Anybody take any game with this 180 SST bullet?

Good or Bad?

I've cut them apart and looked at them. They are an interlock with a plastic tip. I haven't loaded and taken game with the 180 but have used other sst's as have my friends. They tend to leave very big holes. I think they are more explosive than nosler bt's.
I don't like what the plastic tip does to the interlock which is probably the best "non premium" bullet out there. JMHO.

Kraky, I think the looks might be inconclusive with respect to the interlocts. I'd shoot the plain jane interloct WAY before the SST.

Hornady bulletsmiths even stated that the "SST is designed to open very rapidly with penetration about the same or less than the interloct, while the interbond is designed to open more slowly with penetration in mind."

While the SST may appear to be an interloct with a plastic tip, I don't think it is. Maybe Vapodog will enroll into this thread and give his thoughts. If I recall, he used to work for Hornady, unless I'm confusing him with someone else.

Well, I do know that some people said they had talked to a "hornady engineer" and he had told them the jacket was thicker on the sst. I cut the two apart and they were the same thickness. Well, this is second hand info and may not be correct about the "thickness claim".
Anyhow, unless hornady played with different alloys and lead hardness I'd still bet on it being basically an interlock with a plastic tip. There were so many people that liked the solid base nosler.....then they put the plastic tip on it and called it a bt and it became a "mini bomb" I kinda figure the same happened with the Hornady......but I admit it's speculation and if someone knows for sure I would like to hear it.

I've shot some on small/medium size european game. VERY accurate, and, at +/- 2820 fps (860 m/s) worked just fine, with little meat damage. Anyway, for my next red stag hunt, I will choose something stouter.

quote:

Originally posted by kraky:
...if someone knows for sure I would like to hear it.

I agree.

Since they shoot so well in my gun, I'll test them out next month in RSA and let you know.

Terry,

I have used them in my .300 H&H and a .308 Win.

VERY accurate in these two rifles but they do come apart on deer. The fragments go in several directions and the game have always fallen in it's shadow. Can't recommend it if you want penetration.

All the best,

Sam

I used the 150 grain on three deer last fall. It worked great from a 30-06. I can't see the 180 working any less than great.