Hornady interlock sst 165 gr for deer & elk??

[burntmuch]

 Any one have any experience with this bullet? Gonna try some different bullets for my 30-06 ultra comp.  Would like to have one round for Deer & elk  . Any opinions welcome..    Jay

[cwlongshot]

All the SST's I have seen fall under the easy to expand bullet column. That and the fact that 165 is on the light side for game as large as elk. Because it sounds like you going to build a load with these specifics, I would advise against it.

Go with a heaver 180 gr bullet. One that offers a bit more penetration for the tougher Elk.

Now if you asking if I would use it. The answer is yes, of coarse I would, but it is still on the light side for my taste.

CW

[quickdtoo]

Not the Hornady, but I've used the 180gr Failsafe on deer and elk for a loooong time, has never failed me, have only recovered one bullet from the spine of a big cow who never got out of her bed, all others were pass thrus. I think the 180gr would be a better choice for elk, not that the 165gr wouldn't work tho.

Tim

[oneshotonekill]

I wish I had some on game performance to tell you about but I don't.  All I can tell you is based on load development and some un-scientific penetration testing.  I just recently worked up a load for my 308 with the 165 sst interlock.  Accuracy was great so I decided to do some penetration tests using wood scraps, wet newspaper, buckets full of water, and carpet remnants at 100yds.  I have done similar tests with SST's in .277 (130 gr) & .257 (117 gr) in the past which resulted in most bullets fragmenting and jacket separation on just about every shot so I was kind of expecting the same with the 308.  I was surprised to recover several bullets that were mushroomed with great weight retention.  I did see a couple jacket separations and some that lost petals but overall they held together better than expected.  Now keep in mind this was a 308 with a MV around 2700 fps so in your 06 the extra velocity may result in more bullet disruption.

[cwlongshot]

Your last sentence summed up your results. Different velocities net different results.

 The 30cal 165 SST is a GREAT bullet/weight for different game at different velocities.

 Get it in a 300 whisper or a 300 Lazzaronni or better yet, a 30-378 Weatherby. You wont get the same results. Of coarse this is a GROSS over dramatization, but I think you get the point.

 For the 308 I would choose a good 165GR bullet and call it good. For the HANDLOADED '06 I would go 180grs and the medium 300's I would go 200grs. Now the differences between these are only about 250-300FPS but this is quiet enough to get much different results.

 CW

[mitchell]

after 100+ deer in the bag the 165 sst is the best deer bullet ever !!!! i'll bet my money on it any day. and some of the things i've seen it do i would like to think it would have no prob killing an elk but you might want to step it up to 180 at peek 30-06 speeds might make a better elk package . but after seeing the 165's go all the way through a deer from chest to ass i'll bet it will kill a elk .

[PA-Joe]

The newer interbond would be better for elk!

[burntmuch]

That interbond looks like its got the same type tip. What makes it different, A thicker jacket??

[wtroger]

I have killed a several 150-200 lb deer with the 165 SST no problem I have killed a young Bull Elk with with 165 gr Nosler BT but only because my 358 Win had a problem and I didn't take it out that morning. I prefer bullets heavier than that for Elk 180 minimum and really like to go up to 225 or so but that is hard to do in 30 cal.

[edgemark]

Last year I took two Whitetail bucks with 150 grain 30 caliber bullets @ 3,000+ fps.

Deer 1 was around +-100 yards. He was facing me( slightly going to my right) and the offhand shot took him in his right shoulder but missed big bones and exited his left ham. The bullet was a Hornady SST and I found the jacket minus the core under the skin at the exit. This concerned me so I switched to the Accubond.

Deer 2 was between 320-350 yards and was bedded broadside. The 150 grain Accubond took out ribs going in and ribs going out. No fragments were found.

IMO, a SST is fragile, and is best for long range where velocity has decayed. I would much prefer a bonded bullet Like the Accubond or Interbond, or a Partition bullet for Elk. If you settle for the SST then avoid the shoulder as you may need a second shot.

edge.

PS Elk are big and even if it goes down at the shot, a second shot is not a bad idea...just in case he decides to make it a race :-)

[burntmuch]

Just looked at the interbonds on midway. The reviews look good, Little more pricey but still cheaper than factory.

[edgemark]

Just looked at the interbonds on midway. The reviews look good, Little more pricey but still cheaper than factory.

Nosler sells seconds. I have never seen any that were out of weight spec, just tarnished. Others may have other experiences.

Since the Partitions and the Accubonds are the same price, I would go for the Partitions unless you were shooting past 500 yards!

edge.



http://www.shootersproshop.com/bullets.htm

 Nosler 30 Cal. 165 grain PT 2nds
50 count, Cosmetic Blemished Factory 2nds
Price: $15.95

[burntmuch]

I was just looking at those. Ive had good luck with those out of my 7mag.   Jay

[quickdtoo]

So have others!!

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,109424.msg1098326017.html#msg1098326017

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,105665.msg1098298335.html#msg1098298335

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,74356.msg458118.html#msg458118

[PA-Joe]

The core in the interbonds have better bonding then the normal Hornady projectiles so they will retain more weight after hitting the game.

[GrampaMike]

165 Hornady SST Interlock vs. 180 Hornady SST Interlock

Loads that work best in my 30-06 Handi, have not tried any of the other bullets mentioned in this thread, just these two.  165 SST is just a tad more accurate in my Handi.  Just a thought, if I am target shooting, the cost is a factor; but if I were hunting Elk, the price of the bullets would not be a factor in my choice.

165 SST         180 SST

IMR-3031         IMR-3031
47.6 grains         45.4 grains
Muzzle Velocity 2695      Muzzle Velocity 2566
Muzzle Energy 2661       Muzzle Energy 2631
Recoil 17.7         Recoil 18.1

100yds, V=2497, E=2284   100yds, V=2386, E=2275
200yds, V=2307, E=1949   200yds, V=2214, E=1959
300yds, V=2125, E=1655   300yds, V=2048, E=1677

[mitchell]

Deer 1 was around +-100 yards. He was facing me( slightly going to my right) and the offhand shot took him in his right shoulder but missed big bones and exited his left ham. The bullet was a Hornady SST and I found the jacket minus the core under the skin at the exit. This concerned me[b/]

why would that concern you ?? if a bullet goes through 36+ inches of meat and still exits it did its job plus some .


look the sst is the new smart way to kill a deer . if you really like a bullet to go in one side and out the other no matter what way you hit it from, for that quote un quote " good blood trail" don't use it and pay more for a nosler . BUT if you want a bullet to put all of its energy into the poor piece pf meat your killing use a sst that will 99 time out of 100 exit a deer but just barely, and put all of its energy in to it and drop it on the spot then use the sst.

back the the elk matter if i was hunting elk with my 308 or 30-06 it would be with a 165 sst (unless with my 1903 custom it likes the 180 better) i would use the 165 sst because out of 100+ deer  that i personally have killed with it (ask around any of you new people) i've only found one bullet and i've not ever had a bullet separate even in my jell test.

and if you want to talk accuracy  of the 165 sst just look at a few of the old postal matches with my 308 handi any deer bullet that shoots in the 2's and 3's out of a handi is darn good in my book

[edgemark]

SNIP
why would that concern you ?? if a bullet goes through 36+ inches of meat and still exits it did its job plus some .


SNIP

I guess that I was not clear enough for you, the penetration through no bone was fine, the problem was the Jacket/Core separation!
Some folks are fine with that, I am not.
If the jacket comes off without even hitting much bone, then I would not use it on a Large ( read trophy whitetail ), and certainly not on an elk size animal. IMO, if I go on a hunt of a lifetime and a shooter animal presents a shot then I want to be able to shoot it and know that the bullet will reach the vitals. I am sure that 90% of the time a SST will get the job done, but if a massive elk only presents a quartering toward me shot then I want to know that the bullet will remain intact AFTER passing through a large tough bone and continue into the heart/lungs.

My thoughts on bullet performance are different then yours, no problem. I prefer a long straight hole with a good exit and blood trail, even if it is straight down 
I agree that fast opening explosive varmint type bullets will put most deer down faster than you can blink, especially if you hit the scapula. The grenade effect is legendary, but I want something different.
Personally I don't subscribe to the "energy dump" theory, I like the bullet to do "work" all of the may through an animal, except varmints. The only way a bullet can do that is to have velocity, and no, the energy is not wasted on the bullet as it continued out the other side of the deer, it just had more than was needed to get the job done.

edge.

[mitchell]

to each his own .


i am surprised that you had a jacket separate , i've killed a lot of deer and done a lot of testing on the 165 sst and never had a jacket come apart