Range Report Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

[JelloStorm]

Recently completed my 308 build (mostly) and plan to pick up some Hornady Superformance SST 165gr for hunting whitetail here in PA.

Anyone use the SST and can report how it performs on medium size gamed such as deer?

 

[sixpack340]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

they do excellent. i use the 150gr sst in my .308 and every deer i hit have hit with them has reseided in my freezer afterwards. the only thing about them that may turn people off them, is that they explode inside the deer if you hit any bone. last years buck that i killed had a heart that looked like it went through a blender when i gutted him. i have yet to have a round actually pass through a deer with the sst's. but i still love the way these bullets perform on every deer ive killed with them. i say try it out this season and see how you like them.

 

[JelloStorm]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

So you're pretty much limited to a strait-on broadside shot or else the bullet will never make it to the vitals?

Or can you attempt quarter shots on a deer if it's facing toward you on an angle?

 

[sam626]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I have been using SSTs for years on whitetails in Missouri and Kansas. No problems with performance on game and they really shoot well. If are worried about over expansion or lack of penetration move up to a heavier bullet. I like the 165s in a 308. Never have seen a shoulder blade stop one.

 

[sixpack340]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

the heart shot on my buck last year was a quartering away shot while he was moving along at a pace a little faster than walking. ive never hit one with these while they were quartered toward me though. i imagine if you did though, it would perform just as well. especially if you hit them in the brisket of there chest or the neck.

 

[JelloStorm]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sam308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have been using SSTs for years on whitetails in Missouri and Kansas. No problems with performance on game and they really shoot well. If are worried about over expansion or lack of penetration move up to a heavier bullet. I like the 165s in a 308. Never have seen a shoulder blade stop one. </div></div>

Yeah I tend to favor the 165gr, as it's a real nice balance between the 150's and 180's and have never had a deer wander off after a kill shot yet (knock on wood).

 

[jagged77]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

SST's give fantastic terminal performance. Every single deer I've shot has dropped on the spot with liquefied internals. Give excellent accuracy too short to mid range.

 

[mdesign]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I use the 139's in my 7RM...kills everything very dead. Bullet performance looks good on the few I have recovered.

 

[Gnab2]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I have had good luck with the SST in my 30-06 with both 165 and 155. I have had 6 pass throughs and 3 that didn't. I found that if they are real close they don't open as good as if it was out past 75yrds. Almost all the one that passed through has a baseball size hole exiting. Great blood trails but I have moved to the Berger VLDs now. I have heard of peopl getting good results out of the heavy A-MAX bullets.

 

[paraman1]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

My last couple of deer were killed with the 165 Grain SST . All of them were bang , flop , dead . The last one was found on the far side just under the hide . It was a quartering shot that entered just in front of his leg , took out the lungs and nicked the heart .

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I love the SST's, and they are my go-to-bullet for low cost (lower than premium stuff) and great performance on customers' rifles and my own. I've taken many deer and pigs with a 130 SST out of my 270 Win at 3198 fps, and they all have been DRT. Most dropped in their tracks with a few that went 15-20 yards. Penetration is normally a pass through with a quarter to half dollar size exit hole on deer. I had one customer that took 2 pigs with one shot out of a 300WM. You can see the picture here. It's the first picture at the top.

 

[deersniper]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I could never get good accuracy with the SSTs, I've used 168 AMAX with great success. (On a lot of deer)out past 4 tp 500 yards the performqnce drops off.

 

[pwc001]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I used to use the SST's in my 7mag, they would punch right through at close range. But the deer never went more than 15 yards. I like them, but reload now and use the Amax in 308.

 

[trailrider121]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

SST bullets do well on deer, would only us them on thin skin animals. Seems like Amax's are making their way into the hunting field on thin skin animals.

 

[Dakota_Mike]

Re: Hornady SST - anyone use these for hunting?

I used them for the first time last year with the 7MM Mag and was impressed. I'll definately be using them again. You will get some meat loss on the off side shoulder though.