Anyone have experience with Hornady SSTs?

[topher89]

I picked up a 257 Roberts last year and got some ammo in the deal (100gr Ballistic Tips). Starting to run low so I have been on the look out for ammo/components but they have been hard to find.

I was able to pick up a box Hornady 117gr SSTs this weekend, advertised velocity is 2945fps. I got them because they were my only choice.

Anyone used them on game before? I bought the rifle to be an antelope/deer gun.

 

[HawkCreek]

Never used the .25 caliber but I once bought a box of .30-06 LightMagnums with the 165 grain SST. Shot one young coyote at a little over 100 yards with it, hit him in the shoulder and it blew a trench through him big enough for me to put my fist through. Took both shoulders, spine and everything with it, just a big trench. That one experience worried me enough to swear off of them for bigger critters. I never saw a BallisticTip open up that fast and in fact I've always had them exit mule deer.

Long story short, I think SST's open up to fast.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I have shot deer and antelope with a .243 using 95gr SST's. They dropped them quick with good penetration, but there was a lot of damage so I went a different route.

 

[NEhunter]

Yep, here is a doe I shot this year with 7mm mag 139 gr sst at about 175 yards. Big hole in the shoulder and did not exit. Found bullet when cleaning. Btw, the bottom pic is how she was laying when I walked up and that is a piece of lung about 18 inches in front of her head.

 

[mtnwrunner]

I have used them quite a bit as has my brother. Very accurate in all of our rifles and we have taken deer out to 612 yards with them. Have taken numerous deer and elk----never had an issue with them. I have read that some guys don't like them but they have performed great for us. We always shoot for the vitals so as far as I am concerned, the more damage the better and we have not had any issues with penetration.
They also work wonders on rockchucks.......
FYI, the calibers are 6.5 creedmoor, 30-06 AI and a 300 win mag.

Randy

 

[huntMT]

I have killed numerous Mule Deer, Whitetails and Elk with Hornady SSTs out of a 270 (140 grain if I remember correctly) and a 308 (165 grain.) One mule deer went several hundred yards, but he moved just enough during the time of flight to cause a bad hit. Everything else I've killed has dropped in their tracks, or went no more than 30 yards. The SSTs have always been very accurate for me and they will certainly kill a deer and or antelope.

With that being said, I will second what some of the other guys have already said in that they do a massive amount of damage, which is one reason I like them so much. Problem being, I lost a huge amount of meat off the two front quarters of a Whitetail this year due to hitting her in the shoulder. (Im pretty certain my scope is junk.) So while I have always said "hit them in the vitals (thats all I ever shoot for) and you don't have to worry about it,", anyone is capable of a poorly placed shot due our own malfunction or the malfunction of our equipment. If you place that shot poorly for what ever reason, you are going to loose allot of meat.

I plan on going away from the SSTs to either the Hornady HPBT or Nossler Accubond most likely, just have to see which one my rifle likes more.

 

[RCA Dog]

I've reloaded with them in 30-06 and .308. They are accurate and cheap, but as others have said, big holes will result, especially at close ranges where they are really moving.

 

[Jon Boy]

Most accurate round I've shot in my 270. Great deer round! I don't think I'd want to hit an elk scapula with one out of my 270 though. Shot a mule deer buck the other day with a 130 grain at 100 yards and it performed flawlessly with a perfect entrance and exit. buck made it a few steps and rolled down a hill.

 

[Manosteel]

My brother has used them in his 270 and 7-08 for Ram, Elk and Moose for years. He likes them and still uses them and plans to keep using them.

 

[twall13]

I've used them quite a bit over the last few years, but out of a 30-06 in 180 grain. That bullet and size shoots really well out of my gun. I've taken game out to 400 yards with no problem, but again, I'm shooting a heavier weight bullet and the largest game I've actually taken with that bullet is a Kudu out of Namibia. My elk hunt didn't go as planned this year so I've yet to test them out on an elk... My dad lost a bit of meat on his mule deer this year with the same setup. The exit wound hit some bone in the shoulder and left a hole the size of a large grapefruit. That was at about 150 yards and that deer wasn't going anywhere.

A lot of people make a big deal about these bullets disintegrating, and maybe they do, but I think it would have to be poor shot placement for that to happen to the point you'd lose an animal. All of the deer I've shot with the SST's have dropped in their tracks. I like those kill shots much better than tracking a wounded deer a couple hundred yards to where it finally died. I've personally seen at least 20 or so kills with this bullet without a problem so far. I don't know that I'd use the SST's on anything bigger than an elk, but with my setup I'm confident up to that size animal without issue. With a smaller bullet your results may vary.

 

[airlocksniffer]

I've shot a few deer and elk with .308 165 grain SST. It shoots well out of my Browning BLR. Haven't had a critter go more than 100 yards and most had clean entry and exit wounds. Fortunately no marginal shot placement on these so can't comment on meat loss. The 165 grain has become my go-to round for mixed deer and elk hunting.

 

[Zbot]

Great results out of a 270 and 7mm-08 here, but shooting the custom lite loads. I shot a desert ewe with the 7-08, broke the impact shoulder and made some damage to that leg. I think I lost about an orange sized portion of meat. The bullet didn't exit the other side but broke the scapula, that area was unaltered except for the bullet hole. I cut out a quarter sized portion around the bullet to avoid lead/copper, but other than that no meat lose.

I've shot four whitetail with the 270, lots of damage as well with exits. More than the ewe, but two of them I still was able to save meat from the front shoulders.

I even shoot SSTs out of my muzzleloader...good expansion with complete penetration and little meat loss.

 

[Carlin59]

Haven't been lucky enough to test them on elk yet (and probably won't ever as I have switched to the Hornady GMX load now), but i shot the Hornady Superformance 180gr SST load out of my .300WM for five years, which resulted in 7 deer and 5 goats. Any shots that missed major bone were tidy pass throughs, but some of the shots that clipped front shoulder/spine left holes that you could drive a Mack truck through. Granted, a hot .300WM load is way overkill, but if meat retention is your primary concern I would just be cognizant of shot placement as the SST has the ability to leave a mess if you let it hit anything solid. That said, short to non-existenstent track jobs aren't bad either, and the bullets performed very well accuracy-wise from a stock Remington 700 ADL. I don't think you will regret using the SST in your .257 for deer or (especially) antelope.

 

[topher89]

Thanks for all the feedback.

To summarize, usually good accuracy and bigggg holes if you hit bone.

I think they will be ok choice until I can find more ammo/components for my Roberts. A 257 Bob is a pretty mild round so the bullets won't be flying out there and antelope and deer aren't too tough.

Thanks!

 

[Hillbilly]

topher, finding brass to feed that Roberts is getting hard. Watch midway, brownells, etc. They seem to only be making one run a year anymore, and if you miss it, it's gone. I don't think you'll have any problems with that bullet. Many fond memories of using a Roberts for groundhogs, coyote, and a ton of deer. I have since retired the two rem classics I have in that caliber. My favorites were always a 100 or 120 partition in front of an appropriate amount of 4350 or a 100 nos BT. I have 6 deer down now with the sst in the 165 superformance load in 308, same results as above. No tracking and meat loss. You won't have as much problem out of that bob though. I never saw any particular load out of mine cause anymore damage than a 2-2.5" hole when impacting a shoulder. Best of luck with an excellent and underappreciated caliber

 

[6mm Remington]

I've had great luck with Nosler Accubonds and Partitions. Both are excellent bullets in my opinion.

Sounds like you don't reload. Federal and Nosler both load for the .257 Roberts. Hope this helps.

http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosl.../shopby/f/cartridge/257 Roberts/isAjax/1.html

http://www.shootersproshop.com/ammu.../shopby/f/cartridge/257 Roberts/isAjax/1.html

 

[NaturalJon]

i really enjoy the sst for deer and antelope. I always go for the lung shot and always has resulted in short tracking or drt

 

[peddler]

I have a Remington Model 7MS in .257 Roberts bought it new when they first came out maybe 15 years ago. Originally shot Light Magnum SST's then changed to Superformance when they brought that ammo out .Always used the SST's in that and in my CZ .270. Have a new Creedmoor now and I'm using 129 grain SST's in that.
Hornady just announced a new bullet I think called VLD to be introduced at the Shot Show. If they shoot as claimed that will be the new Creedmoor load.

 

[Phillip Hathaway]

My buddy uses the 12 gauge slug sst pure devastation

 

[JP100]

I have found the SST to be very reliable across a wide range of game and distances.
Use the 130gn and 140 in our 6.5-.284, never had a problem on Fallow,Red deer and Tahr.