Anyone tried this one? Or the 180SST in another 30cal? I know what 150SSTs do launched@3000, wondering how the 180s launched at 2750-2800 have performed for others and how hard you had to push to get close to 2800. Normally I wouldn't care too much about the velocity, but I've got a scope reticle that I would like to continue using because it's paid for. Now that I think about it, I could use another 30cal 180gr, my brother has 100s of the SSTs is why I considered them.
180gr Hornady SST in 30-06? Load, MV, and terminal performance??
- Thread starter emerson
- Start date
I don't know how much help it will be, but I'm shooting 180 SSTs in one 30-06. Its an LSS that I fitted out with 10 shot mags last year for culling, and after deciding that I liked it put a slightly heavier 26" Benchmark barrel on it this year. The load worked up for the original barrel was 56.5 grains of ADI 2209 (H4350) and the 180 grain Woodleigh bullet at something short of 2700 fps. The same load in the new Benchmark barrel is doing 2850 fps. Since I have a decent stockpile of that load in Australia it was important to know.
Since at home I'm not as confined by existing ammo, I experimented a bit with the rifle and tried 180 SSTs that I just happened to have. The same 56.5 gr H4350 load with 180 SSTs gave the same velocity and slightly better accuracy. Between finding over 150 fps worth of free horsepower and the higher BC bullet helped a bit more. It was enough difference that I use the "Big triangle" of the B&C reticle instead of the "Small triangle" that is a better fit with the old velocities and the lower BCs of the Woodleigh hunting and Sierra practice load.
56.5 grains of H4350 is maximum in most manuals but not all. Its plenty warm but not excessive in my rifles. This last barrel is the only 30-06 that I have gotten these kinds of velocities out of.
Since at home I'm not as confined by existing ammo, I experimented a bit with the rifle and tried 180 SSTs that I just happened to have. The same 56.5 gr H4350 load with 180 SSTs gave the same velocity and slightly better accuracy. Between finding over 150 fps worth of free horsepower and the higher BC bullet helped a bit more. It was enough difference that I use the "Big triangle" of the B&C reticle instead of the "Small triangle" that is a better fit with the old velocities and the lower BCs of the Woodleigh hunting and Sierra practice load.
56.5 grains of H4350 is maximum in most manuals but not all. Its plenty warm but not excessive in my rifles. This last barrel is the only 30-06 that I have gotten these kinds of velocities out of.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Emerson, if you have a B&C reticle, sight in the rifle so the bullet strikes 2" high at 100 yards using the cross hair then shoot a group with each hash mark, then a final group using the top of the bottom post as your aiming point. From you observations of where each group hits the target relative to you 200 yard zero, you'll know approximately at what range those aiming points will be useful to you, although you should confirm by shooting at those actual ranges. If you record that information for each load you use, and you'll find that over a period of time you'll have a pretty useful catalog of data, which can then be written on a range card that you tape to the stock of your rifle prior to each outing.
Easiest way I know to calibrate a B&C reticle is to shoot it at the longest distance and just correcting the sighting.
Say you have your 30-06 zeroed at 200 yards and you find to your dismay that at 450 yards its hitting about 4-5 inches low. Simply take the 1 MOA of correction. Now you're 2" high at 200 yards which is firmly in the "who cares" category. Everything in between 200 and 450 will take care of itself, with the error reducing as the distance gets closer to 450. When you go past the 450 crosshair and are using the 500 yard infinity pin the error still wont be enough to matter.
Say you have your 30-06 zeroed at 200 yards and you find to your dismay that at 450 yards its hitting about 4-5 inches low. Simply take the 1 MOA of correction. Now you're 2" high at 200 yards which is firmly in the "who cares" category. Everything in between 200 and 450 will take care of itself, with the error reducing as the distance gets closer to 450. When you go past the 450 crosshair and are using the 500 yard infinity pin the error still wont be enough to matter.
I hadn't thought it out that way, but that is a very efficient way of nailing down what ranges the hash marks correspond to with any load and any reticle. It's almost like you've done this once or twice.
Great way to make things simple. Between Boomer and yourself you've convinced me that I need to work up several more loads with different bullets. Won't the wife be excited to go bullet shopping
And really, if the max reticle point is dead on at 450 vs. 500 it doesn't matter as long as I know and record that. Realistically the rifle/stock/scope combo I'm using now along with me is a limited range setup. 500 is a long way out.
I have had 165g SST out of my 30-06 produce two very dead bears with one shot ea.. first one went 8yds on a Lung and heat shot. the second one drop on the spot and didn't twitch with a shoulder shot. So in short...... they work. To my understanding the SST is a InterLock with a ballistic tip.
