Returned from deer hunting yesterday with brother & a friend. Got 3 deer.

All 3 deer were shot clean through with muzzleloaders using Hornady's SST-ML 250grain bullets. Never recovered any of the bullets

Curious if anybody has pictures of recovered
SST-ML 250grain or performance feedback ?

John

Boarman,
I really like those Hornady SST/ML for 50-cal muzzleloader, the 300-grainers worked great in my 1:28" twist.

Apparently the perfect side shot on deer will not stop even the 250-grainer, eh?
How big were the exit wounds on those three deer?

Reverse Texas Heart Shot will leave the bullet under the hide on the southend of a northbound Bambi like I killed yesterday.
This may be your only hope to recover one.
See pics of the one I recovered below.
I shot Bambi at the left shoulder-neck juncture, near-frontal-end-on angle, and recovered the bullet, base forward under the hide of the right ham. The formerly-bent-back petals bent forward as the bullet did its terminal flip and bulged the offside hide, after more than three feet of Bambi penetration.

I was using the factory open sights (fiberoptic) and impact range on Bambi was a stepped-off 75 yards.

300.1 grains on the fresh one shown. 259.3 grains on the recovered one, 86.4%.
.453" diameter expanded to .992", 219%.

They are also very accurate in my Lyman Breakaway Mustang it only took five shots at 100 yards to get it zeroed with the scope.
Same ease of getting the factory open sights zeroed too:

RIP,

Great pictures......that's what I was looking for.

That Lyman shoots great. I might need to increase my powder charge & consider 300gr bullit, as my Austin & Halleck is not getting close to this accuracy.

Excuse my ignorance, but is 86% recovered considered good or bad compared to other bullits ?


All exit wounds were about 1.5" using 100gr of T-7.

My deer all had massive blood trails, looked like a garden hose of blood had been turned on.
They all dropped after going about 40 yards.


Thanks

Boarman,
Bambi's bones are not very stout, but from neck to butt was good enough to bulge the offside hide.

I expect a chest shot on a bigger deer would expand it about the same, though it would exit.
1.5" exit holes, you say? Excellent bloodtrails you say?

I think 86% weight retention is great performance for a nonbonded-core bullet.
A North Fork soft would be expected to give 95% but that is a centerfire breechloader bullet that would not perform well over the muzzleloader spectrum, hypothetically speaking.

These Hornady SST/ML sabot loads are perfected for the muzzleloader.

You need to add that third pellet of 777 and try the 300-grainer, if your barrel twist is 1:28".

Anyone hit a shoulder or other bone structure with them? Just wondering if they stay together. I've also had great accuratecy with them and XTP's.

It is my understanding that the Hornady SST ML bullet is the exact same bullet that is sold by T/C as their "Shockwave" ML bullet. The Shockwave ML bullets are available in either bonded core or non-bonded.

quote:

Originally posted by CharlieNY:
It is my understanding that the Hornady SST ML bullet is the exact same bullet that is sold by T/C as their "Shockwave" ML bullet. The Shockwave ML bullets are available in either bonded core or non-bonded.

Then I need to get some TC bonded Shockwave 300-grainers and try the Blackhorn 209 powder.
7 shots with 777 makes it hard to seat a bullet, the bore is so dirty.

I killed 4 hogs with the 200 grn .400 SST from my knight .45 cal the only recovered bullet was from the biggest of the four 250 lbs.

Found on the opp. shoulder just under the shield with no core....total jacket/core unlock but it killed the hog in it's tracks.

Shot 4 deer with the 250's never recovered a bullet and complete devastation.So much devastation in fact that I switched to the 300 grainers.Still never recovered a bullet but the damage is a little less.Either way great bullets accurate I cant find a reason to try anything else.

quote:

Originally posted by makeminestainless:
Anyone hit a shoulder or other bone structure with them? Just wondering if they stay together. I've also had great accuratecy with them and XTP's.

They hold together and penetrate much better than the standard XTP's. I have'nt tried an XTP mag though.