Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Is an interlock ever the wrong choice in the lower 48?

I have been reloading for a few years and read as much as I can regarding loading for many different rifles. It seems to me that pretty much no matter what cartridge or game species (short of dangerous game), there is an interlock that suits the need very well. From 6mm to 35 caliber and everywhere in between they have an offering that not only seems to be cost effective but accurate and reliable as well. I have purchased many nosler bullets from SPS and on sale and I have them on my shelf still but I am starting to think I should have a lot more of the little red boxes on there as well. Who knows what the election will bring as far as guns and ammo are concerned. I am thinking I should stock up on some of the interlocks to feed my habits in case buying ammo starts to get more difficult. Anyone else really like the interlocks?

I don't think so, unless you push them faster than 2800.

.30 cal, 165gr BTSP Interlock has been my "go to" hunting bullet for over twenty years. As accurate as I can shoot, in a number of .308 Win, .30-40 Krag, and .30-06 rifles.

Ed

Never use one again in a Magnum for sure 7mm Rem mag 162 grain interlock blew up like a hand grenade on a huge mulie buck , I had an elk tag on the same hunt. I recovered the buck but there was shrapnel everywhere. The shot probably 250 yards or so

I love them and did most of my hunting with them – 30-06 165 and 180 grain and .270 130 grain mostly, with impact velocities from around 2300-2400 fps up to just under 3200 fps, those on mule deer and elk (and ground squirrels). One season I used Nosler Partitions in a 7mm RM on deer and elk which obviously worked but never ran into any situation where a proper weight Hornady Interlock would not have done the job just as well.

I haven't used an Interlock on game in over 20 years, but this year I decided to give them a re-visit. 165 BTSP in my 308 for 2,740. Super accurate, and I have no doubt it will perform well on elk.

The election? Heck who knows what Hornady will do? The Interlock line takes a back seat when demand skyrockets and Hornady has been discontinuing various Interlocks in some calibers. It can only be assumed that they do not sell as well (or perhaps do not bring in as much revenue per bullet) as some of the newer offerings. They are not high B.C., plastic tipped, AMP-jacketed match grade, or mono metal wonder bullets. If you like them, stock up now because there's no telling what the manufacturer will do to them, let alone any scarcity due to a gun-unfriendly president.

But yes, I do like them. And I believe if you pick the right caliber and weight of bullet for the job they can handle all North American game. They didn't get the nickname "The poor mans Partition" for no reason.

That being said, I still like Barnes TTSX for heavier duty applications...

They worked well for me in a 300winmag, 180grn at 2960fps, and in a 257R 117grn btsp at 2800fps+/-. Very accurate and effective on game.

The only time I held off a shot with an interlock was a full on Texas heart shot on a bull elk. I didn't take that shot, but in retrospect if I was loaded with 180TSX of 200 Partition, I might have. Anyway, that is guessing about a shot that I didn't take so who knows. I wouldn't have paused for a second if it was a whitetail with that load combo, 300wm, 180's.

Can you shoot?

If yes, then you're likely good to go. If no, then a different bullet won't solve the problem.

As a couple posters alluded to earlier, the election (or another mass shooting) is unlikely to result in any particular bullet being banned, but can adversely affect availability of all components due to panic buying of everything on the shelves. When production ramps up to resupply retailers, manufacturers tend to produce the higher profit items first, until demand for them is sated. Once inventories are restored on those products, they begin producing the lower profit items again, unless they decided to discontinue them.

My favorite hunting bullet of all time for deer and elk is the .284", 160 grain Speer Mag Tip. Not sexy, not a high B.C., sturdier than most "non premium" bullets, and half the price of "premiums". When Speer began discontinuing the less popular sizes of Mag Tips in the late '90s, I decided to stock up on them with a lifetime supply (five boxes) in case they became discontinued. I had learned my lesson when Nosler discontinued the old Solid Base (pre-Ballistic Tip) bullets, which had been my favorites in both .284" and .308" calibers, and I didn't buy several boxes of each before they were gone.

If you have decided that the Interlocks are all the bullet you'll ever need, stock up now, especially if you use them in a less popular size (i.e. .257" or .264"). You'll kick yourself if you don't and down the road they are NLA.

It's not like they go bad over time or anything....

I used to...should rephrase that...still do, but am amazed at the nonsense Hornady dreams up with zombies, plastic tips, rocket science, and dropping many of their interlock line, including most round noses, even though it is a part of their logo.

I like Sierra bullets now, at least they're LEAD, and don't disappear from the production line like a fart in the wind.

That being said, I find no flaw with interlocks, it's where they should focus all their attention instead of the nonsense. Today's upcoming "sportsman" is a different breed who has to climb mountains during raging snowstorms, shoot a black something or other rifles at super long range, and has tattoos of skulls with flames coming off them. I just don't fit in.

I'm not sure that I'd ever say that it's the wrong choice, but depending upon application, there may be a better choice. memtb

If you can't do it with an interlock, it likely can't be done with any other bullet either... Hint...

Good post..

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





Me too.

Frankly, I don't think the Interlock is the "Poor Man's Partition"... I think that title belongs to the Speer Hot Core. The Interlock is somewhere behind the Partition/Hotcore...

Why limit it to the lower 48? I used them extensively in Alaska for many years. The 180 interlock usually retained more weight than the 180 partitions I recovered from 30-06 kills.

I love them and have more red and white boxes than the others on my bench. Could probably use nothing else for the rest of my hunting and not miss a beat, that'd be boring though

And way behind a Nosler BT.

Thats interesting as that is the one cup n core Ive never used on game. Ive found Speer accuracy to be very hit and miss in my rifles. The BT generally shoot well, the Grand Slams I could never get to shoot. Might have to try some Hot-Cor's.

Is Speer still making bullets for reloaders?

That's interesting. Since I joined the 'fire' in 2010,...

you are the only one I've read say those 2 things. I had my share of blow ups from Speer H Cs ON GAME and dropped them.(the bullets that is)

Jerry

Not to argue just different experience.

I don't know how many WT I've killed with the 7 RM and Hornady 139 BTSP----3300FPS---chronoed and never had that happen.

Yes, STUFF happens, sometimes just once.


Jerry

140 factory rolled did well in my Montana. I'm not concerned about them bouncing off.

My guns prefer Sierra Gamekings.

By all rights, they should. The sierra is a sleeker design. However, the interlock is a stronger bullet. I use both on game and notice more blood shot when I use the sierra GK. I've also seen more jacket and core separations with the GK. With that being said, I've never had either one bounce off. This year, my buddy took a nice 3 point mulie with his 22-250 and the old 55gr. interlock and I was surprised how well the bullet did in the little cartridge. It busted right through the leg bone, and I mean busted the hell out of the leg bone, smashed through rib, took out the heart, busted though another rib and landed in the offside hide. I found the bullet and it lost half its weight, but it was still impressive how well it dug for a little pill. Killed that big ol buck deader than hell... I'll be using either a 225gr. .338 interlock in my 338 wm or 200gr. partition in my 30-06 this year on my elk hunt. I have full faith in either bullet to perform well on any sized bull I run across...

Took my first big game animal, a bull elk, with a 7mm RM and a 162g BTSP InterLock back in the early 1980's. Hit a rib dead center going in, missed or barely nicked the ribs on the off-side, where the bullet was found under the hide. Retained weight was less than 48% even thought the challenge to the bullet's integrity wasn't that great.

Switched to Speer 160g Grand Slams and used them and my 7mm RM exclusively for the next 20+ years. Finally recovered my first the last year I used them in my rifles. It had destroyed both shoulder joints of a 5x5 bull with over 70% weight retention. If Speer hadn't changed the construction of the Grand Slams I might still be using them. (My hunting buddy still is and I used his 7mm RM/160g Grand Slam handloads to take my bull last year.)

Are the Interlocks ever "wrong"? Depends on what you want for performance. I've often said most any bullet will work most of the time. For myself, I prefer North Fork SS, Swift Frame, Barnes TTSX and Nosler AccuBond for my hunting. Reliable but limited expansion coupled with higher weight retention and the ability to penetrate deeper are what I want out of a bullet.

Asking if an InterLock is ever "wrong" is like asking if a .308 Win is ever "wrong". I've never taken an animal that I couldn't have taken just as well with a .308 Win. That said and when hunting elk I prefer my .280 Rem, 7mm RM, .30-06s, .300WM and .338WM. Thought a lot about taking my .308 Win this year but decided that while it might do the job I had better options. The .300WM and .338WM are the choice this year. The only question now is which to carry and which to leave in the truck as the backup, a question that will be answered by range time this weekend.

Just because something isn't a "wrong" choice doesn't mean there aren't "better" choices.

I'm doing the majority of my hunting this year with 150 Interlocks in my 30-06.

Interlocks have always worked well for me. My preferred bullet next to the partition.

Had a 130gr .270 fail to make two holes in an average-sized buck in a steady rain in 2011. Left me with no blood trail, so I had a tough tracking job. Pefect mushroom, total destruction, just no blood. If not for a clump of hair knocked off the far side of his ribs, I would have written it off as a m-miss.

I've got some .277 150s to try with RL26, so I haven't given up on them just yet. The 130s were the most accurate bullet ever fired in that rifle, by a good bit.

Jerry, I've never seen anything other than picture perfect HC's come out of animals, including one 160 grain from a 7mm RM pulled from the off-side of a bull elk. It looked marketing-picture perfect.

Me personally, I've only used the 120 gr. 25 cal, and 150, and 165 gr. 30 cal's, and those at 250 Savage, 30-06 and 308 velocities, so I really can't speak to the entire lineup of HC bullets.

As to accuracy, I've never had an issue getting little groups with them, and sometimes among the very best for a given rifle.

All this is to say, no one's experience is all-encompassing and weird things happen with bullets.

Brad I agree.

I told olkelkhunter the same in a post above.

I suspect bad lots of bullets give bad experiences on occasions.

Jerry

I will say it again my daughter killed her moose with a 270 using regular ol 140gr hornady btsp.. one shot one dead animal.. nothing wrong with hornady bullets..

My load is 56 grains of IMR 4350, Win LRP primers and 3070 Hornady Spire 180 grain bullet for my 30/06. I've used this for shiras moose, elk, mtn goat, bighorn sheep, antelope, black bear and deer. IMO-- the right bullet for the lower 48. Hornady 3070 spire point is an interlock flat base bullet. This has been my load for 25+ years, no reason to change. I'm 2" high @ 100 yards----never had changed the Leupold.

No.

Love this post...

This is hilarious!

Ever notice those guys never smile? They don't look like they are having fun at all.

They look more like they are engaging ISIS or guarding some Mid East embassy.

jorgeI---I use the KISS method. Bob

The 154 rn's shoot so well in my 7mm-08's and are accurate that I bought 7 boxes when they were discontinued. At New England deer and bear ranges, can't think of a better bullet to use.

I use Nosler PT's for the most part and Hornady Interlocks for target practice as they shoot to the same point of aim for same weight/caliber almost every time and are much cheaper.
However, I have lost 2 head of game to Interlocks that didn't do what I thought they should.

1 was a large elk my son shot at about 100-125 yards. Bullet hit the perfect location just behind the shoulder but the elk was stepping the heavy leg bone came up right in the line of the bullet flight. My son grabbed the wrong box of bullets in camp that morning (he also prefers the PT's) . I saw the bullet impact and the elk ran, so we assumed it would be just a few yards away. There was a blood trail 4" wide for at least 100 yards, then slowed to a trickle but enough to track for at least 3 1/2 miles. Never did find that elk. I assume the bullet hit the heavy leg bone between the knee and scapula and deflected or came apart. Lots of superficial blood for a blood trail as even the small drops were always in the same foot print, but not enough penetration to get through the heavy shoulder bones.

Had almost the exact thing happen on a big Mule deer. I would still use them most of the time, but I use the partitions as my go-to bullet.

Bob

This right here. The .284 175 grain RN Interlock is out of their catalog as well. Some of us in the east and southeast hunt in some pretty thick places where fifty yards is a long shot. I wish Hornady would remember that.

RM

.284 154 grain Interlock, the only one I ever caught in a deer. This one traveled the full length of a Mule deer.

That's succinct to the question.


Jerry

One of the most genuine, to the point posts and with examples to back it up I've seen, plus the fact it was an 06' and a Leupold scope just makes it all the more credible to me.

That's because in their mind they are.

30-06 guys don't worry about schit 'cause 30-06 guys don't worry.....

I'm sure it's a custom rifle with a custom stock and custom mounts and a custom Leupold with a custom dial with a custom trigger built by a top gunsmith that costs as much as new truck.

Two factory loads, both shot into compressed paper (a la Mule Deer's test medium). The one on the left is a 140 grain Interlock, fired from 50 yards out of a 7x57, while the other is a 158 grain Prvi Grom fired at the same distance and from the same rifle. The Grom acts much like a TSX. The Interlock, on the other hand, didn't stand a chance against the paper, although I've never had any complaints about its performance on game.

....... which is the very reason I will discontinue them from my inventory and start to buy Sierras.


^^ This! ^^

30-06 guys don't worry about schit 'cause 30-06 guys don't worry.....



Yep. Those of us who use an '06 don't need to worry!

That about sums it the fu ck up right there. Couldn't have said it any better myself...