SST vs BT

[wisconsinteacher]

Saying you can group these two bullets the same, what one will hold up better when shooting deer sized game?

 

[FOTIS]

Very hard to tell.

A BT or SST might be different if you go form 257 cal to 338 cal. See?

 

[1Shot]

I have used both in 117 gr in SST and 115 gr in BT from my 25-06 on deer. The SST was a tougher bullet. I liked the 115 BT better because it seem to drop deer dead in their tracks. The SST with almost identical shot placement sometimes the deer would run off a little ways before going down. This was between around 20 deer shot with each style bullet control hunting a big farm where we took 100 deer each year. I got to test a lot of bullets. :mrgreen:

 

[JD338]

I think it depends on the caliber but overall, I think the BT is a better bullet.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Either bullet will perform well on deer. Were it me, I'd likely be looking for accuracy in my load and make a decision based on those findings.

 

[clearwater]

I get good groups with each in 25 and 30 caliber. The BT's have better BC in the one I've tried and
the sst's were cheaper.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I would be using them out of my 30-06. I have 165BT and 180SST bullets on hand. I want the AB to be the best but I am still working on those. I can get the AB to group 1.5" groups. I think I will stick with them for now. I can live with 1.5" for deer hunting, but I want 1". I am going to load up some SST and BT along with AB for the next range trip.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

WT:
Try the BT's. It's a simpler process to make them, so it's not uncommon for them to shoot better then the AB's. Anything fm 125-180grs will kill deer dead. If you also plan to use the same load for elk, I'd try the 180's, other wise I'd go with something in the 150-165gr range.

 

[corbin9191]

My brother shot a deer with a 7mm rem mag 154 grain SST at somewhere around the 250 yard mark right in the shoulder and it did nothing to it. We spent hours upon hours looking for the deer with only one drop of blood within 100 yards of where it was shot. (We did find the dear about 1200 yards from where it was shot.) I am a big Hornady fan but I will never use an sst on big game again.

 

[Jimbeaux82]

I have shot both BT~s and SST~s quite a lot in the rifles I own, as follows:

243 Win - 95 gr BT

6.5 X 55 - 120 BT and 140 SST

7mm Rem Mag - 150 BT and 154 SST

7mm Wea Mag - 150 BT and 162 SST

30/06 - 150 and 165 BT

As a general rule, I find the BT's usually will give tighter groups and the SST's may be a bit tougher.

But that said, I have used both with complete and utter satisfaction for whitetails. I have probably killed 200 head with these bullets and lost maybe 2. I have killed them at ranges of 20 yards to 550 yards. Extremes were a nice Mississippi 9 pt at 20 yards with the 7mm Wea Mag using the 150 BT, 420 yards with a 162 gr SST in the 7 Wea Mag , and 550 yards with the 150 BT in the 7 Wea Mag. Plus may others in between all of these ranges.

Both have worked great for me and I am sure will for you also.

Good shootin

Jimbeaux

 

[FOTIS]

Either bullet will perform well on deer. Were it me, I'd likely be looking for accuracy in my load and make a decision based on those findings.

That is the best answer.

 

[nomosendero]

I have used both in 117 gr in SST and 115 gr in BT from my 25-06 on deer. The SST was a tougher bullet. I liked the 115 BT better because it seem to drop deer dead in their tracks. The SST with almost identical shot placement sometimes the deer would run off a little ways before going down. This was between around 20 deer shot with each style bullet control hunting a big farm where we took 100 deer each year. I got to test a lot of bullets. :mrgreen:

Did you everfind the 115BT lacking in penetration up close? I ask because I have loaded up some for my Son last year at 3200fps, he took 1 Buck & 1 Doe, both quick kills, but not alot to go on.
I have seen a few more kills in WY, worked great further out.

If I remember right, you used the 117 Sierra alot too, is the BT & Sierra close in performance in your experience? I like the BC of the BT.

 

[Polaris]

Took several deer with 154 SSTs in my 280 Rem. All were under 100 yards so impact velocity was high. They certainly killed the deer but caused in my opinion unacceptable meat damage and sparse blood trails. All were clean body cavity shots, no heavy muscle or heavy bone hit, only ribs, flank steak and organ tissue. All caused numerous fragments and severe hydrostatic shock damage to shoulders and backstrap in the case of high lung hits. Only one ever passed through, that one a double lung hit pure broadside. All others left sparse blood trails but deer didn't go far. Same r esult with one deer with my wife's .308 and 150 SST. They were spooky accurate though. Shot the rest of my .30 cal stock up in my K-31 and couldn't tell the dif between them and 155 match bullets on paper.

Have not taken deer with the BT but I have taken many with the old solid base soft point and I dearly wish it was still made. Found a couple boxes at a gunshow but they had been wet so I passed. This bullet seemed to cause good damage but still push through an exit wound. I hunt heavy cover with close neighbors so a good blood trail is a must. BTs might perform similarly. Have been using a 160 speer Mag tip the last few years in my .280 and am utterly satisfied with it for heavy cover work. Another extinct bullet, go figure. Am trying the 160 PT this year and will prob never need anything else.

People seem to forget that our deer up here carry a lot of weight compared to Texas deer. Let us know how that 165 AB works this fall. I'm looking for a good bullet for my 06, .308 and .300 sav.

 

[JD338]

Polaris,

Try the 140 gr BT in your 280 Rem for deer. It kills like lighting and they fold in their tracks with solid lung shots! I shot a 6 pt one year with a 140 gr BT from a 280 Rem. I took off the top of the heart and he went 3 jumps and piled up. This tracking job was the furthest I ever had to make with this combo.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I use 140s in my 280, and I'm not at all undergunned, either for Whitetail or Mule Deer. Admittedly, I loaded up the 140 BST, but it works just fine.

 

[SJB358]

I have shot the 308 150gr SST out of my 308. Shoots pretty well and it kills deer fine. I actually think it is a bit "tougher" than a BT, but until I have shot a 100 deer with each it is hard to really tell! I also have a great shooting 225gr SST load for the 338WM. Never shot anything with that load, but man, it is accurate as all heck and 225gr's of bullet is a pretty tough combo.

Hornady makes great bullets. No doubt about it. They also do something right and that is pair the SST with the Interbond. Allows for two loads which will usually work identical. These are the only bullets that I know of that work that way on purpose. Scotty

 

[YoteSmoker]

Scotty, How do you find the Interbond to compare on game to the AccuBond? I too wish Nosler would match the same weights accross the board of the Ballistic Tip to the AccuBond. 22, 24, 25, and 264 calibers, to be specific.

 

[DrMike]

YoteSmoker,

I haven't used that many InterBonds, but I have used quite a few AccuBonds. The ABs perform pretty much as people expect with good expansion and weight retention. The game I've shot with a 165 IB from my 30-06 were all killed, and I haven't recovered a bullet. However, examining the tissue damage, my observations suggest that the IB expands more explosively. I've witnessed massive wound channels and horrific exit wounds. One other observation, admittedly anecdotal, is that the IB seems to be somewhat fussy to load. Whereas I use a fair amount of InterLocks and SSTs for various loads, the InterBonds seems to be more particular about the minutiae of loading--more so than other bonded core bullets.

 

[SJB358]

Scotty, How do you find the Interbond to compare on game to the AccuBond? I too wish Nosler would match the same weights accross the board of the Ballistic Tip to the AccuBond. 22, 24, 25, and 264 calibers, to be specific.

The only animal ever taken by me with an IB was a WT out of my 270WSM. It was a 130gr IB at nearly 3400. I shot that deer at about 35-40 yards and it drilled straight through and exited. I can't say that it did anymore damage than an AB or PT would have done. I kinda think the IB may actually hold onto more weight and have a larger frontal area than an AB. That to me would make the AB probably penetrate further since it loses some weight of the nose and continues to penetrate, with a little less frontal area. Again, just some observations from others who have shot the IB's. Overall, they are great bullets as well. Scotty

 

[Polaris]

Polaris,

Try the 140 gr BT in your 280 Rem for deer. It kills like lighting and they fold in their tracks with solid lung shots! I shot a 6 pt one year with a 140 gr BT from a 280 Rem. I took off the top of the heart and he went 3 jumps and piled up. This tracking job was the furthest I ever had to make with this combo.

JD338

Do you get exit holes even on tough angles? That is a big concern for me as my favorite buck spot is a "random travel area." Open hardwoods with no defined trails, only oak trees for miles around. The deer come in and randomly mill about picking acorns and other tasty morsels. You have to pick a path through the trees and take the shot when offered, often times a tough quarter. Flat shooting is not a concern as max. range anywhere I currently hunt is 200 yards. I could even zero a 175 rn for a point blank hold and be fine. Definately want a pass-through exit as everywhere I hunt is bordered by aspen regrowth or heavy swamp and they can cover a lot of ground quickly in the open hardwoods. Is also public land so I don't want any doubt as to first killing shot if my dead on the feet deer ends up in front of someone elses stand.