Hornaday SST

HUNTER43 · Jun 28, 2015

Can i get some opinions on the Hornaday 300 gr SST bullet. I'll be hunting elk with it. Only taken one big game animal with a ML, a cow elk. I have been shooting 348 powerbelts and they worked fine on that cow but seem to get mixed reviews on here. The Hornadays were cheap so i picked up a box today and will take them to the range this week to try them out.

TripleSe7en · Jun 29, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-15 AT 07:45AM (MST)[p]SSTs draw a-lot of forums-talk fire on non-expansion. If I were hunting cow elk and decided on a 300 grain sabot, it would be a Barnes or Precision bullet. For instance....

Barnes 300gr MZ
Precision Polymer Tips -- 300-330-350 grains available

[https://www.prbullet.com/shop/products.php?nCategoryID=2&sSort=&bSortAsc=1&nPage=1]

Keep in-mind that website has five pages of Polymer Tips and keep in-mind someone will tell you they killed cow elk with a 177 grain roundball each of the past three years.

Bigger and more hi-tech is better. Just keep that in-mind and you will be fine.

greatwestern · Jun 29, 2015

I'd avoid that SST at all costs for elk man, I hadn't heard about the failure to expand described above, in fact my experience was quite the opposite...had a hunter use those things on a big bull and they were blowing up and pancaking on the damn thing's RIB bones. Had to shoot the poor dude several times.

Don't know anything about the bullet in link above, but my personal favorite is the (I sound like a frikken broken record on here) 300 gr Parker Ballistic Extreme...truly a wicked bullet

The Barnes all coppers are pretty good as well

Anyway, Best of Luck

Rattler · Jun 29, 2015

I love the Hornady SST's. They had the highest reviews when I was looking on line last hear. I shot my bull with the 300 grain Sabot SST and 90 grains of 777 powder. It proved to be the right recipe for my rifle. The bullet went through one shoulder and lodged in the far side under the hide. The bull ran about 10 yards before pilling up and rolling down the mountain. It still had plenty of power even at the longer distance. The bullet remaind intact and mushroomed out like it should

greatwestern · Jun 30, 2015

^THROUGH one shoulder? or behind? Hit any bones on the way in?

They work great on soft tissue and light boned beasts, have killed a decent muley and a good antelope with the sst...just would shy away when there exists the possibily of encountering heavy bone

Much better choices out there

MUZZLELOADER_MULEY_FREAK · Jun 30, 2015

I use the SST'S in everything I own and love them. I shoot the 250 grain out of my muzzy they have never let me down.

Rattler · Jul 1, 2015

I had to double check with my brother. He deboned the shoulders whiles I was working on the rumps. The bullet did go through the shoulder bone but it was through one of the thinner sections. I was still very pleased with the bullets performance. I can't remember off it hit any ribs as well.

greatwestern · Jul 1, 2015

Thanks for the follow up Rattler, appreciate it...those things still freak me out for heavy game, but glad they've worked well for you guys

Cheers,

Adam

Rattler · Jul 1, 2015

No problem. I shot my elk last year. It started pouring down rain and we did the gutless method. I would have liked to have had more time to check out the damage but we had a long day ahead of us trying to get that elk out. It still took a day and half to get it out. Only 3/4 of a mile but a change in salvation from 8500' to 9500' in the short distance.