UPDATED: field report. Hornady SST's good for big game???

[ribka]

had exact experience with SST's. Shot deer and lope. Other than tiny fragments no bullet recovery and no exit wound. Died quickly and massive internal damage.

Shot elk last year with interbond . Thru both shoulder out the other side. 30 yds and dead.

Loaded the 154 SST's and 154 Interbonds for my 7mag this year to compare them. Here is what I recovered. 100 yards shooting into a stump, recovered 4 SST's 2" in and all looked like the one on the left. Bullet completely separated and TONS of lead and copper shrapnel. Recovered 2 Interbonds, 5" deep, both looked like the one on the right. Perfectly mushroomed and way better penetration. Don't know what weight retention was on them but they look great.

Another plus for me is that both bullets group exactly the same out of my gun, and with the SST's being almost half the price of the Interbonds, I can target shoot all year with them and then hunt with the Interbonds confidently, knowing they will shoot where I aim everytime.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Haha good stuff. I just don't want to blow a baseball out the back side of my bear hide. But I suspect at longer ranges (300 yards+) it might not pass through a good sized bear?

Actually you might get more penetration at longer ranges when the velocity is less, and the bullet expands less.

  Thats the best comment I heard in a very long time 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Hornaday bullets have always been my choice ...I like the Interlocs for big game ...I also like the SST but they make a mess if you hit bone ...They shoot awesome groups out of my .270 but I would rather stick with the Interloc .

[Biggerhammer]

One year a friend had me load up some 139gr SST's for his 7 Mag. That year he shot a Mulie at 60 yards and a cow elk at 120 or so. Both shots were about in line with the pocket mid body. Neither bullet exited and you could just pour what was left of the lungs out like soup on both, serious internal damage both dropped where they stood.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Yeah I have loaded some for my friends to in the 139gr for their 7mags and the same story ... No doubt they are great for lung shots but shoulders or heavier bones 

[Woodchuck]

  I will heart/lung deer but elk or bear they get it on the shoulder and I can't think of any that didn't have em both broke and dropped right there.

[Biggerhammer]

I will heart/lung deer but elk or bear they get it on the shoulder and I can't think of any that didn't have em both broke and dropped right there.

High shoulder shots with just about any bullet on Elk are pretty devistating.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Woodchuck ..So your saying you have shot elk and bear in the shoulder with SSTs ...I have no doubt they will do the job but how much meat did you loose from blood shot meat and bone fragment ? I always shoot my bear in the shoulders but with 140 gr interloc ....lights out many times at different ranges ..With the interloc I have never lost much meat on any bear ... As far as elk I have only killed 2 with my rifle and the rest have been with my bow ..I am just asking how much damage they done ...some guys could careless if they have some meat to eat  thats all 

[Woodchuck]

I don't think I lose excessive meat with it  maybe someone else would think different. To me the loss of a little meat versus the entire animal is okay. I guess all I am saying is that my rifle shoots those bullets well and I am happy with the performance.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I totally agree man ...mine shoots them well too ... I like them but I just know those interlocs hold up better when blowing off a bears shoulders 

[xXLojackXx]

Agree with the accuracy. Can't complain about 1.20" at 300 yards with my Model 70 Super Grade. 180gr SST in front of 72.5gr of RL22. I'll just look for a nice lung shot and let the lead fly!

[Sneaky]

I used 130gr SST's out of my .270 on two montana muleys and one wa whitetail and found that they do not hold up well at all when they hit bone. One shot was through the shoulder which sent 15 or so pieces of copper and lead into the boiler room. This was at 27 yards... The results were devastating but I was not happy with the bullet performance.

Both other shots were similar results with extreme shock evident and quick if not instant death for the animal.

As others have stated I would look elsewhere for a hunting bullet especially for animals larger than deer.

One thing I can say about these bullets is that they are extremely accurate! I would not hesitate to use them on animals deer-sized and smaller. 

[gutsnthegrass]

I have shot 2 bucks with the 140 grain SST's out of my .260.  Both deer died where they stood with high shoulder shots.  a very large bodied 2 point mulie buck at 200 yards and a 4x5 bench buck at 390 yards, neither buck took a step, they were dead before they hit the ground.  I handload these rounds and think I will try something different in the future, but they do seem to be a decent bullet.

[xXLojackXx]

Everybody seems to shoot deer sized game with these bullets, i just wonder how they will fare on a tougher animal like a black bear. i guess i'll find out if im lucky 

[Woodchuck]

Just fine, this dude was DRT