Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Whats wrong with Remington Core-lokt's?

Well I picked up the latest Gun's & Ammo for the first time in about a year. I read the editorial page and was rather dismayed with the editors attitude about a certain gentleman he was hunting with's choice of bullet. The editor stated that he thought the gentleman was well knowledged in hunting and the rifles he used but seemed surrprised that the gentleman in question would use a 180gr. Remington Core-lokt factory load to hunt deer with. What am I missing here? THe remington Core-lokt is a great bullet IMHO. I still use them, along with some of the fancier stuff, and I would never belittle someone because they used Core-lokt's. They are a fine bullet and it does not cost a small fortune to shoot them. They will kill deer just as dead as the latest new fangled ultra bonded-multi-coated-plastic tipped-fusion-enhanced-no-drag-game-getter. Anyway, I was rather dismayed by the attitude of the editor in someones choice of what bullet works best for them. It will be awhile before I pick up G&A again.
Thanks for listening, Rob

Elitist.

Pay no attention.

Those of us who actually kill lots of critters KNOW what works.

The unsuccessful tend to jump on every fad-bullet, fad-rifle and fad-scope that comes down the pike. Then, they have the balls to put it in print. Pretty sorry.

Steve

I'd hazard a guess that the factory Core-lokt has whacked more game than any other on the market. Just for the simple reason that they'r reliable,shoot reasonably well in most firearms and the 30.06,30-30,etc, offerings always seem to be on sale around hunting season. I haven't used them since I started handloading but keep threatening to buy a few boxs o' bullets,and see what I can whip up.

G&A is not a magazine, but a multipaged advertisement.

Rem core-lockt's don't seel ad space, therefore they are useless.

If the rags would stress shot placement, vs product purchase, then folks would be better served for the field.

My 30-06 loves 150 cor-lokts in the standard Remington load. If I'm not carrying handloads, they are what I use.
dogzapper nailed it.......

The doe I shot during our doe-only season thinks Core-Lokts suck!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have noticed in the last few issues of the gun mags I read that Barnes is buying a lot of ad space for the triple X as is Nosler for their newest products. I do not remember seeing any ads for Rem ammo.
I wonder, could this have anything to do with the editor's opinion?
I am quite sure that the corelokt is just as good a bullet as it was in 70's and 80's when the gun mags praised it to the moon.
We may have bullets today that penetrate further and retain more mass. We definately have bullets today which dump a heck of a lot more energy into the ground behind the animal, after penetrating the game completely.
This does not make the corelokt or other cup and core bullets any less lethal than they were yesterday. Nor are deer any tougher than they were yesterday.

I just got through loading up some Sierra 150-gr. roundnoses (now, sadly discontinued) for my .270. Man, I must be an idiot!

RSY

OldRemmington;
I reread the Editorial and don't see how you came to the conclusions you did. Not only did the Editor not put down the Core Lokt bullet but commented on the excellent performance on the hunter's deer and told the hunter it was a "great bullet". Also, the hunter didn't say he was using Core Lokts. What the Editor found interesting was that the hunter had paid to be on the hunt yet said the ammo was, "the cheapest box in the store".

He then went on to discuss premium bullets and stated premium bullets are "not always" needed.

How do you gather from that he was putting down either the hunter or the Core Lokt bullet?

I've shot tons of CL's and have had uniformly great luck with them,as far as accuracy,in everything I've loaded them in.

The CL can be a sound boolit for game,or a poor choice. Launch/impact speed,would be the determining factor...............

You said a mouthful there brother!

The only 'sport' where practice is never mentioned...

I have shot a 270 for years. One of the finest hunting factory loads was Remington's 150gr SP Core Lokt. Yes, it is a round nose, there for according to the followers of the lastest pointy, bonded, plastic tipped bullet fad, this bullet is worthless as a sling shot and a river stone. However, it kills very well and penetrates deep.

Another fantasitic hunting bullet is Remington's .308 SP Core Lokt 180gr RN. It thumps game like few other bullets. The difference between that bullet and a 180gr Ballsitic Tip at 300 yards is about two inches. It too, thunps game hard and penetrates deep.

CM

Whats wrong with Remington Core-lokt's?

NOT A DAMN THING !!!!

I think they are underrated now and were probably overrated once upon a time. The design is sound and proven old technology. (1930's) Use a proper weight for the game, and the results will be at least adequate. AW
BTW,
Ed Matunas considered the 150 grain RN CoreLokt .270 a "universal" big game bullet and load 25 years ago in a reloading article.AW

I came to the same conclusion as you. The core-lokts weren't slammed at all. I will admit it was a buildup for the new Federal bullets and they aren't of the "premium" hype. I say hype since premium bullets aren't usually needed for whitetail deer. I use core-lokts for my "under gunned" .243 and 7mm-08. I could see me considering Nosler partitions in my .243 for really large deer. If you want to use the expensive bullets, go for it. It's your $$$.

I just reread Lee J. Hoots' editorial in the January 05 G & A.
Therein he stated about the Rem 180 gr load " "That's a great 30-06 bullet," I told him, and we left it at that."
He then explains that his hunting companion was very experienced as a hunter and had paid a good sum of money for this hunting trip.
He further states "But it's not the first time I've met obviously serious hunters who are totally stumped when it comes to bullet selection."

It certainly seems to me that he was patronizing his hunting companion, if not at the time, then certainly at the writing of his editorial. And if he was not being uncomplimentary to the ammo, then he was being so to a previous hunting companion, by using him as an uneducated example.
Mr. Hoots then writes, "Does performance always come at a greater cost? Not always." and explains about Federals Fusion bullet.
The inference is, if you are going to use an inexpensive bullet, it should be a Fusion. Otherwise you are no better educated than the hapless hunting companion previously mentioned.
It sure sounds like advertising copy to me.

I can't speak to the G&A piece, 'cause I haven't read it.

To answer the question "Whats wrong with Remington Core-lokt's?", I'd have to say, not a damn thing.

If I were to deliver a well placed hit on a deer with a 180gr. .308" Core-Lokt, and the deer didn't take a dirt nap, I'd run, 'cause that is one tough deer!

Good grief!!!

Jeff

I read the article too. IMO that editor is of the new generation of gun people who haven't experienced the simpler life of hunting with the basics which, by the way, work just fine. I have used Core Lokts all my life (56 years) with absolutely no problems. Thanks...Bill.

Adobe Walls--

Actually, the Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokt is not the same bullet it was in the 1930's. The jacket walls are much thinner. This change was made in the 1980's. The Round Nose Core-Lokt does retain the heavier sidewalls, however.

This doesn't matter in the world of deer hunting, but in any cartridge faster than a .30-06 with 180's I would prefer the round-nose over the pointed for game like elk.

I haven't seen the editorial either so can't comment on that one way or the other. But I have shot several pickup loads of deer with Core-Lokts, Speer Hot-Cores, Hornady Interlocks, Winchester Power-Points, etc., some started from very fast cartridges, and know they work just fine.

MD

The first rifle I ever bought with my own money was a 30-06 at age 18. I used remington 150 grain Core-lokts exclusively for about 10 years. You couldn't haul all the Alabama deer I killed with them in a duel wheeled dump truck. If they suffer from any design or performance flaws I never found it. And the deer I shot sure seemed dead to me. I have since used them in 243, 25-06, 7mm-08 and 7mm mag to kill deer. Never had any problems. I generally use whatever standard bullet groups best in my rifles now but if that bullet happened to be a Core-lokt I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Premium bullets? Not needed for deer IMHO. And even for Elk or Moose I wouldn't hesitate to use a 180 Core-lokt out of my old 30-06.