Thread: 150gr sst vs 178 elidx

hi

I've just brought a savage model 16 with a sixteen inch barrel. Was wanting to know weather the 178 gr elidx will get up enough speed to be effective to 400 yrd or weather i should stick with 150 gr sst. the elidx will open and expand at lower speeds but being a heavier bullet will being going slower right of the bat. wondering should i go with the sst being lighter and faster but there not as effective at mushrooming at lower speeds. i will eventually reload for it but at the moment will just buy factory rounds.

any help would be great

Hey Tom it sounds like your headed in a similar direction to myself so will be watching this thread with interest.

First I can’t comment on the performance of the ELDX in a 308 but I’ve used the 150SST on quite a few deer ranging from 20-390yd from my 16in 308. Most have been bang flops as I aim to break the shoulder. The times I’ve “lunged em” they’ve nearly always run but anchor around the 50yd point the futherest went around 120 but was on to me so likely was jacked with adrenaline . In all honesty I’ve wounded and lost 2 deer with my set up (1 too low, 1 too far back) and I’ve needed a finisher/insurance shot for 3 deer (2 red stags and a sika stag). To be honest I’ve been pretty happy with the terminal ballistics so far.

Velocity wise my 16in is pretty rubbish with factory rounds I think it was about 2600fps with the hornady 150SST load (200fps behind the info on the pack) but with reloading I’m cracking 2780 (pretty warm). You could mimic my reloads with the super performance but I don’t have real validated data that with a short barrel you achieve all that added velocity

I’m planning on swapping to something heavier and have based my charts on the same 200fps behind published loads. If that proves correct your rifle would be able to push to 400yd easily with the 178 precision hunter. At 400yd it has similar drop and velocity, 4in less wind and 250ft/lb more energy when compared to the non super performance 150SST. But that is only theory hopefully someone with proven experience with this load will be able to confirm their velocities, if that 150 hits 2800 in your shorter barrel then the difference is pretty marginal.

Use 178ELDX in 16 inch Tikka T3 308 for 2,420fps
It shoots all day through your thumb nail size holes at 100yds
Its a hammer in the bush close up but havent used it out at distance
Ballistics look good...better than the 150 out further

@Echo what is your load for the 178?

Lapua cases 2206H think its 41.0 grains but I'll check tonight

Yep 41.0gns 2,420fps

If it was the one on trade me recently looks like a nice rifle and a good buy.

I used 150gr sst for years with my 16" 308 Zastava. 8208xbr powder at 2550 fps. Killed well out to 300m
Not too explosive for the really close stuff and still did enough damage at 300m.
I never tried any 178s but Hornady 168 match shot better than any 150gr pill i tried.

The only factory 308 ammo i have tested over a chrony from a short barrel is Belmont 150gr SP and that was 2500fps out of a 16inch T3.

I use 165 sst doing 2620 fps out of a 18" 308
All have been bang flops so far.
The SST seems to do a fair bit of damage

Originally Posted by Matt-P.Nth

Hey Tom it sounds like your headed in a similar direction to myself so will be watching this thread with interest.

First I can’t comment on the performance of the ELDX in a 308 but I’ve used the 150SST on quite a few deer ranging from 20-390yd from my 16in 308. Most have been bang flops as I aim to break the shoulder. The times I’ve “lunged em” they’ve nearly always run but anchor around the 50yd point the futherest went around 120 but was on to me so likely was jacked with adrenaline . In all honesty I’ve wounded and lost 2 deer with my set up (1 too low, 1 too far back) and I’ve needed a finisher/insurance shot for 3 deer (2 red stags and a sika stag). To be honest I’ve been pretty happy with the terminal ballistics so far.

Velocity wise my 16in is pretty rubbish with factory rounds I think it was about 2600fps with the hornady 150SST load (200fps behind the info on the pack) but with reloading I’m cracking 2780 (pretty warm). You could mimic my reloads with the super performance but I don’t have real validated data that with a short barrel you achieve all that added velocity

I’m planning on swapping to something heavier and have based my charts on the same 200fps behind published loads. If that proves correct your rifle would be able to push to 400yd easily with the 178 precision hunter. At 400yd it has similar drop and velocity, 4in less wind and 250ft/lb more energy when compared to the non super performance 150SST. But that is only theory hopefully someone with proven experience with this load will be able to confirm their velocities, if that 150 hits 2800 in your shorter barrel then the difference is pretty marginal.

thanks for your specifics. yeah i always liked the sst in my 7mm08 but i wanted a bit more longer range and moved to the elidx, the damage was twice as much in all honesty. i always like the sst because they'd go through one shoulder and never into the next and like you say all flops. but those elidx were devastating.

Originally Posted by Echo

Use 178ELDX in 16 inch Tikka T3 308 for 2,420fps
It shoots all day through your thumb nail size holes at 100yds
Its a hammer in the bush close up but havent used it out at distance
Ballistics look good...better than the 150 out further

thanks echo. yeah i think ill go with the elidx. how did you find them under a hundred ,i've used the 150 elidx in my 7mm08 an they've been devastating at hundred plus but never used them closer. do they destroy both shoulders etc

Originally Posted by Nugget connaisseur

If it was the one on trade me recently looks like a nice rifle and a good buy.

I used 150gr sst for years with my 16" 308 Zastava. 8208xbr powder at 2550 fps. Killed well out to 300m
Not too explosive for the really close stuff and still did enough damage at 300m.
I never tried any 178s but Hornady 168 match shot better than any 150gr pill i tried.

The only factory 308 ammo i have tested over a chrony from a short barrel is Belmont 150gr SP and that was 2500fps out of a 16inch T3.

you should be a detective nugget, yeah it was the one on trademe .good little rig for 900 bucks i reckon.

Originally Posted by burtonator

I use 165 sst doing 2620 fps out of a 18" 308
All have been bang flops so far.
The SST seems to do a fair bit of damage

thanks burtonator, yeah i always liked them in my 7mm08 and they were going about the same speed as yours. always flops and never went through the other shoulder so never wasted to much meat.

Originally Posted by stug

@Echo what is your load for the 178?

thanks stug always good to get other peoples recipe