Honady ammunition

[82ndreddevil]

I am itching to try out some new factory ammunition that is capable of long range shooting as well as big game hunting such as elk. In other words I do not want to shoot one type of ammo then have to re-zero my rifle everytime it gets near fall for a hunting load. Can anyone tell me what the difference is really between the SST super performance and the SST custom? They both seem to run the same numbers, the only difference I see is price and the box. Has anyone had any good or bad luck with these rounds? I already tried the SST super performance, the stuff in the red box and was minimally impressed with the grouping. Perhaps 3100 fps for a 180 gr bullet is more than my rifle likes.

 

[WildRose]

I am itching to try out some new factory ammunition that is capable of long range shooting as well as big game hunting such as elk. In other words I do not want to shoot one type of ammo then have to re-zero my rifle everytime it gets near fall for a hunting load. Can anyone tell me what the difference is really between the SST super performance and the SST custom? They both seem to run the same numbers, the only difference I see is price and the box. Has anyone had any good or bad luck with these rounds? I already tried the SST super performance, the stuff in the red box and was minimally impressed with the grouping. Perhaps 3100 fps for a 180 gr bullet is more than my rifle likes.

I've shot truck loads of Hornady factory ammo and reloaded with Hornady Bullets for thirty plus years. As a rule it has performed excellently for me.

I haven't shot the SST though, mostly V max's, interbonds, and interlocks.

Each rifle is going to act a little different with different ammo so if you are going to shoot factory stuff buy a box at a time of a given load, find one that works, then buy up as much of that lot number as you can and stick with it till you run out.

Winchester Supreme has also been very good to me.

What caliber are you looking at?

 

[82ndreddevil]

Yea I hear what your saying about how each type of ammo acts different in each rifle. The only exception I have found is that the Hornady SST super performance with a 180 gr pushing 3100 fps shot lousy in both of my 300 win mags, one is a sendero and the other a BDL. It was the weirdest thing. I have found that both of my rifles shoot 180 gr that pushes just under 3000 fps. But I am just curious if anyone has had any experience with the Custom line of the Hornady ammo. I cant trust the info it gives on the website because they claim every type of round as top of the line and best for big game hunters. Based on the experience you have had with Hornady ammo, how well did the lead tips do?

 

[midwesthunter]

I think there custom they sort brass more? I have shot the cusom in 223 and shoots great. My 6.5 Grendel loves the custom 123 amax. The superformance usually runs 100-200 fps faster try the Amax if they have ones u want.

 

[elkaholic]

I haven't shot any factory ammo for years but the SST's that I have hand loaded are accurate but very frangible. Probably good deer bullets but not too sure about elk? I have had them disintegrate in mid air at around 3400'+...........Rich

 

[WildRose]

Yea I hear what your saying about how each type of ammo acts different in each rifle. The only exception I have found is that the Hornady SST super performance with a 180 gr pushing 3100 fps shot lousy in both of my 300 win mags, one is a sendero and the other a BDL. It was the weirdest thing. I have found that both of my rifles shoot 180 gr that pushes just under 3000 fps. But I am just curious if anyone has had any experience with the Custom line of the Hornady ammo. I cant trust the info it gives on the website because they claim every type of round as top of the line and best for big game hunters. Based on the experience you have had with Hornady ammo, how well did the lead tips do?

I've shot some of the custom but I can't remember for sure what bullet they had. They ran great in my M-1A.

For overall performance the interbond and interlock are excellent hunting rounds that will penetrate and give good controlled expansion. The SST is more intended as a varmint and thin skinned game bullet than they are.

I've been shooting some in my 300wm that were giving sub MOA performance consistently and it's a straight factory rifle with a light sporter/magnum barrel. I don't have a Chronograpgh but checking my drops at 400 and 800yds the velocity seemed to be holding right with what they were advertising +/-about 30fps.

 

[WildRose]

Yea I hear what your saying about how each type of ammo acts different in each rifle. The only exception I have found is that the Hornady SST super performance with a 180 gr pushing 3100 fps shot lousy in both of my 300 win mags, one is a sendero and the other a BDL. It was the weirdest thing. I have found that both of my rifles shoot 180 gr that pushes just under 3000 fps. But I am just curious if anyone has had any experience with the Custom line of the Hornady ammo. I cant trust the info it gives on the website because they claim every type of round as top of the line and best for big game hunters. Based on the experience you have had with Hornady ammo, how well did the lead tips do?

Ok so I went and looked. Indeed what I've been shooting out of the 300wm (Model 70) are the Hornady Custom 165gr SST's.

The coyote I killed last week had a baseball sized hole on the backside and he was shot at just over 350yds on the run.

The doe I killed a couple of weeks ago was at around 620yds, shot dead through the heart while she was facing me and everything in the chest was jello. Found the bullet in the left hindquarter up against the pelvis. It was still pretty much in tact but looked like a slightly hammered mushroom.

At 200yds my four and five shot groups (shot fairly quickly) were holding within the diameter of a quarter.

Hope that helps.

 

[elkaholic]

I can believe they would work pretty well at 620 yards. That's back down below the self destruct range.....Rich

 

[WildRose]

I can believe they would work pretty well at 620 yards. That's back down below the self destruct range.....Rich

And it didn't hurt a lick that it never hit bone.

Certainly not an Elk Round! gun)

The Coyote told the story pretty well. It went through both scapulas and I'll bet it was in a large number of pieces considering the size hole it left.

 

[T3-OleMan]

rd, you might want to try the GMXs, they say they are pretty much like the ssts. I was working toward pure cooper Barnes loads in my 338WM and happen to try the SF-GMX 185s and the ole girl fell in love with them.
Might hit the spot! And you won't have to worry about it coming apart in ELK, I hear. Ain't drawed blood yet with mine. Good Luck.

 

[rugerdog5]

I picked up a box of hornady custom ammo for my 7mm mag this year for deer. This was the first time I hunted with factory ammo in years but I moved about a year ago and haven't sorted out my garage yet. Our hunt was a bust ,three days of 90 plus degree weather and no sign of deer. My buddy and I came across a powerline road with basically unlimited distance so I told him we were coming back on our way out to do done shooting. Now my rifle isa rem 700 with only a trigger tune done and a vortex scope so nothing too special but it shoots great. We set up a gallon jug of vinager and a1 pound propane bottle at what we estimated to be a thousand yards later we figured it too be 1075. I dialed a thousand and let one fly 1.5 moa low came up second shot dead on I put three more in it and started packing up before I left I had to take a shot at the propane bottle one round one hit. So for me in a pinch I'll use that any day if I don't have my handloads.