Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 3006 150 core lokt

I recently purchased a bergara hunter in 30 06. it likes 150 grain core lokt bullets. on a broadside shot they would kill elk however I'm not sure if they would bnb on a shoulder shot. what say you?

Lots of locals use them-----they seem to kill elk every year. I use 180 grain "Core Lokts"-----only reason is that my rifle likes them better than 150's. Bob

I killed my second-largest bull with a 180 round nose Core-Lokt. No worries.



P

150 gr. Corlokt 30-06 works very well on elk almost all the time. But I've seen three of them stopped dead in the top of the humerus/ head of the scapula joint. Without another quick shot none of these elk should have even slowed down much. I prefer heavier & tougher bullets for elk. 165-200 gr, or if 150 gr, bonded / partition or all copper.

I'd sure step up to at least a 180 gr bullet.When things are not perfect, you might not get the penetration of the150 before it comes part. Leave the 150's to a tougher bullet.

how did this duplicate post get here?

A lot of those 150's have killed a lot of elk out of a 270. Since it's a heavy bullet for a 270, it might be made stiffer. I don't know about that.

150's work, 180's work better. Both shoot well out of my rifle.

If I was wanting to hunt elk with 150’s I could think of better ones myself. No offense to the 150 CL at all, but if you do center punch a large front leg bone I’d feel a lot better with a Partition, Accubond, TTSX, Swift, etc. I think of elk differently than some and know I put a bunch of money towards hunting them a 1-3 dollar cartridge is the least of my expenditure but the only thing that actually can put my elk on the ground. I’m sure it’d work excellent on a rib shot elk but I don’t tend to wait for elk to turn broadside to take the shot.

There are so many other bullets that probably shift the odds more in your favor--why take the risk of disappointment?

If I am interpreting your screen name correctly and you are from Pennsylvania, then an elk tag will be one of the very hard to draw eastern tags or an expensive western hunt. Stepping up to a more controlled expansion bullet does not seem excessive in either case.

Maybe a 150 TSX in 308 diameter. But def 180grain cup and core. That ball joint is real, real tough.

The 150 grain Core-Lokt will seldom (if ever) pass clear through an elk's chest if it hits any bone. Maybe they can, but so far in 50+ years of hunting them and guiding elk hunter, I have not seen one do it. Some other 150s do, one of which is the Winchester Power Point, and also the Barnes and the Nosler partitions, but I don't think I ever saw a Remington Core Lokt 30 cal 150 grain exit an elk. Same with the Federal "Power-Shok".

The 180s Remingtons work very well and so far all the 165s Core-lokts I have seen elk shot with worked well too. But the 150s have a thin enough jacket they often shed it, and the penetration is a bit less then I would prefer. I think the jacket in the same thickness on all 3 Core-Lokts in 30 cal, but the slightly slower velocity of the heavier bullets seem to be just about the needed amount to keep the bullets together most of the time. That's not "thus saith the Lord"... but that is the overall pattern I have observed.

Sure, they kill a lot of elk. That's not my point. My point is that if you used the 165 and the 180s you will also kill elk, but if you have an exit wound you will find it is a LOT easier to recover any elk that runs some after the hit, which is not at all uncommon for elk to do. If they are in the open it's not much of a problem, but in heavy timber or brush, finding a shot elk, even if he only goes 30-06 yards can be a chore if he is not leaving a good blood trail. I would buy a box of 165s and a box of 180s and see if you gun shoots them well.


DO NOT fall into the trap that says "the 150 shoots 3/4" and the 180 "only" shoots 1-1/4" so I'll use the 150.

Wrong way to think------- and not logical! Elk are big enough that such a difference in group size is so unimportant as to be non-existent.

You have a target that is as large as a bread box, "missing" the desired point of impact by 1/2" (or even 5 inches) is not something the elk would know about, and because they have no scoring rings on them you would not either.

A good bullet, a little light for a cup and core for use on an elk, should perform adequately......not my first choice! memtb

Keep experimenting with your Bergara, they are nice rifles. You will find a better load. When I have non-handloading friends ask me what factory load to use in their '06s, I tell them the Vortex with 168TTSX. Won't tear up deer yet is a real doozy on elk!

If I was bent on running a 150-grain bullet on elk (which I would probably not do in the -06), it would be either a mono, or a premium copper/lead, pushed as fast as your rifle would allow. My -06 shoots 150 Interlocks at 3000 fps, and would most likely not have any issue doing the same with a bit more "premium" bullet.

I would not deliberately choose a 150 gr bullet in 30-06 to go elk hunting with.

It's not just about bullet weights. It's also about bullet design and bullet jacket thickness.

I would respectfully suggest 165 gr or 180 gr bullets, with my preference being 180 gr. Elks are big. A small sacrifice of accuracy I would readily make in exchange for a sturdier bullet then the 150.

I have 0 confidence in core lokt if you hit a bone and are too close.
I shot a Ferrell pig behind a ear. Less than 10 yards...closer to 5 yards.
06, 180 gr PSP ..: never existed

While the 150 CL wouldn’t be my first choice in the 30-06, I have 100% confidence it would work fine on any elk broadside.

Back in the eighties when I worked way too many hours I loaded a bunch of Speer 150 gr. Hotcors with just the right amount of IMR4350 for my 30-06 to hit the same point of aim as the 150 gr. Corelokt so just if I had to use factory ammo I could buy some and not have to resight in. I lived in Wyoming from 1988 to 1999 and my job actually made it easy to get a lot of hunting in. I used the 150 grain bullets into the early 90's and found the Speer bullet to penetrate and hold together much better than the Remington bullet though both made excellent deer and antelope projectiles neither gave me what I wanted in an elk bullet so I switched to the 180 gr. Speer and never looked back. I found the 150 gr. Corelokt generally very reduced under the hide on the far side of several elk some of which did run a ways. Back then I shot everything in the ribs so a rib or two is all the Corelokt had to negotiate. The Speer bullet sometimes exited and when recovered it looked like a mushroomed bullet. I decided I wanted a better bullet and since I was no longer living in motel rooms reloading with a press instead of a LEE loader became the norm and I started using both the 180 Speer and Nosler Partition on everything. I still generally use 180 grain bullets in my 30-06 but now my two choices are the Ballistic Tips or the Partition depending on what I am after or how thick the brush is.

I've killed quite a few elk with Speer Hotcores out of a 270 and a 300 WSM. I've have very good luck with them holding up, comparable to PT's.

I hear you Brad, but how many sweet broadside shot opportunities is a guy really going to get out there? Most of mine have been shot when they are unsuspecting, coming towards me (from full on frontal, to quartering toward or even angled up or down and quartering toward, that makes it even more tricky). The broadside shot opportunities I've had, is usually when they are on the move... A 308/30-06 with light weight corelokt would have worked wonderfully in those instances, but you can't always count on the perfect shot angle.

I’m just not a fan of relatively light for caliber bullets. There are so many options out there these days why not try to find a bonded 165 or 180 that shoots well?

in the old days in Arizona, the rule of thumb was 150 gr for Mule Deer, 180 gr for elk. Didn't know many reloaders and no target shooters. Outdoor Life was read at the barber shop. we survived.

I've had 150 gr corelokts from .308s fail to exit on large whitetail deer, including some that shed jackets. Stopped using them for deer, wouldn't consider them for elk.

I have shot a number of caribou and moose with the '06 caliber (different rifles) . using 150, 165, and 180 gr. C&C and Partitions. The only elk I have taken was with 140 gr. Coreloct in .260. Bang flop. Busted the hell out of her spine, just behind the ear, at about 150 yards. Most anything would have done the same, tho.

I too would recommend a 165 or 180 in C&C for elk in the 30-06. JJHack, who has seen a few animals killed in NA and Africa, thinks the 165 is the ideal bullet weight. I won't gain-say him as he is on on more kills in a year than I am in probably 10 or more.

I favor 180's myself, tho the last moose I took was with a Hornady 150 Superperfomance factory round - shot behind the ear at about 15 yards. It worked.

My prejudices lean toward mid range bullet weights in any caliber, trending upwards. In this case, 165 gr and up in C&C.

I suggest buying a box of federal premium vital shok 180gr partitions. Save the 150 cl's for deer.

A friend of mine got a lot of bang flops with a .222 on elk.. Behind the ear doesn't take much..

I think I would go with a bit heavier bullet or Accubonds...

A 150 Core Lokt is a great deer bullet in an 06 but not sure I'd feel real warm and fuzzy hunting elk with it. If I used my .270 Winchester on Elk with a cup and core bullet it will be a 150 Nosler Partition. If I used my -06 it would be with a 180 Partition. But I'm no elk hunter having never hunted them with anything. I'm just going by what I read on here.

Hunted Ellison mountain outside Meeker back around 1995 with an old Oklahoma Hi-Po Bud, he shot a 4x5 bull four times with 180gr core lokt Remington factory ammunition in a very old 700 Remington, bull was numbed up good after the first hit and probably dead on his feet, Bud said he kept firing till he fell, I cant blame him for that.

Id bump it up to a 165 gr or 180gr

The 30-06 is a “Hold my Beer” cartridge

It built its earned reputation, with the use of Cup & Core off the shelf ammo .. Power Points , Power Shoks & Core-Lokts

Its odd I have just one 30-06 in my safe at this time ..a 1917 Enfield all original... It is incredibly accurate with 165gr pills ..

I’d not hunt elk with a 150 gr Core Lokt. A 180 gr has taken many elk for sure. My ranch owner buddy who has seen hundreds of elk killed swears AT the Core Lokts saying they are the sorriest piece of crap bullet right along with Win Power Points for elk. I’m a fan of Barnes TTSX and most of our crew use them or Partitions and Accubonds. Happy Trails

A 70 year old friend who has done and still does a lot of hunting uses an old 721 Remington topped with an equally old 4x leupold uses the 30-06 with 180 grain Partition handload for everything. Elk,Moose,Black Bear, Mule and Whitetail deer, antelope and caribou. He is always buying the latest rimfires and 20 and 22 caliber centerfires with the latest scopes. Same thing with shotguns. He also has quite a collection of lever action center fires. He has never replaced that old Remington for big game hunting.

Have you tried other rounds thru the rifle? Wouldn’t be my first choice of projectile . If you shoot light for caliber go with the TTSX or GMX. Atleast for elk. Good ammunition is cheapest part of a hunt yet is critical insurance for a successful one.

I have no advice on CoreLokts but a strange experience to recall.
My brother used the 180's in a .30-06 for years and killed many elk that way. One year he shot a bull in the shoulder, bullet did not mushroom. Instead it took a hard 90 turn and followed the bone all the way down the foreleg, exited the hoof, and into the ground. Killed the bull on the subsequent shot.
In the years since he has switched to a TTSX. I don't think his change was very much due to that experience but more due to all the hype surrounding newer bullets.

For every person who says they are not the best choice, including me, there are a thousand dead elk. Shoot well and eat.

I've found the 150 corelokts at 30-06 velocity seem to penetrate about 18" worth of deer/pig. If someone was like "here's a free elk hunt but you have to use 150 corelokts" I would say yes, but if I was putting effort into the hunt I would put a little more effort into better bullet selection. The 150 corelokts also don't fly that far. In my experience, even a 180 partition is easier to hit with past 400 yards.

This is a great thread. Looking the opposite way, some of these tough bullets don't preform all that well on deer or smaller bodied game either, especially at close range. A tough bullet should be used on tough game. A thin jacketed bullet on smaller game.That's why I've always had great luck on deer with Sierra Game King or Nosler Ballistics Tips or Hornady SSTs. No way I would use one on an elk, but their performance on deer have been almost perfect for me.

Interesting!!

Moral of story, if it works dont screw with it!

Also, I too only have only 1 .30-06 hunting rifle in the safe. I do have 4 Mil Surps in that chacmbering but we're talking hunting here.

The 06 and .270 Winchester are my two all time favorite hunting cartridges but I only have one of each in hunting rifles. Why? when I have two .25 cals. and 3 7mms? I guess because I'm still trying to find perfection with those two while the 06 and .270 showed me perfection right out of the box!

You can go back through the archives on the fire...and find proponents for the .243 on elk. Sheesh. We got snipers that think nothing of shooting an elk at 500 yds with some kind of .300 mag, which is down to about 1650 ft lbs (a pisspoor measure). A man has to know his (and his load) limitations.

I don't know what some people are trying to prove but to my way of thinking with hunting game, we owe the animal the very best we can manage in trying to kill him cleanly, quickly and humanly as possible. Ethically to me hitting an animal and not finding it in a timely manner or leaving it to die a horrible death just doesn't cut it. Out past 300-400 yards there's a lot that can go wrong with a shot. The main thing is wind. Even if you use a range finder and have your hold over down to a T, wind can blow a bullet off target at 500 yards as far as a foot, putting the bullet into the not immediately lethal zone of the guts. That's why I limit my range for shots. It's not my inability to do everything the long range boys do. I could do all that if I wanted too. But I don't do it because at anything much over 400 yards, and then it can be iffy, a shot is a crap shoot. And also, shooting game in the next zip code is no longer hunting.

Call me old fashion, but I think in this day and time that Ethics is becoming old fashion.

LOL, my 300 mag is still packing 2350+ fps at 500 yards.

I too screw around with all manner of cartridges and bullets. However the '06 hunting rifle I had built 21 years ago was intended to only launch a 180 gr. Partition hand load and that's what it still does today.

My reasoning was I never wanted to be on the last day of an expensive hunt and not being able to take the only shot angle offered.

Ha... I’m sure Gunner. I don’t wanna shoot anything at 500 but I feel a whole lot more comfortable after a summers prep out to 700. I always hope for a fur burning shot up close but elk get a vote too!

Using CL's I'd go with 180 grain in an '06.

With the huge amount of factory 06 ammo out there, I'd be trying something else personally. Lot of the ones mentioned in this thread would get a chance since you have all spring and summer to work on it.

Same camp with You buddy, but yes, and especially in your case, as you have farther to travel than I, we have to be prepared for the shot we get.

I’ve tracked elk where bullet performance wasn’t great & prefer tracking them shorter distances. If you must shoot150’s go with a tougher bullet than the CL,my preference is a Barnes TTSX in that weight. I’m pushing them about 3,000 FPS in my grandsons rifle. Went lighter to keep recoil manageable and found a fast accurate load using superformane powder so stuck with them even though he is 6’2 & 250 lbs these days.

Elk hunting is too hard & expensive on the whole to cheap out on the bullets. If you plan to kill one best to be ready for less than perfect angles. Factory ammunition is expensive with premium bullets - practice often with the cheap stuff, know the adjustment to your zero for high priced hunting loads & only shoot a box every 4 years for hunting if you kill one or two elk per year. The extra $5 a year will be the best money you ever spent.

Here you go.


Hope for the best,
prepare for the worst!



These guys hunting with the lightest possible rounds....

Heck, a guy claims to have killed two elephant with a 22.... so...

I have seen a few rodeos. (1, 140 corelocks in a 7 mag on elk)
Have killed a number of deer that weren't hit where I shot 'em!
Sometimes, that wasn't even my fault!
But, use something a bit bigger than minimum.
And choose bullets to quickly kill.
On deer, soft ones.
On elk, it's been Partitions.

Up your odds, add weight,
or try better bullets.