Several years ago, my brother and I got started in reloading. I started out trying the Hornady SST 150 grain bullet. I got decent groupings of 2 inches or less, but there would be no constancy with the shots (same powder, primer, etc.. in each round). I then shot a deer with on of the rounds. While inspecting the deer's body, inside and out, I noticed that it appeared the bullet was "tumbiling" (the wound channel was not neat and "uniformed" as one would expect). To test my theory, I set out to try and "catch" a .270 bullet that had been fired. I used 7 full water jugs set up at 100 yards and I caught my bullet on the first shot. What I noticed was that the SST had separated from its copper jacket (never found) and instead of a nice mushroom that starts at the head and rolls down; I got what I consider a sideways mushroom (picture attached). I still have those SSTs , but am only shooting them at targets now just to use them up. I have since switched over the the 160 grain Partition. Now I am getting 1 inch groups with consistency. I took two deer with them last year (both dropped in their tracks, where I had to trail the SST shot deer, and with nice even wound channels). I have tried the lower grain bullets, but my Browning A-bolt just absolutely LOVES these 160 grain rounds. I have tried to "catch" a Partition, but I need more water jugs (7 just ain't enough, LOL)
Hornady 150 SST vs 160 Partition
- Thread starter Da Wolf
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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Da Wolf,
Welcome to the forum; always good to welcome new members aboard. The 160 grain PT will certainly do the job for you. I'm a little surprised at your results with the SST; it is not what I would have expected. I have used SSTs on a few game animals in other calibres. They worked; but I prefer a more robust bullet. Partitions do work, which is why I continue to use them quite a bit. Good first post. Consequently, the Browning White Gold rifles are a lovely firearm, and yours is no exception.
Welcome to the forum; always good to welcome new members aboard. The 160 grain PT will certainly do the job for you. I'm a little surprised at your results with the SST; it is not what I would have expected. I have used SSTs on a few game animals in other calibres. They worked; but I prefer a more robust bullet. Partitions do work, which is why I continue to use them quite a bit. Good first post. Consequently, the Browning White Gold rifles are a lovely firearm, and yours is no exception.
- Nov 4, 2004
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Da Wplf,
Welcome to the forum, glad you are here.
Interesting results to say the least on the Hornady 150 gr SST.
Glad the 160 gr PT is working well for you. Hope you can catch one in jug #8.
JD338
Welcome to the forum, glad you are here.
Interesting results to say the least on the Hornady 150 gr SST.
Glad the 160 gr PT is working well for you. Hope you can catch one in jug #8.
JD338
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,489
- 4,657
Agree - glad that 160 is working so well for you. Unusually heavy bullet in .270 caliber.
BEAUTIFUL rifle you've got too. Dang...
Welcome to the forum.
Guy
BEAUTIFUL rifle you've got too. Dang...
Welcome to the forum.
Guy
- Thread starter
- #5
I thought it was kind of strange with the inconsistent shots I was getting with the SSTs, and then to have the unimpressive result on the deer. My suspicions were confrimed when I caught the bullet.
I also thought the same thing about how heavy these 160s are, but if my gun loves them as much as it does why give it something that it doesn't like? And I know IF I ever wanted to; I could take an Elk with these rounds (and a well placed shot).
Thanks for the compliments on the gun. This is my favorite of all my guns. When I die, I want this baby buried with me. lol
I also thought the same thing about how heavy these 160s are, but if my gun loves them as much as it does why give it something that it doesn't like? And I know IF I ever wanted to; I could take an Elk with these rounds (and a well placed shot).
Thanks for the compliments on the gun. This is my favorite of all my guns. When I die, I want this baby buried with me. lol
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gerry
Ammo Smith
- Mar 1, 2007
- 6,681
- 1,239
Welcome to the forum, like the others have said your gun is a beauty. I want to try those 160 gr PT's in the worst way when I get my new 270. Have the bullets sitting on the shelf already. Going to try others in my current 270 right now.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,044
- 2,521
Da Wolf,
Welcome to the forum, glad you are here. I now use Accubonds and partitions for near everything
Welcome to the forum, glad you are here. I now use Accubonds and partitions for near everything
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,489
- 4,657
Just sitting here smiling, thinking about a .270 Wby Mag and wondering if it would handle those 160's well....
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,903
- 5,066
Guy Miner":2i2fjhzi said:
:mrgreen: Very humorous, Mr. Miner.
Great first post, beautiful rifle and I just plain dig that 160 PT. I have a few bags of them at the house and really need to load them up and see how they shoot in my 270WSM. I have ran the numbers through QL a few times and that bullet will go over 3000 in my rifle..
Looking forward to seeing one of the 160's recovered.. I have shot alot of the 150 PT's and love them to pieces, but that 160 is one cool bullet. Any idea on the FPS of your load?
Looking forward to seeing one of the 160's recovered.. I have shot alot of the 150 PT's and love them to pieces, but that 160 is one cool bullet. Any idea on the FPS of your load?
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,903
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All this talk about the 160s may compel me to to journey to my local gun shop and secure a couple of boxes of 160 grain .277 bullets for my 270 WSM.
Teknys
Handloader
- Jan 14, 2008
- 784
- 205
Now you all have me thinking on the 160 again. I'm going to run QL and compare........ I already have a 300WSM using 180PT for a bigger bullet and my 270WSM using the ABLR.
This is what I like about this site, always getting good ideas and info.
This is what I like about this site, always getting good ideas and info.
- Thread starter
- #13
SJB538: I have a little chrono time with my 160 grain PTs. I am currently averaging 2725 FPS at the muzzle using 53.5 grains of RL-19 powder and Federal 210M primers. Hope to get more time behind the chrono sometime this fall, and if that average changes, I will let y'all know.
Good luck to y'all finding the 270 160 grain PTs as all the online stores I have looked at currently have them on backorder with an unknown delivery date (and it has been like that for months now). I emailed Nosler to see if they can give a time frame on when I can might be able to buy them again, but have not heard back from them (and that was around two weeks ago). Luckily I have 25 loaded and another 25 or so ready to be loaded, and I have the crappy SSTs I can "play" with at the range. So, I can save my PTs for hunting until I can stock up again.
Good luck to y'all finding the 270 160 grain PTs as all the online stores I have looked at currently have them on backorder with an unknown delivery date (and it has been like that for months now). I emailed Nosler to see if they can give a time frame on when I can might be able to buy them again, but have not heard back from them (and that was around two weeks ago). Luckily I have 25 loaded and another 25 or so ready to be loaded, and I have the crappy SSTs I can "play" with at the range. So, I can save my PTs for hunting until I can stock up again.
- Thread starter
- #16
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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Da Wolf":zf1f02us said:SJB358":zf1f02us said:
SPS? Sorry, haven't been long enough to catch all the "lingo" yet. Although I think I got most of it. LOL
SPS, Shooters Pro Shop
http://www.shootersproshop.com/
The SST is a long bullet, if it is tumbling it's probably not stabilising in your rifle.
I've shot hundreds of pigs with the 150g SST from my 270 Win and the odd deer and goat, as well as doing some wet newspaper tests. I've not to this point noticed any tumbling in the air or after impact.
Interested in the reasons for your observations. I imagine that lovely rifle is a 10 twist?
I'm also a big fan of the 160NPT. I use H4831sc for 2820fps. Deadly on feral horses and most accurate too!
I've shot hundreds of pigs with the 150g SST from my 270 Win and the odd deer and goat, as well as doing some wet newspaper tests. I've not to this point noticed any tumbling in the air or after impact.
Interested in the reasons for your observations. I imagine that lovely rifle is a 10 twist?
I'm also a big fan of the 160NPT. I use H4831sc for 2820fps. Deadly on feral horses and most accurate too!
.280 Remington
Handloader
- Jan 17, 2012
- 646
- 0
I've had very similar results on deer with a 117 SST in a 25-06. I will not use them on game any longer.
- Thread starter
- #20
bobnob":2ed5zogu said:
Yes, my rifle has a 10 twist. One other observation that my brother and I noticed was when we used a Hornady seating die. The bullets where never secured in the case. I could twist, pull, and push the bullets right after being seated. However, they become firmly seated when we use the RCBS seating die. At first, we thought the tumbling was coming from the lose fit of the bullets. However, we still got the same results from the RCBS seated dies. Also, when seating the bullets, in order to get the overall length of the round; we needed to stop seating the bullet before the cantalour and brass case met up.
This rifle is very picky in the rounds it will accept. After I re-size the neck and trim the length of the empty brass, I have to chamber each piece of brass to ensure that they will fit. There have been times where the neck sized and trim case will not chamber (and it was once fired from the same gun). After each round has been made, each one of them are then each re-chambered to ensure they will fit. I have also had completed rounds not chamber, and have to push them out of the chamber with a cleaning rod.
She might look and shoot beautifully, but she has some of the tightest tolerances I have ever seen.
