Hornady SST

[Bearwolf31]

Has anyone tried the Hornady SST bullets on wild hogs, if so how did they perform? I am thinking about loading up some 150gr SST's in my 308 for hogs. I am looking for something a little cheaper than the nosler bt's.

[Lawdog]

Bearwolf31,

Forget the SST's or even Ballistic Tips for the use on hogs.  Way to fragile a bullet as they break up upon hitting ribs.  Second I would move up to 165 grain Partitions for hunting and use Hornady bullets for practice as they always seem to have the same POI(at least in my rifles).  Lawdog
 

[DesertRam]

I second what Lawdog says.  I shot a couple of feral goats with 150 grain SSTs in my .308 Encore and was not at all impressed with their performance.  Neither penetrated very far.  In fact, they acted like big V-maxes - little hole in, mushy innards (the one lung they make it to), and no exit.  I too would recommend moving up to a heavier, more stoutly constructed bullet.  I've had excellent results on hogs with X bullets.  I particularly like the exit that I've gotten every time; makes trailing them much easier with a better blood trail.

[Bearwolf31]

Hum guess i will scratch the sst. How about the Speer Hot-Cor Spitzer bullets or the Sierra Pro-Hunter? I haven't had a chance to try the hot-cor or pro-hunter but the plain ole Speer 130gr boat tail spitzers have worked fine in my 270.

[oso45-70]

bearwolf31,
 let me add a bit of info that might help you, the guy's above has it right, any bullet that is matked with a X is explosive, these work well on soft skinned critters, but a hog is tougher than shoe leather, my advise to you would be to use somthing like barns bullet or nosler partiton,, some thing that will hold togather and keep plowing through, you will have less meat
wasted, those soft nosed bullets blowup and do a lot damage to the meat and the hog may run off and die and you not be able to find it, you want somthing that will exit the animal and leave a blood trail.thats my two cents worth, good luck and keep your powder dry,,, Joe

[Ditchdigger]

I use the 180 gr. B.T. all the time in my 30 06 and my 300 Wby. and they really perform. A small entry hole and a 4" exit hole on a behind the shoulder shot. It takes the heart out along with everything else, most of the time. You have a 6' wide blood trail that a blind man can follow also.
Most of these shots are 150 yds. and up.   Digger

[Lawdog]

There is a BIG difference between a deer and a hog when it comes to toughness.  I too have shot deer(Mule Deer) with my .300 Weatherby using Ballistic Tips and had the bullets break up after hitting a rib.  Not one piece got to the heart/lungs area.  This happened not once but twice using the .300.  Also had it happen with both my .257 Weatherby and the .25-06.  In total I tried them on 5 different Mule Deer with basically the same results.  For a critter as tough as a hog can be give me Partitions or Barnes X's.  Lawdog
 

[Bearwolf31]

I am wondering if shooting the BT's and SST's in a >3000fps magnum caliber as compared to a 270, 308, 7mm-08 caliber shooting in the 2500-2700fps range is responsible for alot of the "bullet blow ups"  :?

[Lawdog]

Bearwolf31,

Excellent question.  But remember that the companies that manufacture these bullets(Hornady and Nosler) state that these bullets are made for just these type of cartridges.  Lawdog
 

[DesertRam]

I think it all comes down to one pretty simple question:  Why take the chance that your bullet won't do its job?  There are dozens of fine premium bullets out there that will undoubtedly do a better job on hogs than light-jacketed SSTs or BTs.  I would even take a Hornady Interlock over those.  It'll probably shoot to the same POI as the SSTs, will hold together better (my wife killed a gemsbok with the 120 grain version in a .257 Roberts), and they probably cost less than SSTs.  The bullet is the least expensive part of your hunt, and arguably the most important.  So why risk it?

[SC hog hunter]

Bearwolf 31,
     Forget what everyone else tells you about it.  Any 150gr bullet out of your .308 is plenty on hogs.  The SST will be fine.  I like the 150gr SP Interlock but a .223 with 45 gr hollow points will be adequate for head shots.  SC hog hunter

[oso45-70]

Bearwolf31
If you want to see for your self what would happen if you shoot a hog with a thin skinned bullet,, don't take our word for it' get your self two or three
one gallon plastic jugs fill them with water and put a 1" pine board behind
the water jugs,, back up about 50yds and take a shot ay all three but dont farget to get you at least one either a barns x or nosler partition bullet, and then you can tell those who think the thin skinned bullets will work fine
on a pig, I think ,,as hunters we owe the animals some humane thoughts.
i would hate for some one to shoot me with something that would just mame me, thats my two cents,, best wishes, keep your powder dry.
                             Joe

[ras308]

My .308 w/150 grn. NBT's has killed the 6 hogs it's been shot at this past season???  Although most of them were shot in the head/neck area.  They were shot from 50-250 yards.  The one my wife shot was through the shoulder area, had to throw the offside shoulder away, no penetration problem, but it definitely did fragment.  This bullet has killed many, many hogs, deer and coyotes.  The reason I use this bullet is because I like the polymer tip, the price and the accuracy (longest shot on an animal, coyote at 434 yards, he didn't move).  With all the above said, if I was  loading for hogs only, I'd probably try the interbond.

[.308sniper]

Bearwolf31, this moght be a little late. But I just got back from a hog hunt in SC. The bullets expanded alot causing lots of damage and all of them droped in there tracks. I would ONLY use them on hogs under 150#.
                        .308sniper

[Eddie in Delta]

I don't know about hogs, but I've seen what a 180 grain SST out of a 300 WM will do to a mule deer.  It went in by the spine at about a 30 degree angle (we were nesting in a canyon), shattered the spine, made a mess of the backstrap, liquified the lungs and heart (we found pieces of the lungs in the esophogus), ruined a good portion of the ribs on the other side, and left an exit wound the size of my fist.

Eddie

[rickt300]

If I was going seriously for big hogs I'd start with the 180 grain Speer hotcor Spitzer.

[sniperx]

 I ran 165 grn SST's for a while and they seemed to do
fine on hogs. A buddy of mine had shot a deer quite a ways off and
said that the bullet did not penetrate very well. These were both being out of a 308. I am presently using 180 Grn CT silver ballistic tips and I like them a lot better and they shoot better. The ballistic tips do blow up and
you will loose some meat. I usually try for neck or head shots on the hogs.
I have hunted with 150grn Nosler ballistic tips for years using my 300
win mag. It all depends on your shot placement what bullet will be best.
If you take mainly through the shoulder shots, I would opt for a partition or an interbond. Remember that the lungs do not extend hardly any from
behind the shoulder on a hog, and if you punch him in the ribs it is a gut
shot unless the angle of attack is such that the bullet travels forward.
Yes, from what I have read and seen, the ballistic tips perform better at
less than 3000fps, that is why the heavier ones like the 180's punch through so well. Then the further shots will also do better due to the loss
of velocity. With that being said, I have punched through both shoulders
on a hog and a deer with the 165 grn. SST's

[PEPAW]

I have seen two large boars shot at close range with BT's escape.
I find the plain old green box Corelokts are plenty at all ranges.    No reason for expensive bullets, but no place for ballistic tips.

pepaw

[oso45-70]

Gentlemen

I have one final thing to say or more to the point, A comment to make.
You spend big bucks on a gun, Rifle or pistol, pay high dollar for gas to get there and all the gear you wear. Why in the world would you buy cheap ammo that is going to do a half A$$ Job of killing your game ?
Some one comes on and says IM GOING TO USE XXXXX AMMO with no regards for the game or himself. I must be a little picky, Don't want my meat blown to smitherenes so i use a bullet thats going to hold togather and makes its way out :roll:  :roll:  :roll: ......Joe........

[dbo]

Last year I took a 125 lb hog at about 30 yards with a factory Winchester round, 225 gr AccuBond.   Shot in the the front quarter (didn't know any better at the time and I was deer hunting) and it dropped where I shot it.

 I recovered the bullet from the opposite shoulder, nearly protruding from the skin.  I couldn't ask for better performance out of a bullet.  See below-

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