Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Hornady 154 grain .284 Interlock

I like all the interloks myself. I have used the 154 on a couple of deer an one elk. I hit him in the back of the neck as he ran away. The bullet shattered 6 inches of neck bone and down he went. No bullet recovery or exit.

I've used it with great success in 7 x 57s with an MV at 2500 to 2800 fps MV.. new failed me.. In fact the only thing I can saw better about the SP, is how much I love the 154 RN even better.. I sure hope Hornady doesn't quit making that one...

Well, darn you guy's! I just picked up a box of the 154's to try in my new 7X57. What powder do you guy's prefer with this bullet?

You would probably have a hard time getting H-4350 "not" to work.

48.0 grains of H 4350 works for me. In fact, that is my load whether I am shooting 140s or 154s. It is a little on the mild side for 140s but it still gets them to over 2800 in my rifle.

I wish I had not read this thread...now you guys have me itching for 280 rem "Pro Hunter" barrel. The 154 gr Horn would be my starting bullet choice.

Doc

I still use the 154 RN to this day,since I got my first box in the 70's...I don't have any to show,they're went out the other side everytime,including one large Hog....Good pill.

That would be too hot in my Ruger M77MkII. I max out at 47 grains with the Speer 145 grain bullet. I'm not poo-pooing your information, just advising folks to start low (as always).

-

WOW!
Got my query answered in spades! Thanks everybody.
Fred

Friend Fred,

Heck, the 154 is just a great bullet, whether in Spire or Round Nose. It is one that you could shoot for the rest of your life and feel no lack.

Enjoy it.

Steve

Unless of course he started using the 139 Horns flat bases...grins

Dober

I started to add that it is a little on the warm side for 154s. I don't think it is dangerously so as that there are no obvious pressure signs and it is in line with some other data I have seen, but it might be a little warm. On the other hand, it is nice having one powder charge for all the bullets I shoot in that caliber.

It is hard to get in trouble with the 4350s. I have heard that a lot of people used to load 30-06s with those powders simply by dipping the cases into a bunch of powder and shaving it off at the top of the case.

I've used the Hornady 154Gr in a ruger 280 rem for several years on deer. A friend bought the rifle and still uses the 154 Gr. Excellent results. I also used the 139 gr Interlock bullet in my 7SAUM this past year. All bullets have totally penetrated everything from any angle.

The Nosler 7MM 120BT somehow seems to be a tad tuffer that other NBT bullets. I have has good results with them as the open up quickly and penetrate. I use them in both of my 708s.

True, true, true. Man, I could just use the 139 forever and be a happy guy. The 139 surely whacks bull elk dead ricky-tick.

Steve

I am pondering which to use on northern whitetails and mulies, a 7mm 154 Hornady, or .30 cal 180 trophy bonded. The trophy bonded is slightly more accurate out of my WSM, what do you think guys?

Steve
Good or bad, I have come to the point in my life where I want to simplify my rifle situation. After thousands of dollars down the tube, I have come to the conclusion that any improvements over the 308-30/06 family of cases, unless one goes way down to the 223 class, or up to the 375 class are of very dubious significance.
With the 7/08 and its ilk, I can walk into the gun store, throw a cat into the powder selection and have a workable powder. Load developement will be done by choosing a Hornady bullet of an appropriate weight. If they are out of Hornadys, Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Barnes, or cast will work at the velocities I will achieve. Load developement done. If the rifle is in good working order, acuracy will be more than sufficient. If I don't have time to reload, I can go into Capitol Sports, kick the 7/08 ammo onto the floor, pick up the top box and be reasonably sure that I have ammo adequate for antelope, deer and elk, for a cost less than a box of 376 Viagra magnums. And in addition to all that, the bugger is fun to shoot!
I suspect the fact that I can shoot it very well from field positions will outweigh any deficiencies it has when measured by the Taylor knockdown formula or kinetic energy standards.
Thanks again, Steve

Fred

Fred,

I've often written that my wife, Karen, has a simple formula. If critters are small, she kills them with her .223 Ackley. If critters are large, she whacks them dead with her 250 Ackley. Lots of wisdom there.

Simple is better, methinks.

Steve

That's what I love about the 7-08. I've seen my son kill mulies, whitetails, big hogs, and cow elk very dead with a $15 box of core-lokt's. It really is simple.

My late father used them in 7mm Wby. factory ammo and MRP based duplicate handloads to lay out many deer. He often commented on how much "slap" that load put on them.

I use the 154 grain IB over the IL in my 7x57 because they are marginally more accurate 0.7 - 0.8" vs 1.1 - 1.2" not much difference. Had a box of IBs. If I run out of those IBs I will probably load the ILs and be done with load development. I have a 98 Mauser with a 24" Adams and Bennet barrel. I set the bullet 0.025" off the lands in Win cases with Fed 210 primers and 46 grains of H4350 with either bullet for little over 2700 fps. Love my 7x 57.