Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Hornady Interlocks

I have years of experience with the Interlock even used Hornady bullets in their pre Interlock days. I come from a large family of boys who all hunt, but don"t reload. I've always done that and my go to bullet for all of us has mostly been the Interlock. That bullet style and varies family members have killed one coastal grizzly in Alaska, two mountain grizzlies, all of the North American sheep, caribou, moose, elk, deer, antelope and pigs. And not just one animal mostly dozen of each type, but in some cases(deer and elk) the total would be in the hundreds. BTW the coastal griz fell to a single 175gn Interlock out of a 7mmWM. The 154gr 7mm bullet has seen lots of action as has the 130 270 bullet. Yeah, I think they are ok bullets

I have shot deer with both Remington Pointed Remington Core-Lokts and Hornady Interlocks (both 165gr out of a 30-06). I didn't see any noticeable difference. In short, if you like the CL's performance on deer, you'll like the Interlock's.

The biggest problem right now with ILs is finding them. Hornady has put production for most of them on hold, while apparently continuing to produce the SSTs.

One would think they would be producing their popular most popular bullets. The conclusion being that right now the SST's are more popular than the interlocks.

That would really surprise me but I have no data either way.

I've always considered the IL's to be excellent bullets. I recently shared camp in Namibia with a good guy from Michigan. He was primarily using his .338 and (IIRC) 220g Hornady interlokts. They did an admirable job on wildebeest, hartebeest, and oryx in which bullets were recovered. They gave the appearance of performing exactly as they were designed.

I've used 180 grain "interlock"flat base bullets out of my 30/06 for years. Never a problem----a very accurate bullet. It has killed moose, elk, mule & whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, mtn goat & antelope over the years. I'm happy using for the rest of my hunting life.

I choot them at critters and steel often..

I really like the interlocks. They are very accurate and put game down very well.. My last 2 longest shots on mulie bucks have been with the Hornady interlock btsp bullets: 165gr. .308 and 162gr. 7mm..

That's good to know. I stocked up on the 225 gr. interlock since my pre 64 Alaskan likes them.

I've found Interlocks great in .25, .264, .270, .284, and .358. In normal times where you can buy whatever bullets you want they are always among my first choices.

I have a 200th year Ruger 270 sitting at my house that was given to my by the man who mentored me into deer hunting. Since the rifle was bought new in the late 70's, he has hunted the same load, IMR 4831 and 130 Hornady Spire Point.

At the time that our hunting club split up in 1995, that rifle bullet combo had taken over 200 documented kills. He continued to hunt with it untill I received it in 2012.

I have absolute confidence in the Hornady Interlock bullet for deer size game.

I have a midrange load using 150 gr. Interlocks for my 308, and a 165 gr. load I use in 30-06.

Took my first deer with a 150 gr 308 Interlock. Terminal performance was as expected, bang-flop. And, my 308 loves them like deer love Turnip Greens.

gunnut,

mind giving a rundown of the rifle in the picture? Never thought I'd like that cammo pattern until I saw it closer to the ground floor.

I have shot the 150 and 165g Flat base in the 30/06 along with the 180g SPBT Inter locks. All bullets performed beautiful, and you could not ask for better.

Also, in the 264 Winchester, the 129g Sp was my bullet of choice for this caliber.

In the 243, the 100g flat base and the 100g BTSp has taken many, many deer and hogs with my family.

In the 7 Mag, the 139 is famous around these parts and my family in particular loves the 154g Sp.

The Interlocks are a premium cup and core bullet, they really did their homework on the way that the bottom of the core is locked in the jacket as we have found from a few recovered bullets in deer and elk.

In my opinion the Remington Core-Lokt has always been the benchmark bullet for standard velosity cartridges on game of less than 500 pounds. It is the one to beat for any other contender in the bullet buisness.

With that said....the Hornady Interlock is the bullet that made me leave the Core-Lokt behind. In the 1970's I accidentally discovered the Hornady bullets when my father bought some Frontier ammo. We didn't reload at the time so factory loads were how things were judged.

That Frontier ammo with the Hornady bullets was amazingly accurate and effective. Shortly after I took up reloading and after a short try with the Core-Lokt, began to load the Hornady 150 grain Spire Point. It was everything the Core-lokt was.....but perhaps a bit tougher and more consistant.

The only "flaw" discovered was when I began to "push" my loads a bit (OK, I pushed the hell out of them). Once velosity in the .30-06 went over 3000 fps, the 150 grain bullets began to "over-expand" a bit. They still killed well and held together pretty well but didn't always exit.

My "solution" was to go to the 165 grain bullet weight. It wasn't that the heavier bullet was any "tougher", but that the velosity dropped back into the prefered "window" where the Interlock is at it's best. I later got a bit smarter and backed off on my loads a bit (got tired of head separations after three loads), so the 150's would probably do just fine now. However, I discovered that the 165's were my "cup-of-tea" and never went back.

The point of this "novel" is that the Interlock, like almost and cup-and-core bullet is at it's best when pushed to 2700-2900 fps. For "magnum" velosities above 3000 fps a stronger bullet might be needed, but for anything near "standard" velosity there is nothing better than the Hornady Interlock. Bigger animals (elk, moose) MIGHT require a "premium" bullet, but the Interlock will hardly leave you unarmed.....and will do great for 95% of all shooting/hunting.

I agree.

In general they aren't, but in a couple of instances Interlocks were assembled into factory Remington ammunition and sold under the Core Lokt name.

I believe the original 250 gr RN 35 Whelen factory loads were Hornady bullets. Killed a bear with that load, not surprisingly it worked

I've seen RP 7mm-08 ammo loaded with what looked a lot like 139 grain Interlocks.

Have loaded 150 gr Interlocks for years for four 30-06s. Great expansion and penetration. At reasonable velocities they work fine. also use 100 ,gr in a 243 downloaded for youth hunters. At about 2500 fps they kill white tails dead. Three new hunters have proved this out. Use 139 gr in my 7-08 and 284. Same results. For anything under 3000 fps they are my first choice. Above 3000 fps anything other than a ribcage hit will destroy a lot of meat. I have had an entire front shoulder destroyed by a 139 gr out of a .280 Ackley Improved and same from max 06 loads. Those speeds are Interbond or Accubond territory.

Ron

My .300 Savages certainly like the 150 Interlocks...have for decades.