/ it .

Good Luck!

Reloader

Reloader,
heh.. yeah, i have been good on this one.. hadn't said a word for awhile!!

but comparing a pile of dead animals to a successfull bullet... well, then, by that standard, we should all go back to cast and BP!!!

to each his own, just wanted a voice of (un) reason in it!!


easist solution is to use a bullet so big they dont MAKE a BT for it!!
jeffe