Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New production corelokts

Years ago I used to shoot corelokts through all my deer rifles. They always performed well and grouped well. I always bought about 3 boxes at a time from the same lot #. In several guns as the reserves got low I bought more and they didn’t perform well(approx 15 years ago). So I got away from them. My groups started opening up, poi changed, stuff like that. I still have a few rounds tucked away of my old loads that perform great. They changed something. It was not for the better. Has anyone tried the new production corelokts? Ive see them coming around. Has anybody had any luck with them at the range? Wondering if they are worth a shot? All info is appreciated. Thanks

I bought 3 boxes of 150gr corelokts for my 30-06 but haven't shot any yet. I'm confident they'll do fine for the whitetails we shoot here on the farm as most shots are 40 to 60 yards.

They dramatically changed the bullets in 30-30 for sure.

They shot wonderfully through all of my rifles. All I would ever shoot. Got low on my 243, bought 3 boxes, couldn’t get a decent group. Bought a 4th box, thinking I may have gotten a bad batch. Nope, same thing. Every box I have bought for any of my rifles in the past 12-15 years just plain sucked. I have a 25-06 and have about 3 boxes of corelokts from the 90’s. Will straight stack them. Finally I bought a modern box about 8 years ago to check and see if they would shoot. Nope. Same results. That was the last box I ever bought.

I’ve never had a rifle that shot core lokts worth a damn. Federal Blue Box and Fusion, on the other hand, has been my go-to factory ammo when I haven’t been able to handload.

I have yet to fire a recently manufactured CL. But have thousands dating to the late '80s-early '90s. Also the .224" PLHPs.

Don't dispute claims the new CLs don't shoot. But anyone who says CLs never shot well has not tried the old ones.

The 180 PSPCL is the most accurate 180 gr cup/core in all three of our .300 Roys. (that was before I discovered the TTSX) Same with a small pile of rifles in '06. And we just about burned out a 40x Swift barrel with 50 gr PLHPs. Every bit as good as the Sierra MKs.

With all the "new and improved" bullets on the market now that are a lot more expensive, I would think that there would be a good opportunity now for a bullet maker like Remington to offer a basic line of C&C bulk Corelokts at very good prices. Winchester used to sell bulk bags of Power Points like this all the time. I still have some 150/.308" and 130/.277" WW PPs down there.

There are still shooters out there that would buy these type bullets, but this would all hinge on price, quality and availability.

Core loots have worked fine in any rifle I have ever used them in. Hope the new production is just as good.

Exactly my experience

Just last week I shot some Corelokts and Fed Premium 140's through the .260 700TI barrel of my 725, which I was not going to take caribou hunting (on my way now). 3 rounds of each made one ragged hole at 100 yards. Gun is in the camper as I type this, as are both boxes of ammo. Can't complain. The Feds are Game Kings, by the way.

I've never had a problem with Corelokts that I can think of, and I do test between brands and weights for accuracy. I'll continue to use them as long as they continue to work well.

Maybe your rifles need a different bullet weight. That TI barrel doesn't like anything but 140, but pretty much anything in that weight shoots well. I can live with that.

Well, I have not actually used a Corelokt on game for about 25 years now.. When I did, they worked well.

Trying them out for accuracy in various rifles post 2016, I used them in 243(100g) 308 (150g) and 30-06(150&180g) rifles on the range in accuracy tests gun break in. It was current production ammo. They all shot reliably and in terms of accuracy about the middle of the pack. Mostly better than Winchester but not as well as federal Blue Box or Hornady American Whitetail loads.

In my Ruger American .308 they shoot right behind the Federals at a little over 1 moa.. I would use them for hunting . BTW- I just shot some new production .308 150g from Wally world and it shot just the same.

Always had good luck with corelokts. The 165 06 load is a particular favorite for deer. Not shot any of the newsest stuff since ammo line was bought

Lou

I had pretty much sworn off Remington ammo about about 10-12 years ago due to poor accuracy and visibility poor quality control. That said, I bought two boxes of new make 300 Savage 150 grain Coreloct on a whim. Son of a gun it shoots lights out in my 1936 99 EG scoped with a Leupold 2-7. Getting sub moa groups.

It shoots great in my Model 81 as well. I'm glad I bought ten boxes.

I been shooting them since the late 80s. I wouldn't argue if someone says they had issues during a certain time period. I did not. I hunt hogs and deer in the east and use them in all my but one deer rifle except my magnums. My 7mm08 mrc x2 feeds the rems ok and shoots 1 inch groups but feeds the federals much slicker with same accuracy results. I got lucky with all my rifles as they all shoot 1 inch groups or very close to it.
I havent had any performance issue either as everything I have shot has died quickly. I will continue to shoot them so long as I don't see any issues. I probably have a five year supply or better of them for hunting in each rifle probably more on rifles I don't use much.
Most of my current deer rifles have been purchased in the last five to ten years.

My uncle used to work for Remington up until he died 12 year ago. He used to get "regular" ammo for $1 a box and premium for $5 a box. I used to have a great stock of 243 and .30-30 ammo I got from him. I gave away all but one box of the .30-30 and .243 when I PCS'd to AK as the movers wouldn't touch the ammo. Man, I wish I still had some .30-30 ammo in 150 gr. Cor-locts.

Still shoot em and my Tikka T3 .308 will damn near put those 150's in the same hole at 100 yards.

I've had good luck with 150-grain CoreLokts in several 308s and with 180s in several 30-06s. For me, it depends more on the rifle. Some like them, some don't.


Okie John

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I can't remember any time that Federal blue box has ever failed me. You won't find a more accurate bullet in their price range. Still plenty effective enough on game as well.