Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A 30-06 and a 180 Interlock and elk

Elk season is around the corner and I am shooting 180 interlocks flat base at 2775fps out of my tikka T3 sub moa groups. I am pretty sure they will hold up at 200 yards but what about at 50 yards? For those of you who have actually used these what have your experiences been. No opinions on what I should do or use. Sometimes posts get way off the point.
Thanks Scott

They are golden.

BMT

If I had to pick a 180 grain elk bullet that was great at 50 yards and 350 yards both, it would be the Partition. No contest IMO.

Wayne

Here is a quote from Steve Timm, a/k/a dogzapper. He's using the BT version, you can decide if that matters.

The OP asked about Hornady INTERLOCKS - not Partitions.

You need a TSX. From chipmonks to elephants, it's the only rational choice.

I've used the 180 interlocks in my 300 win mag. However, my experiance has been on white tails. I have never had any problem with them coming apart on thin bone deer at under 100 yards--even driven ant 300 win mag. velocities.

The Hornady Interlock design is under-rated in my opinion.

For what it is worth, I talked to an excellent rifle builder in Co. about a 30-06 build for everything from white tail to elk. He commented that he uses the 190gr. Hornadies for elk and had for years. It is an excellent bullet.

GB

Responding with relevant facts and experience only vs. opineing is a concept lost on many.

As to the OPs question - BMT has got that covered.

I agree 190 interlocks would be great but I have alot of 180's and total confidence in my tikka, I'm a rifle loony also and have more rifles than needed, just threw this combo together and really like it.

Put a 180 Interlock in the right place and put elk meat in the freezer.

Thanks for the inputs.

May get a chuckle out of some but one of my buddy's says that hornady cup and core bullets make the biggest dents in his gongs than any others "standard" bullets. I guess I'd rather hear that than they barely chip the paint off.

Gonna use a particular bullet cause "I got lots of them" doesn't make real good sense to me. "Don't confuse me with facts, just rubber stamp my idea"? Oh, well. Blast away then.

Elk hunt $1000, bullet 75 cents, lost trophy priceless?

Wayne

+1

Ingwe

Don't know about elk, but I can tell you they work swell on moose from point blank to about 275. Never had to shoot further than that, but in a 1200 pound animal, there was plenty of penetration and great expansion at 250 yards. Can't imagine elk are harder to penetrate than a 1200 pound moose, but I never kilt an elk. Like dogzapper, I have only used the BTSP variety.

That's a good enough endorsement for me!

Perhaps he has "lots of them"...and they work.

No doubt some of us (including the original poster) would appreciate hearing from anybody who's experienced a "bullet failure" from a 180 Interlock shot into an elk from a .30-06.

For years the Hornady Interlock was all I used and all my family used. To even suggest a 180gr Interlock is somehow not up to taking an elk out of a 30.06 is just plain wrong. My younger brother has killed two male grizzly bears with the .270Win and the 130gr. Interlock. I could go on with list of other animals that have fallen to Interlocks, but it includes all the big stuff excluding the really big bears. I currently only use Nos. Partitions, but that in no way means that I think the interlock isn't one great bullet. I could be happy if for some strange reason Interlocks were the only bullet I could use for whatever is left of my hunting life.

I never put one in an elk. However, on the last day of a lame elk hunt, I did put one through the shoulders of a black bear at maybe 40yds. It was the .30-06 Hornady Light Mag Load. Looked like all held together with a fist size exit hole.