I used a 150gr Hornady SST out of my 300WSM on a 4pt bull elk over the weekend. Muzzle velocity was 3200fps, distance was 100 yards, elk was broadside. Bullet hit the rib bone immediately behind the shoulder leaving a 2" entrance wound but not inordinate trauma, shoulder was not traumatized, bullet punched the lungs and put a 1" hole through the heart, penetrated the scapula on the off side shoulder and came to rest under the skin. Bullet was a perfect little mushroom with 51% weight retention. Elk traveled 75 yards before dropping stone cold dead.

All in all I'd say the bullet performed perfectly for what it is designed. Elk is more than this bullet is designed for with those kind of muzzle velocities. A shoulder hit or odd angle shot may present some difficulties. This is my deer/antelope load and I didn't really get the time to develop a dedicated elk load. I'm thinking of the 180gr SST as a potential "do-it-all" load. So far I like what I see from this bullet.

Why not a partition or A frame or Barnes X? When hunting for elk, I would spare no expense in finding a controlled expansion PREMIUM bullet. Elk are pound for pound one of the strongest animals in N. America, and I would want a bullet that will be able to punch through both shoulders or through the whole body if at an odd angle...for this I would use the aforementioned bullets without hesitation...Especially at "higher" velocities. I don't know if the SST is capable of fulfilling those criteria, but if they are then I will stand corrected. But until then, I will be a fan of nothing but premiums..

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God Bless and Shoot Straight

It sounds like your bullet did a fine job, better than my buddy's 180gr PP which gave up 90% of it's wt. on a 4x5 bull this fall. Really, 51% wt. ret. is just ok. Most of the "premiums" will retain 60-90%. That being said, a 165 or 180gr sst may give you that @ the lower striking vel. Let us know what you come up w/. What was the expanded diameter?
A thought, now that you have an actual recovered bullet to use as a comparison, you could media test in wet newsprint, phone books, etc. & compare to your reovered bullet. Some fun @ the range, hey?

[This message has been edited by fredj338 (edited 12-05-2001).]

Fredj338,
What caliber and muzz vel was your buddy shooting with the PP??

I to have had good performance with the SST. I shoot a Ruger M77 Mark 2 chambered in 7mm, shooting 139 grain hornady SST with 62 grains of IMR 4350. I do not have a chrono so I am not sure of actual speed. Any ways a friend of mine used my gun to harvest a caribou this year. The shot was around three hundered yards broad side with almost the exact results in which you described, exept there was 70% weight retention. I harvested a small whitetail at close range with this same load, I didn't recover the bullet but lets just say it got the job done. I then decided to use this same load for my elk hunt, based on previos experience and lack of time to develope a heavier stronger load. I shot a large 6x6 broad side slightly angled away at about three hundered yards. The bullet made about a 2 inch entrance and turned the lungs to a bloody mush. Although it didn't actual puncture the heart it had severe damage, it was completely deflated and had numerous ruptures. The bullet passed clear threw the large elk leaving a 2 inch exit wound. Needless to say the elk hardly took two steps before falling down stone dead. I was impressed and plan on doing further tests on coyotes this winter, I will keep you informed.

Fredj338,
Fred, just finished reading some other threads. In another post, you state the same story about the same buddy's elk, but in that thread you said the bullet used was a Winchester Silvertip 180 Grain.
Now you say it is a Power-point.

It can't be both - which bullet was it, and could you find out for sure before answering??
Thanks.

I know that the majority of us have a fairly solid mental block when it comes to using polymer-tipped bullets on elk. But, the SST just may be the little bullet that changes our minds. I will say, though, that I would have used the 180-grain pill, instead of the 150-grainer...that's a tad light, I think.

The linked article below is from G&A, and reports some pretty impressive results with the SST on feral hogs. Feral hogs, in my opinion, just might surpass elk on the pound-for-pound toughness scale. Sure, there may be more of an elk to de-tough. But, we're talking pound-for-pound, right?

Anyway, the article is definitely worth a read:

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/dynamic.asp?intSectionID=195&intArticleID=2323

Enjoy,
RSY

[This message has been edited by RSY (edited 12-05-2001).]

Man I just looked at the article about the SST and did not realize they had a 154 grain SST for the .284!!!!!!!! That is very good news. I am planning a Caribou hunt next year and that is going to be THE bullet I use. (as long as I can work up a good sub-MOA round)

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Monyhunter

Fred, just bringing this to the top.
I am very curious now. was that bullet you friend used a Winchester BALLISTIC Silvertip, a standard Silvertip, or a power-point??

Sorry guys, long day, it was the older style silvertip, gilding metal jacket & alloy tip. I still think it a poor choice for elk in close. It was a factory .30-06 load, I would guess about 2650fps & the bull was only 75 yds or so.
Sorry of the confusion. What do you know, people do read these things?
Aaron, this isn't rocket science, chill out, it's my 1st mistake ALL year.!?

[This message has been edited by fredj338 (edited 12-06-2001).]

[This message has been edited by fredj338 (edited 12-06-2001).]

Fred, LOL!!
I thought my post might come across in the wrong way. I didn't intend it to sound as if I was "calling" you on it.
I just take this bullet thing very seriously, and try to pin down credible experiences with bullets, to expand my knowledge.

Thanks for the reply!!

Jayloar, very interesting. I think I will try the 180 SST in my .300 WSM also. Thanks for the hard info !

Hunters I know who have used the 180 grain Power Point in the .300 WSM have been very impressed with it.