Dave- We used the 150gr SST in a 300 win mag for whitetail deer last fall, only shot 1 medium sized buck (150# field dressed) distance was 100 yards deer was downhill facing my son, bullet entered the deers' LH side at the base of the neck, heart lungs gone, bloodshot trama completely through to the RH side of the neck, bullet was found intact in the RH hind quarter just under the hide above the pelvic joint, weigh just over 100grs. Deer was dead instantly, I was watching through binocs, and it looked like you ran into him with a small car. We are going to shoot some more this year to see if results are consistant.
My brother called me a week ago from Mission Lodge outfitters in Alaska. He has a Ruger in 7mm rem mag and I had loaded some 139 SST for him before he left. He lent his gun to two different people who had been trying caribou with a bow but then went to rifle.
He stated the bullet performed awesome. Both bullets were recovered and had picture perfect mushrooming. One of the shots went through soft tissue and was recovered just under the hide on the other side. The other one he reported was shot a little to far forward and did go though the shoulder bone. It did however still penetrate well and took out the animal.
Last year I used a 7mm 139 gr SST on a 128 lb whitetail doe in a 7-08. It was a classic lung shot around 120 yards and complete pass through. Wound channel was good, no bullet fragments and it hit ribs going in and out.
i watched 2 small does cleaned that had been shot in the chest with 139sst in a 7remm at 50 yds. the front of both deer were jelly..probably a better 7x57 bullet than a magnum
Posts: 1125 | Location: near atlanta,ga,usa | Registered: 26 September 2001
My brother just got back from Alaska a few days ago and I got to see the video of the Caribou that was shot with the 139 .284 SST. The animal only took a few steps and was shot at around 200 yards. The bullet worked VERY well and did not fragment. I was going to weight the recovered bullet but my brother ended up dropping it in the tundra.
I will post some more results as we will be hunting deer this next weekend.
Just what I've been looking for..good info from the field on the SST. I've worked up a good accurate and fast load with the 140 Ballistic Tip for my 7 Rem Mag.A fellow I hunt with has done the same with the 139 SST in his 280. He's telling me I should switch to the SST. What do you guys think? Is the SST a bunch better at "holding together" than the BT? I use this 7 Rem Mag on deer only. Have bigger/better calibers for elk.
Tell ya what...for me, a 7 Rem Mag on deer is at its best when pushing a heavier bullet at moderate velocities. I like venison too much to use the high velocity light weight loads. If you absolutely MUST have that light bullet go to a premium load like a Nosler partition. But me...I'd load the 160 grain Partition to around 2900 fps.
I shot a whitetail last year with a 150 gr. BT at 3000 the range was maybe 30 yds. The bullet came apart. I shot her again neither bullet povides a exit hole. Not my type of performance.I might use them at long range but if there is a chance of a close shot use a stronger bullet.
Posts: 1111 | Location: Edmond,OK | Registered: 14 March 2001
Sounds like the BT's are not good at holding together at high impact velocities. Maybe I should skip the SST's and work on a 120 BarnesX load as I had planned. I have the bullets, need good load data.
I'm looking at the 30 Caliber, 150 gr SST's as well for my 300 WSM. My gun shoots these very well as it does the 150 gr Nosler BT's. Last year I had a 140gr Nosler BT fired from a 7Mag come apart on me on an antelope rib bone. Antelope was DOA but what a mess at the entry point and no exit wound. I'm hoping that the SST holds together better and have loaded a box of them for the upcoming deer season. Where I hunt 300 yards is not uncommon. Haven't been able to get good accuracy from 140 gr Barnes XBT, 150 gr Nosler Part, 150 gr Scirocco or 165 gr Scirocco
Folks, rest assuured that the SST will hold together much better than the Nosler Ballistic Tip. Give them a chance on game and you'll see the difference. "American Rifleman" or "G&A" (both maybe?) had recent articles about the SST. In one, they were using some on a hog hunt with double-shoulder penetration. Definitely not your garden-variety Ballistic Tip.
Think of them as a Hornady Interlock with a higher B.C. For me, the Interlock has long been one of my favorite bullets. I call it the "Partition, Jr." It seems to fall somewhere between your classic PowerPoints/Core-Lokts and the Partition.
With that kind of lineage, the SST is likely a sure-fire winner. Also, unlike Nosler bullets, the price tag isn't an insult to the consumer's intelligence.
RSY
Posts: 785 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 01 October 2001
SST's are fine by me! had to put down a 1600lb black angus bull for a farmer yesterday. range was 150yds, 300win mag 165gr SST, MV is 3150fps. bull was hit in the left shoulder. left shoulder was shatered right shoulder was broken, bull hit the ground where he stood. not dead but not able to get up. a 22lr behind the ear for a finishing shot. bullet was just under the hide nicely mushroomed and weighing 122grs.
------------------ born on a mountain, raised in a cave, hunting and fishing is all i crave!
OK, all you SST fans that shoot a .277" rifle: I need your help. I've been pestering Hornady for the last year to give us more SST bullet weights for our .270 Win.'s and Weatherby's. 130-grainers alone just ain't gonna cut it!
We definitely need some 140's, 150's, and (please, please) maybe even some 160's or 175's. The last two go for Interlocks, as well.
RSY, I agree more selection is always a good thing, but, I have never felt that he 130 grn ain't enough. I have used them on Whitetails up to 205lb dressed weight and hogs up to 200 lb, head & body shots on hogs. Terminal performance never disappointed me & I have no qualms about using them on game up to & including elk (Shot placement as always, the deciding factor, regardless of the bullet used.) I load SST's and 130 grn Partitions for my 270, the Partitions kept for that "monster" hog, but somehow they always seem to stay at camp & the SST's go into the woods with me. badger.
I used the 139gr .284 SST's 3 times on deer last yr. The first was a 5pt whitetail that I shot through both shoulders and the offside leg bone at about 50 steps with my 14" 7-30Waters Contender. The deer dropped in his tracks and the bullet kept going. The second was a 6pt. that I shot with the same set-up at about 10steps through it's heart and it wobbled about 30ft. The last was a big doe that I shot with 7mm-08 Mountain Rifle using same bullet. She dropped in her tracks with a pass thru double lung shot. I wish they made them in 150gr. .284's and in .243 100gr.
I spoke to Hornady on thursday the they told me that they did not offer the SST in 25 cal yet but the first of the year or spring at the latest they would have them. Cool the 25-06 AI should work well on whitetail.
Hornady told me they were making them in 154-grain offerings. I said, "Well, no one has them." They said Graf and Midway should have them -- they don't.
I'm happy with my 139-grain SSTs and won't hold my breath for 154s. Terrorists cancelled my pronghorn hunt, so the gun/load I'm using (.280 Ackley Improved) will get "blooded" this month on Wisconsin deer -- hopefully.
Russ
------------------ "Out here, 'due process' is a bullet!" -- John Wayne, "The Green Berets"
Posts: 2982 | Location: Silvis, IL | Registered: 12 May 2001
