Experience with .308 150 gr. SST Hornady bullets?

dvdcrr · October 13, 2017, 10:49 AM

I was wondering if anyond has any experience with .308 150 gr. SST Hornady bullets?
Years ago I had a bad experience with this bullet, but I have some loaded up now again and was wondering if my one time was just an anomaly.
Thanks!

Who Dey William · October 13, 2017, 12:49 PM

Killed deer with SSTs in .308 win and 12 gauge slug. If you hit them in the boiler room, they won't run far. I know this isnt sexy advice or particularly enlightening, but buy a box and see if it groups how you want it to. I've had success with that caliber and weight combo.

Dufus · October 13, 2017, 01:08 PM

I use SSTs for mainly paper punching. They are too thin for my needs.

Hit a good bone and you might get one inside the animal, but a lot of time not so.

Accubonds and partitions are my main hunting bullets.

The SST might suffice for something as small as a white tail, but I still don't have much faith in them for hunting purposes.

jmr40 · October 13, 2017, 01:12 PM

They shoot very accurately in my rifles. I've not shot game with one, and it wouldn't be my 1st choice. The entire line of SST bullets are known for rapid expansion. That is neither good nor bad, if you understand how they work and use them appropriately. At any range a shot into the rib cage will probably result in massive damage and a quick kill. The soft bullets mean they will expand well at longer ranges were impact speed is slow and other tougher bullets might fail to expand.

But they are not a good choice for larger game or shots at bad angles where lots of penetration is needed. Use them them the way they were designed to work and they work. Ask them to do a job they weren't designed to do and they will fail. I like a little tougher bullet.

603Country · October 13, 2017, 07:43 PM

I load that bullet for the grandson's 308. It works just fine for him. I worried about it a bit, but I've quit worrying. It does just fine. Quite accurate too. He shoots deer and pigs.

For the sake of low recoil, I use a medium load of IMR 3031. That probably reduces any problem of the bullet fragmenting.

I doubt I'd use it at high velocity in a 300 Weatherby.

dvdcrr · October 13, 2017, 09:37 PM

nice!
yes deer and pigs is what mine will be used for.
18" barrel, 308. 2700 fps muzzle

GeauxTide · October 14, 2017, 09:14 PM

In an 18" barrel, you'll be around 2600. I use 42gr of H4895 under Corelokt or Interlock for 2518. Extreme spread of 9fps and 1/2" groups.

dvdcrr · October 17, 2017, 12:10 PM

I kind of like the SST for autoloaders, there is no tip deformation, or lead deposit on feed ramps

reloader28 · October 25, 2017, 07:11 PM

I've shot a lot of deer with 150 SST in my 30-06 and it has work flawless every time

jackstrawIII · October 31, 2017, 11:48 AM

Quote:

The entire line of SST bullets are known for rapid expansion. That is neither good nor bad, if you understand how they work and use them appropriately.

This is it.

SSTs work very well on a lung shots. I use them out of some of my guns and I have no complaints. I choose "soft" bullets like the SST for most of my hunting. It's a deer, not a water buffalo.

samsmix · November 1, 2017, 02:33 PM

It kills deer sized stuff dead as a doornail, mostly out to 400 yards, maybe a bit farther if you're really good.

For that matter so does any cheap 150gr from Federal, Remington, Winchester, and just about anyone else.

ed308 · November 2, 2017, 06:14 PM

The 120 gr SST in 6.8 is one of the best hunting bullets for large hogs. I can't see the 150 gr SST being any less effective either. But it will do damage to the meat. I shot a large hog straight on in the head several years ago back in Florida. It went down and stayed down too. Not even a muscle twitch after it went down.

reynolds357 · November 2, 2017, 07:33 PM

They are fine for whitetail. They are moving slow out of the 30-06 and 308 Win. They would not be my first choice for my 300 ultra mag.

samsmix · November 2, 2017, 11:34 PM

As a matter of fact, I did quit using such bullets...Remington bronze points IIRC...due to meat damage.

reynolds357 · November 3, 2017, 09:13 AM

Yeah, you are going to get meat damage if you shoot in the wrong place. I don't mind losing a little bit of rib meat.

October 13, 2017, 10:49 AM	#1
dvdcrr Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 665	Experience with .308 150 gr. SST Hornady bullets? I was wondering if anyond has any experience with .308 150 gr. SST Hornady bullets? Years ago I had a bad experience with this bullet, but I have some loaded up now again and was wondering if my one time was just an anomaly. Thanks! __________________ "All warfare is based on deception. Hence when we are able to attack we must seem unable....when using our forces we must appear inactive. When we are near we must make the enemy believe we are far away."Sun Tzu The Art of War.

October 13, 2017, 01:12 PM	#4
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,805	They shoot very accurately in my rifles. I've not shot game with one, and it wouldn't be my 1st choice. The entire line of SST bullets are known for rapid expansion. That is neither good nor bad, if you understand how they work and use them appropriately. At any range a shot into the rib cage will probably result in massive damage and a quick kill. The soft bullets mean they will expand well at longer ranges were impact speed is slow and other tougher bullets might fail to expand. But they are not a good choice for larger game or shots at bad angles where lots of penetration is needed. Use them them the way they were designed to work and they work. Ask them to do a job they weren't designed to do and they will fail. I like a little tougher bullet. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

October 13, 2017, 09:37 PM	#6
dvdcrr Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 665	nice! yes deer and pigs is what mine will be used for. 18" barrel, 308. 2700 fps muzzle __________________ "All warfare is based on deception. Hence when we are able to attack we must seem unable....when using our forces we must appear inactive. When we are near we must make the enemy believe we are far away."Sun Tzu The Art of War.

October 17, 2017, 12:10 PM	#8
dvdcrr Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 665	I kind of like the SST for autoloaders, there is no tip deformation, or lead deposit on feed ramps __________________ "All warfare is based on deception. Hence when we are able to attack we must seem unable....when using our forces we must appear inactive. When we are near we must make the enemy believe we are far away."Sun Tzu The Art of War.

November 1, 2017, 02:33 PM	#11
samsmix Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2006 Location: Montana (Montucky?) Posts: 1,273	It kills deer sized stuff dead as a doornail, mostly out to 400 yards, maybe a bit farther if you're really good. For that matter so does any cheap 150gr from Federal, Remington, Winchester, and just about anyone else. __________________ You'll probably never NEED a gun. I hope you never do. But IF you do, you will need it worse than anything you've ever needed in your life. IF we're not supposed to eat animals, howcome God made 'em outta meat?

October 13, 2017, 12:49 PM	#2
Who Dey William Junior Member Join Date: August 7, 2017 Posts: 8	Killed deer with SSTs in .308 win and 12 gauge slug. If you hit them in the boiler room, they won't run far. I know this isnt sexy advice or particularly enlightening, but buy a box and see if it groups how you want it to. I've had success with that caliber and weight combo.

October 13, 2017, 01:08 PM	#3
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	I use SSTs for mainly paper punching. They are too thin for my needs. Hit a good bone and you might get one inside the animal, but a lot of time not so. Accubonds and partitions are my main hunting bullets. The SST might suffice for something as small as a white tail, but I still don't have much faith in them for hunting purposes.

October 13, 2017, 07:43 PM	#5
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I load that bullet for the grandson's 308. It works just fine for him. I worried about it a bit, but I've quit worrying. It does just fine. Quite accurate too. He shoots deer and pigs. For the sake of low recoil, I use a medium load of IMR 3031. That probably reduces any problem of the bullet fragmenting. I doubt I'd use it at high velocity in a 300 Weatherby.

October 14, 2017, 09:14 PM	#7
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,423	In an 18" barrel, you'll be around 2600. I use 42gr of H4895 under Corelokt or Interlock for 2518. Extreme spread of 9fps and 1/2" groups.

October 25, 2017, 07:11 PM	#9
reloader28 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2009 Location: nw wyoming Posts: 1,061	I've shot a lot of deer with 150 SST in my 30-06 and it has work flawless every time

November 2, 2017, 06:14 PM	#12
ed308 Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2016 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 1,147	The 120 gr SST in 6.8 is one of the best hunting bullets for large hogs. I can't see the 150 gr SST being any less effective either. But it will do damage to the meat. I shot a large hog straight on in the head several years ago back in Florida. It went down and stayed down too. Not even a muscle twitch after it went down.

November 2, 2017, 07:33 PM	#13
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	They are fine for whitetail. They are moving slow out of the 30-06 and 308 Win. They would not be my first choice for my 300 ultra mag.

November 2, 2017, 11:34 PM	#14
samsmix Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2006 Location: Montana (Montucky?) Posts: 1,273	As a matter of fact, I did quit using such bullets...Remington bronze points IIRC...due to meat damage. __________________ You'll probably never NEED a gun. I hope you never do. But IF you do, you will need it worse than anything you've ever needed in your life. IF we're not supposed to eat animals, howcome God made 'em outta meat?

November 3, 2017, 09:13 AM	#15
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	Yeah, you are going to get meat damage if you shoot in the wrong place. I don't mind losing a little bit of rib meat.