Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game H. Interlock vs. S. HotCor

I've had the pleasure of discussing some of Speer's products with one of their sales reps some time back. What he told me and what I've picked up from several sources might be of value here.
In the .358 bullets, the 250 gr. spitzer is made with a heavier jacket for higher speeds than the .358 or the .35 Whelan produce. However, I knew a guy that had used that bullet alot of big alaskan moose out of his .358 and loved it. Said it would penetrate surprisingly well even on tough muscle and bone, like almost 30 inches lenthwise down the neck. But others have reported less than ideal expansion on broadside shots with deer.
Their boatails are not made as tough as the HC's, or with the Hot-Core process.
Their Mag-Tips both open at lower impact velocities and hold together at higher impact velocities than the standard Hot-Cores. But their BC's are lower. Frankly, I'd take the wider expansion/hold together characteristics over the higher BC any day.
Their Hot-Cores, while they work very well, do not perform like the true bonded core bullets.
Ditto on their TNT's being super accurate. Even though they don't seem very consistant in weight, which I've also found with some of Remingtons' super accurate Power-Lock bullets, they shoot better than anything else I've tried in my heavy .308
While I've had an easier time finding really accurate loads with the Hornadys than the Speer Hot Cores, I'm not convinced that is a bullet quality difference. I suspect it's just a rifle/load perference. E

Since someone mentionned the Grand Slam, might as well post it too.

Again, 250gr from .35 Whelen

The Grand Slam is now, more than before, an under-rated bullet in my opinion. If you like a classic mushroom there is little not to like.

My take on the comparison is the Hotcor is a deeper penetrator especially in the heavier weights. There may not be a better deer bullet in 30 caliber out of a 30-06 than the 150 gr. Hotcor flatbased bullet.

One thing I would like to add...I avoid boat tail cup and core bullets for hunting. The boat tail provides very little difference in exterior ballistics at any sane hunting range, and increases the chance of core/jacket separation on impact.

I used to think that I needed to avoid BT cup n core but I no longer think so.

I've taken and have seen a lot of game taken with the 130 Sierra BT in a 270 and the 150 NBT in my 7 Mashburn Super. Personally, on game from lopes to elk I've not found a reason to look elsewhere.

As to the sane range comment, they work for me at the kinds of ranges that my ability tells me is sane...

Dober

Mark, the only C-n-C bullets Ive ever used were Hornady Interlocks, 30 cal, 180 and 190 gr. in .300 Mags...They worked great, never had a separation ( Though I gotta admit, a couple cores were loose in their moorings when I found them, but they never separated...)
ingwe

I'd killed a lot of critters on the East half of this state when I was younger with the Hornady ILs. On my side of The Hump I'd always stuck with Partitions in case I had the chance to fill a Bear or Elk tag.

I'm older and wiser now... Bears and Elk aren't that tough. Since my 308 Montana shoots the 165 Speer BTSPs so well to 400 yards, thats what I'm going to kill everything with next fall. Having 300 of them loaded right now, and 200 more on the shelf, makes that decision pretty easy

And some people here catch chitt for bein' older and wiser....
Specially on the 7-08vs..308 thread....
Go Figger....I'm like the elder Dangerfield..No respect....
Ingwe ( Tongue in cheek...)

I have used a lot of both H-IL and Speer HC over the years. Both have worked well but as I scan my reloading bench, there sure are a lot more yellow boxes than red ones these days.

WN

Danny, thought I was the only one slumming those. Have you killed a few critters with 'em?

hi everyone this is my first post here i shot alot of hornady interlock at deer here in pa out of my 338 ultra mag they were the 225 interlocks they did a real nice jod on the four deer i shot with them

Did you get all four with one shot?

no sorry if the post sounded like that i shot one a day over the of hunting season

Oh ok.

samolson have u shot any of the 150gr speer hot cores in 30 caliber if so how did the work for u i just got a box for my 300 wby and my 30-06 to try iam loading them with 52gr of 4064 in the 30-06 and 83gr of h4831 in my weatherby

Negative hunter8mm.

Sammmm...you couldn't help yourself coud 'ya?
Beat me to it..
Ingwe

Mortie...is that you?

WN

I used the Speer 120 SPBT for several years on Alberta whitetails, mule deer and antelope. I only switched to the Speer 120 GS because I bit into the "premium" bullet syndrome.

I seldom recovered either bullet, but of the ones I did, the BT held up as well or better than the GS, retaining about 60-65% of it's weight. Both bullets are very accurate. Most bullets recovered were shot into the front chest and found in the rear hams or just under hide by the hips. Good 3ft of penetration.

Can't find fault with either.