Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Tell me about the Hornady Interlock SP

As they say, pics are worth several words. Here are two Hornady .277 130 grain SP Interlocks recovered from a deer shot at about 90-100 yards and again at 6". Winchester Model 70 .270 24" barrel, load used RL-22 for right at 3200 fps MV - yes, I was attending the Bob Hagel School of Reloading in those days. These were both found under the skin on the far side of a previously healthy mule deer buck of about 250 lbs live weight, both shots broadside through the chest, left bullet hit about 1/2 of the way up behind the left foreleg, second bullet fired as a finisher into the top of the heart/aorta area.

Left bullet hit at an approx. velocity of 2950 fps, the right one hit at a full 3200. Left one is expanded to .480" measured across the lead and weighs 78 grains, right one is about .410" and weighs 59 grains, that's including whatever petrified deer is left in there. Middle bullet is an unfired bullet of the same type for comparison.

So, even at high impact velocities - I think 3200 fps is considered very high for a C&C, the cup and core did not separate, they expanded to almost twice their diameter and retained around 60% and 44% of their weight respectively. The weight that was shed did its job as shrapnel since internal damage to the lungs and heart was extensive.