Hornady SST or Interbond?

This is somewhat off topic but anytime someone says expansion, I think about Barnes TSX which are brick shaped but expand very well at low velocities and are often very accurate.
6.8 SPC hunters have major expansion problems because of low muzzle velocity and are big fans of Barnes TSX.

Alex
 
Here's info from Barnes. Looked up the new LRX 175, and the BC looks great. Think I'll head that direction.

"Our 165gr TTSX is tested into our water tank at 1800fps, and the 175gr LRX is tested at 1600fps. It is tested into a water tank, so expansion into a game animal will happen at a slower velocity."
 
Two years ago I shot a whitetail inside of 50 yards with a 7mm 175gr interlock, I hit a shoulder and it was... a mess. I shot a moose with same load last year at about 75 yards, didn't touch a bone and mushroomed flawlessly. This year I shot a whitetail at 280 paces with a 130 gr SST in my .270, hit a rib and the hole was bigger than a softball with no exit. I'm going bonded next year.
 
SST's are Interlock bullets with a fancy red tip instead of a lead one. They are also shaped a bit better for higher BC.
 
essquires said:
Hi Kamlooky. The reason I didn't explore the Interlock is because it has a significantly lower BC.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to pick on you here, because I am a fan of ballistic coefficient as much as anyone (and I shoot competitively at long range, so I can appreciate the value of high BC). But perhaps high BC is not everything in a hunting bullet.

I have to say that I had my eyes opened about this issue this fall when a buddy and I were goofing around one afternoon while hunting on a mountain top in the Okanagan. I was using a 98 Mauser (in full military stock) that had been re-barreled many years ago to .30-06 and my loads were pushing a plain old 180 Hornady flat base SP at a consistently measured 2,640 to 2,650.

I have a solid 200 metre zero and I was using a 40-year-old Redfield 3-9 scope.

Just for kicks, I shot at a flat rock, the size of a cookie sheet, at a lasered 445 yards. I decided to hold about 5 minutes high (crosshair to post is 3 minutes at 9 power). Know what? Two shots that could be covered by the palm of my hand, slightly to the left of centre.

Next, I turned to a rock face at a lasered 667 yards away. This time, I held up 18 minutes (cranking the scope down to 3 and then using double the distance from crosshair to post). Another two shots and another two hits that could be covered by the palm of my hand. (Both shots were centre.)

I have to admit that I was really surprised that this old Mauser with old-fashioned bullet could shoot at this level, and I fully acknowledge that this combination is a "hummer", probably worth its weight in gold. (And I'm glad I got it as a gift from a buddy!)

What this example shows is that even a simple flat base, lead-tipped bullet can behave predictably as far out as any sane person would care to shoot. (I'd never shoot at an animal at 600.) The key is to find a load that the rifle likes and shoot it at various ranges.

At any range inside 300 yards, I don't think a boattail bullet would make any noticeable difference. Therefore, you need to ask yourself how far you are seriously planning to shoot. If you don't need to shoot at extreme ranges, accuracy and terminal performance should be more important (for a hunting bullet), in my opinion.

Good luck :)
 
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