Hornady Interlock experiences

[timbernomad]

Looking for experience regarding Interlock bullets, particularly in 6mm/.243. What minimum velocities are you seeing for sufficient expansion? I’m asking because someone gave me a couple boxes of 100gr 6mm BTSP bullets.

 

[TaperPin]

Hornady says 1750 fps, which sounds about right. They open about as fast as other traditional designs. We considered the Interlocks about like a Nosler Ballistic tip or ordinary bullet out of factory ammo.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Looking for experience regarding Interlock bullets, particularly in 6mm/.243. What minimum velocities are you seeing for sufficient expansion? I’m asking because someone gave me a couple boxes of 100gr 6mm BTSP bullets.

I killed a whitetail buck with one last year using my .243. High lung shot. 60 yards. DRT.

I would trust them at or above 1800 GPS.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[ozyclint]

Used them in my 270 since forever. Great bullet.

 

[marksman1941]

At very close range I’d be wary. Small sample size here, but the only buck I’ve lost was due to Hornady white tail 100gr interlock in my .243. Shot a buck at 50 yards in the neck (poor shot) and knocked it, then it got up and took off. Found it 3 hours later just feeding away, a little trickle of blood running down its neck. Went for a shoulder shot to drop it (20yards) and made a solid hit, but it disappeared. Looked for a day and a half in thick brush. I’m guessing the bullet was going too fast for impact and broke apart on the shoulder?

 

[Steve300xcw]

the bullet was going too fast for impact

Huh?

 

[Steve300xcw]

Notta bullet I'd use if I was going to be canyon shooting.

That said a btsp has put alotta game on the ground.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

From my experience using them both the .243, .270, and 30-06 they perform a lot like a SST. Manufacture states around 1800 fps if I recall but I always add about 100 fps for cup and cores and anymore from 200-300 fps with monolithic for the minimum expansion threshold. That's just been my experience.

 

[TxLite]

From my experience using them both the .243, .270, and 30-06 they perform a lot like a SST.

Isn’t the sst just a tipped interlock?

 

[Chris in TN]

I've shot a lot of deer with them over the years, but always in the larger calibers, like .308/165s. I'd prefer to keep them above 2000' and below 3000' but that's a pretty wide range.

Lower BC than a lot of alternatives, but they've always shot well for me.

To answer the above question about the SST....yes, the SST is basically a tipped interlock. IME the SST will expand more readily due to the tip. YMMV.

 

[haywoodhunter]

Post in thread '6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game'
https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/6mm-243-hunting-success-on-big-game.284525/post-3957685

I’ve used interlocks in 243, 6rem, 270win, 7mm-08, 7RM, and 308. Always worked well for me. I posted last fall some pics from deer and pigs (granted very small deer).

 

[marksman1941]

Huh?

Hard to say without ever recovering the buck. But my guess was that it didn’t hold together when it hit. There woulda been a dead deer laying there if it had.

 

[Choupique]

They seem to open easier than most other cup and core bullets in my experience. Never had a problem with opening. Have had some trouble with jacket separation on high speed impacts. Mostly with 150gr .308 on deer inside of 75 yards and .270 with 130gr inside 75 yards. Really high speed impacts. I recall being told they are constructed differently for different calibers, with the bigger bore and heavier weights being proportionally more heavy duty based on what hornady expects them to be used for.

 

[CJ19]

I am not sure If you are using a .243 win. any 243 loads in the hornady book or 243 factory ammo with interlocks should be absolutely fine to 400 yards. The specifics of velocities of your loads may become more relevant If you are looking specifically for longer range shooting. A family member killed a large elk with 6mm interlocks in a magnum this year at just under 300 yards. The elk died immediately and fell upon bullet impact. No steps taken. My family has taken many deer with interlocks and they are reliable so long as the hunter does their part.

Here is hornadys information on interlocks with the .243 win

243 Win 100 gr InterLock® BTSP American Whitetail® - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

...

www.hornady.com

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Isn’t the sst just a tipped interlock?

Pretty much. I do think that polymer tips does aid in a little bit more in how violently the bullet acts but that interlock will have zero problems killing animals effectively.