Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Whats wrong with Remington Core-lokt's?

Fellas,
I've used Rem Core-Lokts fer over 35 years hunt'n here in Virginia an' ain't never been disappointed neither. I've also used the plain ol' Hornady's, Speer Hot Cores, and Sierra's according to what works best in my rifles. I ain't never used a Nosler, Barnes, Swift or other premium bullet and like MD, I got a truck load of deer ta prove it. The only time I ever even came close ta using a "Premium Bullet" was when I used a 250gr. Sierra Game King in my .338 Win Mag on an Elk hunt in Montana with my neighbor and his friends. At the time I wasn't doing as well financially as I am now and my neighbor, being filthy stink'n rich, paid for the whole ticket including a suitable new rifle fer me (.338Win Mag Browning A-Bolt w/ Boss and a Shepherd P2 scope), cuz we're friends and he really wanted me ta come along with him and his buds. I played around with Hornady's, Speer's, and Remington's but I was getting the flatest trajectories from the Sierra's, so I loaded them at about 2680 FT/SEC. I got my 6X6 too, with 1 shot at 378 yds broadside. The bullet expanded just like in them pretty pictures and I didn't need no follow on shot. The post mortem showed it had hit bone and continued into the boiler room wrecking the heart and stopping under the skin on the far side. I would have preferred through and through performance but this was certainly more than adequate and quite lethal. That said, I have only this ONE experience on animals bigger than large whitetail deer and assorted varmints, so I ain't an expert. But I have heard so many negative things said about Sierra Bullets that I could fill the whole library at UVa with all of the things I have heard and I frankly wouldn't put any more stock in them, than the rest of y'all do in the Rem Core-Lokts not performing. The simple fact is, if'n they is shot right where you intends ta shoot them, then they goes in the meat locker and if ya miss that spot, then y'all's got problems. Enuff said.

Flower Child

This was my first Grizzly that I shot in the Fall of 2000 with a 180 grain Core-Lokt out of a 300 Weatherby, chambered in a Remington Classic. It was a small bear, taken on the last day of a 2 week trip. I also shot a 54" Moose with the same bullet. Why did I use that bullet? I like to try different things! I used a 200 grain A-Frame for my next bear.

The bear was about 200 yards away, the shot went through the front shoulder and out his back. A finisher was required, but thats not unusual for Grizzlies.

Core-Lokts work just fine, Noslers are better, Bonded bullets better yet. But are they required? Not really, but boy do those new 225 Accubonds shoot in my 338's!



I wouldn't have used that bullet if I was in the thick stuff, and the shot could have been at point blank range, but it sure worked on this little bear!

I don't think the .338 caliber 225 grain and 250 grain "Core-Lokts" are really Core-lokts. They sure look like Speer Grand Slams to me. One of my 338's will put the 250's into 1/2 inch holes for 3 shots. And Remington doesn't sell them in bulk.

Well, I've only killed one big game animal with a factory loaded centerfire ctg. This was due to lost ammo by Alaska Airlines. I had to buy a box of shells in Bethel, AK. Before My flight out to the moose hunt I bought a box of 180 grain REMINGTON Core-locs. in 30-06. And worried the whole time about using factory made ammo. Well, the one shot I took worked vary well on the Yukon bull that I shot at from 50 yards. As the meat did turn to sh t (the result of a great many dinners). I had loaded Core-locs in the past and had faith in them just not in factory ammo. I just bought a case of the Core-locs (2000) in .308 180grain SP's. The case I bought in .257 having worked so well. I shoot a lot of game and like the Core-locs vary well. I will add in passing that in Bush, AK. the REMINGTON 7mm mag has a great reputation as a most reliable killer. In the big city areas of this state you can't hardly give this chambering away. The reason goes back to the wholesaler. The ammo that first came out was the REMINGTON Bronze points in this chambering at least that is all the wholeseller brough into the state. As anyone who has tried this bullet knows, it's a great expload on impact bullet. Guides told me of watching hunters blow patches of hair off of moose with this load. Now by the time the first ammo hit the Bush stores it was Core-locs and by the time the Give away prices on town rifles in 7 mag hit the bush these old boys did'nt know about the bad rep and went on their way to feeding themselfs and familys using the Core-locs and 7 mag. Of course they have the added advantage of knowing where a bullet belongs and know better than take a shot that will only wound. I on the other hand will tell you of a vary large bull shot on the Yukon that had 7 recovered bullets that were not mine, that all were Noslers. Old grown over wounds. He went into the freeezer with a 180grain Woodliegh, in .30-06. That hump shot is a sure fire "put'em down shot" I think the only question we should ask ourselfs is why do we buy into so much hype from these gunwriters, the magazines make there money from ads. If you really have a question about a bullet, shoot something with it and recover it. I do not know anyone that prefers a bullet to go through an anmial as oposed to killing it in his tracks,with the exception of the gunwriters!

Core-lokts have been mighty good to me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Wisegeezer

I've had the same experience with 150 gr. Corelocks as you.

A few years back I picked up a Sav. 99 with the barrel cut to 16.5" in 308 Win. being here in WA I couldn't find the 180 gr. RN Corlocks that were my favorite back im WI. I bought the 150's after reading rave reviews on how it was a great dear round.

I shot a small 8 point buck at about 10 feet broadside and was amazed when it ran off, didn't even fire another shot as I expected it to fall any second. I ended up following that deer over one hundred yards most of the way just following tracks in the snow. It was only in the last 30 yards was the there any blood and it kept getting heavier. When I found the deer it looked as someone else had shot the deer because it looke like the was an exit wound on the side where the bullet should have gone in. Upon dressing the deer I found that only fragments of the bullet had penetrated the lung cavity. Thinking that I must have hit a twig or something I continued to hunt. Later on in the day I shot a large doe comeing straight at me at about 20 yards. The bullet struck at the base of the throat and blew up there creating a large gaping wound with no penetration to the body cavity.

I still think the 180 gr. RN bullets are great but getting harder and harder to find in the stores I use hand loads almost exclusively.

erich

A few years ago my brother shot a huge 8 point in the Adirondacks with his m70 .308 using 150 gr. Core-Lokt factory loads. The deer was at 40 yds give or take a few and after hit went another 40 or so. The bullet was recovered in the hide on the off side after a near perfect broadside shot. He called me concerned about the performance of the bullet and I assured him that the bullet worked-he had a dead buck. I was assuming that velocity at that distance caused the bullet to rapidly expand, moreso than it would have at longer range. I had a chance to see the recovered bullet on a trip to N.Y. and would love to send it to Remington as they could use it for advertising. It looked like the controlled bullets fired into water and was completely intact. I told my brother that all the energy from that bullet was expended in the deer and he shouldn't worry, to keep on using them, because they shoot into .6 inches in his gun at 100 yds. I just bought 200 on sale from Midway hoping one more bullet would shoot well in my Kimber.
BTW that 8 pt. weighed 202 lbs.,field dressed, on a scale.
Mike.

Nothing wrong with Core-lokts far as I can see. Always performed nice for me when I wasn't handloading, and I currently am not.

150 grainers out of my .270 are about as accurate as factory ammo gets.

I've about given up on the gun rags anymore. Seems any dope with a pen and paper (or laptop) can get an article printed touting the latest and greatest whatever it is (which will then be advertised on the following page).

One rag I picked up the other day was showing Bob Baker "inventor of the 454 Casull" shooting a Casull. Basic errors that anyone that's been around guns for at least a little while, would pick up. Dontcha think that if you're going to write about or reference a firearm, you'd at least know something about it?

The problem with Remington Core-Lokts is that they are infamous for making knives bloody and drag ropes heavy.

DaveR-

I think he was shooting the BI* Casull! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Didn't the article mention shoulder angle or some such? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A lot of products work fine when used in an appropriate application and fail when asked to do a job for which they are not designed nor intended.

*Baker Improved


--Mike