In my new 7mm stw i have been working up some loads and the 139grn. ssts hands down shoot much better than partitions. like 3 times as good. i will be using the rifle for late season cow elk and big(hopefully) mule deer. is this bullet up to the task? i keep reading that they are in fact a bonded bullet that are suppose to hold together better than say a ballsitic tip. but will they? am i setting my self up for a failure? thanks for any comments or opinions. mark

The SSTs are not a bonded bullet.They sure fly good don't they.SteveB tested them and Ballistic Tips in 165gr 308 at 2600f/s into wet phonebooks,the SSTs held together slightly better.I wouldn't use them in at STW speeds.

I've used them on game (axis, blackbuck and whitetail) in my 308 and '06 with excellent results. I'm also geting good accuracy in my 7x57 but haven't used it on game yet. I'd probably be hesitant to use them in the STW due to the velocity, I'm just not sure if they would hold together.

You might try the new interbond version, it should shoot about the same and also should hold together a bit better.

they are the interlock version. i might try some barnes, although they have been finnicky in the past. these ssts are so accurate! thanks for the replies so far.

[ 05-18-2003, 08:30: Message edited by: hvyw8t ]

FWIW,

I shoot the Hornady SST 139 gr. in my 7mm STW. On the large whitetail buck I shot this year, it went right through the critter and dropped him shortly thereafter. I don't shoot it at the STW high end speed, only about 3050 fps. Mulies and elk are larger than whitetails, so have you considered the interbond from hornady, or maybe the trophy bonded BC? Both are excellent bullets for larger animals.

I have taken over a dozen canadian whitetails and a couple of mule deer(several in excess of 300lbs)with 140 gr ballistic tips out of my 7mm stw and performance has been great.Since the ssts perform virtually identical to the ballistic tips ,I see no reason for them to not work for your mule deer.I did however switch to 140gr partitions when hunting elk with the stw.My muzzle velocity with the 140's is 3500fps.

i have no concern about the mulies, but the elk make me nervouse. i did how ever shoot a nice cow elk this past season with a 130 grain sierra game king out of my 270 weatherby. every body told me it was a bad idea. worked perfectly. i have been averaging 3614 fps with 81.5 grains of 7828 and a 28 inch shillen match barrel. i have heard people say that the 7 stw isnt that much of an advantage over the remington or weatherby. hmmmmm. i couldnt be happier so far. mark

As the present owner of two 7mmstw's I can assure you that they do offer more performance than the remington or weatherby.The ultramag however gains very little over the stw.The 300 ultra however is much better at maximizing the ultramags potential and does improve noticeably on the 300 weatherby.I have a7mmultramag and two 300 ultras and previously owned a 300wby mag.

You might take a good hard look at the new Accubonds also, their 160 7mm is listed with a B.C. of .531, S.D. of .283-- Interbonds of 139 gr. B.C. is .486, 154= .530. Obviously all bonded bullets.

I was being a wise guy. you cant even compare the remington version to the stw. its like comparing a 30.06 to a 300 win mag. anyway thanks for your input . i think i will pick up some barnes x and see what they group like.

hvyw8t,

I would not recomend useing the sst bullet on game bigger than small deer or antelope. I have read that in the larger calibers Nosler beefs up the ballistic tips but can't confirm that. I have had them blow up on a deer's ribs before.

Hawkeye47-You are correct in that the heavier ballistic tips are much tougher than the lighter versions.I have taken four elk and two moose with 180gr ballistic tips out of my 300 ultramags.I have driven these bullets through the shoulders of elk and they did not fail to penetrate.A friend has also had great success on moose with the 200gr .338" ballistic tip.As a matter of fact all of the later ballistic tips are made much tougher than earlier versions.From what I have been told the sst's are performing identically to the newer ballistic tips.

My son loaded up some 162 gr SSTs in his 7mm Rem Mag but hasn't shot anything with them. He is opting for the 160 gr Accubond due to its tougher construction for elk and larger deer.
He contacted Hornady directly and the rep said the 162 grainer should be tough enough for elk. If elk are on the menu for you, I would go with the 162 gr SST...he was getting very good accuracy from his M700 and it will pack more of a wallop downrange.

[ 05-19-2003, 05:03: Message edited by: Robert M Boren Sr ]

Hvyw8t, I'd stay away from the Barnes, lot of foulin' going on there, and if they were 'iffy' before why go back and risk it again, try the 162 SST or 154Interbond, if in doubt call Bob or Doug at Hornady, 1-800-338-3220, they'll help you to find the right bullet for sure. Jay.

I took a doe last season with a 150gr .308 SST at about point blank range. The bullet held together and preformed perfectly. Don't know about the bigger game, no elk or mule deer in N. Mississippi.