RE: Hornady SST performance on deer
My results are the same as Oldsnow's.
I started using them the last month of last year and took two last year and four this year w/ my muzzle loader, three does and three bucks.
I shoot an Encore 50 cal w/ 250 grain shockwaves and two 50 grain pellets of 777.
Ranges varied from 60 to 150yards.
Two were broadside and were complete passthrough, two were quartering and complete passthrough. Normally, I would wait for a good broadside, standing shot. I aim and shoot my muzzle loader like it was my bow for shots, go for double lung hits. Never lost a deer w/ this strategy. May have to walk a few yards, but always leaves a blood trail my 6 year old could find.
One of the two that I did not get complete passthrough was a doe at 125 yards. It was a shot I normally would have waited for, but as it was the last 10 mins of daylight on the last day of this season, I went ahead and took it. The doe was facing me at 125 yards feeding, would not turn. So, I aimed just below and between the shoulder blades. She dropped where she stood, bullet entered in the top, center of the neck, just below the shoulder blades, took out both lungs and assorted vitals and deposited itself just under the skin on the inside of one of the thighs. That, is what you call a complete passthrough. The bullet retained about 80% of it's mass and was somewhat disfigured because of passing through the bones in the neck.
The second I did not get complete pass through was also a shot I normally would not take. During the rut this year I was watching a spike chase around a doe and yearling when I saw a big deer approaching from about 130 yards. He was quartering from my left to in front of me and walking at a fair pace. I knew that if he got close enuff to clearly see the spike, he would charge him and probably chase him off. Also knew that if he did this, I would probably not get a shot. So, I picked an opening I knew he would pass through and, left handed, waited for him to come into vision. As he did, I fired. The bullet struck him just behind his front, left shoulder, went between two ribs, took out a lung, passed through about 8 lbs of corn (from a neighbor) and came to rest just under the skin on the back of the right, rear, hip. Perfect mushroom, probably 90% weight retention.
I think by my experience, you can see, that I am not looking for any new bullets any time soon.
Good luck
Hank