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Here is a summary video of the results of using Alexander Arms' Hornady SST 129 gr. ammo on hogs. I included the basic results from each kill, summarizing the information that I gleaned at the time. This is not a scientific survey, but simply observational. My impressions are that this ammo seems to work well. It penetrates well. In fact, I had no bullets recovered from any of the broadside shots, not that most of these hogs were particularly huge. Of the 3 bullets that did not exit the hogs, all three were from lengthwise shots and given that the first one ended up in the intestines and was not recovered for examination, I started making the lengthwise shots in the other direction. ;-)
From what I could discern, the bullets do expand and unlike the much faster Hornady SST 123 gr. ammo, don't seem to come apart violently, but instead seem to expand in a more controlled manner. As such, these bullets are not shedding as much material as the 123s either.
One hog shot was a twofer with a through and through on the first hog and only the jacket embedding itself in the second hog. No clue as to where the core ended up, but metal detection did not find it in either hog.
The only two downsides that I see to this ammo is that I don't personally care for the lower velocity (just 2275 fps from my 18" barrel) or the price of the ammo. However, I think it performs just fine.
I would conjecture that handloaded Hornady SST 129 gr. bullets with more velocity might produce fuller expansion, but that may come with increased/accelerated loss of bullet weight into animal tissue.
From what I could discern, the bullets do expand and unlike the much faster Hornady SST 123 gr. ammo, don't seem to come apart violently, but instead seem to expand in a more controlled manner. As such, these bullets are not shedding as much material as the 123s either.
One hog shot was a twofer with a through and through on the first hog and only the jacket embedding itself in the second hog. No clue as to where the core ended up, but metal detection did not find it in either hog.
The only two downsides that I see to this ammo is that I don't personally care for the lower velocity (just 2275 fps from my 18" barrel) or the price of the ammo. However, I think it performs just fine.
I would conjecture that handloaded Hornady SST 129 gr. bullets with more velocity might produce fuller expansion, but that may come with increased/accelerated loss of bullet weight into animal tissue.
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