Author Topic: Hornady's SST bullets (Read 1783 times)

PJ · « **on:** December 26, 2002, 01:40:15 PM »

My 7x30Waters sure liked the 139SST's and they shot as accurate as the 120gr NBT's.Nevre did kill anything with the 139's but,I did get a deer this year @80yrds with the 120's one shot to the neck droped him like a rock.

ShootnStr8 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2002, 07:47:23 AM »

Chris,

I've only used the 7mm 139 SSTs and I love them. They are very accurate out of my Contender which pushes them around 2150 fps.

The only experience that I have using them on game was when I recently shot a medium size doe (125 pounds) that was quartering towards me at about 40 yards. The bullet broke the shoulder and created about a 2 inch wound channel through the lungs, liver, stomach (chock full of grass) and small intestines. The heart was missed. It was getting dark but I did spend a fair amount of time and effort in an unsuccessful attempt to find the bullet. I could not see an exit hole and I'm reasonably sure there wasn't one. I suspect the bullet stopped in the intestines somewhere. The deer ran about 25 yards on 3 legs before expiring.

The overall pentetration and wound channel size of the 139 SST was similar to what I found testing using wet newspaper at the range. During that test the bullet expanded to about .45 inches and retained 80% of its weight.

Happy New Year!

ShootnStr8

billjoe · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2002, 01:02:24 PM »

Hey tell me more about the wet newspaper test. I assume this is used to determine bullet expansion. It is accurate? Is it relative to deer huting? I'd like to check some Hornadys against the Noslers and see what's going on. :eek:

TCLouis · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2002, 02:39:43 PM »

As it was explained to me this test is best when one compares the results from their favorite bullet and/or one known historically for its performance with the bullet they are wanting to test, preferably at the same time and into the same media.
Wet newsprint leaves lots of area for each bullet to be shot at the same time (don't get too close to the edges).

Use a small steel rod to test for penetration and then check t woond channel for each starting with the bullet with least penetration and working till you get to the hole left in the back by the cast lead bullet with a moderate velocity load in the 45-70<LOL>.

Compare penetration, wound channel and bullet survival all in just one stack of WET newspaper.

Phone books work well also but there is less surface area so fewer bullets can be tested. They will likely test ALL of the bullets the average person msy shoot in one session!
All works better it one toes the wet books to the range and then ties the stacks int test bundles AFTER you get there.
Pick the paper up and clean the range when you are finished!

I hope to be able to write up another test method in the near future if I can get the shooting done to confirm preliminary results.

LouisB

handgunhunter · « **Reply #4 on:** December 28, 2002, 01:20:03 PM »

I use the SST 150s in my 308 Encore 15". I took it on a handgun hog hunt this spring in Texas. I killed 2 hogs and 2 Javelinas with them. They worked very good. Large exit hole about 2" on most of them. Hogs just dropped in there tracks as far away shots as 150 yds. Killed two coyotes also and it was rough on them! Almost took them in half! I also shot a crow out there and it looked like you stuck a stick of dynamite in them. Needless to say I was very imprerssed with the SST. How does a bullet like that hold together well enough to exit a hog yet explode a crow like that?
I talked to a Hornady technician about the bullet before I went. He said the bullet was designed to open down to about 1600 fps. This should make them ideal for handgun velocities. Needless to say I'm a fan of them.

ShootnStr8 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2002, 02:10:45 AM »

Billjoe,

TCLouis nicely summed up what I did with the newspaper.

I did a side by side comparison with a known performer, a Sierra 130 SSP, and the 139 SST. I shoot 2 of each into 2 cat litter buckets filled with wet newspaper laid on their sides end to end. Lids were kept on both buckets. I was more concerned with when the SST would begin to expand and the size of the wound channel it would create. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no significant difference between the 2 in this regard.

The Sierra shed its jacket in the first bucket and in the end retained approx. 60% of it's weight. The SST kept its jacket, penetrated further, and retained 80% of its weight. The affects of the SST on newspaper corresponded well with its affect on the doe I mentioned.

Blessings!

ShootnStr8