Hornady Superformance 30-06 165 Grain SST Review: Leagues Above the Rest

Winchester, Remington, Federal, and Hornady all compete to engineer and design the best hunting bullets. Keeping up with all their technological advancements can be challgneing to some hunters.

If you want to skip studying all the strange technical data, acronyms, and ballistic tables, then I recommend you pick up some Hornady Superformance 30-06 165 grain SST ammunition.

This round just works. The 30-06 packs a massive wallop to put down deer and elk humanely, and the 165 grain SST bullet combines the excellent accuacy and commanding stopping power requisite for effecitve hunting.

Hunting season is always just around the corner. If you’re looking for good Hornady hunting ammo, check out what we have in stock HERE. Otherwise, keep reading while I tell you about my experience with Hornady Superformance SST.

Hornady Superformance 30-06 165gr SST Overview

Hornady is a phenomenal company (yes, I’m gushing over them). Joyce Hornady founded it in Grand Island, Nebraska in 1949 – a time when Americans were still recovering from WWII and trying to get back to normalcy, and greatly appreciated superlative component hunting bullets for agreeable prices.

The Hornady Superformance ammunition line's proprietary powder technology was desigdeveloped to produce higher muzzle velocities (up to 200 fps faster than competitors) without increased chamber pressure or recoil. This ammo is advertised as being temperature stable, meaning its muzzle velocity should be consistent across a broad spectrum of ambient temperatures.

Loaded with the Super Shock Tip (SST) bullet, Superformance 30-06 165 grain ammo is sure to put down any big game that gets too close to your tree stand or hunting blind. Characterized by its iconic red polymer tip, the SST is designed to shock its recipient into submission with massive kinetic energy release, and then follow that act up with deep penetration accompanied by massive expansion.

The Hornady 30-06 165gr SST round is perfect for taking down medium and large game, and offers increased muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory without resultant added recoil. That's music to most hunters' ears and shoulders!

Our Hornady Superformance 30-06 165gr SST Review

I’m kind of a Hornady fan. I love looking at the designs and performance of ammo, and Hornady rarely disappoints (the ELD-X is also fascinating).

Although Grandpa taught me hunting with traditional soft point ammo like Federal Power-Shok (which is by all means perfectly sufficient), I love all the bells and whistles Hornady Superformance 30-06 165gr SST has to offer. It makes hunting more efficient and arguably more ethical than simpler cartridges like the more affordable Remington Core-Lokt (which I still use).

One of the things I look for in hunting ammunition is versatility. I didn’t get any elk tickets this year, but I have plenty of whitetail tags left. The 30-06 Superformance will work for deer, antelope, mule deer, elk, and even moose. It has the energy transfer and design requisite to maximize penetration and expansion, which is what you need to take down big game.

The SST features Hornady's proprietary InterLock ring. It keeps the jacket and core tightly anchored to one another, thereby promoting higher weight retention and deeper resultant pentration.

The Hornady Superformance 165gr SST for the 30-06 Springfield has a muzzle velocity of 2,960 fps. The Superformance load’s velocity is on the higher side of what we expect from the 30-06 (somewhere between 2,400 fps and 3,400 fps). However, this also depends on the barrel length. Typically, other cartridges drop between 40-50 fps per inch of barrel lost, but the Superformance only drops about 18 fps per barrel inch.

We pretty much expect a higher ballistic coefficient (BC) these days. It’s commonplace for ammo manufacturers to focus on wind resistance. The 30-06 165gr Superformance SST has a 0.447 G1 BL and conserves sufficient velocity to trigger terminal expansion (i.e. at least 1,900 fps) at ranges beyond 500 yards.

If you’re in California (or want to avoid lead for some other reason), then Hornady's GMX bullet is a superior option. Its all-copper monolithic design performs similarly to the SST, minus the toxicity. Unfortunately, that one’s a little challenging to come by and costs more. You can also pick up Winchester Copper Impact HERE.

Hornady's Superformance SST ammo is a bit pricier than some other options, but is still more affordable than Nosler Partition. Hornady American Whitetail is another viable option if you want outstanding performance on a budget.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with the 30-06 165gr Superformance SST and there's no doubt that I'll have it loaded in my Ruger Hawkeye once deer season rolls around this fall.

What Is It Best for?

The Hornady Superformance 30-06 165gr SST is perfect for hunting medium game like whitetail deer, mule deer, and antelope. You can also use it for big game like elk and moose. It's designed to achieve higher muzzle velocity without creating additional chamber pressure or recoil in the process, making it excellent for long-range hunting on big game across the USA.

Disadvantages

There aren’t many disadvantages to Hornady 30-06 Superformance 165 gr SST. It isn't the cheapest ammo in the world, so I wouldn't use it for plinking or target practice, but you could say the same of any hunting ammo (with the possible exception of cheap SP loads).

The Hornady SST bullet does have a lead core so, it's not ideal for hunting in jurisdictions that prohibit the use of lead bullets. For hunters in these areas, I'd recommend the Hornady Superformance GMX.

If you are one of our readers who needs readily available copper hunting cartridges, we have some manufactured by Winchester HERE.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Higher muzzle velocity than competitors
• No additional felt recoil or pressure
• SST bullet boasts excellent terminal performance
• Versatile
• Great for medium-to-large game

Cons

• It’s a lead core bullet
• Pricey

Specifications

Here is a Hornady Superformance 30-06 165 gr SST spec chart for reference.

Ballistics

Here is a Hornady Superformance 30-06 165 gr SST ballistics table. Please note that these data were recorded by Hornady using a 24" test barrel. Your own rifle's performance may vary.

Parting Shots

Shot placement, skill, and luck all contribute to bringing home a trophy. But if you want to improve your odds of success as much as possible, one thing you can always rely on is Hornady Superformance 30-06 165 gr SST ammo.

You’ll get excellent terminal ballistics regardless of whether take a close- or long-range shot. Hornady’s bullets rarely disappoint, and the SST is no exception. From exceptional weight retention to rapid and wide terminal expansion, the Hornady SST gives shooters a welcome advantage in the field.

Whether you love the 30-06, 300 Win Mag, or 6.5 Creedmoor, there’s Superformance ammo available to you. Make sure you check out all the Hornady hunting ammo we have in stock and ready to ship to your door in time for the coming deer season!

FAQ

Perhaps you spent last year hunting wild boar in Texas only to realize you should’ve done more research about your ammunition. I don’t want you to put yourself in that sort of predicament again. Read through the answers to our most frequently asked questions and make informed decisions!

Is Hornady Superformance 30–06 165gr SST worth buying?

Absolutely. As long as it’s legal for hunting in your area, it’s an excellent hunting cartridge designed to create a massive wound channel and put down game ethically and quickly.

What is the range of Hornady Superformance 30-06 165gr SST?

The Superformance 30-06 165gr load performs well out to just over 500 yards. You’ll get adequate terminal ballistics at that range.

Why is a polymer tip good for hunting?

Polymer tips do two things: streamline the projectile, and catalyze terminal expansion. In other words, a polymer tip makes a bullet's trajectory flatter and more predictable, and its terminal performance deadlier.

What should I buy if Superformance isn’t in stock?

Many excellent hunting cartridges are available. Barnes VOR-TX TTSX and Remington Core-Lokt Tipped are both loosely comparable to Hornady SST ammo.

What are SST Bullets?

Super Shock Tip (SST) bullets are Hornady’s proprietary polymer-tipped hunting projectiles. They combine excellent accuracy and commanding stopping power to make short work of medium and large game.

Can I handload Hornady Superformance ?

Yes! Superformance cartridges loaded with high-quality brass cases and conventional Boxer primers. Hornady makes no secret of their component bullets' reloading data.

What’s the difference between Interbond and InterLock?

Hornady’s InterLock bullet features a raised ring that helps keep its non-bonded jacket anchored to its core following impact. Interbond bullets (which are discontinued at the time of writing) have an electrochemically bonded core and jacket (similar to a Nosler AccuBond).