Thoughts on 6.5 123gr SSTs

[KnotRight]

With bullets hard to get, I bought 5 boxes of Hornady 123 gr SSTs to load in the Grendel when complete. I know that the SST is a hunting bullet, but I did not want to pay the price for the Lapua bullets to practice with. The Grendel is a few months away and started thinking about loading them in the bolt action 6.5 CM to hit steel out to 550 yards. Again, I know they are hunting rounds, but I needed bullets. The BC for that bullet is as good as the ELD but the ELDs that I shoot are 140 gr. Does anybody shoot the 123s on steel out to 550 yards? If so, how do you compare them to the 140 ELDs? Are you loading towards the max side of the load?

 

[Fess]

The 123gr SST is a good bullet that tends to fragment a bit even at Grendel velocites. I have seen more than one report that the .510 G1 BC number posed by Hornady is a bit optimistic. According to tests done by Bryan Litz for his book Applied Ballistics, the G1 BC is more like .462 and the G7 is .236. That won't make much difference at 550 yards, but it will become a bigger deal if you push out to closer to 1000.

 

[Walkabout Dan]

At 550 yds there is not that much difference.

 

[KnotRight]

I have seen more than one report that the .510 G1 BC number posed by Hornady is a bit optimistic. According to tests done by Bryan Litz for his book Applied Ballistics, the G1 BC is more like .462 and the G7 is .236.

That is what I was thinking.

 

[COTTON]

I started shooting them in Grendel and they start falling off fast the farther out you shoot. Good bullet, I think the BC is off.

 

[VA_GENTLEMAN]

The SST is a bad dude as a hunting bullet. You sure you want to hit good steel with it?

Every thing I've shot or seen shot with an SST falls over and kicks two times. 🤣