139 SST Interlocks did the job

TackDriver284

Handloader
Feb 13, 2016
2,305
1,536
Just got in from my hunt, bagged a cull 8 point buck using the 7mm Magnum with those 139 grain SST Interlocks. Used RL-19 and velocity around 3125 fps and hit the buck broadside at the crease behind the shoulder and exited the opposite side and it broke into a run into the heavy brush. Blood splatter where it stood and a nice blood trail for 40 yards and a pool of blood where it stopped and keeled over. Bullet hit where I wanted it to at 165 yards. Starting in the morning to do the meat process. Game camera captured the same buck a week before.

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Congratulations on a nice buck. Text book bullet performance.

JD338
 
Thanks guys, the 139 SST has been sitting on the shelf since the 90's that I never had used because it never worked well for me. I have been a Nosler fan since then and decided to clear bullets I haven't used which prompted me to pick the SST to try my luck again and it shot pretty well, .5 MOA, at a hundred which is decent for hunting. I am still a Nosler hardcore fan. :grin:

Next week is AccuBond time, I got invited to a nilgai hunt,,,the 300 Mag and 180 Accubonds are waiting, hopefully see a bull.
 
Here's pulling for you on the nilgai hunt. Will this be in Texas?
 
Good.

My buddy loads them in his sons 7-08. I personally witnessed a 360 yard “bang/flop” on a cow elk. I’ve since started trying them. I’ve had a devil of a time getting them to shoot right. I started seating them long, barely off the lands and put in some Varget powder. Slow but accurate. I’ve got some loaded now with H414 to see if it’s the powder or the length that’s working. Would like to see 2850-ish if possible.

The Ballistic Studies guy has a section on his website about annealing them with a candle. It’s interesting, he does enough shooting that he should know his stuff.
 
DrMike":3uyh8dsq said:
Here's pulling for you on the nilgai hunt. Will this be in Texas?
Mike, yes it will be in South Texas in brush country and thank you for your kind words.

gbflyer, I had issues to get it to shoot well from .030" off the lands, but worked better the closer I got to the lands. I believe its .005" off the lands. I currently used 65.5 grains RL-19 which is book max, but speeds were low at 3,125 fps . I previously worked up to 72 grains of RL-19 with no pressure signs, and that is 6.5 grains over book max. I assumed the reason is could be the extra volume since the bullet is seated so long which reduced pressure. I was pushing 3,320 fps. ( ladder testing )which I liked but reduced to 3,125 fps. Reason was I heard about its frangibility at high velocity without an exit. But the lower speed still got the job done.
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Nice buck, like those darker horns. I’ve tried the SST’s also and have had on again off again results.

Long
 
Mark,

Best of luck on the Nilgai hunt.
Your 300 Win Mag with the 180 gr AB should be up to the task.

JD338
 
I've shot 3 or 4 , maybe more , deer with this bullet out of my 7mm-08 . I always seemed to have an excess of meat loss , so I stopped using them . I did jug test them , the results are on the forum . I was surprised at how well they jug tested , the results didn't show what I expected . a few years ago I elk hunted in WY with a guy that took an elk , one shot , with a 338 win mag shooting the SST bullet . I was very surprised at how well that bullet did . I think I'll get these SST's out again for deer hunting . to see if it could have been just shot placement , or shot angle , causing the excessive meat loss .
 
JD338":2awq84qx said:
Mark,

Best of luck on the Nilgai hunt.
Your 300 Win Mag with the 180 gr AB should be up to the task.

JD338


Thanks, its bite should be better than its bark. :lol:
 
Finally got done with the deer processing, been two days and so tiring. I wonder if I will last if I bag that bull nilgai next week. I don't think I'll be in the mood to do 3 days of processing. :shock:

Killed some time and did a skull mount on that cull buck. Skull is yellowish in color and its been cloudy and I am waiting for some sun so I can apply some 40% hydrogen peroxide to the skull and let it sit in the sun a few hours to whiten it. The first picture is the one I just done and the 2nd picture is the one from two years ago which was whitened.

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Great buck. Congrats on using up the extra bullets! I might be about 90 or better before I get through all of mine. :mrgreen:
 
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