Been shooting Hornady 165 Spire Points in a M70 308 and wanted to try the 165 Interbonds Have been using IMR 4064 at 44 g....need good load for whitetails. This bullet suppose to give more penetration, pass thru, better blood trail.

46 gr’s Varget.

But I can’t see how the IB will really be any better on whitetail than the regular Hornady.

44.0 grains of RL-15. Federal 210M primers.

Welcome to The 'fire.

RS

Thanks RipSnot, looking forward to the forum...you guys got load of knowledge.

I use the 165 gr IB in my 30.06.

Don't buy a lot of them until you have developed a load - they can be finicky on accuracy.

For whitetails, it is probably wasted money...….over the 165 gr Interlock. But I guess it may give you peace of mind.

I am reserving my IB for moose and elk now and switching to 165 gr Interlocks for deer.

Don't know about the .308 but I have been shooting 165gr. Sierra Game Kings over IMR 4350 in my .30-06. Excellent accuracy and performance on whitetails, it was the load I used to harvest my two KY deer this year.

Couple more good loads with Accurate 4064 and TAC.I also used a Winchester Magnum Primer and a Nosler 168gr Ballistic Tip on these

That exactly what I did....bought box of 100 from Midway and plan to try. The Interlock has served me well for years and one heck of a bullet, just know us old guys have to try something different now and then.

Baldhunter, what velocity you getting in the 45.5 Varget load in first picture.....nice group there.

Just me, but I'd start with the same load then try other stuff as needed....unless you're just wanting to experiment.

Just a little over 2700fps with the 45.5 Varget load.Winchester case and Winchester Large Rifle Primer.

I use Win. case and LR primers....the Varget and IMR 4064 produces very similar fps for grains used. You probably have 24" barrel in the CZ 550? My M70 is a 22". Thanks.

My experience is the same as Brad's. While have gotten pretty good accuracy with some Interbonds, they often refuse to shoot as well as Interlocks in the same weight/diameter--and at .308 velocities sincerely doubt you will find any difference in terminal performance either. In fact doubt you'd see much difference there even with today's 165 SST's, which expand and penetrate at least as well as Interlocks.

The .308 will shoot well with a BUNCH of powders. I tend to use Varget because of living and doing most of my hunting in Montana, due to both its temperature resistance and fine accuracy. It is VERY rare to find a .308 that won't shoot 165 grain bullets with around 46 grains.

308 & 165/168's... great combo!

I don't know much about the Interbond - but every 165 or 168 gr bullet I've used from my 308's has shot well. Most of them loaded over Varget, though I have used other powders time to time. Wore out a couple of 308 Win barrels I shot 308's so much for a few years. That's a lot of shooting!

Enjoy

As Mule Deer says, the 308 does really well with an enormous variety of powders. I have most of those that work well with it, including TAC, MR2000, RL15, etc., but Varget is my go-to 308 powder.

The last bull I shot was with my 308 and a 165 Hdy SPBT:

Brad - I'd say it appears to have worked reasonably well.

Congrats on a nice bull!

Guy

Let me just add another +1 for the 165 grain IL . I've been using it on whitetails since 2001, in a bunch of 30-06, 308WIN and others. I've never had a problem with the bullet.

Hi Brad,
Is that a M70 EW pictured with that fine Elk?

Doug, that's a Kimber MT.

Same rifle, different elk (165 Speer Hotcore):

I can see that Montana well in that picture. Another nice bull!

.

“You got to dance with who brung ya,
Swing with who swung ya,
Life aint no 40 yard dash.
Be in it for the long run,
In the long run you’ll have more fun
If you dance with who brought you to the bash.”


Stick with what works.

Reloder28, been reading the ballistics on the Interbond in the 308 and they just a bit better than the Interlock. Never lost a deer with the Interlock but have seen that bullet destroy a lot of meat with shots over the years.....that why I wanted to try the Interbond. I shot one at 320 yds. few years ago out of M70 using the Interlock 165, and missed right behind the shoulder just a bit, hit more forward and it completely destroyed both shoulders. Have always wondered if that would have happened with the 165 Interbond with same hit at that distance. Suppose to get the bullets today and will load up few for next year. Thanks for chiming in, ya'll have a Happy New Year.

If 42 gr of IMR4895 doesn't give you 1 hole groups , you should sell the rifle.

The .308 Win. just has a way of growing on ya. Give it a chance.

I’m not saying don’t try the 165IB, and I’ve only shot 2 deer ever with the 165 IL out of a 308.... but I’ve shot probably 30 or so with the 150flat base IL and never found a bullet still in the deer. Mostly does but a few respectable bucks. No Texas heart shoots either. But if you’re looking for noticeably more penetration I’d look at the 168tsx. Only ever recovered two of those but one was a big zebra stallion quartering away and the other was a black wildebeest shot straight on. Found that one against his pelvis. H4895 was the powder. Good luck.

The animals you took with tye TTSX are bigger than deer and offer more resistance. Granted this is only a sample size of one, but I tried the 180gr TTSX in my 300WM this year for deer. Shot a 160#buck at 65yds broadside. I saw the hit and he just continued eating. Walked 10yds andcstarted eating again before tipping over. Dime size hole all of the way thru. No massive internal damage although he was filled with blood. Not one speck though along the path he walked or where he was standing when I shot him.

I was shooting 168TSX not the TTSX. IF I could hunt with only one bullet it would definitely be a TSX or TTSX.....I have probably shot more animals with a150IL than anything....but I have shot probably 20 or more species of animals with the TSX. Springbok to eland the TSX has worked every single time. Probably 8-10 deer also.

The speer 165g HOT CORE is tougher than the 165g Hornady's. I love the 165g hornady flat base bullet in how it kills in the thick that we hunt.

Rifles that do not like a nosler bullet will often like a Speer, Sierra, or Hornady.

Bought my first 308 as a teen in 1977. Graduated to bigger & better (so I thought) over the years. Decided to drag the Old Faithful 308 out of the safe this year. Hunted with it the whole season. I loaded 48.5 gr Varget over a 155 Scenar &, I'm telling you, the round is a death ray. I believe I will continue to hunt with it.

I have great luck with the Interlocks out of my 270 on whitetails, I always thought they were a great bargain for a very effective hunting bullet.

I am with mule deer, could not have said it better myself !!!!