Ammo Choice

FamilyMan

FamilyMan

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Need to select hunting ammo for my boys new 308 hunting rifle (Savage Model 11 with acutriger). Looking at three options available to me locally. These are:

Hornady Superformance SST Rifle Ammo
Hornady Superformance GMX Rifle Ammo
NoslerCustom Trophy Grade Rifle Ammunition

Intent is to hunt deer and close range elk (under 250 yards). 165 grain bullet.

Anybody have experience with these cartridges or an opinion on the bullet types. I am somewhat knowledgeable, but by no means an expert on bullet choices.

Thanks

Mark
muledeer.jpg


My hunting spot is so secret, not even the elk have found it yet.
 
I have had very good luck with Hornady Superformance ammo in my .300 Win Mag. I started off using the SST's and dropped an elk dead in it's tracks at 367 yards. I then switched to the Accubonds after reading about some not-so-good stuff about the SST's on bigger game. The Accubonds were excellent, except Hornady has temporarily suspended making them! So I'm using the SST's again this year. I've shot quite a few different factory loads in several of my guns, but have been very pleased with the Superformance. I suspect the GMX ammo would be great as well although I do not have any experience with them (yet).
 
Superformance GMX shoots under an inch in my Model 70. I have shot deer, elk and moose with it. Just bought 6 more boxes of it.
 
I agree with DW. At under 250 yards and 165 grains what would it matter ? I've killed so many with different bullets and different cals .06, .270, 300 Win, .308 , .243. They all worked at that range just stick em where it counts !
 
>I agree with DW. At under
>250 yards and 165 grains
>what would it matter ?
>I've killed so many with
>different bullets and different cals
>.06, .270, 300 Win, .308
>, .243. They all worked
>at that range just stick
>em where it counts !
>


+1 where u hit em's more important than what u hit em with!
 
-1, "where u hit em's more important than what u hit em with!"

When i guy comes here and asks for good advice, sometimes the old cliche answers are not what he's looking for or needs to hear.

In this case he mentions ELK from a Win 308 cartridge. In that case, a fragile SST bullet hitting a shoulder bone has a fair chance of not reaching the vitals and the possibility of a wounded, maybe lost animal. You "any bullet" guys are right that if you hit them perfect, they will kill but not all guys will hit them perfect and in the case of ELK, you will be better served with a bullet that will smash thru bone and that has a rep for penetration like the GMX. TTSX, or Nosler Partition.

just sayin...

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
You bet uncle sage I agree! Any of the modern design "big game" bullets will fit the bill, but the most important thing we can do is practice practice practice. So that when the time comes, we do have the ability to put it where we want it. No amount of scientific bullet design will make up for poor shooting. If u gut shoot em it won't matter if it's $1 bullet or a $3 bullet. Start with a good bullet that your gun likes and practice...alot! I'm readin alot of threads about lost game recently and I doubt it had anything to do with bullet or broad head design. Things happen in the field that none of us can control but there's no excuse for not practicing in the off season...alot, to avoid those threads!
 
I gotta admit sage I'm not much of a hornady fan so I just hit their site to read up on the sst. Maybe it's corporate sales jargon, like I say I don't shoot em, but they claim it's designed for large wound channels with some kinda retention ring to hold it together to maximize penetration. Says it's good for na game animals from antelope to moose and similar sized African plains game. Like I said I don't shoot em but that sounds pretty good. Have u had or heard of poor performance from these? Not pickin a fight just wantin the scoop. And if it's a bad bullet we should all know about it and avoid it!
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-13-14 AT 11:02PM (MST)[p]"You bet uncle sage I agree!"... You do? well i still am far from agreeing with what you are saying.

"Any of the modern design "big game" bullets will fit the bill, but the most important thing we can do is practice practice practice." ...What if we have been practicing and competing at it for 50 years? I'm not worried about me but i give a lot of thought to the bullet i use.

"No amount of scientific bullet design will make up for poor shooting."...Yes it will in some probable situations. A poor shot on elk with a bullet like the SST "might" hit and explode on the front shoulder bone, not breaking it, and not penetrating inside the cavity to the vitals. A GMX, TTSX, and Partition are designed and known to bust thru that shoulder. That shoulder shot is now a perfect shot and a dead Elk! Why? Because SOME bullets are "designed" to do that job!

"If u gut shoot em it won't matter if it's $1 bullet or a $3 bullet."... That goes without saying but good point!

"I'm readin alot of threads about lost game recently and I doubt it had anything to do with bullet or broad head design."... I have to disagree but that's your opinion so...

" Things happen in the field that none of us can control but there's no excuse for not practicing in the off season..."...again, he's asking about Bullet design, what might be the best bullet for his uses. For the bigger of game, like Elk, i would error on the side of strongly constructed bullets and not leave to to chance.

Now, i get what you are saying here, some of it is clich?, but for this guy's question, i have to disagree with a lot of what you had to say.

Edit: I took half a dozen Muley bucks and a good antelope shootin
Factory Remington 150gr SST's thru my 270WSM. I thought it a great loading for deer, opened fast and made a big hole, awesome ballistics. But i also hit a couple front shoulders along the way and that's as far as the bullet got. I'm talking bone not blade. So, i don't recommend them for elk. Why chance it?

Joey
 
You lost me on that one. Remington SST's? The Remington loads use Nosler Ballistic Tips, only Hornady loads the SST.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-14 AT 01:13PM (MST)[p]"You lost me on that one. Remington SST's? The Remington loads use Nosler Ballistic Tips, only Hornady loads the SST."

Eeerrrrr! Wrong!! Remington used to load some of their Premier loads with SST's but discontinued them 2 or 3 years ago. Remington called them Accutips but they were proved a Hornady SST, a really nice factory loading for deer and my WSM loved them.

Hornady does make some other great stout bullets designed for critters like Elk, IMO, the SST being marginal at best.

There are always going to be guys that are killing with what they happen to have. Bullets do that! But not all bullets perform the same way.

Joey



"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
Thank you sageadvice. That is just the type of fact-based response I was hoping for to help me in making my decision.

Thanks again.

Mark
muledeer.jpg


My hunting spot is so secret, not even the elk have found it yet.
 
I shoot Nosler Trophy Grade in 180 gr Accubond out of my 300RUM. I am very pleased with the performance on deer, elk, moose, bear and antelope. No concerns from me at all. They are expensive but not worth complaining about to me.
 
Sounds like you've picked the bullet and it will cover "too far forward". Now get him to the range....it's the only thing that limits "too far back". Hope you and yer sons hunt is successful and enjoyable!
 
GMX suck for elk unless you like pencil holes and no blood trail. I killed two elk with it and was smart enough to throw the rest away.
 
I have shot Federal Premium ammunition in my semi custom Win Model 70, 300 Win Mag for 12 years. First Nosler Partions, then Nosler Accubonds and this year Trophy Grade Copper Ballistic Tips. All have worked very well on elk, deer and sheep.

The Trophy Grade Coppers were exceptionaly accurate and absolutely devistating on my Desert Big Horn last December. I highly recommend them and worth looking at.

Ed
 
Too bad you were smart enough to throw away the ill-advised GMX's brymoore, ya could've sold em to an unsuspecting sap like me that had no idea they didn't perform well on the couple dozen big game beasts I've seen killed with the crappy things; many elkers included ;)

As to the OP's inquiry, I'd definitely skip the SST for elk, they fly great and are devastating on soft tissue, but like to come apart dramatically when encountering heavy bone, of which elk have quite a bit. Good bullet for antelope and smaller deer though

Cheers and Good Luck!

Adam
 
Two years ago I shot a 300"+ bull elk with my 7mm mag. I was using the 154 gr. SST superformance. I hit the bull high in the shoulder at about 200 yards. The bull dropped in its tracks but then 30 seconds later, it was off and running. It headed up hill and was not limping at all. I could see a fist sized blood spot on its shoulder as I took a running follow up shot but missed. Never could find the bull and it never bled much. I will never use those bullets again.
I'm now using the 160 gr. accubonds and killed a bull last year with them.
 
>Accubonds are a better choice than
>the GMX. mtmuley


Is that because they mushroom a bit more than the GMX?
 
Did you guys even read the Mans Question? He gave us three choices because that's what he could get.

IF he had asked, what would you consider, the Best Bullet, I'd have said Accubonds as well. Maybe accubonds aren't a option thru local store bought goods...

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 

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