Hornady SST Performance On Deer?

[grampy]

I'm currently prepping about one hundred 270 Win cases. Have used Nosler BT's 140g for a few years with excellent results. I can't find them anymore. So I picked up some Hornady SST's 130g to reload our next batch of hunting ammo.

My question is how the SST ammo performance rates with those of you who have used it on deer? My research says it is very similar to the Nosler BT that's worked so well for us. And that it's a very accurate round too. Online reviews have been kind of mixed? Either love em or hate em. Just curious as to what members here, that have used them, think about the terminal performance of the Hornady SST ?

Any reason not to try them? Should I buy a different bullet? Or will they work just fine?

Plan to use the same recipe of 59.5 grains of H4831,  CCI primers, Federal Premium cases, that has worked great from ten yards. Out to350 yards successfully for us on deer. FPS will be very close to 3000 with this 270 Win recipe. 

Gimme your thoughts!

[DoubleDose]

 

9 hours ago, grampy said:

I'm currently prepping about one hundred 270 Win cases. Have used Nosler BT's 140g for a few years with excellent results. I can't find them anymore. So I picked up some Hornady SST's 130g to reload our next batch of hunting ammo.

My question is how the SST ammo performance rates with those of you who have used it on deer? My research says it is very similar to the Nosler BT that's worked so well for us. And that it's a very accurate round too. Online reviews have been kind of mixed? Either love em or hate em. Just curious as to what members here, that have used them, think about the terminal performance of the Hornady SST ?

Any reason not to try them? Should I buy a different bullet? Or will they work just fine?

Plan to use the same recipe of 59.5 grains of H4831,  CCI primers, Federal Premium cases, that has worked great from ten yards. Out to350 yards successfully for us on deer. FPS will be very close to 3000 with this 270 Win recipe. 

Gimme your thoughts!

I use Nosler Accubonds and have no complaints.  I would think going from Nosler BTs to Hornady SSTs would be undetectable to the deer.  I always expect online reviews to be mixed.  The problem is that it is anecdotal evidence based on a person's individual experience; which may have unrealistic expectations.  These people also claim to never make a bad or marginal shot or have the bullet hit something and tumble.  I would expect that if you compared them side to side in ballistic gelatin under controlled conditions the performance would be the same.

[Nontypical]

Some good information comparing the 2 here. 6.8SPC also uses a .277 projectile. 
https://www.68forums.com/threads/hornady-sst-vs-nosler-ballistic-tip-hunting.49978/#post-568220

[Nontypical]

I had a large stash of SST’s awhile back, but sold them all once I discovered these. Solid copper monolithic projectiles designed to be better than Barnes. These have proven to be very effective on deer and hogs. 
https://www.cavitybackbullets.com/category-s/106.htm

Edited January 7, 2023 by Nontypical

[Wolc123]

I suspect they will do very well at .270 speeds hitting way faster, but the big .50 cal. plus size is not overly impressive as a 12 ga. sabot slug.  This is the exit side, on a deer that I shot last fall.  It left a small exit hole, and a very poor blood trail.  

 

It only ran 50 yards, but into some real thick stuff.  I was thankful for the snow that day.  It made a 90 degree turn, halfway thru it’s death run.  I found just a drop or two, after it made that turn, and not too many before.   
 

On the plus side, inside the deer, the meat damage has always been very minimal, but that is likely a result of the relatively slow speed of the 12 ga sabots. I hit one a little high and thru the spine, from about 100 yards a few years ago, and lost a little less than a full chop, around the spot where the bullet passed thru.   Also, the accuracy of those SST slugs from the bench has been the best of any of the 6 or 7 different types that I have tried. 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Wolc123

[grampy]

1 hour ago, DoubleDose said:

 

I use Nosler Accubonds and have no complaints.  I would think going from Nosler BTs to Hornady SSTs would be undetectable to the deer.  I always expect online reviews to be mixed.  The problem is that it is anecdotal evidence based on a person's individual experience; which may have unrealistic expectations.  These people also claim to never make a bad or marginal shot or have the bullet hit something and tumble.  I would expect that if you compared them side to side in ballistic gelatin under controlled conditions the performance would be the same.

Yes sir, I  agree with you about most online reviews being "anecdotal evidence". The reason we hunt with a fast expanding bullet, is the amount of absolute, thick, nasty cover on our property. We much prefer to have them not make it in there after the shot. And we also have places where a 300 yard plus shot is possible. The Nosler BTs did all that with mostly DRT results on about 20 deer for my partner and I. As long as we did our part, my handloads did theirs. I guess that is my "anecdotal evidence"....lol. 

But since finding what we have been using proved difficult at best, I was at a gun shop that had the SSTs. So I picked up a box of 100. I'll make a few test rounds to see how they shoot from my Sako and partners Rem 700. And hope the terminal performance is close to what we've come to expect with the Nosler BTs.

Posted here to get some "anecdotal evidence" from some of my fellow members. So thank you for your responses!! 

I will follow up with anything I learn about this SST bullet recipe. 

[mowin]

1 hour ago, grampy said:

Yes sir, I  agree with you about most online reviews being "anecdotal evidence". The reason we hunt with a fast expanding bullet, is the amount of absolute, thick, nasty cover on our property. We much prefer to have them not make it in there after the shot. And we also have places where a 300 yard plus shot is possible. The Nosler BTs did all that with mostly DRT results on about 20 deer for my partner and I. As long as we did our part, my handloads did theirs. I guess that is my "anecdotal evidence"....lol. 

But since finding what we have been using proved difficult at best, I was at a gun shop that had the SSTs. So I picked up a box of 100. I'll make a few test rounds to see how they shoot from my Sako and partners Rem 700. And hope the terminal performance is close to what we've come to expect with the Nosler BTs.

Posted here to get some "anecdotal evidence" from some of my fellow members. So thank you for your responses!! 

I will follow up with anything I learn about this SST bullet recipe. 

The only way I'd be able to help you out is to shoot some deer if you give me some rounds, lol.  

Interested to see if these are as accurate as the Nosler BTs.  Will you be using the same power and charge as the Noslers? 

[Nontypical]

From what I’ve seen, the SST have been extremely accurate in all calibers. 

[grampy]

51 minutes ago, mowin said:

The only way I'd be able to help you out is to shoot some deer if you give me some rounds, lol.  

Interested to see if these are as accurate as the Nosler BTs.  Will you be using the same power and charge as the Noslers? 

Yes, that's the plan to start with the known recipe. However I will vary the powder charge just a bit, on a few test rounds. To see what gives me the best accuracy. I found that with the Nosler BTs the best recipe was 59.5 grains of H4831. Hopefully it will be the same with the SSTs? Only way to find out for sure will be on the range.

[grampy]

41 minutes ago, Nontypical said:

From what I’ve seen, the SST have been extremely accurate in all calibers. 

That's the one consistent thing I've gathered in researching the SST, is the overall accuracy.  Since we have had great success with the terminal results, and accuracy of the Nosler BT, I'm hoping this SST will be very similar?  Also going from 140g to a 130g bullet. But I don't see that being much of an issue in 270 caliber for just deer.

[grampy]

In today's climate of shortages in some specific rounds. I don't believe I'm the only one substituting a different round, for one I can't get. And as time goes on, no doubt more will be doing the same. Just trying to do the best possible, with what you can get. And hope it all works out.

[Ogee]

Just off the cuff;

You’re dropping 10 grs, 140 to 130, in bullet weight; I’d guess that powder load is near max. ? , may want to work up to that.

[Nontypical]

The only complaint that I’ve heard about the SST is how they fragment. Some like it some don’t. I’m pretty sure the Accubond retained more weight than the SST. 

[grampy]

31 minutes ago, Ogee said:

Just off the cuff;

You’re dropping 10 grs, 140 to 130, in bullet weight; I’d guess that powder load is near max. ? , may want to work up to that.

I agree. The max load of H4831 for 270 is 61g. I've been using 59.5g with 140g BTs. But plan to start testing these 130g SST bullets at 58g and work from there. Thanks for the advice!

[grampy]

31 minutes ago, Nontypical said:

The only complaint that I’ve heard about the SST is how they fragment. Some like it some don’t. I’m pretty sure the Accubond retained more weight than the SST. 

Yes that's very true. But that is precisely why we liked the BTs so much. If we do our part, and put the bullet in the vitals, those vitals instantly become non functional. Which leads to a very short tracking job, if not DRT. Even on a less than perfect hit, we've found the BTs do enough damage to still anchor the deer in a short enough time to make recovery easy enough. And a bad hit is just that, no matter what the bullet composition is.

The Accubond is also a very viable option. But didn't see any available when I was in the gun store. And wanted to keep close to what has worked great for us in the past.

Thanks so much for your input, greatly appreciated!

Edited January 7, 2023 by grampy