Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Hornady Interlocks on Elk

Was thinking of trying them in my SAUM's - 162 in the 7 and 180 in the 30. Running them at 2950 in both doesn't really require a premium but I really like Partitions. Interlocks may be a good alternative - especially if Partitions won't shoot well. I like the fact that they have a harder core than other cup/core bullets. I've shot more than a few deer with 7mm 154's and they work great at 280 Rem speeds.

Any field experience on the 162 or 180 grain Interlock bullets on Elk size animals?

My family has killed a flock of elk with the 154 Hornady in a 7 Mag, 162 is in the same class of bullet.

I've loaded 180gr interlocks for three friends(all in .300wm) and between them they've shot two elk-both one shot, seven mule deer, and a bunch of antelope and whitetails. They are great bullets, and have shot well in anything I've loaded. They seem to be a bit tougher than Gamekings or BT's, but not as tough as a Partition. I don't find them to be more accurate than a Partition, but an all around good performer at a favorable price.

I have used the interlocks in 30-30, 308, 30-06, 338WM and seen them in action with 7mmRM and 270 on many deer and elk. Accurate enough to at least 400 on the range, only one recovered from a head of game and never a lost animal. Yeah, they work just fine.

Read up on them and you see that they are a step above basic cup and core using the "interlock ring" to old together the base of the bullet, Hornady's attempt to match Nosler's partition to hold the base shank together. Affordable for a lot of practice on the range, accurate if you work up your load and reliable for hunting.

I know they work for deer size creatures - I have never stopped one inside of a deer size creature yet. I did shoot one smallish black bear with a 154 from my 280 ~ 25 years ago but a sample of one doesn't inform much.

I've always had very good accuracy with the Hornady's. My 7RM shoots the 175's into quarter size groups.

Thanks for the info.

Took my first elk with a 162g 7mm Interlock running 3000fps or so at the muzzle, range 110 yards. Was not at all happy with the performance of the bullet (47% weight retention on a broadside) and haven't used them since.

My vote would go to the Partitions, or at least an InterBond or AccuBond. My own choice these days is North Fork, TTSX and MRX. My hunting buddy used Trophy Bonded - we were both impressed with their performance but they are no longer available as components.

Lucky, any less retention and that elk would have spit it right back at ya and come and kicked your butt back off the mountain.

LOL!

I've shot a one cow with .270 130g Interlock.

It was about a 90 yd shot, broke the far scapula and lodged under the hide.

I wasn't sure that was enough penetration on a 400# cow, so the next time I used an Interlock I moved up to a 400gr roundnose out of a 416 Rigby (about 120 yds). That one went all the way through

I'd hazard a guess that more elk are killed every year with "whatever is on sale at Wal-Mart" than all the premiums put together. Not that that is preferred, just that some seem to get the job done with less than premium bullets. I'd say the Interlock would be at the upper end of those "less than premium" types.
Like most here I have much more experience with deer than elk, that said, I've never been let down by an Interlock.

Not likely � it was a broadside shot. The bull dropped on the shot and never got back up, although it required a finisher.

My disappointment with the 162g Interlock bullet performance had to do with concern about what would happen if the challenge to its integrity was greater (it had hit a single rib and came to rest under the off-side hide). The following year I went with 160g Grand Slams and used them without issue for the next 20 years. When I did recover one it had also come to rest under the hide on the off side of an elk - but it had destroyed both shoulder joints of the 5x5 bull before doing so and still retained over 70% of its original weight.

Use whatever bullets you like. I prefer bullets that provide reliable but limited expansion with relatively high weight retention and deep penetration. More importantly, I want the animals put on the ground fast. The Grand Slams did that for me, as have the North Fork, TTSX and MRX I�ve been using in my bolt guns the last few years. Moreover, these bullets have been effective on antelope to elk without the excessive meat destruction fragmenting bullets can cause - something I appreciate as I�m more interested in the meat than the horns or antlers.

i've shot quite a few elk with a 338 win mag with 225 grain interlocks. All died right where they were shot.
I load for my hunting partners and they all shoot 180 interlocks out of 300 win mags. Havent lost an animal from any of the and never had to track one.
I shot A 5X5 bull out of a 300 rum that required 2 shots.
I have never recovered any bullets to check weight retention

Ole_270 makes a great point. It's more about the rifleman than the bullet. I've never seen an elk not go down if it was hit properly with an adequate bullet and the Hornady Interlock is more than adequate.

I know it is not a direct comparison but by Grandpa swore by his 165gr Interlocks out of his 30-06 for deer and elk.

Why not just work up a good accurate load with the interlock that matches a load with the partition and use the interlocks for plinking and the partition load for elk? That's what I do and I save alot of money and get plenty of practice that way. The partitions that I bought today were $37.00/ 50 and the hornady interlocks are $23.99/ 100. Makes perfect sense to me.

CH, the Hornady Interlock has provided me excellent mushrooms and pass thrus. OTH I have used "premiums" including the fail safe, Barnes X, the partition and in the calibers I use none really did a better job though the fail safe did blow a BIG hole on the far side of a mulie. I will confess though, the last three head, 2 antelope and a bull, went down to an accubond each, the bull with a long angle shot.

After taking a look at the cutaway of the accubond, it is really nothing but a plastic tipped interlock. Since I use calibers that stay under 2850 fps at the muzzle, guess old school works for old school velocity.

Now, if I would decide to jump into a 30-378.... that would be a new game.

Pssst- BSA, have you been looking over my shoulder?

i am no seasoned ELk hunter or chaser. But, I saw a video of a large Elk bull absorb a broadside 180 gr from a 300 Wby at roughly 200 yards and appeared no more bothered than if a fly was in his face. The second shot sent him to the death angel.

Was totally amazing to me.

Yeah the punishment they can take is amazing, and the best I have seen, 250 gr partition at 50 yds. Broke ribs, pulverized lungs, nicked the heart, cracked ribs on-the other side, deflected and cracked the scapula and ended up in his neck. For 20 secs or so, stood looking at me like he just had a mosquito bite and then fell over.

There are videos out there of big bulls fighting, but ever get the chance to see a couple of the big boys at it live, you will know awesome.

Seeing this sort of thing leads, I think, to the "I need a bigger rifle for elk" syndrome,which is a pretty normal reaction.....I have had it happen to me,and have seen it with various 300 and 338 magnums.Then you run into a few that collapse like rag dolls to a 270,30/06,or 7 mag.They can act very tough,but are dead on their feet with good hits and good bullets.You just have to let the system bleed out.

After awhile,though,I came to realize you have to go pretty far up in caliber to guarantee reaction from them all the time.And the solution to killing them effecively seems to be wreck the chest cavity and take some important bone along the way,and they flop over from anything reasonable....miss those things, hit around the edges and they get real tough in a hurry.

Have not used the Hornady's myself but have helped dress and skin a few killed with a 308Norma and 180 Interlocks, tracing wound channels,and they seem to have done a good job with shots transversing the chest into the off side shoulder bones and muscles....never did find one....