Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: deadyote on October 05, 2015, 11:56:16 AM

Title: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: deadyote on October 05, 2015, 11:56:16 AM: Anyone use these and have any problems with them? I have shot three elk with them and one dropped in his tracks, but the other two were cows and neither bled more than two drops. Both cows had through and through shots right behind the shoulder but didn't bleed as much as they should. The first didn't bleed until she died and then the blood came out of her mouth. The one I just shot ran about 75 yards and dropped two drops of blood along the way but not until just before she died. Small drops too. Tracking was brutal. Unfortunately I shoot ~2inch groups at 100 yards with the bullets but they aren't performing like I want them too. I thought it was just a odd thing the first time but now that it has happened twice I need to try another bullet. I just don't think the bullets are opening up very well because the exit hole is the same as entry hole.
Any suggestions on which bullet to try?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: D-Rock425 on October 05, 2015, 12:30:33 PM: I've shot bears with them.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: chester on October 05, 2015, 12:31:32 PM: Shot a bull with them yesterday he dropped . No complaints . How far did the two you had to track make it?

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Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: deadyote on October 05, 2015, 02:08:18 PM: The first cow ran 40 yards and dropped, so the tracking was OK but if and when I make a not so perfect shot and I can't find blood the tracking will be much harder. The cow I shot Saturday went about 100 yards but after the shot she went the opposite direction, which I didn't see, as the rest of the elk and had we not gotten lucky we may have not found her. She died in an area the I would have never expected her to go to. I guess I just want a bullet that will open the animal up and make the death just as quick but make tracking much easier.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Karl Blanchard on October 05, 2015, 02:36:27 PM: I've talked about this on here multiple times but long story short is they probably didn't expand at all. Me, along with my dad and a few others shot them for a season with similar results. They just punch right through and don't open up. My buddy Dan shot his bull at 25 yards, hard quartering to shot. We pulled the bullet out of the hind quarter and the dang red poylmer tip was still on it!!! It hit multiple bones as well. I used the rest of mine for target practice and never looked back.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: usmc74 on October 05, 2015, 04:56:25 PM: Reading the stories of other peoples experience with them, I changed to the Barnes TMZ 290gr. In my case, they hit paper at the same place. I use the leftover SST's for target (they are cheap) and hunt with the Barnes. The elk I got last year never got out of his bed...just rolled over. The recovered bullet looked just like the ones on their web site. Solid copper pealed back into 6 talons.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Duckslayer89 on October 05, 2015, 05:14:12 PM: Quote from: BLRman on October 05, 2015, 02:36:27 PM
I've talked about this on here multiple times but long story short is they probably didn't expand at all. Me, along with my dad and a few others shot them for a season with similar results. They just punch right through and don't open up. My buddy Dan shot his bull at 25 yards, hard quartering to shot. We pulled the bullet out of the hind quarter and the dang red poylmer tip was still on it!!! It hit multiple bones as well. I used the rest of mine for target practice and never looked back.

What caliber? I shoot them in my 338rcm and they expand like crazy and blow big exit wounds out. I opted for accubonds in my 308 though.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: cooltimber on October 05, 2015, 05:20:32 PM: The sst is designed for long range. Not 25 yrd's.That bullet is a boattail meant for distance! I use barne's and have used Rem cor-lok with great expansion result's. I have had the Rem cor-lok separate after it had hit a shoulder blade at 250 yrd's,that was on a cow.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: usmc74 on October 05, 2015, 05:39:19 PM: Uhhhh,
This is the muzzleloading section, guys

ML SST's are a flat base
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Sabotloader on October 05, 2015, 06:56:43 PM: Quote from: deadyote on October 05, 2015, 11:56:16 AM
Anyone use these and have any problems with them? I have shot three elk with them and one dropped in his tracks, but the other two were cows and neither bled more than two drops. Both cows had through and through shots right behind the shoulder but didn't bleed as much as they should. The first didn't bleed until she died and then the blood came out of her mouth. The one I just shot ran about 75 yards and dropped two drops of blood along the way but not until just before she died. Small drops too. Tracking was brutal. Unfortunately I shoot ~2inch groups at 100 yards with the bullets but they aren't performing like I want them too. I thought it was just a odd thing the first time but now that it has happened twice I need to try another bullet. I just don't think the bullets are opening up very well because the exit hole is the same as entry hole.
Any suggestions on which bullet to try?

Thanks in advance.

I know I am a broken record but I would suggest you look at the Knight Bloodline .458x300

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv130%2Fsabotloader%2FCompositeBloodline.jpg&hash=f0771c8199c9548be7959c5a8dda18f2766ba1ed) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sabotloader/media/CompositeBloodline.jpg.html)

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv130%2Fsabotloader%2FLehigh300DOA.jpg&hash=745411efe692901bdf43e61ca24d9c314dafcd5b) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sabotloader/media/Lehigh300DOA.jpg.html)

This is the muzzle loader version of the Lehigh 45-70 bullet. It is shorter and will shoot well from a 1-28 twist.

Or better yet is the Lehigh .458x305 gr. CF. This is a long bullet meant to be shot from a 45-70 rilfe - so shooting this bullet in a 1-28 twist you really need to load it with a minimum of 110 gr. in a tight sabot to prevent slippage.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv130%2Fsabotloader%2F458-305.jpg&hash=ed23af00ee24ea555cd266b7bac7ff6ebbfd8e22) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sabotloader/media/458-305.jpg.html)

http://www.lehighdefense.com/collections/bullets/products/458-controlled-fracturing-305gr-bullet?variant=1073755480

Either or both of these bullets just flat out work
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: lokidog on October 05, 2015, 08:42:55 PM: Sabotloader, how much powder do you use behind that?
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Jrzbullelk on October 05, 2015, 08:57:18 PM: Ive shot two elk with them and have had no issues, they both didn't move more than a couple feet from where they were hit but one was not a very well placed shot (mid body) and it gave me time to follow up my shot since it just stood there. :twocents:
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Neal on October 05, 2015, 09:12:18 PM: I've shot two deer with them granted they were only 30 yrds away and I shot them both in the neck. They both had impressive tissue damage and lots of blood. I recovered one of the bullets, it mushroomed to about 3/4 inch. Just shot a coyote about three hours ago the damage was bad enough that I wont post a picture.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Karl Blanchard on October 06, 2015, 06:03:04 AM: Quote from: Duckslayer89 on October 05, 2015, 05:14:12 PM
Quote from: BLRman on October 05, 2015, 02:36:27 PM
I've talked about this on here multiple times but long story short is they probably didn't expand at all. Me, along with my dad and a few others shot them for a season with similar results. They just punch right through and don't open up. My buddy Dan shot his bull at 25 yards, hard quartering to shot. We pulled the bullet out of the hind quarter and the dang red poylmer tip was still on it!!! It hit multiple bones as well. I used the rest of mine for target practice and never looked back.

What caliber? I shoot them in my 338rcm and they expand like crazy and blow big exit wounds out. I opted for accubonds in my 308 though.
This is the muzzleloader thread man :chuckle:
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Shank on October 06, 2015, 06:54:10 AM: How much powder is everyone using behind these bullets? Curious, as these are what I'm shooting but using 90 grains of T7 FF. Are the guys that aren't having good luck with these shooting more powder or less?

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Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Duckslayer89 on October 06, 2015, 07:33:32 AM: Quote from: BLRman on October 06, 2015, 06:03:04 AM
Quote from: Duckslayer89 on October 05, 2015, 05:14:12 PM
Quote from: BLRman on October 05, 2015, 02:36:27 PM
I've talked about this on here multiple times but long story short is they probably didn't expand at all. Me, along with my dad and a few others shot them for a season with similar results. They just punch right through and don't open up. My buddy Dan shot his bull at 25 yards, hard quartering to shot. We pulled the bullet out of the hind quarter and the dang red poylmer tip was still on it!!! It hit multiple bones as well. I used the rest of mine for target practice and never looked back.

What caliber? I shoot them in my 338rcm and they expand like crazy and blow big exit wounds out. I opted for accubonds in my 308 though.
This is the muzzleloader thread man :chuckle:

Dang sorry! Newb here! :hello:
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: Sabotloader on October 06, 2015, 07:44:54 AM: Quote from: lokidog on October 05, 2015, 08:42:55 PM
Sabotloader, how much powder do you use behind that?

110 grains of T7-3f in a Percussion Gun and 120 grains T7-2f in a 209 ignition...

Just for a conversation piece - this target gives you some velocities

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv130%2Fsabotloader%2FKnight%2520Ultra-Lite%2FTargetComposite-2.jpg&hash=45f1c1eaf67dfd2f6ab0a699051b233cb35a2357) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sabotloader/media/Knight%20Ultra-Lite/TargetComposite-2.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: MD36 on October 13, 2015, 03:33:35 AM: 3 out of 4 shots into a deer did not expand. I will be going back to straight lead.
Title: Re: Anyone use Hornady SST bullets?
Post by: kellama2001 on October 13, 2015, 02:48:58 PM: Took my first muzzy buck with them last year. We got 2 deer down with the 250 gr Hornady SST this year. Both double lung shots with 100 gr 777 FF. One deer dropped in its tracks, the other ran a small circle and fell almost back where he was shot. Recovered one bullet, was a perfect mushroom, so no complaints here. :twocents: