Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hornady InterLock Experience on Game

And a a 130 IL out of a 270 Bee at 3500 fps MV!

I have used:
243- 100gr
270- 130gr, 140gr BTSP, 150gr (pile of them from antelope to elk)
338- 200gr
375- 270gr

All with no problems.

I've also seen blow-ups with 140 grain .277 Interlocks, but they did penetrate, and they shot amazingly well.

However, I had the opposite effect when shooting the 250 grain .358 SP's, at 2,500+: I've found them to be tough, with exit holes scarcely larger than the entrance holes. But I've never had to track an animal with them.









The .284 154 grain spire points are like magic from my 7x57: amazing accuracy, 100% reliable penetration, and animals DRT.













I've not tried 150's in .30 cal, but only because I tried the 165's first, and they seemed to do well enough:



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I'm pleased as punch with the IL's.

FC

The 129 gr. Hornady InterLock is the preferred bullet in both .260 Remingtons that I shoot. It's neck and neck with the 120 gr. BT for accuracy, but the 120 BT wrecked far more meat than I like, even at over 200 yds. The 129 gr IL produced terminal results almost identical to what I'm used to with Partitions - small entrance, lots of internal damage, little meat damage, more penetration than necessary and on the few that I've "caught", 70% weight retention. I don't hoard much, but I found a garage sale where a widow was selling off her hubby's items and she had 600 for sale in the box for $10/100...so I'm stocked for a while.

I look for two things when considering a new caliber, Nosler Partition in the desired weight and Hornady Interlock in the desired weight.

It doesn't get any better for a woods hunter.

Mike

I've been shooting 165 and 150 grain Hornady Interlocks out of all my .308 bores for 14 years. On whitetail deer, I have had complete pass-thru on every shot except one brisket shot in 2001.

When looking to cook up a new load, I usually look to see what Hornady has before venturing elsewhere.

I have had excellent performance with the 150's in my 30-06.

Also used the 100gr in my 25-06 and the 139gr in a 7-08 and a 7mm Rem Mag and all worked well.

I'm a fan of the Interlock.

I have a bud who is a bullet snob you mention shooting anything with a cup and core bullet he shakes his and thinks you broke some sort of law... Ever since he shot a brown bear with a tsx he thinks it's the only bullet to use. But he doesn't talk much about the elk he lost using that good ol tsx. I like the tsx killed could animals with them. But I won't shake my head if you are using regular ol cup and core bullets.

I had a 25-284 built my load was using a 100gr hornady my buddy was going on a ceremonial deer hunt he used it a produced 7or 8 one shot kills no tracking just dead deer.

Lions, Tigers and Bears!

Couldn't agree more. ^^^^

100g BTSP out of either of my 6mm's has proven to be very deadly. 150g BTSP out of any of my .308's and '06's too.

Great bullets. just watch the speed...

Of all the Hornady bullets, I've used the .308 165-gr. Interlock the most, both the BTSP and the old RN (no longer made) at muzzle velocities of 2600 - 2850. I have always found them to be accurate, with a good combination of penetration and expansion on deer, elk, moose, and boar. I've used Partitions, as well, and have not found much difference between the two. However, I've used both at moderate velocities, as noted above. If I were driving them at 3000+, I might notice a difference.

This, by the way, is one of the advantages of the 308 and 30-06, and other rounds that push bullets at moderate velocities - you get good performance with regular cup-and core bullets. Many guys with magnums will load cup-and cores for practice and premiums for hunting, but with a 30-06 and the like, one load can be used for both, keeping things simple, less expensive, and still effective.

Some have said the BTSP version is a lot softer than the flat base SP. I've not noticed any difference myself. My impact speeds are nearly always sub 2900.

What have others noted re the BT version?

There's no difference. We are talking the same bullet, but with different base profiles. I've used both and couldn't tell any difference. Same results, dead critter, hole thru and thru, and minimal blood shot meat. Excellent accuracy with both types.

Had wayyy more devastation than anticipated with the 150 SP at 35 yards on a dink deer from a hot-loaded 300 Savage. For close range, folks suggested a slower velocity would be better. DRT for sure though. Same bullet at 90 yards, just perfect. Have found pretty good to excellent accuracy in 243, 30-30, 300 Savage, 308, 7-08, 300WSM, and 280.... Great bullet at $25/100. No reason to bother with any other C&C bullets.

Used my 7mm RM and a 162g BTSP InterLock one time, back in the early-to-mid 1980's. It drilled a bull elk smack in th emiddle of a rib, passed between the off-side ribs (possibly nicking one but nothing significant) before stopping under the hide.

Retained weight was under 48%, even though the challenge to its integrity wasn't that great. Haven't used them since - or any other standard cup-and-core bullet in my bolt guns for that matter.

The next year I switched to Speer Grand Slams. It too me 20 years to recover one. When I did the range was about the same as with that first elk but it destroyed both shoulder joints before coming to rest under the hide. Retained weight was over 70% even though the challenge to its integrity was much, much greater.

Cough gasp oh [bleep] had a friend use a standard 225gr IL in a 338 win mag on a 9 footer on kodiak one shot dead bear. So say what you want I use it on a big bear

I could never get speers to fly straight. I weighed them and found the greatest deviation I've ever seen in bullets. They have been the least accurate bullets I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot...

The Grand Slams routinely gave me nice, tight groups with a "flyer" opening the group up to about 1". About one shot in four would be such a "flyer". Opened one up one day and found a void (air pocket) in the lead.

They sure worked well on game though.