Hornady 150 SST vs 160 Partition

[bobnob]

That's interesting on a number of counts. Being able to move a bullet after seating is definitely not what you want.

I always seat the 150g SST well out from the cannelure at a length of about 3.39 oal. The SST cannelure is in the wrong place on most of their bullets IMHO.

Re the oft-mentioned fragility of the SST... They are a relatively soft bullet in the calibres I've used them in which include 277, 308 and 338.

However in thousands of on game shots and some wet newspaper tests, in my experience they're no softer than the equivalent HotCor or Gameking or Prohunter to name a few. I find many of the equivalent NBTs to be just as soft, but some other NBTs seem a bit harder however.

I find equivalent weight Interlocks to be harder and deeper penetrating than the SST in almost all instances.

When I am using SSTs for big game, I always select a heavyish weight that keeps MV under 3000fps. Ie 150g in the 270 Win, 180g in the 30-06 and so on. I've found them devastating quick killers on large pigs and deer, not to mention goats and others.

When going after really big stuff, eg scrub bulls, feral horses, sambar etc, I would always go for a heavy Partition or AccuBond, or extra heavy Interlock at a pinch. I seldom get after that big stuff though. But for general big game I think the SST is a lot better than some of the things I've heard, as long as you select a little heavier bullet.

Just my two-bobs worth.

 

[35 Whelen]

Your SST results are odd that's for sure...... We absolutely love the results we have been seeing with them since they were introduced........
The tumbling is brand new one on me as well, we love the Partition on Elk n Moose but prefer BT Noslers or SST on game 100/250 lbs. Sorry you had trouble with them, glad you joined the group. Later
E

 

[3deers]

An interesting post. I had a similar experience with Hornady's Interbond bullets.
I had loaded a 50-batch of 165g in 308Win for a moose hunting trip. The trip got cancelled, and the shells sat in my lockbox for 3-4 years, so I decided to use them up on a deer hunting trip. Fabulously accurate -- .650 -5 shot groups, if I recall correctly -- I sighted in and went hunting.

I ended up shooting a smallish deer, about 120 lbs, at close range, about 18 yards. The little deer dropped in its tracks, seemingly nice terminal ballistics.

When I eviscerated the animal, there was no exit wound, just shrapnel on the opposite side of the rib cage. The bonded bullet had completely disintegrated. I couldn't help but reflect that, had that shot been at a bull moose quartering on, like they'd been originally loaded for, the moose would have been lost.

Hornady failed to provide me with an explanation, suggesting i use their GMX bullets instead. Really? A GMX solid monolithic, for 120 lb deer?

I quit loading the Hornady's, and went back to my old faithful Nosler Partitions, which have never let me down. I also killed many deer with the old 150g Solid Base. They worked great on deer, as do the BT's !!

 

[SJB358]

As the old saying goes, a Nosler Partition is never a bad choice, big or small they've gotten it done for me.

 

[35 Whelen]

What this thread is boiling down to is ,two different Camps,
The guys that think an exit wound is the complete story (Elmer Keith crowd) and the guys that believe transferring ALL of the energy the caliber into the animal is the best.( The Jack O'Conner crowd) The SST bullet in no way I can think of would be anymore susceptible to "tumbling" than any other projectile being discussed here. The results you experienced are exactly what I would expect of the SST bullet striking a 120 lb deer @ 18 yds. The deer absorbed
ALL of the energy the caliber had in it, how it could have been better to have used a heavery bullet, with a thicker jacket, thus exiting the animal and transferring some of its
Energy into the trees down range of it as "better" is some times a mystery to the Jack O'Conner crowd......... In my early days of messing with Partition bullets I found them
To work superb on Moose, I also found them to work nicely
On Big Northern Whitetails when shot right in the shoulder, however having hit more than a few, to far back (in the guts), I quickly found out I got pass thru's and very little transfer of energy into the deer........that inturn was often
The beginning of many a long and tireless tracking Expedition.............. Often times ending with me never seeing the deer again. If I were choosing a bullet to shoot out of your rifle for DEER it would most likely NOT be a premium bullet with bonding and heavy jackets ....... I would simply stick with CoreLokts, or something similar
Nosler BT, Hot Cores, or the bullet that was designed explicitly for DEER, the SST........
If I was going Elk or Moose hunting I would leave the SST's
At home and have my gun full of Nosler Partitions every time! It's still more important where you hit them,then what
You hit em with, but the right bullet for the animal your hunting helps! That's me and the dogs 2cw.....

 

[DrMike]

Fancy can opener you have there, Earle! How much does one like that eat after he opens the can?

 

[35 Whelen]

Hahaha, well that little female isn't so bad but one of my males with eat everything in the house!!!! Still always looks like he just got outta a concentration camp!

Here is both the males old Bandy (10 this June)next to the door, and the 1 year old bottom less pit, Tamarack! Both ready to get into some serious grouse hunting!

 

[truck driver]

Earle that is a beautiful dog.
The Hornady Interlocks have been the bullets I have used in the past and until I discovered SPS I couldn't afford to shoot the Nosler bullets. I've only had to track one deer hit with these bullets (165gr) out of my 30-06 and that was because the bullet struck a small limb just before hitting the deer and that bullet tumbled threw the deer from end to end and ended up in the left rear ham just under the skin I had to track that one about 200yds, thank full for a light snow cover to see the blood trail which was minimal at times and found it under a multiple rose bush where it had crawled to die. With out the snow I would have lost it but by know fault of the bullet it had left a large wound cavity and it was just a tough large white tail that was determined to escape.

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks for the compliment on the dog, I have had more folks try to buy him than any other dog we ever had, his Dad is pretty darn proud of him! Course he gets himself into lots of messes, but so didn't I. His speciality is helping us eat popcorn while we watch a movie!

Your right about that! When I think of how far we chased some of the big bucks over the last 40 years, with ribs blown right out of them ,its measured in miles not just yards, usually headed for water, and around here that often times means beaver flowages....... Usually frozen over with just enough ice to get you to try it before you
Go thru! When I was a young hunter I started with a model
99 Savage in .300. The old guys all swore by heavy bullets, of course I thought they were all ballistics experts.
All I can say about all that is thank god for Jack OC. And his favorite caliber, the now legendary 270!

 

[truck driver]

Earle, I've had a English setter and it was a beautiful dog but hard to keep that long hair clean of burrs and everything else it got onto. :lol:

 

[SJB358]

It's funny but I really like two holes in animals BUT I really like the bullet to have a large retained frontal area that will push and break as much tissue and bone as possible. I've really liked what I've seen with the ABs and Scirrocos. I honestly think the fast killing effect of SST's and BTs is the wide frontal area they probably have before they start losing their frontal area. I think if that wide frontal area is maintained and continues to propeller through an animal it'll kill just as quickly.

It would probably take us all killing 20 deer a piece in order to really get a solid answer, but we gotta believe in something. It is hard to dispute the killing power of the softer bullets on deer.

 

[35 Whelen]

Well said Scotty!

 

[sask boy]

I personally would never turn away the Partition as they are time tested .

Blessings,
Dan