A-max vs SST

[MoBoost]

Rifle is custom Marlin in 6.5x47 Lapua.
I've been shooting 123gn A-Max with 37.7 RL15 chronied at 3000fps
I've tried 129gn SST with 37.0 RL15, never chronied, but 200 zero still holds and at 300 still same 2.5MOA drop

I am taking the rifle this weekend on deer, I will not shoot over 300. Is there any reason to use A-Max over SST?

 

[oneof79]

I have never used either. I am using Sierra Pro Hunter 150 grainers this year. The A-max is supposed to be a target bullet and the SST is supposed to be a good hunting bullet. Some people claim that the A-Max will explode if it hits bone causing major tissue damage. I don't really see it, your mileage may vary.

 

[T-Money]

Hey MoBoost,

The A-Max is a match bullet desigined for punching holes in paper and Hornady doesn't recommend using them for hunting. That being said, it will still kill deer. People use them all the time for deer. I have never personally used them but from what I have seen and heard, when they exit, they tend to make huge holes. Some the size of a baseball. I think that is a too much overkill and ruins a lot of meat. Some will disagree and that's fine. I have heard a lot of people talk about bullet failure for the A-Max, especailly at closer distances with super high velocity calibers ( > 3000 fps). They tend to grenade and fail to penenetrate into the vitals.

The SST was designed for hunting but there are a lot mixed reviews out there. Some love the SST and some say it has a high failure rate. The big complaint for these is that they will grenade as well at high velocities or that they don't open up at all.

I have no expereince with either so I can only pass along information that I have researched or seen first hand. If I had to choose between the two I would take the one that was designed for hunting. You may even want to consider another bullet like one of the monolithic types (GMX, TSX, E-Tip). I do have experience with these and they have never failed me. They will hold together at high velocities and will always penetrate all the way through. The choice is ultimately yours and I wish you the best of luck this season. This is the first year in many that I won't be able to make it to OK to hunt...too expensive to travel.

Jason

 

[Okie4570]

I believe the SST is better suited for hunting because of its construction vs the Amax, but on a deer I don't think I would matter either way to me. Elk on the other hand I would go SST. I shoot the 225gr SST's out my .338RCM, I don't have any personal experience with the Amax on deer.

 

[HMFIC]

Use the SST or better yet, a 129gr Interlock. They both are constructed to provide controlled expansion that you want.

The AMax has absolutely nothing in it's inner construction designed to hold together the jacket to the core during expansion and so it's not going to open up as much and the possibility of it seperating and losing mass necessary to create large channels is much lower.

It will still likely kill depending on your shot, but it's not going to give you the type of wound channel that you want to have just in case you don't hit a vital organ.

 

[JCW355]

no and no

 

[dennishoddy]

I use the SST on Deer in the MZ. Kills them everytime.
Never used the other, but I would listen to the folks that have already posted.

 

[MoBoost]

Surely someone actually shot both bullets!

P.S. I've been using interbonds for hutning with excellent results - just don't have a heart to put flatbase bullet in this rig.

 

[rebelracer79]

I used to use sst out of my .30-06 on some of the closer shots its jacket would separate and not hold together but always got plenty of penetration and put them down. But Iam trying amax this year

 

[oneof79]

Surely someone actually shot both bullets!

P.S. I've been using interbonds for hutning with excellent results - just don't have a heart to put flatbase bullet in this rig.

I have always thought that boat tail bullets really didn't help that much except shooting at long ranges, i.e. 350-400 yards plus.