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7mm - Hornady SST
Below is a Red deer stag, harvested with a 7mm Rem Mag loaded with the 162 grain Hornady SST (not annealed) at an MV of 2960fps. Impact velocity was 2700fps. Point of impact behind the shoulder, relatively high, broadside. The tough stag managed to stay on his feet for approximately 15 seconds but did not run as the trauma was too great, eventually stumbling then expiring. Body weight was somewhere between 120-150kg (around 300lb).
A specialized rifle, light and short for climbing through heavy bush and up onto alpine slopes, yet with the power to tackle long range shots. This TIkka T3 was 'supposed' to be Ross's 600 yard rifle, the barrel was shortened to 20" (as an experiment) and a suppressor fitted to moderate both noise and recoil. Great care was taken with load development and test shooting, paying attention to the potential for lost accuracy or increased pressures through trapped heat (suppressor). The result, the rifle gave an unexpected 2960fps. Accuracy was very good as is typical of the T3, the muzzle blast/noise was reduced and although the rifle still displays a level of recoil requiring solid shooting technique, it is very comfortable to shoot. Within a couple of days of finishing the 600 yard deer rifle, it accounted for a handful of goats at 800-950 yards (typical) before being taken on this Red stag hunt.
Entry through ribs, a balance of fast and controlled expansion.
Lungs destroyed. Wound channel diameter between 2.5 and 3 inches.
\
Exit wound is 'expanded caliber' in size. This is fairly typical of the 162 grain 7mm SST when used on larger bodied medium game. The projectile has expended nearly all of its energy within the animal, leaving just enough energy/momentum to exit. Where exit wounding does occur, it prevents a vacuum forming within the chest. Without a vacuum to temporarily seal wounding, blood loss occurs very quickly.
Thanks for the photo's Ross, they are greatly appreciated.
162 grain SST
Below is another look at the 162 grain SST. Blair Simmons used his 7mm Remington Magnum to harvest this Sika Stag, impact velocity 2243fps. Blair described that the shot struck low, broke the front shoulder, damaged the very front of the lungs and nicked the heart before exiting at the offside fore leg. The stag ran about 70 yards before expiring. As Blair states, a higher center lung shot may have caused faster killing. All things considered, the SST did a very good job.
Point of entry
Onside leg broken
Internal wounding (front of lungs)
Exit path
162 grain SST
Below are a couple of porker pigs I shot with the 7mm RUM and 162gr SST at 3275fps. Range approximately 150 yards. Exit wounding speaks for itself.
154 grain Superformance SST (factory)
Below is a goat shot with a 7mm Remington Magnum. Bullet used was a factory Hornady 154gr SST Superformance at 3100fps. The goat was shot at a range of 210 yards (2717fps). The entry of the bullet was low, just nicking the foreleg, continuing through the ribs.
Internal damage was severe with the heart being hit, severe bruising of the lungs and the liver destroyed. No major bones were broken.
The heart had been partially blown out of the 50mm exit wound.
50mm exit wound.
Exit wound seen again.
139 grain Hornady Superformance SST(factory)
Eastern American Whitetail doe. Distance: 30 yards. H&R Handi- Rifle. 22' barrel, Ammo: Hornady Superformance 7mm-08 139gr SST.
A specialized rifle, light and short for climbing through heavy bush and up onto alpine slopes, yet with the power to tackle long range shots. This TIkka T3 was 'supposed' to be Ross's 600 yard rifle, the barrel was shortened to 20" (as an experiment) and a suppressor fitted to moderate both noise and recoil. Great care was taken with load development and test shooting, paying attention to the potential for lost accuracy or increased pressures through trapped heat (suppressor). The result, the rifle gave an unexpected 2960fps. Accuracy was very good as is typical of the T3, the muzzle blast/noise was reduced and although the rifle still displays a level of recoil requiring solid shooting technique, it is very comfortable to shoot. Within a couple of days of finishing the 600 yard deer rifle, it accounted for a handful of goats at 800-950 yards (typical) before being taken on this Red stag hunt.
Entry through ribs, a balance of fast and controlled expansion.
Lungs destroyed. Wound channel diameter between 2.5 and 3 inches.
\Exit wound is 'expanded caliber' in size. This is fairly typical of the 162 grain 7mm SST when used on larger bodied medium game. The projectile has expended nearly all of its energy within the animal, leaving just enough energy/momentum to exit. Where exit wounding does occur, it prevents a vacuum forming within the chest. Without a vacuum to temporarily seal wounding, blood loss occurs very quickly.
Thanks for the photo's Ross, they are greatly appreciated.
162 grain SST
Below is another look at the 162 grain SST. Blair Simmons used his 7mm Remington Magnum to harvest this Sika Stag, impact velocity 2243fps. Blair described that the shot struck low, broke the front shoulder, damaged the very front of the lungs and nicked the heart before exiting at the offside fore leg. The stag ran about 70 yards before expiring. As Blair states, a higher center lung shot may have caused faster killing. All things considered, the SST did a very good job.
Point of entry
Onside leg broken
Internal wounding (front of lungs)
Exit path
162 grain SST
Below are a couple of porker pigs I shot with the 7mm RUM and 162gr SST at 3275fps. Range approximately 150 yards. Exit wounding speaks for itself.
154 grain Superformance SST (factory)
Below is a goat shot with a 7mm Remington Magnum. Bullet used was a factory Hornady 154gr SST Superformance at 3100fps. The goat was shot at a range of 210 yards (2717fps). The entry of the bullet was low, just nicking the foreleg, continuing through the ribs.
Internal damage was severe with the heart being hit, severe bruising of the lungs and the liver destroyed. No major bones were broken.
The heart had been partially blown out of the 50mm exit wound.
50mm exit wound.
Exit wound seen again.
The projectiles pictured below were both recovered from a different goat shot on the same day as the one pictured above. The goat was shot twice, once at a range of 210 yards and then with a finishing shot at 10 yards. The first shot was a raking shot, ham to foreleg, missing all vitals. Although utilized at very different ranges neither projectiles exited and were found just under the skin. The bullet on the right was from the 210 yard shot and weighed 91.5 gr, the finishing shot projectile weighed 75.8gr.
139 grain Hornady Superformance SST(factory)
Eastern American Whitetail doe. Distance: 30 yards. H&R Handi- Rifle. 22' barrel, Ammo: Hornady Superformance 7mm-08 139gr SST.
The doe was hit a bit far back and ran about 40 yards down hill, bleeding profusely before hitting a tree and expiring.
Exit wound.
A high degree of internal wounding from partial fragmentation ensured a relatively fast kill in spite of shot placement error.
Exit wound.
A high degree of internal wounding from partial fragmentation ensured a relatively fast kill in spite of shot placement error.
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