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7mm sst bullets

Not the best choice for an elk bullet in my opinion. mtmuley
I've seen .277 SSTs come apart like varmint bullets several times on deer.
Welcome to HuntTalk.

Ditto @mtmuley and @p_ham.

Explosive results at about 2600 fps out of a 30-06 on deer. Unreliable chest cavity penetration. I don't trust them to make humane kills at less than perfect broadside angles.
I've used Sierra GameKings a lot and they are frangible. The SST is way beyond that.

There are lots of better 7mm bullets on the shelf for elk most places.

I've made my opinion of Hornady stuff pretty clear on HT. They actually say in their ads that you can shoot moose with the SST. I wouldn't use them for anything bigger than coyote.
When I was a kid I got ready for season by shooting ground squirrels on the ranch with my '06. The SST would have been great for that.
 
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I am using a 117 grain SST in my 25 WSSM A-Bolt. Loaded with Varget at 2950 FPS. Mule deer, Whitetail, Antelope, Elk and most recently a 250lb spring black bear all have crumbled at the shot. I am a Berger guy but at the time could not get any when I bought the rifle, so I got the SST. Was thinking maybe to frangible because I used them years ago in a .270. I think Hornady has made some adjustments and they kill like a bolt of lightning in my opinion. Just like Bergers, you might mess up a little meat, but shit don’t limp away.
Don’t need an exit hole when it falls in sight. Just my experience.
 
I hunted exclusively with SSTs from 2011 to 2022 and stacked up a respectable number of whitetail, hogs, coyotes and a pronghorn. They are hell on that size of game with the majority of the animals taken being DRT. I suspect you are in for heartache if you tried sticking a big elk with one, though.
 
Reloaded 180 grain sst for a buddy's 30-06 for elk at his request. I suggested something more along the lines of partition or a frame or copper. His reply was they perform similar to bergers but are cheaper. I worked up a load of sst at 2690fps and he has dropped four bulls with one shot per from 40yds to 250 yards. No pass thru, no tracking ,all dropped on the spot or within sight. Hard to argue with that logic and result.
 
Meat grenades. A lot of damage on a rib impact, I don't remember if this was 6.5 or .308 on a whitetail. We shot 3 of them in two different calibers and it was just a complete mess. SST are really accurate out of every gun I've shot, but they are destructive . I'll try to look for more pics. My kid hit one high shoulder and it looked like someone embedded a claymore under the hide.134144.jpeg
 
Ditto what most have said. Great bullet for deer where penetration isn't any issue, drt results. Elk, no way. I would pick a tougher bullet. Love the terminal ascents or accubonds. Why limit yourself to a broadside shot?
 
Meat grenades. A lot of damage on a rib impact, I don't remember if this was 6.5 or .308 on a whitetail. We shot 3 of them in two different calibers and it was just a complete mess. SST are really accurate out of every gun I've shot, but they are destructive . I'll try to look for more pics. My kid hit one high shoulder and it looked like someone embedded a claymore under the hide.View attachment 279956
Yuck
 
Like most on this thread I had similar results with a 7mm 154 gr SST. I still use them for deer and antelope but greatly prefer to step up to the 154 interbond which I have had great luck with on Elk.
 
I would not use the SST. They will kill an elk too dead. Nothing worse than a deader than dead elk. I'll stick to Bergers in my 7MM. Bergers kill an elk just the right amount of dead.
 
I've not killed many but we've killed a few weeks and a moose with the 154sst and a 280. I'd use them again. I do prefer a lrab but have no issues with the sst.
 
I am using a 117 grain SST in my 25 WSSM A-Bolt. Loaded with Varget at 2950 FPS. Mule deer, Whitetail, Antelope, Elk and most recently a 250lb spring black bear all have crumbled at the shot. I am a Berger guy but at the time could not get any when I bought the rifle, so I got the SST. Was thinking maybe to frangible because I used them years ago in a .270. I think Hornady has made some adjustments and they kill like a bolt of lightning in my opinion. Just like Bergers, you might mess up a little meat, but shit don’t limp away.
Don’t need an exit hole when it falls in sight. Just my experience.
For some reason the 25 caliber, 117gr SST is not like any of the other SSTs.

I use the 7mm SST to do load development. They are accurate enough.
But I get consistently smaller groups with Nosler Ballistic Tips.
And the Ballistic Tip is what goes with me hunting.

My friend uses the SST for deer. He has more wasted meat than I do with the Ballistic Tip or Berger VLD.
 
Really don’t understand the DRT crowd at the expense of wasted meat.

“Well we wasted some meat, but it didn’t take a step”. Because it not taking a step is the most important thing about harvesting an animal…. FFS.
It depends entirely on how deep the canyon that he is heading for is.
 
Really don’t understand the DRT crowd at the expense of wasted meat.

“Well we wasted some meat, but it didn’t take a step”. Because it not taking a step is the most important thing about harvesting an animal…. FFS.
Do yourself a favor and contact Addicting. He has some Accubonds. I guess I assumed the OP is looking for 7mm. mtmuley
I would sure love to get some accubonds.
 
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