Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Interlock vs. Interbond

Ok, rifle season has started and some of you are using the Hornady IB's. Are they a "premium" bullet?? Are they any better than the Interlocks?? ( Both shoot very well in my 30-06.) Are the interbonds a large-game bullet?? I know the interlock has taken lots and lots deer with a proper shot and probably many, many elk, moose etc... but do the IB's offer any more of an advantage being a bonded core bullet?? AT 30-06 velosities do the IB'S offer any advantage over the interlock?? I'm not comparing them to NP's, X or TSX's, Accubonds or others just yet. That will come later <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


Thanks....BP

I've used both on Whitetails and they both work great. The I-Bond will dig deeper but it's not needed on the average Whitetail in my area.

C'mon guys, Do you really believe any 57, 06, 08 based deer rifle 'needs' a premium bullet to kill a deer? Most 'standard' bullets have , for the last 90 years, been designed to do just that. capt david <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Capt David, I was more interested on how the IB performed on large game. If I was just interested in one deer kill'in bullet I would just buy a box of corelocks and be set for a while. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> So I'm just looking for information about the IB's performance. Have any??

Thanks, BP...

I'm no expert but the Hornady Interbond "bonded bullet" is a premium bullet with better weight retention than Nosler's Accubond. Currently though, I am loading the Accubond, but would like to hear more on the Interbond, and the Scirocco for that matter. I remember an article recently where the big 3 bonded (new) bullets were tested, and the Scirocco had the best weight retention, the Interbond was a close 2nd, but I believe if I remember correct, the Interbond was not quite as heavy of a bullet as the others, and the Accubond was 3rd in weight retention after impact in a gel or some other medium they used. Rick Jamison did the test. I like the accuracy of the accubond, but after this deer season, I also want to look real hard at the Interbond, as it should perform even better than an Accubond. My only issue is I would want the Interbond to be as accurate in my 7mag as the accubond is.
But, just for killing deer, yes the interlock, corelok, etc all kill deer. If you are a reloader, the premium bullet cost really isnt much more, and really should not interfer with your decision.

On a side note, one consideration regarding a non premium verses a premium, if you are hunting an area where a bear encounter or other dangerous game could be encountered, wouldnt you feel better loaded up with a bullet with decent wt retention? I would.

Here is a thread with photos regarding interbond bullets from almost a year ago.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads...true#Post267746

Aggie Dog, I have the same impression from the Jamison article as you do. The .308" 165 grain Hornady Interbond retained more absolute and percentage weight, and penetrated almost as deeply as the 180 grain Nosler Accubond. One can then infer from that that weight for weight the Hornady Interbond should perform better than the Nosler Accubond. The Interbond is also less expensive than both the Nosler Accubond and the Nosler Partition. As far as accuracy goes, I too have heard many citing problems getting acceptable accuracy with the Interbond. However, I have no problem getting sub-MOA with the .284" 154 grain Hornady Interbond in my 280 Remington Ackley Improved. I just seated them 0.02" off the lands and my rifle seems to like that.

I understand the accubonds are designed to lose a bit of core up front, like the partitions.

this can be desirable, on a chest hit the spray effect from the front of the bullet fragmenting takes out lots of lung, better than just punching a little hole to get a quick kill

I've seen that happen quite a few times w/ partitions. Only have recovered 1 partition, and it was from a .308 shot into a moose, and it took breaking the far humerus to stop it under the skin. About 65% wt retention, as advertised.

I haven't tried the interbonds yet but on a big mule deer last yr I did see an interlock out of a 7x64 lose its core and end up under the skin on the far side. It was a dead deer, but would've hoped for an exit on a shot into the ribs like that. Wasn't an easy tracking job, didn't go far but it was in tall grass.

FWIW; check out http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ammunition/shock_value/

an in-depth look at the Hornady SST(which is an interlock) it's pretty amazing IMHO......

"Hog No. 4
One-hundred twenty-five pound sow shot at 80 yards; 150-grain SST bullet hit on point of left shoulder, destroyed lungs and penetrated off-shoulder, coming to rest inside hide. Both left and right scapulas were fractured. (This kind of performance is typical of a bonded-core bullet, and shows exceptional performance for a polymer-tipped bullet.)"

From the article; it's a "good read" IMHO hope it helps

I'm a bit confused here. the quote claims they were shooting SST "interlock" bullets, but go on to say they are bonded core? Interbond are "bonded" not interlocks?

Konda hard for me to follow when the terms are mixed up, or at least seem to be???

Actually JJHACK; it's saying they perform MORE like bonded core than interlocks....the SST's are interlocks(but it seems from the article they PERFORM better)

In my defense it was only one quote; they DO explain it better than the quote seems to show..... (grin)

I did however find it interesting that they held up with that type of "punishment" and WERE that accurate "to boot"...

I do not understand the criticism of the SST. I had read that article before and one in American Hunter July 2001 that states that the SST is thicker than the Nosler BT which many of us have used on big game and even elk and that article also states that the SST jackets are 25% beefier than those of the Hornady Spire Points which so many rave about. Dave Emary of Hornady says in the article that while SST's can handily take elk, the bullet was designed for deer hunters. I have not used one yet on game.

A Hornady rep told me last year that I would be better off using the Interlock or Interbond over the SST's on elk. Did something change from last year?? If the IB is bonded, would it not be the better choice?? The IB shoots as well as the SST's in my rifle. I know that the writer of the above article did not compare the two but how about the hunters here. If the SSt's are a large game bullet, why market the IB's??

Just wondering...BP

I'm not suggesting anyone needs a bonded bullet for deer hunting. However if there is a better bullet for the price I have not seen it.

The Aframe may be the toughest best all around bullet for greater then 3000fps velocities. However for the money I have been using 165 grain Interbonds now for three years and have seen probably 50 or better big game taken with them. I have not seen a more afforable bullet that can perform better and to be honest I have not seen any bullet perform better for guns under 3000fps at any price!

These are bonded and still cheaper the partitions!

Well, I can't(and won't) argue there JJ(grin)

I "came across this article" and actually wondered....."what it means"....in other words IS this somewhere between the "regular" interbond and the interlock(which I've had great success with and love)..

To be 100% honest(though I hate to admit it once again) what "got my attention" was shooting my chrony(steel) BTW with a .308 @ 15 feet!! It was to be honest devastating, and more damage than I expected(IF I had expected to shoot it) (grin).....

Exit was HUGE!!!!!!!!!!! NO evidence that it "exploded" at all!!(I would have bet at that short distance it would have.....yet it didn't).....MADE ME WONDER!!!

Is it "another BT"??? I don't think so.......BUT.....


I would appreciate other's thoughts,opinions, and experiences very much(you should see my chrony...may post pics soon....when I have some time to do so)

I was "afraid" of the SST's(thinking they'd be "explosive" like BT's seem to be (sometimes).......)

NOW I am curious(seeing the chrony)......... that's really my question/post.....(not trying to "start anything".....honest! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Have only killed good sized whitetail (MN, MI, KS) with them (Interbonds) in a 7x57 and a 280 AI. The 140g are excellent deer bullets. Neither rifle is fussy, so I can get them to shoot w/o issues.

Prefer them at the AI velocities for exits--personally use the BTs or interlocks in the smaller case.

If there is an advantage to them (other than between your ears) then it is kinda on the order of them boring a nice sizable channel all the way through. Maybe its just luck but the tendency appears to be more DRT results...but again have only used them on whitetail.

100 per box...:)

The SST's are not even in the same league as the Interlokts,Interbonds which are two of the best bullets ever invented. The SST is the most abmissmal failure as a bullet that I have ever fired.The 117gr 25caliber blew an entrance hole 5in in diameter in a small whitetail and did not penetrate enough to kill the deer.A second close shot was needed. It was a God awful mess!The 139gr 7mm same-same with only slightly better penetration.It looked as if the deer had been killed w/a hatchet on the entrance side and the amount of ruined meat was enormous.I pulled what I had loaded and put them in the trash. Hornady should remove the bullet from their lineup as far as I'm concerned.Terrible bullet!There is no buulet called an SST interlokt or interbond.The SST IS A FRANGIBLE, completely different bullet altogether.Just heed JJ's advice and you'll be OK. powdr

Okay back to the original question. It seems to me after reading through most of the posts on this thread that "most" of the answers are through what others have "read" about the Interbonds. I have been using them since they first came out. I have killed mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope, black bear, and coyotes with Interbonds. I love them because it doesn't matter what angle the animal is to me, I can kill it. They drive deep, hit hard, and rarely do I have to track anything. I have used Barne's X, Nosler Partitions, Hornady SST's, Nosler BT's, Remington Corelokts, Sierra Game Kings, Hornady Interlocks, Bear Claw, and at least 4 or 5 other bullets that I can't recall right now. None have produced as consistantly, or as well as the Interbonds. In fact, it is the only bullet I use for big game anymore, and I consider my search for the perfect bullet for the big game (I hunt) in North America over. There may be some other bonded premium bullets that produce just as well, but not likely significantly better. I am one very satisfied customer when it comes to the Hornady Interbonds.

Here is my experience with the Interbond!

Interbond vs Accubond

I can't say much about the IB on game, as I have not been able to get them to shoot very well in a couple of rifles that I have tried them in, so I use the Interloc if I am using a Hornady bullet.