Hornady SST for big game

[flintlock.50]

I shoot a .30-06. I've taken several antelope (out to 402 yds) and several Texas whitetails with 165 gr Hornady SST hand loads at 2830 fps. All dropped like they were hit by a freight train.

This year I'm going after Newfoundland moose. My guide recommends 165 gr bullets. My load works very well with Nosler AccuBonds and I'd prefer them, but try finding some! I have an ample supply of the Hornady SSTs and I'm already sighted in for that load. Are the SSTs up to the task?

Please don't tell me how much better AccuBonds, Partitions or ____ (insert your favorite bullet) would be. At this stage I don't have time to work up a new load assuming I could find the bullets. The best I could probably do is buy a couple boxes of some loaded ammo and sight in.

Thanks!

 

[Doyle]

I believe that if you hit your target in the heart/lung area you'll probably be fine. It might not be the best choice but it would get the job done. The danger is if you accidently shoot through the shoulder. I'm not convinced the SST would hold together well going through bone - especially if the target is relatively close and your FPS is still up there. Pick your shots well.

 

[jepp2]

So it sounds like you already have your mind made up.

But if I were going on your hunt, I would not use the SST. For deer and antelope that is an excellent choice. It would certainly kill an elk, but if you have a bad angle, I would prefer a different bullet.

Moose are in a whole different category. Heavy bones, potentially mud caked hides, and in dense cover where you don't always get that nice broad side shot. I would go for a bullet with penetration on a heavy boned animal over MOA accuracy.

Since you don't have time to work up a load with a better quality bullet, go for factory ammo that has it. And when you get back take time to read the story about why Nosler developed the partitioned bullet. After having several blow up on the mud caked hide of a moose....

 

[jmr40]

Almost all bullets perform just exactly as they were designed almost all of the time. People complain about bullet failure, when in fact the bullet worked just as designed, people just used it for the wrong application.

The SST's are designed for rapid expansion even at slower speeds, and often expand too much at close range. When they hit vital organs they kill very fast. If you try to shoot through several feet of muscle to get to the vitals they will fail miserably.

If you put one into the lungs it will kill it as dead as any bullet. If you want to take marginal shots from bad angles then a bullet such as the Barnes, Partition, etc would be a better choice. Neither is right or wrong, just know what you have and use it the way it was designed.

In your shoes, at this point, I'd take what I have and just understand that I have to wait on a good angle. Put it in the right spot and the moose will likely die pretty fast.

 

[Kimber84]

Why not try a Hornady Interbond in the same weight. BC's are the same and I have used 150g SST and Interbonds out of the same gun with no adjustments needed to POI. 150g SST aren't scheduled for production until late this month or early in October so I had to switch to Interbonds for now.

 

[Ifishsum]

I've taken several deer and elk with 165 SSTs in an '06 - they have performed very well for me but they also can be fairly explosive at close range and I would not trust them to go through a shoulder or a brisket of a large animal. I use them for elk knowing that I might have to pass on a high angle or otherwise iffy shot. They probably wouldn't be my first choice for a moose hunt but in your position I would use my own proven load that I know rather than a factory load rushed to get sighted in. I'd also be prepared to accept the possible limitations and pass on a bad shot if I had to.

 

[flintlock.50]

So it sounds like you already have your mind made up.

No, Jepp2, I don't already have my mind made up. I KNOW there are better bullets than the SST. But I haven't been able to find any, no Nosler AccuBonds, Hornady Interbonds, etc. If I could find any of those I'd be loading them now. The question was whether the SST will do the job.

I actually have a handful of 165 gr AccuBonds loaded, enough for my hunt, but ONLY if the airport gorillas don't mess up my sights between home and Newfoundland. I DON'T have enough to do some serious re-sighting in.

Thanks Kimber84 for your suggestion using Interbonds. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find Interbonds either. I already thought of using the SSTs as a proxy for the Accubonds to sight in. Their overall shape and ballistic coefficient is nearly identical to that of the AccuBond.

 

[ripnbst]

Have you tried making some WTB postings to forums explaining your problem and seeing if some old fart has some laying around he might not have an immediate use for?

People helping people, its powerful stuff.

 

[jepp2]

Nosler 165 Spt Partition are available at PV.

NOS16330 NOS .308 165 GR SPT PARTITION (50) Yes $33.51

They are shipping much faster these days.

 

[Boomer58cal]

I've loaded both SST's and Accu-bond in 5 different cartridges 30-30, .308, 30-06, 7mm mag and 6.5 jap. In my experience the SST's are a tougher bullet and have superior penetration.

Boomer

 

[math teacher]

My friends and I have killed 17 British Columbia moose with 160 grain Accubonds. I have no experience with SSTs so no comment there. You might load yours up and try a couple with the SSTs to see if they group together. If so you might use the Accubonds for hunting and the SSTs for backup.