I'm planning on reloading some 150 grain Hornady SST in 150 gr for elk. They will be shot at approx 2850FPS at the muzz. out of a .270Win. Is this bullet stout enough for elk even if it hits the shoulder? I'm looking for real world experience with this particular bullet. Thanks a bunch!
150 gr sst for elk
- Thread starter two7D
- Start date
Cahunter805
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,359
Im not a huge fan of the sst so id say 150gr nosler partition or 140gr accubonds would be my choice for elk.
4
440sixpack
Guest
If you wouldn't use a ballistic tip you wouldn't want the SST either, perfect lung shots fine, other than that no.
There are plenty of much better bullets for what you're planning.
There are plenty of much better bullets for what you're planning.
marley
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 2,487
Go with 150 grain nosler partitions like said above. I've used both and can say the partition will hold up way above the sst. I use texas hogs as my bullet tests and the sst ended up in about 15 fragments about mid way through the pig. The partitions always perform on the pigs and stay together. I killed a Grizzly in alaska, one shot, using the 150 grain partitions out of my .280 going about 2950 fps with a head on shot square in the chest.
....If you find a message from myself offensive, inappropriate or disruptive, please ignore it. If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to me and I will demonstrate.....
....If you find a message from myself offensive, inappropriate or disruptive, please ignore it. If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to me and I will demonstrate.....
D
desertdeer
Guest
i would use the interbond instead. its a tougher bullet for elk and should shoot nearly identical to the sst
ishootaRUM300
Active Member
- Messages
- 494
I used the sst in the 270 wsm last year. Well to make a long story short I spent the summer working up new loads for the 270 wsm.
LAST EDITED ON Nov-30-11 AT 05:15PM (MST)[p]
No way would I use an SST on elk. Go with the Hornady Interbond or a similar bonded bullet like the other members have stated. The SST blows up way too fast and will not penetrate on elk size animals. That is from personal experience using 150 grainers in a 30-06 on deer and one cow elk! The rest of the SSTs went in the garbage.
No way would I use an SST on elk. Go with the Hornady Interbond or a similar bonded bullet like the other members have stated. The SST blows up way too fast and will not penetrate on elk size animals. That is from personal experience using 150 grainers in a 30-06 on deer and one cow elk! The rest of the SSTs went in the garbage.
sageadvice
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 11,849
I think you'd like it! IMO, a 140 gr Accubond out of a 270 Winchester @ 3000 FPS would be a excellent all around hunting load!
Joey
"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
Joey
"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
H
huntingaz
Guest
My wife used the 168 grain sst on a mule deer and a bull elk last year and I would not recommend them. The mule deer dropped with one shot but it did so much damage and we lost a lot of meat. The elk took two shots from 275 yards and did not penetrate deep enough. We will be using a different round this year. The sst do work good on coyotes and that is about it.
I
IDbones
Guest
ive heard about this problem with the sst, but last year gave it a try any ways, 100 yards had a deer on a dead run, shot it straight through the heart and dug the bullet out of its middle neck right under the skin. it was DEVASTATING. elk, maybe a different story, i shot a spike at roughly 200 yards a few years back and it punch through the vitals and through the far shoulder on both shots. just my experience
Silentstalker
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,145
Just returned from a trip where my Dad shot a smaller bull with a 270 WSM. 150 yard high shoulder shot. Dad was shooting a near max reload and the bullet went through the tops of both shoulders and part of the spine. We recovered the bullet under the hide of the off shoulder.
It was the 150 gr. SST. The back 1/2 of the bullet still looked like it did out of the box. The front half mushroomed down nicely and weighed 80 gr. total. That is about 53% of total weight I think. Bottom line is the bull did not take 1 step. In this 1 example, the bullet performed great IMO.
Here are a couple of crappy pics of the recovered slug. Hope it shows up ok. If not I will try to take my own pic's and post later.
It was the 150 gr. SST. The back 1/2 of the bullet still looked like it did out of the box. The front half mushroomed down nicely and weighed 80 gr. total. That is about 53% of total weight I think. Bottom line is the bull did not take 1 step. In this 1 example, the bullet performed great IMO.
Here are a couple of crappy pics of the recovered slug. Hope it shows up ok. If not I will try to take my own pic's and post later.
M
MarshallBill5
Guest
I could not get SST to shoot good out of my 270 WSM. I also couldn't get Accubond's to group well. I shot 130, 140, and 150 grain bullets. The best I got were 140 grain Sierra Boat tailes. I also reloaded for my little brother and his 270. Same results but 130 grain bullets. I concentrated on his gun as he had a Nevada Bull elk tag that year. He shot his bull at 314 yards and it dropped in his tracks. Later that year I shot a big cow in Montana at 300 yards and she didn't take a step either. Load some stuff, try some different things and see what is best in your gun. Make a good shot with a load you are confident with and you won't have anything to worry about.
sageadvice
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 11,849
I'm very glad to hear when it works out that guys have cleanly taken big big game with bullets like the SST, Nosler Ballistic tips, and Sierra boat tails. Goes to show that if a great well placed shot is taken, most any bullet will do the job.
I'd like to caution though that i have found through my experiences in near 50 years of active hunting, many animals taken, and many more alongside friends and family, not all shots hit where they are intended. This includes shots take by guys that i consider some of the best shots out there. In these cases and especially when hunting the bigger, big boned animals, it pays to be shooting a bullet designed for the job.
I liken it to buying insurance. in most cases and times, a guy never needs it. Years can go by without ever making a claim but, like in the case of hunting Elk, you might happen to hit a little forward of the sweet spot and smack into the largest of the shoulder bones. Having that insurance will pay for itself with a cleanly taken animal instead of a very long tracking job and the misery of a possible lost animal.
I have lost several animals in my life. I'm still way above 95% recovery but even the thought of one more lost animal makes me sick as if kicked in the stomach or a bit lower. I don't subscribe to the all too common saying that "losing the occasional animal is all part of hunting". By shooting bullets designed, tried and true, i do everything possible to not have a animal loss due to poor bullet performance because my shot might be off the mark ever so much. I buy and hunt good bullets. I truly believe that the practice is cheap insurance!! My $.02
Joey
"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
I'd like to caution though that i have found through my experiences in near 50 years of active hunting, many animals taken, and many more alongside friends and family, not all shots hit where they are intended. This includes shots take by guys that i consider some of the best shots out there. In these cases and especially when hunting the bigger, big boned animals, it pays to be shooting a bullet designed for the job.
I liken it to buying insurance. in most cases and times, a guy never needs it. Years can go by without ever making a claim but, like in the case of hunting Elk, you might happen to hit a little forward of the sweet spot and smack into the largest of the shoulder bones. Having that insurance will pay for itself with a cleanly taken animal instead of a very long tracking job and the misery of a possible lost animal.
I have lost several animals in my life. I'm still way above 95% recovery but even the thought of one more lost animal makes me sick as if kicked in the stomach or a bit lower. I don't subscribe to the all too common saying that "losing the occasional animal is all part of hunting". By shooting bullets designed, tried and true, i do everything possible to not have a animal loss due to poor bullet performance because my shot might be off the mark ever so much. I buy and hunt good bullets. I truly believe that the practice is cheap insurance!! My $.02
Joey
"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
Silentstalker
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,145
Great advice Sage.
I guess I am caught in the question, What is better a very strong well built bullet that drives all the way through an animal or one that sheds 1/2 its weight as it drives all the way to the hide on the other side?
Dead is dead and a poor shot may not be good with either bullet? I don't hunt a lot with a rifle but when I do, I definitely want the best most accurate bullet I can shoot.
I guess I am caught in the question, What is better a very strong well built bullet that drives all the way through an animal or one that sheds 1/2 its weight as it drives all the way to the hide on the other side?
Dead is dead and a poor shot may not be good with either bullet? I don't hunt a lot with a rifle but when I do, I definitely want the best most accurate bullet I can shoot.
sageadvice
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 11,849
LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-12 AT 04:56PM (MST)[p]If you are asking me, i have found that even on deer, some of the lighter built bullets, will shed much weight on the first impact on bone. Often, certainly not all the time, good penetration thru to the other side is not reliably achieved but many small pieces are scattered throughout the body cavity. This is on Deer!
To me, this is certainly not what i would prefer in the instance of a dedicated hunt for bigger animals such as Elk. Now, my go to loading for everything involves Nosler's Accubond bullets and though there are probably a few stouter bullets out there, Barns and Partitions for example, the Accubonds have proven to me to hold together well when bone is encountered and create a very satisfactory wound channel with dependable penetration.
Personally, i care not one ounce if a bullet remains in the animal. As long as it does it's job on the way through, destroy and create havoc, i'm a happy camper. For the qualities that i look for in a bullet, the Accubond seems to be a very nice compromise between the super stout and the soft point type, expanding and expending on impact, kind of bullet.
Joey
"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
To me, this is certainly not what i would prefer in the instance of a dedicated hunt for bigger animals such as Elk. Now, my go to loading for everything involves Nosler's Accubond bullets and though there are probably a few stouter bullets out there, Barns and Partitions for example, the Accubonds have proven to me to hold together well when bone is encountered and create a very satisfactory wound channel with dependable penetration.
Personally, i care not one ounce if a bullet remains in the animal. As long as it does it's job on the way through, destroy and create havoc, i'm a happy camper. For the qualities that i look for in a bullet, the Accubond seems to be a very nice compromise between the super stout and the soft point type, expanding and expending on impact, kind of bullet.
Joey
"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
Silentstalker
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,145
Thanks for the thoughts man. I am leaning towards the Accubond as well. It does not shoot quite as accurate but certainly good enough at under an inch at 100 yards.
elks96
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,820
I will not use the sst. We tried them on mule deer and was not happy with them. They killed, and in some cases we absolutely devastating. The first buck I shot with the sst. Was a 90 yard shot with the buck 1/4 to me I hit the buck high and the bullet went diwn the spine, took out the back strap, the tenderloin and blew a hole bigger than both my fist out the rear 1/4. The buck wound up being paralyzed but still needed another shot. I am convinced that a bonded bullet would have held to gether and crossed the spine and not have ruind nearly as much meat. My wife shot a cow with the 150 sst out of her 270. Hit the thickest heaviest part of the shoulder bone. The entry hole measured 7"x 11".... Ruined most of the front 1/4. The bullets was in pieces scattered throughout the far shoulder. The elk died, but more becasue the sent nearly the entire shoulder bone through the rib cage. When I finished off the loads I shot one last elk with that round. Knowing how horrible they were on meat, I chose to hole a little back to avoid the should and go through ribs. cow 1/4ing to me a bit, I shot about 2" back from the shoulder crease, and hit a rib. Bullet ended up in gut after a slight deflection again absolute carnage inside. Killed that cow, but just a mess.
Since my then I have been and only will shoot the interbonds from hornday. This year I shot a cow and my wife got a bull. my shot at 60 yards and her shot at 238 yards. Needless to say neither animal took a step, and despite both of us hitting a little far forward minimal meat lost. The bullets left holes just big enough for 3 finger to fit in and both bullets recovered. We had 93% and 91% weight retention even going through shoulder. I have shot this bullet at over 10 elk and have the exact same result on all ten. No tracking, lowest weight retention was 83% highest at 95 and have recovered 6 of my last 11 bullets. All did exactly what I wanted, delivered full energy, controlled expansion, decent hole size and dead.
I actually use the 140gr interbonds now and load them a little hot. Good balance between speed and weight. I actually think the 140 hit harder that the 150 even though physics would suggest other wise, I just think the 140 expand harder thus delivering more damage.
Since my then I have been and only will shoot the interbonds from hornday. This year I shot a cow and my wife got a bull. my shot at 60 yards and her shot at 238 yards. Needless to say neither animal took a step, and despite both of us hitting a little far forward minimal meat lost. The bullets left holes just big enough for 3 finger to fit in and both bullets recovered. We had 93% and 91% weight retention even going through shoulder. I have shot this bullet at over 10 elk and have the exact same result on all ten. No tracking, lowest weight retention was 83% highest at 95 and have recovered 6 of my last 11 bullets. All did exactly what I wanted, delivered full energy, controlled expansion, decent hole size and dead.
I actually use the 140gr interbonds now and load them a little hot. Good balance between speed and weight. I actually think the 140 hit harder that the 150 even though physics would suggest other wise, I just think the 140 expand harder thus delivering more damage.
Silentstalker
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,145
Great report. Thanks!
