Yesterday was the opening day of Nebraska's high power season for deer. Using my .308 Winchester with a load of 46.3 IMR4895 and a 150 gr. SST, I shot two deer with great results.

The first was a doe from a range of 20 yards. Entry wound was behind the right shoulder blade about 2" from the blade itself and 3" from the bottom of the briscit. Full penetration through two ribs, with an exit hole of two inches. The bottom of the heart and both lungs were hit, and the doe ran 10 yards before collapsing.

The second shot was a buck that weighed just over 200lbs on the hoof from a range stepped off at 200 yards. Entrance wound was 1" behind the right shoulder blade, and an exit wound of 1 3/4", again passing through two ribs. The buck was missing an antler, but the other beam had four points and was estimated to have been at least three years old. As with the morning doe, meat damage was minimal, and the deer was killed quickly.

The owner of the land had requested that we harvest such bucks, as the hunting leases on the other end of the property complain a lot if they all they see is one antlered deer.

There has been a lot of discussion and heated debate about the suitablity of the SST for big game hunting. With the results I have seen this year and in years past, the SST has proven itself to me. Just figured I would post this to show the results we had this year.

I really don't think anyone has bad mouthed the SST for deer hunting.....it really don't take much of a bullet to kill deer.

About the one horned deer.....there was a time when I took a one horned (4-point on the one horn) deer in Wisconsin three years in a row.....wierd...

I'm not sure if there's a nutrition thing or a genetic thing that seems to allow so many one horned deer.....but they're more common than I once believed.

I've loaded the sst for friends since they first came out. My guns seemed to like the regular interlock better. Some friends won't use them anymnore because of lots of bloodshot meat and others like the "mini hand grenade" effect as it keeps the deer from running to other posters here in our Wisconsin woods. There's no doubt they will work behind the shoulder into the boiler room and they will expand for long range field shooting. I'm just leary of having to take a bad angle through a shoulder or what a twig or two might do to open the bullet on it's way to the target. I'm gonna try and stay with the more conventional bullets but I do admit the Browning .308 bar I just got seems to like the 150 sst for accuracy.

Has any one tried the sst's in auto rifle like the m1a of fn-fal. Does the tip get knocked off with the violent feeding action of the auto's.

I was just thinking the 150 sst put up in military cases might make a good general purpose 308 load to be loaded in bulk and used for what ever. I've shot two hogs with the 150 sst's and they worked very well. I shot one hog with the 155 a-max and it was very explosive. caused a 2" entrance hole! Just a thought.

They sure don't get bothered by an auto loader like a bar or rem auto. Not sure why it would be different in that miltary rifle.

FWIW--years ago when they announced the sst they seemed to try and tell people they were tough bullets. Someone on these forums said he called hornady and they said it had a thicker jacket than the I-lock. I cut some apart and compared and unless they were different alloys, (which I highly doubt) the I'lock and sst were identical exept profile and plastic tip. The interlock enjoys a decent reputation for holding together at moderate (less than 3000fps) muzzle velocity. Probably not as good as a win power point. But I really think the plastic tip on the sst and ballistic tip get things going too fast. Just my opinion....for some reason I've had some bad angles present themselves even whitetail hunting and I'm just not sold on fast expanding bullets. But like I say some people love that type of bullet so who am I to question their use.

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Originally posted by vapodog:

About the one horned deer.....there was a time when I took a one horned (4-point on the one horn) deer in Wisconsin three years in a row.....wierd...

I'm not sure if there's a nutrition thing or a genetic thing that seems to allow so many one horned deer.....but they're more common than I once believed.

We boned the buck out today, and I really wish we could have seen the buck the one we got lost to! The horn was broke off, and the skull had some fractures in it. The skin around the wound was partially healed. From the scar tissue on the neck, it appears that this buck had seen his share of fighting in the years past.

By looking at the teeth, it appears he was around four years old. Like I said, I just wish that we could have seen the other buck that took the antler!

Also got a better look at the amount of meat damage. There was about half an inch around the exit wound that was pretty blood shot, but not to bad. Ended up with 90 or so pounds of meat to fill the freezer.

All in all, an excellent day! Many guys didn't go out because of the high wind and warmer temps, but my friend and I had great luck.

Now, I just need to wait till next year...

Hey NE Jack, Congratulations on the kills. Sound slike the bullets did indeed work perfectly for you. Always seems to add a bit to the experience when you can take them with loads "you" made just for the Hunt.

Excellent details too which helps visualize just what you saw.

I agree, that must have been a very interesting Fight for a 200 pound Deer to get an antler ripped off.
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Just noticed "Iowa". Did you do OK in the Tornadoes?

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Originally posted by Hot Core:

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Just noticed "Iowa". Did you do OK in the Tornadoes?

No problems. They all hit in the middle of the state, and I live on the eastern edge.

Kind of odd though. We were hunting in Eastern Nebraska, and saw the storm pass over. A lot of lighting for this time of year! Didn't get all that much rain, but the forcast was for a major down pour.

I heard that a good portion of the local hunters didn't go out because they were expecting rain. My friend and I just bought some ponchos at Walmart and planned on rigging up some shelter if it got to bad.

My avitar shows the result of 45 cal. muzzle loader 200 gr. SST Aero Tips. Took three with that bullet last year. Have not fired the rifle this year except at the range, and to take a ferral on my way out from the last hunt of the first season.