Using the currently manufactured bullet, not the older one which expanded well and dug deep. Accuracy is very good, no problem there.

Came into three boxes, and interested in hearing actual experiences on really big game, such as bison, etc.

Thanks,
Ted

Have been impressed with the 220 grain Core-Lokt on Moose. Factory ammo at under 75 yards. Not a Hornady however

Sorry, all my hunting with 220's was using Partitions. Weldcore's in 240 gr. as well.

Not surprised that those bullets would be satisfactory. The older Interlock bullets were reliable as well. Thanks for that.

Have read several accounts of the newer bullet not holding together.

Plain vanilla cup and core 220s do well in the 30-40 at 2000 fps. Perhaps an extra 400 fps causes too much expansion to quickly to allow deep penetration.

Ted

I can't imagine that Hornady would make these into a frangible bullet.

Not many would want a 220gr 30cal for anything but the largest game where penetration is at a premium.

Nothing than bigger than elk, but I have been loading 220 gr RN for a lot of years. They are Sierras though. I used 4831 and 58.5 gr for about 2500 fps, but that is a hot load. Most kills, bullet was found under the hide on far side after double lung shots. I shot at least 20 elk with them. Further shot was 347 yards that my Lieca 1200 RF showed ,according to my notes. Most kills were in the 50 yard range in heavy blow down timber. I can't say anything about bone breaking ability as I don't take those shots.


Someone posted quite awhile back that they used 200 gr Partitions, but I never saw a need for them at those velocities

Okay, a few #3090 Hornady 220s ahead of 54 gr of H4350. Nickel-plated federal brass is for quick identification.



Went over the Oehler three days ago at a tad under 2500 fps, temp was minus 10F. We’ll see what happens in a water test next warmer day.

Ted

I cannot imagine anything shrugging off a solid hit from one of those. They look like they would absolutely penetrate through virtually anything.

Interested to hear or see some results on game.

Ive only ever seen them used on a couple whitetails...it killed them. Penetration was complete.

I saw one.

It was a good-sized white tail that had been facing the shooter. There was a hole in the front of the chest and one in the backside of the deer, just far enough to the side to not become a reverse Texas Heart Shot.

I was not there for the disassembly, but the guy that shot it said it was "Kind of a mess in the gut area", I'm assuming because that area had been, ahhh, compromised...

Them bullets penetrate.

I used the 220 Gr Interlock as loaded in the Hornady International line, in 2021

Shot a whiteail buck on the run, head shot (not intentional). worked.

Here is the better example. same year, shot a very large cow moose directly into the front of the chest at about 120 yards. She shuddered a bit, then turned to her left to walk away. Gave her another broadside and she dropped. Total time from 1st shot into her until second shot and her dropping was at most 2 seconds.

I was very very impressed.

Never shot them out of a 30-06 but I used them in a 30-40 Krag. Never recovered one, they go right on out the other side.

Ammo looks good Ted!

I was thinking of loading the same for my Husqvarna 4100 and the LGS has those bullets.

Hoping all is well in your neck-of-the-woods!

Yukoner;
Good morning to you Ted, I hope you're all well up in the north country and the year has been a good one for you folks thus far.

It's interesting to me when folks get varied results from the same bullets and I'll apologize for posting this photo and relating my experience with the 220gr RN from about 20 years ago. They were out of a .308 Norma with a velocity of under 2700fps, which is faster than an '06 but not super fast.

On a small Okanagan bull moose - Shiras or Canada - depending on whose map one chooses to use I guess, they came right apart on broadside body shots, neither of them hitting a scapula as far as I can recall. The bits and pieces weighed about half of what they'd started out at.



For sure the moose died, but I was less than enthralled about the lack of penetration, so I tried them again on a first rack whitetail. That shot was front on, into the chest where the neck and chest meet. It killed the buck for sure Ted, but again the bullet came right apart and I only found bits and pieces with about the same penetration as the broadside moose - not too, too much as in.

Again these were 20 year old bullets not current production and were slightly faster than '06 velocities.

Based on those two animals however, I began loading 200gr Partitions in that rifle for better penetration and based upon shooting a couple bucks nearly lengthwise, they did that. I've now gone to 168gr TSX in that rifle as a by the way as they seem to give about the same tissue damage and penetration as the Partitions were, but my tests so far have only been on deer to be clear.

I'd be interested to hear how the new ones work if you're using them on bison or the moose you've got up there some of which have to be close to double the carcass weight of ours.

All the best to you in 2023.

Dwayne

How far away was the moose? Can I assume that the higher velocity is what made the bullets fly apart? Trying to get an idea of impact velocity. Thanks.

That is disappointing performance from a bullet that I'd think was intended to penetrate well and hang together. I wonder if that was a batch that came out brittle due to some manufacturing problem?

Guy

It just wasn't a good bullet at the time. Maybe better now, maybe not. I'd not worry because a 168 or 180 TSX or TTSX will shoot flatter and penetrate much much deeper

Have used them on deer and moose. One moose took a frontal chest shot just off center and I later found a nickel sized hole through some heavy bone in shoulder area. Bullet not recovered. Core lomt by the way. They work now as they worked way back when.

hillbillyjake;
Top of the morning to you sir, at least it's still dark here, regardless I hope the weekend was a good one for you and this finds you well.

Thanks for the reply, I've read up on my reloading log book as well as my hunting notes before answering.

I should state before going further that we'd shot truckloads of local deer with Hornady Interlock bullets with .308, .30-06, .308 Norma and .300 Win Mag rifles and had been extremely satisfied with the results. The few we recovered were 60% of the original weight and mushroomed nicely.

The 220gr RN was, as mentioned, in a .308 Norma using RL 19 and the velocity was 2607fps.

The first shot hit the bull standing broadside at what I estimated to be about 125yds, entering behind the right scapula. breaking two ribs, then going through the lungs and stopping underneath the left scapula. The bull took off running and I followed trying to get another shot into it and as it veered slightly across me I hit it behind the ribs, the bullet tearing the liver up then coming to rest on the inside of the rib cage.

Again I'm cognizant the bullet did what was asked of it since the animal died, that's obvious. However in the section of BC where I hunt grizzly bears are not unheard of, though not common, so for a bullet to settle a social discussion gone sideways with a recalcitrant bruin, based upon the results from that batch there might be better choices.

We had interesting results with a 6.5x55 back in the early '80's being quite hard on bullets too and my working theory is that the fairly fast twist, deep groove barrels were the perfect storm to rip some jackets up faster than other barrels might. Again that's a theory.

Hopefully that answered your questions and was useful, again realizing that a whole lot of water under the bridge since then so it's an academic discussion for sure.

Best to you in 2023.

Dwayne

I remember a study done here on the campfire years ago.

.308 caliber shot into a beef knuckle bone.

Then penetration behind it measured.

The heavy cup and core bullets did not penetrate as well as the author expected.

Cascade;
Good morning Guy, I see you don't sleep in much either, but hope you had a good rest and the world looks as right as it can be just south of us.

As I mentioned to hillbillyjake, we'd shot a whole bunch of deer with Hornady bullets and were happy with them to say the least.

I was standing beside a fellow who shot a smallish local black bear with a 160gr RN out of a 6.5-06 and it did strange things in the bear too. It was earlier than the moose too Guy, likely the late '80's.

Back when the moose episode took place I'd been considering heading to the Kootenays on a grizzly hunt as it was still doable here then, so part of my reason for the heavier bullets than I'd been using on local whitetail and mulie bucks was to test out some bear bullets.

The hunt never materialized and even though were swimming in grizzlies to the east of us, the brain trust in Victoria still haven't allowed any hunting for them since shutting it down. They admitted there was no scientific cause either Guy, it was just a nod to the support from the Greens. Wonderful, no?

As mentioned after that I tested out some 200gr Partitions, one of which shot through almost the entire length of a first rack whitetail.

After that I switched to the 168gr TSX which I still use today. I've only recovered one of them, which hit a 2nd or 3rd rack whitetail trotting towards me at about 200yds. It broke two neck vertebrae, clipped a rib after taking out the upper left lungs, wandered back through a full grass bag and lodged on it's left rear ham just under the hide.



It is the one on the right and weighs 167.7gr by the way.

Anyways my friend, thanks for reading and adding to the thread, I always appreciate hearing from you.

All the best to you and your fine family this year.

Dwayne

I have used them from a 30-06 to kill elk, but the loads used were mild. I used 3031 powder to keep the pressure down near the muzzle (In an M1 Garand) to prevent any bending of the op-rod. So my muzzle velocity was about 200-250 FPS less then what most folks would load their ammo to.

All kills were at closer ranges, from around 20 yards to maybe 40 at the outside. All gave me excellent results.

I should have kept better notes, but I can't give good details today because this was all being done in the 70s and early 80s and I swapped the 220 grain Sierra and the 220 grain Hornady back and forth, but didn't write the details down that would differentiate one for the other. Every kill on elk was quartering away to some degree or another except 1, and all were hit through the chest. I do not recall any of them hitting a large bone, but most hits ribs going in or coming out. The one that was not quartering away was quartering towards me, but the results were the same.

I also killed 2 bears with that rifle and 220 grain bullets and I had exits on them too. But thinking back to those 2 bear kills I don't know if the bullets were Sierra or Hornady.

Today if I were to do it all again I'd get some 220 grain Nosler Partitions, owing to the fact that is seems all 220 grain 30 cal bullets are hard to find today and the Sierra and Hornady are made on a very limited production schedule. The 220 grain Partition is easier to get today than either the Hornady or the Sierra, and I am pretty sure it would not be in any way inferior to the Sierra or the Horandy but likely better in every way. That's saying something because the bullets I used bought back in the late 70s seems to work well enough.

I like 220s I truly liked the old 220 grain Core Lokts made in the 70s, and Remington would sell them as components back then. I think those are gone forever.

My uncle used 220 grain Winchesters, but I don't remember what he told me about them, other than the fact he loved them enough to zero one of his 30-06 rifles for them if he's use them on everything from deer to moose and a few horses and cattle on the ranch. He had a stack of ammo he got in Alaska in the late 1940s and was still using it in the 1960s and 70s.

I bought a couple boxes of 220 grain Hornady maybe 2 years ago. I was I not satisfied with the accuracy. I tried them in a 300 H&H, a 300 Win Mag, a 300 Weatherby, a 30-06, & a 30-40 Krag.

I got better accuracy with 220 grain partitions, though I only shot those partitions in the 300’s mentioned above.

My question is, that with the quality spitzer-type bullets available, why would one use these pumpkins for anything? It has been proven many times that round-nosed bullets do not penetrate, nor kill any better than pointy ones.

Rose colored lenses maybe.

It has also been proven that big and slow out penetrates light and fast if you are talking C&C type bullets. About every elk I have killed with those 'Punpkins" I have found the bullet under the hide on the far side. Regular BT spitzers, I usually find the core and bit of the jacket.

Thank you, BC30cal.

Check out 200 gr. and 220 gr. NPT penetration tests at '06 velocities.

Pretty impressive.

DF

Any li ks to this information? Or estimates on muzzle velocity? Thanks.

Sbhooper

Perhaps the round nose buggers fit a magazine for smoother cycles.

Then you got the tube fed rigs.

I’d have to Google it. But info is out there.

DF

I called Hornady about this, and spoke to one of their tech people. He listened, was quite helpful, and told me the newest bullet, #3090, is designed to expand and penetrate to twelve inches in ballistic gelatin.

That doesn’t sound like much, but perhaps someone can fill us in on the density of that stuff.

Ted

Be nice to know what some of the other, lighter 30cal bullets were designed to penetrate to for comparison.

They should publish that info.

SuperCub;
Good morning my old friend, I hope that you and your fine family are well.

While this isn't a .308" bullet test, this is our own Cascade along with Gavin on the video testing all copper bullets from Hornady.



In past discussions about ballistic gel tests, if I'm remembering correctly - John Barness outlined some of the standard ways of making sure the gel test will be uniform. Again if I'm remembering correctly, he didn't feel that gel tests mirrored results on game all that well.

It's interesting to me that the Hornady rep told Ted that the 220gr is good for 12" of penetration as it wasn't much more than that I got from the moose and whitetail buck test. Granted I shot through moose hide and bone with the moose and the whitetail had some bone as well.

Still and all, when I initially switched to 200gr Partitions, in the very same place on the mountain where the moose and the whitetail died - I am one to haunt areas that produce for me SuperCub - I came upon another young whitetail buck who was headed away from me but slightly quartering to the right. It looked back over it's right shoulder at me and I thought to myself "here's a good bullet test" so I slid said 200gr Partition just across the right hip, one of the few times I've ever done a rear facing shot on an unwounded buck.

The buck collapsed immediately and after I got it home and all apart my notes indicate that two ribs were broken, the right scapula was shattered and the bullet exited out the throat making for 36" of penetration.

For sure it's an example of one and for sure as well one moose and one whitetail don't make an exhaustive test of the 200gr RN either.

For what it's worth we've been using Hornady GMX and Barnes TSX and TTSX for years now and have yet to see any meaningful difference in how the bullets perform on game.

Hopefully that useful to you or someone out there.

All the best to you and your family this year SuperCub.

Dwayne

Thanks Dwayne ..... We are all well (& blessed) here for 2023.

That's a great field report. The only premium bullets I've used on game is the old NPs. They've always worked well and to honest are all I have right now with the shortages. I've never been one for premiums for deer hunting as all my chamberings offer moderate velocity. The plain old C&Cs work fine for m here. I like to keep the NPs for the occasional moose tag if I get drawn. The last moose I shot was broadside with a 275Rigby and 160gr NPs at about 250yds. Moose died. Never did see that bullet again.

I've shot several , probably 5, deer, an elk and a black bear with corelokt 220s out of a .30-06... Not what you asked I know.

I haven't recovered one yet. Critters have died quickly and I like using them.

-Jake

That seems horrifically lame for a big game bullet, especially a .308 220. I mean, that's a bullet we all expect to penetrate well. For reference, modern handgun ammo for law enforcement is designed to expand and penetrate no less than 12" and no more than 18" in bare ballistic gel and gel covered by fabric, glass, metal, etc. So basically, Hornady has designed the 220 to penetrate to the minimum acceptable depth of defensive handgun ammo.

I understand the magazine thing on some cartridges, but not the -06. I know of zero tube-fed -06s.

I don’t buy it. If they are coming apart, then you used weak spitzers. Bullets of like construction will perform similarly and also be very capable on long shots, if they are a spitzer design.

Use what you want, but the pumpkins belong in the tube-fed rifles.

Not even close. A spitzer bullet is not constructed like a typical RN especially BT's. Look at the Sierra Game king vs the Prohunter. Both spitzers, but both behave differently. I think those who say the RN pumpkins only belong in a tube may have not shot enough elk with them out of a bolt gun to come to that conclusion. I have a few elk kills from 350-400 yards and in the neighborhood of 30-35 kills a lot closer with RN alone. Most of them were found under the hide on the far side. How much more penetration is needed? Will other bullets do the same? Sure and I have used them. I'm not trying to convince you to use RN, only saying you are just wrong in what you post

Late to the party. I haven't used a 220 grain 06 for a couple of years. We used to use a Barnes Original RN 250grain for all 308 cals. They would get to 2600fps in 300Wins and about 2200 fps in 06. These were hot loads in each case. They recoiled sharply but were typically the first round in the gun with Trophy Bonded bullets following for range. Most of the time we nevered had to shoot a second time and they counted on a lot of moose and caribou. I remember 1 blackbear that we shot with them as well. Devasting wound track and they might be recovered on the far side of a moose if you were shooting stem to stern otherwise they would punch clean through. We hunted a lot in the brush and felt that they worked as Grizzly insurance. They were deadly under 250 yds where we typically shot moose. They don't make those old barnes bullets anymore and there is quite the demand for them in Alaska. I do have and shoot 220 rnd nose 06 blue box federal out of my 30/03 1895 and I think that they go about 2200fps. They function very well and are quite accurate for this rifle. I believe that I have about four boxes squirrelled away just for this combo.

Loaded these for a 30-06 for many years. First loaded for my brother's 7400 carbine and he has killed a truckload of whitetails with them. All complete pass throughs, which is not a surprise. I later used the same bullet and load for my 7600 carbine. Shoots very acceptable (~ 1.5" @100) for a short barreled pump rifle. I tend to prefer heavy for caliber in most of my hunting rifles.

Despite all the negative reports I've read in this thread....

the 15 years I lived in Minnesota and hunted Northern MN and Northern Wisconsin for those 15 years.
It was the only bullet I used, in factory produced ammo for my 30/06.

IT NEVER failed, regardless of distance. I wanted a round that would put a deer down on the spot, because you get a runner in those northern swamps.. good luck retrieving it...The furthest distance I ever shot a deer with it, was at 300 yds +...across a Wisconsin swamp.

Had to walk a good 1/2 mile or more around the swamp to locate the buck, I'd shot on the other side. When I came upon it, it was laying dead and had a little blood spot on its right side, right behind the shoulder... I turned it over, and it had another quarter sized exit hole, and there was 5 or 6 corn kernals laying on the ground with the exit hole.. and not much blood laying on the ground....

When I cut it open to gut it, the lungs and the top of the liver looked like it had been stirred with a chain saw....

Snow on the ground, showed it had dropped at my shot, DRT.. Never knew what hit him...

With that much sectional density of a 220 grainer, when I shoot it at steel at 300 yds, it certainly hits that plate with authority...
its FT/LB numbers may not look real impressive on a from a reload manual... but when it hits, it certainly will penetrate thru right quite a bit.

I've never recovered a bullet when using the 220 grain RN...be it corelokt, or a Hornady or Sierra S.P.

If I need a bullet with some real thump when using an 06 or 300 Win Mag, it is the one I purchased... Been handloading since 1995.
With RL 22 in an 06, you get 2650 fps at the Muzzle... with 83 grains of H1000 in a 300 Win Mag with it, its MV is just short of 3000 fps.

The way the 300 Win Mag slaps a steel gong at 300 yds, with that bullet, is IMPRESSIVE. Certainly gets the attention of others down at the Shooting Range.

220s in a 7600 30-06 Carbine would be a handful, esp at the bench.

I purchased a bunch of them on a good deal and loaded them in my Browning 06 for hogs here in south Georgia. Every hog I've shot died, but I was no particularly impressed with penetration or weigh retention. Still, out of an 06, I'm sure they'll suffice.

I picked up some as well for reasonable coin but have yet to use them. It may be that these were more designed around 30-40krag velocity window? IDK. It sounds like if their slowed down a touch they might be decent

I hope nobody minds if I ask a related question.... I have 6 boxes of (30 year old, properly stored ) Winchester Silvertip .30-06 220 grain on hand. Never used them on game. Do the 220 gr. Silvertips behave similar to the Hornady 220 RN?

I think the 220 old Silver Tip pentrated better and held more. Ted Hazelwood killed a Cape Buffalo 🐃 with the 220 Old Silve Tip in the 300 Win mag

Those should work great on a bull winkle.

Cast. I have an Alaskan book at home by a noted Alaska hunter. He mostly used 220 coreloke in his .30-06, but one fall used 180 gr. Silvertips, as I remember the story, they expanded too much and he never used them again. Now that was 180's,but I have shot a number of deer with Silvertip 220s and they really put a hole in whitetails. I was shooting a ,300 WM, but the expansion was something else.
As a side in Africa I shot a wildbeaste with my ,300 and a 200 gr Nosler Part. I hit the left shoulder, and we found the bullet in the right hip. He was facing me at a slight angle. You might just have to try the Silvertips and see, but maybe with a deer or black bear first.

I finished a wounded elk with one by shooting it in the neck, it was laying down head up looking at me. the bullet hit mid neck and though it killed the elk the bullet did not exit. This was out of a 30-06 pushed by a top load of H4831. Was not impressed with the Hornady 220 gr. RN myself.

I've killed many whitetails with 30 cal round nose of all sorts. The are the best bullet for dropping game right there when dealing with that size game. Going elk or bigger, they come apart. My brother has shot a few elk with them and they dont do well hitting any bone or even exiting. IMO, they are better suited for medium size game

I've no experience with a 220 load, but then I tend not to favor maximum bullet weights per caliber.. for example, after experimentation, I think the 225 and 250 loads are best in the .338WM. I have only used the 100 gr in .243, however. It's done everything I've asked of it from Dall sheep to caribou, to moose.

Why go 220 in the '06? I see no gain in function, on paper, not having used it myself. Aaguard showed the 180 had the best penetration in his tests. It is my preferred. round, tho i do use the 165 and 150. The 180 and 165 will do every thing I've required in NA, JJ Hack, with far more experience than I, thought the 165 was the ideal '06 load. I can't disagree - I just like the 180.


But YMMV. Nothing wrong with that.

But if you "need" more - use a premium.

Anyone try the sierra 220 roundnose? I know a guy that uses them in a 300 win mag. They work great on dear. Never recovered one

I use the Sierra 220 grn roundnose at 2450 fps out of my 1895 on elk. I too have not recovered one yet on broadside shots. Ive got plenty of other 30 caliber projectiles but use those pointed bullets in my .308 or 300's. A 220 roundnose just seems "right" in a 1895.

Regards,
Manny

Those are the only ones I have ever used. Work great on elk. I used them mostly in the thick heavy blow down timber where shots were usually closer than 50yards. They didn't come apart like the lighter bullet.Probably about 2500fps. I did shoot few elk at longer distances with them and they worked just as well.