Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best Hornady Bullet For Deer?

I reload for a 270 Win and 7x57, in the 120 t0 140 grain range.

I tend to lean toward Barnes and Nosler bullets.

My question is; What is the best Hornady bullet, for deer, in these calibers and weights? Interbond, Interlock or SST?

Thanks. donsm70

In the .270,my choice would be either the 130 or 140 gr Hornady's.

In the 7x57,my choice would be either the 139/140 or 154 gr Hornady's.

270 Win=130 interlock
7x57=139 or 154 or 160 interlock

If there's a better deer bullet than a 130gr. Hornady out of a .270W, I can't think what that might be. Wait. It just might be a 139gr. Hornady at a similar velocity. I know this because I have killed a bunch with both bullets. If you can't cleanly take any deer with either bullet at any reasonable range you'll need a better excuse that my bullet failed me.

Please see my edited version. I am not so concerned with regard to the weights, but the construction of the Hornady bullets.

Thanks for the answers so far.

donsm70

Interlock.

Dang It Ken

don't tell my secret! !

Jerry

Sorry.

Not really.

The interlock is a great bullet. I've never seen the need to try any of the other more expensive pills Hornady offers. Except for the A-max and V-max for tagets and varmints...

I'd do exactly like Ken suggested:

270= 130gr. or 140gr. btsp interlock
7x57= 154gr. interlock....


Having used the 162gr. BTSP interlock in my 7mm rem mag, with great success on muledeer, I'd bet the 154 would work like magic in the 7mm mauser..

So the Interlock is sorta like a magic pill?

It's magic on critters. It turns their lights out pretty quick... . Anyone who's used them knows that. Try one, it might make a believer out of you..

Interlock

Used the 154 grain out of a 7x57 on a lot of deer and only caught one.



2800 fps, Mule deer 180 yards, hit brisket, traveled length of deer and stopped under hide of rear ham.

For deer, Interlocks and done.

130's or 140's, which ever you gun likes better. With H4831, it will probably be both.

Interlock is great. I love Hornady components and reloading supplies and equipment. Bullet, brass, tools etc. Any problems with Hornady will be resolved in your favor. We have had good luck on white tail deer and Russian boar with SST. But I believe plain lead nosed interlock is best.

SST is a quick killer, but watch where you place it...it can spoil some meat.

Interlock.

It's a well made bullet, designed to operate efficiently and kill with great effect when shot from the two cartridges that you mentioned in your post.

You don't need Nosler or Barnes bullets for deer, using those cartridges.

If it makes you feel better using either the Barnes or the Nosler, then buy a few boxes. But since you were asking for opinions, that's mine. For deer, I don't see the value of spending the extra money.

Spend what you save on a loved one or donate the difference to a worthy cause.

Interlock!

It is inexpensive (no need to spend more) and has a wide range of operating velocities. Some bullets operate as well at the low end of speed, some work well at high end of speed. If you go way high you probably should look at the premium bullets - I'm not sure why anyone would need to do this though.

I've had a manufacturer's bullets blow up and not penetrate through a doe's shoulder (and not at high velocities either (30-06)) and another manufacturer's bullet not expand at all (this with velocity close to 3,000 fps (6mm)). Neither one is good for deer. I'll never use either for deer again.

Never had an issue with Hornady Interlock.

I'll be using Hornady Interlock on deer, elk, and antelope this year, if I get the appropriate licenses. So far I have an elk license and am hoping for others.

Having used Interlocks for years in .25, 6.5mm, 7mm, .270, and .30, I've never felt the need for anything else. I've fiddled with others, but I've seen no better results. 130s in .270 and 139 in 7mm are the go-to bullets, although Jon Sundra wrote several years ago that he's killed more game of all sizes (not dangerous) with the 154gr Interlock than any other bullet.

not really... they've just worked for decades, and one doesn't need to reinvent the wheel every season to be up on what the 'egg spurts' call the latest and greatest...

antelope sniper,

The 150-grain .270 also works great on deer (and other stuff) and I've generally gotten better accuracy with it than the 130 or 140. My first .270 would group three into about an inch--at 300 yards.

This may date me some, but the 150-grain .270 Spire Point worked really well even before the Interlock ring was developed. Once put one into the front of the chest of a 300-pound mule deer that was above me on a mountain slope--and it broke the spine at the rear of the ribcage, just before exiting.

I still have some of those old Hornady's - for my 35 Remington

Thanks to all that have replied. I plan to do more range work with the Hornady Interlock.

donsm70

Yeah, I should have been more clear INTERLOCK !

How does the 154 work with the Seafire Signature load of 40 grains of 3031?

RM

John, I agree their old spire points were a great bullet. I never had occasion to use the 150's, but your result don't surprise me.

Rev:

MVs running right at 2750 fps IIRC, from a 22 inch barrel

certainly will do everything a 180 grain 30 caliber bullet out of an 06 at the same MV...

I admit to a soft spot for the RN in either bullet weight and caliber... I'm just too old school for my own good....

Actually credit for that load goes to an older Hornady Manual...

not "that Seafire" character...

Don: If I use DRTs as a valid measure, for me it has been the 100gr Hornady Interlock out of my 257. Not one deer has taken a step, EVER.

Interesting Seafire,I tried Benchmark and a 139 gr BTSP Hornady in my Featherweight for my daughter to use this fall. Over the chronograph it's a getting a whoppin' 2480 fps average. The accuracy is about one inch +/- at 100 yds. So,when we get it sighted in for her and the groups are bigger,it's not the rifle,scope or load.

Have 500 of those bullets,so she has plenty for practicing.

I like the interlokts as well, particularly the 154gr .284 variety. I've had excellent results on aoudad and some mule deer.

MD: when did Hornady introduce the "Interlock"? Some time in the 70's, right?

Interlocks, I use them in everything.

Someone posted a pic of the two pages from that old Hornady manual on the favorite 7x57 loads thread. I copied it and filed it in my 7x57 notebook. I'm gonna give it a try, for sure. It's still surprising, though, after all these years that someone doesn't just include a "+P" section for the 7x57 in the manuals. If you compare the data in that old manual to the data in a new one, the new max loads are 5-6 grains less than shown in the old one. Two sections, one for old 93/95 Mausers and one for stronger rifles, would seem to be the ticket for beginning to wring top performance out of that old round.

By the way, if I understand correctly, the 154 gr RN Interlock has been discontinued. That's a shame.

I've had excellent killing results with the InterBOND in the 243.

The interbonds I've used killed really good. I had a heckuva time getting my rifles to shoot them accurately enough to hunt with them though.

Yep.

I had the same issue with the Interbonds.

This is a case where simple is better.

Thnx guys. I have thot about trying the Interb s so I'll save $$ and time and maybe aggravation. I'll pass on them.

Jerry

I have one rifle that shoots the 154 Interbonds well. That was a Ruger 77 in 280. The other two 7mm's I have (a T3 7-08 and another 77 in 7RM) did not seem to like them at all.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ This

I've used the 154 IL in the 7x57 on several deers. It works as advertised - no mess, just really dead critters. BTW: really dead is deader than just plain ole dead. <G>

When I shot the 270 25 years ago, I shot the 140 Horn but can't recall exactly which one, very likely the IL. I shot numerous PA deer and it went to Wyoming with me - collected a couple mule deer and antelope. No drama just dead animals.

which ever one my rifle groups the best.

I feel the Hornady 130 Interlock was a slower, more delayed killer on the small Texas Whitetail and antelope. I like how the SST does myself on them. The bigger whitetails up North, hogs and muleys should have enough body mass to open up that Interlock. I consider it a "hard" bullet as compared to say, Speer or Sierra boat tails. Just my take on it.

In the two rounds you mentioned the interlocks will give excellent results. I have shot deer with both the 130 and 140 gr in my 270. The 139 gr has done well for me in the 7x57 as has the 154gr either SP or RN for my friend. Not a magic bullet but certainly a well constructed bullet designed for what you are wanting to use it for.

Thanks again to all that have replied.

donsm70

southtexas,

The best I can recall is Hornady introduced the Interlock feature around 1980. I was using pre-Interlock 150-grain .270 Spire Points in 1977 for sure, and know my wife started using 130-grain Interlocks when she first started shooting a .270 around 1984.

I started using Hornady bullets in 1968, yea I know I'm older than dirt but not as old as Ingue.

I prefer the older pre-interlocksfor deer and antelope. They seem softer and open wider than the interlocks. I buy them anytime I see them at gun shows. It seems like the SST's are a lot like the old pre-interlocks.

Actually bought 200 139 7MMs here from TATELAW

Thank you.

Interlock Spire Point (not the boattail). It also tends to be the most accurate bullet in several of my rifles.

John did you see much of a difference in performance once they added the ring?

Yeah, some. Recovered two of the older bullets that separated jacket and core, though both were lying together under the hide on the far side. Haven't seen that with any of the flat-base Interlocks I've recovered, which have ranged from the 100-grain .25 to the 225-grain .338. Did have one 117-grain .25 boattail Interlock separate on the shoulder joint of a mule deer at 100 yards, muzzle velocity @2950.

MD,you're not the only one who's sounding a little dated....My first deer was taken with an early Ruger 77 in 7x57 using a 154 grain Hornady round nose...end for ended the deer and weighed 126 grains when we found it in one of the steaks. Two years ago...and 40 years later... I used a 150 gr. out of an '06....didn't realize until later it was a pre-Interlock bullet purchased back in 1972. Hornadys worked then, and they work now. My go to bullet.

John:

What muzzle velocities are you getting from your 7x57 with the 154 grain spire point? I can see a lot of merit in Seafire's 2750 fps.

Thanks

RM

Yup....hard to do better than this!

Craig Boddington's article in AR--He writes the Hornady Interlock was designed in 1039.

It was because of Hornady the Normans defeated the English at Hastings just a few years later.

1939

Offf da

You might have been right the first time because, if I understand correctly, Ingwe just might have been there.

Well, I certainly wasn't using any bullets then.

I just got a couple of boxes of 154 grain spire points to play with and pulled out the new Hornady manual (9th Edition) for reference. On page 333, the introduction to the 7x57 data states, "We developed data in the strong, modern Winchester Model 70. This data should not be used in the older Mauser Model 93 or 95 and should be approached cautiously in the Model 98 Mausers." Yet, even with a larger case capacity, the velocities recorded for the suggested loads don't even come close to the 7-08 data. Also, when I sent Hornady a question about the data published in the early manual (I call them the "Seafire Loads"), tech support responded with, "The older manuals have a different burn rate than the newer manuals. I would stick to the newer manuals as the powders have changed."

So basically, what Hornady is saying is, Even in a modern rifle and in spite of its greater case capacity, the 7x57 can't keep up. What the heck is the use of listing the suggested loads as "modern" if they're still watered down for old 93/95 Mausers?

Personally, I still think a "+P" section in the manuals would be helpful.

Made a believer outta me.

Ditto my experience. They do inspire confidence but I have quicker kills with Sierra's.