Experience with Hornady SST on deer?

[RFtinkerer]

Had a runner after hitting a deer broadside with a 165 SST in 308 this Sunday. Good hit through just behind the shoulder blades, tore both lungs up but not the heart. Exit wound the size of silver dollar. Velocity at impact probably 2700 fps (Superformance at 90 yards.) Deer ran 25 yards, leaped a barbed wire fence (&%$@), ran about 50 more yards into the woods before laying down (&^%$). Larger deer, practically killed myself dragging it through brush and through the fence. Finally got it to the point I could get an ATV to. Not sure the bullet was at fault or he was just spunky. I'll try to hit the heart next time...or neck maybe?

[Bravo 4]

Sounds like it did it's job, sometimes they just don't want to die!
What did the insides look like?

[RFtinkerer]

Lungs were pretty torn up, heart was scraped but not punctured. Glad I used up my 2 tags, I don't want to have to pull another this year.

Maybe I could stand to work out a little before next year, though.

[idfishnhunt]

My daughter whacked a nice muley buck with a 139gn SST. It did not come out, and I did not find the bullet. One hole going in, then it expanded and shattered all the ribs on the other side. The deer dropped in it's tracks though. Luckily it hit up front and didn't make a mess...but I can see this bullet doing just that if hit more in the guts. Might try an accubond for next season and see how they shoot. One thing for sure, these SST's in her rifle are tack drivers.

[1denogean]

my dad shot a deer last weekend at 285yds with 180 gr sst's and it was awsome. deer dropped in its tracks and there was mayber a 1 in entrance hole and then everything inside was like chopped liver. none of the meat that we eat got ruined. it made for an easy gut job. I will definitly be buying some more to load up

[idfishnhunt]

I managed to come across the 139gn SST when we were cutting up our scraps to make sausage. Here is what it looks like. It shattered all the ribs on the opposite side in about a 6-inch area. There was quite a bit of bullet fragments around the area, which I wasn't overly excited about. DRT with good shot placement, and you can't beat the price if your doing a lot of shooting. Half the price of a bonded bullet...I can live with that.

[ruger300]

Been shooting hornady sst on deer and like sized game for a few years, yeah they are explosive but have always recovered the animal. This whitetail came down the game trail while I was sitting in my ladder stand. Stopped him at 50yds when I had a good shot and killed him with the 300wm 180sst at 3000fps, still ran 50 yds before he dropped in sight.

Dropped this whitetail buck with the same load at 150 yds, ran nearly 100yds but still left a blood trail.


Took my first bighorn with a 140gr sst out of the 270WSM at 200yds going 3220fps. He also took a 20yd run before he toppled.


Killed these 2 deer last season with the same gun but a 150gr sst. The mule deer ran 20yds before he dropped and the whitetail dropped where I stopped him.


Never recovered a single bullet but every shot did its job. Will continue to use these non premium bullets when I'm in pursuit of deer sized game.

ruger300