Hornady SST problems.

[Arrowflinger84]

I made the switch to SST and no problems blowing doe up or recovery

[JeffJ]

Said bullet

[PondPopper]

Interesting. Never had a problem with them. Shot a big mgt buck Saturday with an inch of fat all over. About 125 yards. Found the bullet in the off side sticking halfway out of his hide after hitting two ribs perfectly squared. Bullet was perfectly mushroomed.

Sorry for your bad luck with them.

And if that deer would have ran a considerable distance you may not have ever found it. There would not have been a blood trail without a exit hole.
I want my broad heads AND bullets to exit. I never understood while we,as hunters,are so worried about arrow penetration but not bullet penetration.

[JeffJ]

Dont disagree with you on exit wound. I was shocked to find it. Usually I get a quarter size exit wound with the SST. I guess its a good thing mine are DOA.

[Tuffbroadhead]

I shot 117gr SST's in my old .257 Improved for years, always performed well but I was careful to think of them as an "improved" Ballistic Tip and restrict them to head, neck, or heart/lung hits. I don't think they're tough enough to punch through shoulders, or shoot lengthwise through an animal. They are, essentially, an Ballistic Tip with Hornady's innerlock ring to resist core slippage. Or, a Spire Point with a plastic tip.

Stu

100% correct....

[quackaholic1]

And if that deer would have ran a considerable distance you may not have ever found it. There would not have been a blood trail without a exit hole.
I want my broad heads AND bullets to exit. I never understood while we,as hunters,are so worried about arrow penetration but not bullet penetration.

Main reason is bullets kill with hydrostatic shock along with bullet placement. I have many deer not have an exit wound and they still hasd a blood trail, granted not near as good of one but still a followerable trail.

[NF HUNTER]

I have seen hunters shoot animals with the Hornady SST's and I myself don't like them. They seem to explode on impact and don't penetrate enough for me. I reload with the Nosler Accu-Bond and it does great. It's like a Core-Lokt with an polymer tip.

[Outback77]

Never had a problem with mine, never had a animal go more than 20 yards with double lung shots. Never had a exit either. Figure the bullet dumps all it's energy. Usually find it under the hide on the opposite side.

[JeffJ]

Yea, If Im not neck shooting deer I shoot behind the shoulder. Never understood the "break the shoulder" crowd. To me that ruins a ton of meat.

They definitely deliver shock and awe. Deer I shot Saturday never flinched.

[TheRealHatfield]

I've never had a problem with them. If you're on the fence go with core lok, most proven bullet out there. I shoot every gun with them 1st to see how they zero, if they work that's all I shoot, if not I go to hornady, federal for 3rd. Shot placement is key but sometimes shoulder is the best option bc of tracking, low light, etc. Core look I have dropped pretty much everything hit within 30 yards.

[WyoBull]

I shoot Barnes TSX bullets. Plenty of hydrostatic energy and will rarely stop in an animal but if it does, you will find it retains most of its weight.

[txfireguy2003]

I've got a buddy who uses them in 300wm. He was complaining to me a while back about shooting elk with them and not getting penetration. When i asked him about range, i was expecting him to tell me that he was shooting 5-600 yards, nope, 50-60 yards! I have to wonder if these bullets are not designed to impact at a specific velocity, and if they hit too fast, they just explode. For example, you're shooting a rifle that generates 3000+fps, and at 100 yards or less, that bullet is still running close to 3000. Takes a pretty tough bullet to withstand that much energy and stay together. On the other hand, if you stretch the range to 4-500, that bullet slows down to closer to 2000fps and it can stay together better.

At what range are you guys shooting these at deer, and with what caliber rifles? i personally believe that many Hunters are way overgunned. You don't need a rifle that can sling lead out to 1200 yards if you're shooting at deer under a feeder 100 yards away. Sometimes power and speed can be a detriment more than a benefit, especially with bullets that can't handle impacts at those velocities.

That being said, I personally saw an SST in 243 (95 gr iirc) drop a big old Merino ram about 9 months ago at 70 yards. Kid put it right behind the armpit and it made a softball sized hole.....on the entrance side. But, due to where out was, heart and lungs were just an inch or so on the other side of the ribs. I'm another one who doesn't understand the shoulder shot.

[Austin]

I still shoot the 117 gr SST out of Stu's old .257 imp and they have accounted for 30+ deer a few antelope and numerous hogs never had a problem with there performance have shot whitetails and mulies with them and always good penetration. The only one that has not exited was a 225 yard shot on a large bodied mulie buck quartering too me. No tracking needed as he was drt.

[Jourdan_D]

Shot the SST for years and never had an issue, but i also aim right behind the should. Deer are alway DRT in 60 yards or less

[westtexducks]

Yea, If Im not neck shooting deer I shoot behind the shoulder. Never understood the "break the shoulder" crowd. To me that ruins a ton of meat.

They definitely deliver shock and awe. Deer I shot Saturday never flinched.

Yep, shot several deer over the last few years with the sst factory loaded ammo and all dropped on impact and we did not recover a single bullet all went straight through the animal. But then again these were all put in the arm pit and not into the shoulder and the shots ranged anywhere from 40 to 400 and all performed flawlessly. You are just asking for trouble in my opinion shooting at a large bone on purpose.