The 6.5mm, 129 gr. SSTs Work!

[Nodak Hunter]

I picked up my long awaited box about two weeks ago, and have been doing some load testing. These bullets are extremely accurate in both the .260 Rem and the .264 Win Mag. Velocities are 2,860 fps in the .260, and 3,280 fps in the .264.

Both rifles shoot them into three shot, 300 yard groups averaging under 3.5". My best group out of the .264 is 1.9" at 300 yards.

I consider this bullet, when used in the .264, to be the ultimate plains cartridge for deer, pronghorn, and coyotes. I'll find out for sure this fall.

 

[danr55]

funny you should mention that. I just got 400, .264 diameter bullets in the 140 grain wieght class with Carbolite tips. I'll build some loads and let you know how they work. They are almost .140" longer than the Nosler Partition bullet. YIKES!

 

[Nodak Hunter]

Did you get those at Midsouth? Red tiop, boattail, no cannelure? If so, they are Hornady A-Maxes. I have some 140 grain A-maxes, and they are indeed .140" longer than the similar weight Partitions.

They are good for deer also, but they are too long to stabilize in my .260 Rem (9 1/2" twist rate).

 

[danr55]

That's what they are Nodak. Why are they sold without any identification on them?

I'll let you know how they perform in the 6.5X300 WSM soon. I'm also going to try them in a 6.5-06.

 

[Nodak Hunter]

Dan,

They normally aren't. Midsouth got a huge inventory of Hornady bullets that were slotted to go to a major ammo manufacturer (Federal, I believe), but for some reason the deal fell through, so Hornady had all these bullets in bags of 1,000 with nowhere to go. At least that's the scoop I got from a friend of mine in the bullet business.

Those A-Maxes work great in my .264 Win Mag (9" twist), but won't stabilize in the .260. I'm trying to "standardize" on bullets somewhat, so I was looking for a deer bullet that would work in both rifles.

You should like the accuracy you get with the A-Maxes. When I get a new rifle, I usually load up some A-Maxes at a less than maximum velocity to test the rifle's accuracy potential. They usually are one of, if not the most, accurate bullet for every rifle I own, regardless of caliber.

 

[danr55]

Thanks for that Nodak. I'll let you know how they shoot.

Speaking of this, have you tried any of the new Remington bonded bullets? I guess Big Green started using a process similar to that used by BearClaw bullets in Texas, that bonds the jacket to the core. They should retain weight really well, but the configuration of the front face of the bullet makes me wonder about BC and down range accuracy. I think I'm going to try to order some and try them. If nothing else, they may work in the larger caliber rifles for heavy game.

 

[imported_HogWild]

Nodak Hunter,
Were the 129g SSTs long for a short action cartridge like the 260? I am thinking of trying them but am concerned they will infringe on quite a little powder space. My Rem action has only 2.8" of magazine space. What can you tell me about this concern?

 

[danr55]

Well, I tried them. Using the same load I used with the partition, the pressure jumped a bunch. Several cases jammed in the chamber and had to be forcefully extracted. (Read beat on the bolt handle with a 4X4.) I guess it's back to the drawing board. The accuracy was there and although I didn't chrono them, the point of impact gives me cause to think they are probably a little faster. Well see after I find a load that works smoothly..

 

[Nodak Hunter]

Hogwild,

The 129 grainers are fairly long (.025" longer than 140 grain Partitions), but the powder charge isn't overly compressed for my rifle when the bullet is seated .015" off the lands. My rifle is a Ruger, however, so I don't know what the difference in the chambering and mag length is between Remington and Ruger.

Dan,

Those A-Maxes have a loooong bearing surface. They generally don't give you as high a velocity as other spitzers, no matter the caliber, but they are damned accurate. They work just like a Ballistic Tip on deer and coyotes, so you probably wouldn't want to push them to warp speed velocities anyway. Hornady recommends them for "thin-skinned game" in their reloading manual.

The SSTs are basically A-Maxes with a cannelure and the interlock ring. The jacket may or may not be thicker also, depending upon which wieght bullets you're comparing. I like 'em both.

 

[WDSWIFT]

Amen to that Ndak, I finally got a box to run through the trusty 6.5-06. I worked up one load with them that shows good results (at least in my opinion).

I used the 129gr SSTs, 54.5gr of H4831sc, Rem 9 1/2 primers, Win cases, set to an OAL of 3.285. This gave me 3011fps average, and only a 4fps extreme spread on a 3 shot string. Groups were under .5" at 100yds, in fact made only a ragged hole with 4 shots. At 200yds, they grouped under 1".

I agree with ya Ndak, that this should be a whale of a bullet for the kind of hunting you talked about. If they work anywhere near as well as the ones MLM, Big John, and I used on our 'Bou hunt last year they'll be a winner.

Now watch someone say they hit a deer in the butt with one and they don't work.WD