RIFLES
Shock Value
Hornady's SST bullet delivers top-notch accuracy and bone-breaking terminal performance.
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Polymer-tipped rifle bullets are nothing new. Since their introduction more than a decade ago, these projectiles have impressed vast numbers of shooters into singing their praises--from the standpoint of accuracy and devastating impact on varmints. Experienced big-game hunters, however, have shunned them, considering them "too explosive." Until now.
Essentially a hollowpoint bullet with a plastic tip designed to reduce damage to the nose and increase ballistic efficiency, polymer-tipped bullets are accurate and effective against small, thin-skinned critters such as rockchucks, groundhogs and prairie dogs--things you're not gonna eat. On big game, these same bullets performed like a conventional hollowpoint, blowing dinner-plate-sized holes an inch deep on shoulders and flanks.
Now that's changed with the introduction of Hornady's new Super Shocked Tip (SST) bullets. These bullets do indeed impart shock, but more importantly, they will also break heavy bone and penetrate deep into the vitals.
At first, I was a hard-sell on this concept, based on my experience with other plastic-tipped bullets. To convince myself, I invited Hornady's Wayne Holt out to California, and asked him to bring two different SST loadings: a 150-grain .308 at 2,830 fps and a 180-grain .30-06 at 2,700 fps. My object was to field test these new bullets on tough California feral hogs on the Tejon Ranch, a large, working cattle ranch in the mountains near Los Angeles. These pigs are tougher than any deer or elk, and if the SSTs could perform well on them, I would be confident to use them on any big-game species in North America, except for moose and the big bears.
Hornady's SSTs differ from other plastic-tipped rifle bullets in that they were designed from the ground up to be a big-game bullet, not a varmint pill. For starters, the copper jackets used on the SST bullets is .0010 thicker than the jackets used on Hornady's V-Max varmint bullets, and have a tighter grain structure. When the jacket cup is fully drawn, the jacket itself is 19 percent thicker, which aids in weight retention and assists in penetration. In addition, the lead core of the SST is a harder alloy, featuring a five-percent antimony content. These premium ingredients, combined with Hornady's Interlock construction helps hold the heavier and tougher jacket and core together until reaching the vitals on big game.
The .308 180-grain SSTs have a ballistic coefficient of .481, while the 150-grainer has a BC of .413. These are high numbers that translate into smooth-sailing, streamlined designs with excellent sectional density, all of which help contribute to accuracy and terminal performance.
I'm finicky about big-game bullets. I demand a bullet that will penetrate to an animal's vitals from any angle--not just the perfect shot through the ribs and into the chest. I want my bullets to be able to break shoulder, spinal and pelvic bones with equal aplomb. For this reason, almost all my big-game shooting over the last eight years or so has been done with bullets of three types that have more than proven themselves. These are homogeneous copper bullets, bonded core bullets or bullets that feature a combination of both designs. Now, I am pleased to say, I've added Hornady's SSTs to that list.
Just 50 miles north of Los Angeles is 270,000 acres of pristine private wilderness known as the Tejon Ranch. A working cattle operation since 1847, the Tejon holds deer, feral hogs, Rocky Mountain elk, antelope, turkey, quail and assorted varmints. Wildlife manager, Don Geivet, has done a fabulous job, and his hunts are top-notch.
While zeroing our rifles at the ranch, the SSTs showed their plastic-tipped attributes by producing significantly better than average hunting accuracy. My .308 Winchester Model 70 Scout conversion consistently shot 3/4-inch groups at 100 yards, while my hunting partner Wes Lang's Steyr SSG Professional shot under and inch. The treat of the day was the new Remington Model 700 Titanium rifle used by Skip Johnson. The SSTs performed terrifically from this gun, producing one three-shot group that measured just .218-inches center to center!
While on the subject of accuracy, I would like to say that I will compromise some accuracy for bullet performance when selecting a projectile for use on big game. One and even 1 1/2-inch groups are acceptable for most hunting rifles, and these are the groups you can expect from most premium hunting bullets. With the SSTs however, you won't necessarily have to compromise a bit on accuracy for terminal performance, and this is a very good reason to give them a try.
The results of our two-day pig hunt with the SSTs were truly outstanding, and I came away convinced that these are the first plastic-tipped bullets I feel confident in using on big game. We shot four hogs with these bullets, and the following notes from my necropsies of the animals tell the full story.
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