Hornady SST Users

[CASH]

I'm not really looking for advice on what I should do, as I've pretty much made up my mind, but I want to hear your experiences/opinions of the SST performance.  I've been shooting them in my .270's for about 9 years.  I absolutely love the way they shoot/group/kill.  But, lately I'm becoming concerned with the retention of these bullets.

Thinking back, I think I've killed around 20 deer with SST's.  Depending on my shot placement, none have gone more than 50 yards.  (This is a time I wish I kept a hunting journal to recall what happened and when).  I'd say at least 60% of these kills, the deer dropped in place. 

Up to the time I started hunting with Hardcore and Flydown, I never payed attention to what the round did to the vitals or deer.  If it was dead it was dead.  After hunting with them for a few years, now I look the see how the round performed and to see if I can recover it.

The last two bucks I've killed have really concerned me.  I killed a 12 point in Texas in 2010.  I shot him square in the right shoulder.  He dropped in place, dead before he hit the ground.  He never moved.  The round broke both shoulders and tore a chunk out of both the heart and a lung.  The bullet completely exploded (yes, I'm aware because it hit bone), and the copper jacket lodged against the inside of the hide on the opposite side.  The only blood coming from his body was through his mouth and nose. (It wasn't much either.)

The buck I shot last Sunday ran 40 to 50 yards.  I was aiming for my customary shoulder shot, but he was walking and for whatever reason I completely blanked out on trying to stop him.  Anyway, the shot placement ended up being about an inch high of the right shoulder and 2 inches back.  It ended up being a lung shot.  He had the entrance hole with lung blood bubbling out, but again, no exit hole.  One lung was completely destroyed and there was zero evidence of the bullet.  (I'm sure if I had really looked I could have found fragments, but I didn't).  There was nothing on the opposite side of the inside of his body indicating he had been shot.

Even though the SST's have performed very well as far as killing deer, the lack of retention and almost zero blood is really discouraging.  I know that eventually I'll have to track a deer and obviously that will be very hard if not impossible without a blood trail.

Anyway, just wondering what your experiences have been with them.

[chatterbox]

I went with the SST's because they were the only bullet that would give me consistant groups out of my Browning BAR.
Now about 5 years ago, I shot a decent buck, and I knew I hit him hard. When we went to track, there was virtually no blood on the ground.
We never found the deer, but the lack of a good blood trail I believe played a part in this. I have since gotton rid of that rifle, and have gone to a Remington .308 7600 that loves the Remington Core Loks. I believe from what I have seen with this bullet from Remington, that the mushrooming is absolutely devestating on deer.
It sounds like you have had good terminal performance Bob, but I can see what your concerns are.

[CASH]

Yeah Mike.  Like I said they kill good.  If I had no doubt every deer would be DRT, I wouldn't consider changing, but that's not going to be the case.

[sharxfan]

I don't personally shoot them but I do shoot a 6.8mm SPC II rifle and on the forum that is dedicated to it a lot of guys are using the SST and love it with plenty of dead pigs and hogs to prove it.
I am not sure that a bonded bullet would be the be bullet to use if you are trying to break the shoulders. Have you tried any of the monolithic bullets that are made by Hornady or Barnes it seems to me that they stay together pretty well and are always recovered with about 99% grain weight retention. I use the 85gr TSX in my rifle and may switch to the 95gr TTSX if money permits.

[Woodsman4God]

Honestly I think it is more of an industry thing, my brother used to work at a Dicks sporting goods and has heard more and more of this from all rounds. This last year Kamski shot a large doe with a 180 gr core lokt 30-06 and the bullet didnt exit the deer. I think what is happening is that with the price of metals going up the industry is trying to shave a little hear and there and the bullets have less copper and more lead causing them to fragment more. I started noticing smaller blood trails with my 270 a couple of years ago and it got me into hand loading premium bullets because recovery of deer where I hunt could be come an issue quickly if they run too far.

I come to expect less penetration out of say a 243 or 223 but with 270's and 06's that just doesnt seem right on deer sized game.

[Preacher]

I have used them for years in my .308 rifle and 12 ga. slug,    and I have noticed a drop in performance .   First with the rifle,   just not enough shock and to long of a blood trail on well placed shots.    and the slugs had several misfires and just no knockdown power.    I guess I need to contact Hornady and see if I can get some answers.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Barnes

[CASH]

Good points.  I agree, I think it might be an industry/cost making issue.  I'm going to try the Barnes VOR-TX this year and see how they shoot out of my rifle.  Hardcore uses them for his kids' .243 and the results have been devastating.  Complete pass through and devastation on the organs.

[Woodsman4God]

Good points.  I agree, I think it might be an industry/cost making issue.  I'm going to try the Barnes VOR-TX this year and see how they shoot out of my rifle.  Hardcore uses them for his kids' .243 and the results have been devastating.  Complete pass through and devastation on the organs.

Good Idea , while I am still working on my barnes reloads, I believe when I am done that will be my go to round for almost all my relaods

[runngun]

Used them last year but stopped, I will tell you why. I shoot a 25-06 in an encore. Shot a doe last year at 80 yards, she was quartering to me. I hit her just in front of her shoulder, she traveled 20 yards and died. There was no blood trail and when I cleaned her I found pieces of the copper jacket and lead, just behind the off shoulder. This bullet did not hit any bone. Shot another deer at the same distance but behind the shoulder again did not hit any bone but the same results the bullet fragmented. Then I lost a deer and that made me sick. I emailed Hornady about my concerns and you would not believe the response I got. I had explained in detail what happened. The response said that the bullet did not have enough energy to go through the deer. Now this is a bullet moving at 3000fps. The email was full of mis-spelled words, and made no  sense. NO MORE HORNADY FOR ME in anything. I am now shooting Barnes bullets in all my guns with no problem (25-06, 243, 308)

Good Luck and God Bless
          Ray

[wisconsinteacher]

I shot 180 gr SST out of my 30-06 for 6 years.  I am now shooting Nosler AB bullets.  The reason is due to the last buck I shot 180# at 100 yards.  I hit him in the shoulder and all it did was break it.  I had to shoot him again.  When I caped and deboned the buck, there were metal flakes in the meat.  Not every deer is going to stand still when being shot so I want a bullet that will go through the shoulder if I am off a little bit.  I also shot other deer with the SST that did not bleed a lot. 

[30_06]

I never have had a problem with them with a 30-06 using the 150gr SST's on deer sized game. Good blood trails, consistent pass thru's, and (if I do my part) a dead deer very shortly.

[Tail Feathers]

I shoot Winchester Supreme Silvertip Ballistic Tips in 25.06.  Never had one NOT pass thru, even if I hit bone, and they leave a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow.   Been impressed with the performance for almost a dozen years now.

[ElkTurkMan]

I shot a buck opening day using 150 grain  SST's.  It was a bout a 50 yard shot and the buck ran 60 yards or so and crashed.  I shot the buck right behind the shoulder.  When I walked up to him and rolled hom over to gut him, I noticed my bullet didn't go through him.  This puzzled me because the shot was so close and I didn't hit any bone.  When I opened him up there was maassive damage inside.  I never recovered my bullet so I can't say that it came apart. but was puzzled at the lack of an exit wound.  Even though I saw this deer crash, I still looked at the blood trail as I wlaked up to him, and it was a good blood trail.    I have shot numberous deer and antelope with 50 grain SST's and never not had a bullet exit except for this occasion.   I ahve also always got outstandin blood trails using this round. I shot two deer last year with ammo out of the same box as this bullet came from and both of these deer had exit wounds.   I am hoping this is just a random incident.  I am a little nervous though about using these after this expierience and reading this thread.  BTW I was shotting a 30-06.    

[CASH]

Hawken,

I do have massive internal damage, but I can only remember a few deer that have had exit wounds.  Never really worried about it because they were dead.  But trailing one with no exit wound will be hard.  I don't want to lose one because I was too stubborn to change.