I have always been a fan of Hornady Interlocks on deer. I killed over 150 white-tails with 100-grain Interlocks from my 6mm, right at 3000 fps and some more using a .308. .243, .260 and now 6.5 cm.. I killed a couple elk with 175 Interlocks, from my 7 mag, but switched to 160 Partitions and never looked back. It is your money, but unless you are planning to push them over 3000 fps, I would not consider a premium as necessary on deer. I have shot them at all angles and all ranges out to 450 or so, and have never had an issue with Interlocks not doing their jobs, or tearing up too much meat. Meat is not an issue, anyway, unless you shoot them through the hind quarters. I have rarely lost all of the meat off the front, by shooting the through the shoulders and lung shots are irrelevant, as there is nothing there anyway.
Another plus to the Interlocks, is that you can get them cheap and I have never once had a rifle that would not shoot them. I will NEVER shoot another SST. I had 150-grainers from a short .308 dynamite on small white-tail does and that was enough for me. I think that they are the worst bullet that Hornady makes, but they do shoot accurately, just like all Hornadys have for me..
I do like the interlocks, currently I have 150gr and 165gr Interlocks and 180gr SSTs in .308, also 130gr and 140gr Interlocks, along with 130gr Ballistic Tips in .277. In my 270, 130gr bullets are usually right around 3,000fps. In my 308 and 30-06 I have velocities all over the place depending on the individual load, but nothing I’ve seen faster than 2850. Plan on taking the 270 and 308 out west with me.
