6.8 SPC Forums banner

120gr SST Hogs/Range Report..

12K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  future6.8owner 
#1 ·
Let me first preface this by saying that all relevant 6.8 info I get and use is from this forum. Thanks go out to all those who work to advance the 6.8 round and provide info on here for the rest of us. I dont reload, I dont chronograph, I check but dont rely on velocity reports, but I do care about accurate factory ammunition, and I care about results. There are a lot of hogs in TX that need to take a dirt nap!!!

The consistently most accurate round out of my grandfathers (38yo) rem 700 .270 has been the 140gr Hornady SST.Works great on hogs! So when Hornady came out with the 120gr SST for the 6.8 I was pretty excited to see what they would do. I was skeptical as the 110gr SPH has been under 1" at 100 yds in my 18" ARP 6.8 (thanks H!). How would the 120gr SST do?



When first four shots clover leafed into a circle the size of a nicke, because everyone always talk about five shot groups, I got cocky and hurried the fifth shot. 1.5" high at 100yds, Zeroed at 200 yds. I was able to place 4/5 shots into a 2" circle with three of the shots just over and inch. I use a 7x56mm Meopta Meostar RD illum 4a reticle, definitely not a target scope especially at 200yds, but works well for a low light hunting scope for hogs early in the morning and late in the evening. How would the 120gr SSTs work on hogs??



You cant tell from the pic but the shot went through the back of the shldr blade and dropped the hog in its tracks at 158yds. Despite being about an inch off from the intended placement right behind the shldr, the 120gr SST seemed to perform extremely well. The bullet did not exit the opposite side and I did not dig out the bullet to see how it performed. He died right there. That works for me.



The hogs had been rooting in this particular part of the ranch about two months ago. So this weekend I put some corn and some hog wild in the rooted pits hoping to lure some of the hogs out from the woods. Low and behold out comes this boar by himself on the second morning after dropping bait. The last pic gives a better perspective on size (fairly decent). Definitely bigger when I had to drag him 60yds to the gully to drop him over.



I dont believe in one best hog round. There are plenty of bullets and loads and sizes that do the job for a lot of people on this forum. All you have to do is read around. I do believe in shot placement and I do believe that some rounds are more accurate than others in your rifle and you have to find that one (especially if you dont reload like me). For me in "my" 6.8 it has been the 110gr SPH. It now seems that the 120gr SST works in "my" rifle. I took two more hogs that weekend both DRT with neck shots under 50yds. I know three hogs arent a sample size for testing purposes. 3 dead is 3 dead in this battle against Hogs!!

Hope this helps those who were thinking about trying the 120gr SST's.

LM32188
 
See less See more
4
#2 ·
Nice, great to have a good report on the 120 SST.... thanks for the pix, and taking the time to share.
 
#4 ·
That is a GREAT grouping. All I have heard thus far is decent-poor accuracy. I have a handload ladder of SSTs sitting on my desk ready to go to the range and I can only hope for something like that.
 
#11 ·
I know shooting a handful of the 120's doesn't write it in stone, but so far, the 120's seem to handle the wind pretty well Constructor. At least a lot better than light 223 do.

lm32188, I'm also glad you brought up the fact that barrels may tend to like a particular bullet better than others. Like you, I have had the best results (of what I have tried) with the SSA 110 gr SP Prohunters and the 120 SST's were grouping about 2 inches dead center lower than they do. Probably from just being heavier.

I haven't shot a cloverleaf, but well within an inch or so, and that makes me plenty happy enough.
 
#14 ·
That is one impressive group! I've been looking at the round too, pretty good performance (charts). I may go buy a couple of boxes and check them out now. Thanks for a good AAR
 
#15 ·
Thanks Bitten! Scope helps alot. i was pretty surprised by the group considering the reviews the 120gr SST were getting. I started at 50yds and put three rounds just about in one hole. Then went to a 100yds. Im not a patient shooter so my groups arent normally as good as that day. A few months back i was at the ranch and missed a huge boar offhand at 80yds standing broadside using my fiance,s fathers 25-06. I aint the best marksman, but ther is no way i should have missed. It made me go back to the range. I took both my .270 and 6.8 and alternated rifles for each shot. It forced me to go back to the basics and that group was the result. I was on fire that day as i was able to clover leaf three rds at 200 yds with the .270 using a 3.5x10 conquest.
 
#18 ·
Congrats on the hogs! Those 120 SST's shoot MOA out of my Stag and sub MOA out of my brothers Titan Extreme. We shot 3 hogs in GA last month with the 110 Nosler AB and the next day sighted in the SST's. Alas, no hogs showed that night to test them on. Glad to see they did the job for you! I've used the Hornady interlock 165 in my 30/06 for deer and they were super accurate and killed well. Need to try the SST 165 someday if I can ever break away from the 6.8!
 
#19 ·
i have used the 165 sst's in my 308 with impressive results!!!!
matter of fact i reload for my 2 brothers and my dad, and with those bullets we have NEVER had a deer take a step
my ol man shot a doe 2 years ago through both ribs and the exit was the size of a tennis ball, no joke
however last year he shot a doe and did have some core jacket separation
thats why im so interested in the 120's
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top