Hornady Interlock Bullets?

[antelopedundee]

They are good bullets for sure. One thing I've noticed is that when the shelves are empty that there is always plenty of Hornady bullets in stock at most places.

 

[Dan O]

In 1972 I shot my first Elk it was a 5 point bull. My buddy and I snuck in on two 5x5's and we both shot and dropped both Elk. His was standing and mine was running. Each dropped when hit DRT. Both were shot with Hornady 180 grain spire points shot from two pre 64 model 70's in 300 H&H. I think they were interlocks but may have been regular cup and core but the fact is they worked great.
Now days I use Nosler Partitions or Accubonds or Barnes TTSX. In retrospect I may be over doing it with premium bullets but maybe not.

 

[Don Fischer]

Don't elk hunt much anymore, at my age I worry about getting one out if I shot it. But have killed a decent number with my 6.5x06 and 140gr Hornady bullet's, all one shot kills. My last elk rifle was a 30-06 and I chose to go with the 180gr Hornady Interlock, no regrets . Three elk all one shot kills. For many years for deer I used a 308 and 165gr Hornady bullet's was pretty much all I shot in it. Never had a good shot fail and never a regret using them. Shot them into newspaper piled at 100yds years ago to see what happened with the bullet's. !65gr bullet's after firing retained 84% of their weight. The core was loose in the jacket but no separation. When I started with my 6.5x06 my plan was for 140gr Nosler Partitions. Breaking in I used 140gr Hornadys though. Found out that the partition and the Hornady inter lock both fired to the same POA! Messed up and when elk season opened I didn't have any partitions so went with the Hornady and never looked back.

 

[Jbotto]

They are good bullets for sure. One thing I've noticed is that when the shelves are empty that there is always plenty of Hornady bullets in stock at most places.

Yep. Have a practice load using the great Sierra 165gr GameKing for my .30-06. Haven’t been able to find them in months so I finally dropped my stubbornness and picked up a couple hundred 165gr Interlocks to try. They were on the shelf at a bunch of different stores on a recent trip to Billings, so why not try them!?

 

[antelopedundee]

Yep. Have a practice load using the great Sierra 165gr GameKing for my .30-06. Haven’t been able to find them in months so I finally dropped my stubbornness and picked up a couple hundred 165gr Interlocks to try. They were on the shelf at a bunch of different stores on a recent trip to Billings, so why not try them!?

Exactly. I suspect that there may not be much difference between the 2 performance-wise.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I can’t speak to how they work on elk, but innerlocks are great on deer

 

[Brian in Montana]

I've shot a couple elk and about a dozen deer with the 165gn Interlocks out of a .308 but it was all factory ammo - Hornady Custom or American Whitetail. It's a good bullet and I've always been impressed with the design and what they do on the receiving end. For me, they always expand reliably and don't fly apart. I've had a little trouble getting my handloads very accurate with this bullet though. My wife's .270 shoots the 130 and 140gn bullets pretty good, but my .308 doesn't like them as well as some other bullets. Its about 1 MOA using H4895.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I killed a moose in 2012 with a 270 using 140gr interlock bullets. Bullet worked just fine.

 

[Arch Stanton]

165g BTSP interlock in a 30-06 and 308 has done very well for us. They shoot great, animals fall quick, and they used to be cheap when you could find them

 

[Don Fischer]

In 1972 I shot my first Elk it was a 5 point bull. My buddy and I snuck in on two 5x5's and we both shot and dropped both Elk. His was standing and mine was running. Each dropped when hit DRT. Both were shot with Hornady 180 grain spire points shot from two pre 64 model 70's in 300 H&H. I think they were interlocks but may have been regular cup and core,,,,,,,

There was no interlock in 1972. The was the spire point, same bullet without the interlocking ring. I tested some 154gr Hornadys back in the early 1970's. in a 7mm Rem Mag, into some newspaper at 100 yds. They retained about 85% of their weight but the core shot loose in the jacket. I could twist the core in the jackets with my finger easly. But the weight they retained really impressed me and for the next maybe 40 yrs, Hornady was my bullet of choice for big game. Notice I did not say best, but my choice and then I'd say as good as any including the partition back then. How well any bullet proforms depends on how well you select your shot, the bullet you shoot and above all else how well you place the bullet. No elk hit in the brain with a 22 mag RF from about 30 yds is going to walk away. But the same elk hit in the guts with a big magnum will most likely run off! Knowng how to use the bullet you choose and where to place it with is the key!

 

[Don Fischer]

Interlocks are the poor mans partition. Perfect for your ‘06

I think I read years ago that a one time all Weatherby ammo was actually loaded with Hornady Spire Point bullet's. That's got to say something considering the velocity the Weatherby's reach. Those spire point sare today's interlock with the addition of the interlock ring.

 

[Red-Team 98]

I just ordered a couple boxes of boat-tail 30 calibre Hornady Interlock in 165 gr for my 30-06. No experience with them but it's all that was available in that calibre and weight on line up here in Canada. I would have preferred Nosler Partitions as that's what my gun is set for right now but absolutely none to be had. I have about a dozen of Nosler loads left and that should be enough to get me through rechecking the zero when I get to Montana and shooting another deer and maybe an elk. But if there's any problems at the range, I want to have some more loaded up. If these new bullets don't work out at the range I can sell the second box to the local gun store at cost and shipping. They only have one box of 30 cal @ 150 gr plain jane lead soft point which is just too light for elk.

Anyone have experience with these bullets? Because they were actually available when nothing else is, I'm a bit nervous they may have a bad reputation. Hope not. Thanks.

I would not go less than 165gr for elk.
Most prefer 180gr the Hornady SP Spitzer is a standard cup and core bullet but actually performs better on game than ELDX. I use the 165gr Hornady SP in 308 win with excellent results on caribou.

 

[wyoboypt]

I love the interlocks from my .270. Killed a bunch of elk with them.

 

[Red-Team 98]

I love the interlocks from my .270. Killed a bunch of elk with them.

Love the 270 win killed my first elk and caribou and many deer with a 270 win.
Reloader 22 and 130/150 Nosler Part. for years.

 

[Don Fischer]

Only thing I hunt with my 30-06 is elk and bullet of choice is the 180gr Hornady interlock. Have killed three with my 6.5x06 and the bullet was the 140gr Interlock. Only flaw I found with the old spire point was the core was loose in the jacket but did stay together. I shot a few deer and a black bear in Montana with the 140gr Sierra Spitzer and it was a mistake, bullet's came apart. Those Sierras were pre Pro Hunter's, which I never tried, so Maybe Sierra upgraded them. I find something that works, I simply don't change. Can't normally see fixing something that ain't broke. Back in those days I used 160gr Speer hot cores in the 7mm mag. They won out over Hornady in that old 7mm mag because they were just a bit more accurate! These days with my 6.5x55 and 6.5x06 I am back to Speer Hot Core's. Spent a lot of years thinking about it and actually those Hot Cores probably did out proform the Hornady but that would be splitting hairs. Shot both into newspaper at 100 yds and the Hornady retained 85% of it's weight while leaving the core and jacket loose. The Hot Core shot at the same time also retained 85% of it's weight but the core and jacket were tight! The difference was about 1/8th in accuracy form the same rifle. That today sounds like poor reasoning! I would recommend Hornady bullet's anytime, killed a lot of animals with them and not the first problem. I believe the deal with cup and core bullet's is that to much velocity with to light a bullet tends to tear up the bullet. No idea what a 139gr bullet would have done in that old 7mm mag. I suspect the only way to not have to worry about blowing up bullet's is mono bullet's. Never tried them. Who knows maybe the bonded bullet's will hold together too, never tried anything other than the Hot Cores and people get upset if I mention them and bonded as equals! Those Hornady 165gr bullet's should work well! Sometiume's there is no choice, you just have to use what you can get.

 

[Red-Team 98]

Sierra has always great for accuracy but weight retention is not Sierra great tribute even with the new Game Changer Tipped bullets.
Speer Hot Cor process worked well as well as Hornady interlock SP. over the years especially in 308 Win I have harvested deer with all of them mostly 165gr in 308 Win. The Sierra 165 GK worked great on deer and caribou. The Hornady and Speer 165gr Spitzers also worked great. I mostly run 165gr Hornady SP now with 165gr Fail Safe bullets for moose in my 308 Win.
For Elk I used 165gr Nosler Part and 44.0 of IMR 4064 for years in the 308 Win.

 

[belshawelk]

Out of 8 different factory loads it may have been the most accurate one by far in perhaps my 6.5 Cr if I had one.

American Whitetail

 

[antelopedundee]

Interlocks and other Hornady bullets are also usually the least expensive when looking at bullet selections on the shelf.

 

[wsco3506]

I have used interlocks in .243, 7mm08, 308, 30-06, and 35 whelen. They have always seemed to be one of the easiest bullets to develop an accurate load with.--R

 

[Don Fischer]

I have used interlocks in .243, 7mm08, 308, 30-06, and 35 whelen. They have always seemed to be one of the easiest bullets to develop an accurate load with.--R

I have 2-243's. In one I use 75gr Hornady v-max and they are really fragile. Firing them through a paper target attached to a 1 11/2" piece of foam the bullet's blew up leaving jacket metal all over the ground behind the target. The other 243 likes 70gr SMK's best but don't know that they are as fragile as the v-max. In those rifles those bullet's seem to do just what I want, blow up! I don't hunt big game with either. Have shot deer, actually three with a 243 using 100gr bullet's but just don't care for the 100gr bullet and it is a Hornady. Not one good reason why I don't like it other than I think I have other rifles that with different bullet simply suit me better. On the down side, hit a deer in the head with a 75gr v-max or 70gr SMK out of the 243 and the deer will best just as dead as if shot with anything else!