No need to over think it or shuffle the deck with mixed ammo magazines.
Just run a good load with a 85TSX, 95TTSX or 100GMX and you will have the best for any situation.

 

Or run XM68GSs

 

120 SST's have a proven record here. Deer and hogs. You shoot sub MOA out to 300. If you're worried about blood trailing, then shoot through the shoulder. This bullet is known for devastation in given situations. Good links here to 120 SST performance.

I wouldn't stack due to different POI.

 

You are over thinking it, Hit a animal good and there will never be a problem. My limited experience the xm68 works great, took a doe and coyote both dropped where they stood.

 

SSTs at gtg if you want less tracking, shoot for the neck or break them down and shoot for shoulders!

 

I have shot two deer with the 120 sst, and neither deer I have shot took one step after I shot them. Shot placement is everything no matter what caliber or bullet you are shooting. I have also shot about 10 sound dogs and a bobcat with the sst. It has never let me down.

 

On everyone of these type threads it always ends up with the "shoot them right and you won't have a problem" it might as well be, "pick the right numbers and you will win the lotto". It don't matter what you shoot, or how far it is, or what gun or bullet you use, nor how good a shot or how much experience you have. Some shots are not going to be perfect, the animal will move or the wind gust or who knows what, so you better make the best effort up front and not count on every shot being perfect. Use enough gun and the best bullet for the job and pass on the "I know this is iffy, but" shots. I wouldn't get concerned about staggering rounds, you have enough to think about when you are taking the shot and better off not letting your mind go off, with "what bullet is this one".

 

The only time I stagger rounds is when in bear country, and am toting my 12ga. pump. Slug/00 buck/slug... if I need to defend myself with a slug, and the animal is still coming AND I have time for a f/u shot, I want a spray of 00 buck as round two. If it takes him off his feet, and I need a finishing round, another slug. After that, whatever it takes to stop the threat... and a prayer of thanksgiving that I'm still using up perfectly good oxygen. My next concern... where's the T.P. :a42:

 

The 90 Gold dots are faster and usually shoot several inches lower than the 120 SSTs.

Do you feel lucky at remembering which ammo is chambered, and where point of aim should be?

 

In times of stress(as shooting at an animal) the human brain can recall THREE things(hence 9-1-1), I used to tell my hunters to ONLY think, broadside, straight up the leg, halfway between the top and the bottom and let me worry about everything else. If they tried to add stuff, the important shot placement stuff left their head.

 

I thought about tracking issues too, though out of 4 deer taken with the SST, none walked away. That being said, we tried the GMX this year with similar knockdown results, but with exit holes. The one my older daughter shot with the GMX in the front shoulder, quartering toward us, came out the opposite back leg.

 

I am figuring the GMX will be my standard. Some people wince at the price, but how many shots do most people shoot at big game.

 

When I said the XM68 and the 120 grain SST shot within half moa, they both shoot sub moa groups and they both will be within moa at same point of aim. So at 100 yards, both shot groups are under an inch apart, at 200 yards, under 2 inches, likewise at 300 yards.

I haven't had a chance to get all the reloading supplies, I am shooting factory ammo until I get brass. I do have plenty of powder and picked up a couple thousand primers. I will get dies and bullets when I get closer to time for them.

I have a buck that is easily 200-250 live weight and he will be close to Boone and Crockett. If I have an opportunity at him, I don't want him getting away because a good shot placement was hampered by lack of damage from bullet. I have read at length on this site, and have seen good and bad about both bullets, I asked about.

On that note, yesterday evening after spending all day cleaning up ice storm damage (mostly tree damage, some fence) I went hunting. A doe accepted my invitation to go to dinner with me tonight.
38 yard head shot with 120 grain SST out of an IWT built upper with 18" ARP barrel. I have a 7.62 magnum rated suppressor on the end of that barrel, the upper wears a 3-9x40 VX-III during deer season. Lower and parts kit is standard with an upgrade trigger/springs.

38 yard head shot doe.

 

Had a little trouble with posting pics.

 

Just use the Barnes 95 TTSX and you will never have to question yourself or worry about it.

 

As I have said many times on this forum. 120s are great for hogs. I hate to mess up perfectly good meat as they tear up a deer. 110 Hornaday are perfect and followed by 95 TTSX the TTSX Make a small hole in and out deer DRT the 110 are as good bigger hole on way out. Any deer I have shot with either round has not run. X39 last year the buck ran but not far This year could be different all about shot placement.

 

I have had so many issues with SSTs, PH's, BTs, etc., over the years, on the thin skinned game they are supposed to be perfect for, I will not use any of them anymore. I used to shoot 139 gr SST Hornady super performance loads in my 7mm mag. I had had the SST expand violently on entry at the shoulder and not enter the chest cavity and I had had it pass though the rib cages of very small doe and spent hours looking for them due to lack of internal damage, and small exit wound. I have had neck shot deer hit with 110 pro hunters in my 6.8 that didn't break the spine and should shot deer at 80 yards that fell to the ground with a broken shoulder and then sat there looking around for 10 minutes while I thought they would bleed out only to find the bullet broke the shoulder but didn't get into the chest cavity. Ditto for the BT performance in a 270W.

Yes I have great success with these bullets and had hundreds of DRTs, and huge exit wounds, great blood trails, but you remember the few failures. Its those failures that cause you to have to think even more about shot placement, like someone said above you don't need to be thinking OK this deer is too far away to break a shoulder going in, or that deer is big and a long way off, I better wait to get just the right broadside and rake though and try to hit the offside shoulder so it will go down because I know there will be no exit wound at this range.

I switched to GMXs and Barnes TTSX, and TSX. I don't load or buy factory loaded ammo with anything thing else.

Every thing hit so far with these bullets has had massive internal destruction and EXIT WOUNDS. But I am not naïve enough to think that will always be the case. I have shot many whitetails with the GMX in the 7mm and entered on the shoulder and raked through to exit at the diagram and had them go down hard. I killed my first MD this year at 245 yards with the 338 with a 210 grain Barnes TTSX. destroyed the entering shoulder left a 2 inch exit wound, and absolutely shredded his vitals. Didn't need the exit wound on him either though.

Right now I am hooked on the monolithic bullets, love using a lighter bullet and still have the same or better penetration, and expansion. The only difference is you don't get all that fragmentation damage.