I have heard about this specific bullet, is much harder than other bullets of this type (Hornady SST).

Has anybody used these bullets in a 338 WM at 2950-3000 ft/s?
How do these bullets work for medium game hunting, at those speeds?
Do they expand reliably in a 338-06 or they need a 338 WM or a more powerful cartridge to have reliable and good expansion?

Thank you in advance for your comments

I use 225 gr Hornady Interbonds in my 338 Win at relatively top end velocities (not measured).
My experience with them is that they are relatively fragile and so, based on that experience, would not want to use the lighter and supposedly more fragile SSTs on any game other than light game.
I am interested to hear what the experience of others is.

SST at too soft.

quote:

SST at too soft.

At least they are for me.

sst's are great bullets. most people will tell you I am lying or crazy. but my dad and brother use 162 sst in there 7mm ultra mag. and I use 165 sst in my 300 ultra mag. we all have killed elk all were complete pass through one shot kills.

I bet they will work fine. Why don't you buy some and go kill something. I believe people way over think things trying to find the perfect bullet. I still use lots of old cup and core bullets and they still kill shit dead.

Can't speak of the SST but I did used the 200 gr. spire point on a whitetail (200 lbs. dressed) I hit it right on the point of the shoulder it bored right thru , no significant meat damage. looked like it worked fine. They grouped great to. Good hunting KH

Check your normal hunting ranges, then check your drop tables...the SST and IB have ~0.115 better BC so they hold their velo better, but you need to get out past 300 yds for that gain to really show up.

MOST hunters never see much past 200 -250 yds and in the woods you're lucky to see past 75, so you don't gain much by going to a BT style bullet.

I don't think high dollar bullets are any better, arguably, that the old, cheap cup and core...which HAPPENED to be the primo bullets of "THEIR day".

I don't hunt large game anymore but I always shot what's cheap/on sale and accurate in my guns...at reasonable ranges and put the bullet where it did the most killing. Horn ST, Rem Cor-Lokt, Speer Hot-Cor and WW Power Points never failed me when I did my job.

I agree people overthink, but that's because the bullet sellers are always coming up with the ad/commercial/"new" BS...we humans have a very short attention span and have to be constantly "fanny patted"...BUT you can't discount the advances in bullet construction.

EVERYONE has a story and most end up blaming the bullet...there are thousands of events leading up to "the failure" that NO ONE takes responsibility for, and, of course, NO ONE is going to blame themselves for sticking the wrong place or taking the shot when they shouldn't have, OR......fill in your own excuse.

I don't understand the thinking of using overly light bullets in calibers like the .338 and .375, or in any caliber for that matter, as they are too fast and too explosive and make hamburger out of good etable meat up to several hundred yards, and they have no place in long distance shooting as a light for caliber bullets sheds velocity so quickly that the heavier bullets pass them up pretty quick. Also their lack of sectional density voids penetration and wind will play hell with the across a canyon.

A 200 gr. bullet should be limited to a 30-06 or 300 magnum IMO.

In my .338s I have found the 250 gr. Sierras to shoot as flat as any lighter bullets and the 300 gr. Sierra BT in a 375 will do the same and have a lot more thump when it gets there.

Just my opinnion on the subject and to each his own, its a choice for each of us to make.

Unless you are using your 338 or 375 Mags to shoot deer and pigs with light loads on your deer lease, I see no reason to use any bullet that is not "at least" a Nosler Partition.

I am no doubt a Premium bullet freek, as I believe that it is the bullet that does ALL THE WORK. And because of this I have a fair amount of experience with the top Premium bullets.
Still I believe that it is hard to beat a Nosler Partiton, in the proper calibre, at the proper weight for the game being hunted.

Yes I like and use Woodleigh's, North Forks, Swifts, Trophy Bonded Bearclaws, and Barnes X bullets, Hawk's as well as some others, heck I even use a lot of Ballisitic Tips...

But I have never known of where the proper Nosler Partition would be a bad choice...

When you consider performance, accuracy, and price, it is a hard bullet to beat.

I also believe that the Nosler partition in calibers of .277 and over is the bullet by which all others are judged by..

I also believe its a mistake to use light for caliber bullets for hunting big game, however I do believe that one can use a monolithic such as a GS custom in one weitht less than a cup and core premium or otherwise..Example: A 150 gr. GS Customs or Barnes X is equal to a 180 gr. bullet, even Barnes has suggested that. The problem with this is a lot of folks go radically over the top and think a 110 gr. BX or GSC is better than a 180 gr. Nosler for instance.

Its my belief the 200g SST was designed for the 338 Federal and 338 RCM both of which don't have quite the grunt to get the 225 to 250 grainers pumping out at good speeds.

but what is "good speed"?

the problem with those rounds mentioned is the length of the action which would not enable a longer bullet to be seated out thus it eats into the powder space.

I suppose it depends upon the sorts of terrain one is hunting, too. In thick forest why would one want a high speed bullet to begin with? In open terrain why would someone not want to faster bullet assuming way out there ranges. Then again, most of what we do is inside 300 yards and 24-2500 fps will carry all of us along just fine if we were to sight our rifles in at 200 yards.

For this reason I would think a 338 Federal would work just fine with a 210 Nosler Partition.