Cnkhunting
Well-Known Member
How are these bullets? Do they hold up good? Thinking of trying for elk this fall
How are these bullets? Do they hold up good? Thinking of trying for elk this fall
What he said. They are great for smaller deer then Elk. Will they kill a Elk -Yes ,but they are very explosive. IMO.They are essentially the standard hornady interlock spire point with a slightly different geometry and a polymer tip. Not the greatest bc, but a decent mid range bullet. In other words, if you don't intend to run them too fast, they work fine. Impact speeds above 3000ish are pretty violent in my experience. Also, if significant heavy bone is hit, like spine or an elk shoulder joint, they tend to come apart, as most standard non-bonded cup and core bullets do. They have still done the job for me in those occasions, just messy.
Keep impact speeds above 1800ish and below 2800, and off heavy bone, and you will likely be happy. They aren't anything fancy, just think of them like a standard spire point bullet with a colorful tip that you can't write with to fill out your tag.
Heavy for caliber SST bullets for elk work great. I used to load the 162gr SST for my dad in his 7 SAUM and he took a few bulls with it. Go through the shoulder no problem, they hold together pretty well.
I use the 139gr in my 7mm-08 and it works great, but I would not load it on a 7SAUM or 7mm Rem Mag, too light, too fast and end up in bullet blow up at close range, but the 162gr is a great bullet for 7mm magnum cartridges. On 30 cal I would use the 180gr for magnum velocities.
You need to be more specific on caliber, weight, cartridge, and distances. Not all of the same bullet brand acts the same across the board, whether that's different calibers or different weights in the same caliber. A 225 grain SST from a .338 WinMag is not the same as a 150 gr SST from a .300 WinMag. Also a 162 gr in 7mm will act differently than a 139 gr. I'd shoot elk with a 7 mag loaded with the 162, but would not with the 139. I have loaded both for over 20 years. I've never seen a 139 hold together on a deer, even at somewhat reduced velocity. I've also never seen a 162 fail to fully penetrate from 40 yards to 450, even when put through a deer shoulder. Both will expand rather quickly, however the 162 has a much longer shank that holds the cup & core together.How are these bullets? Do they hold up good? Thinking of trying for elk this fall
You are absolutely right, weight and caliber makes a big difference.You need to be more specific on caliber, weight, cartridge, and distances. Not all of the same bullet brand acts the same across the board, whether that's different calibers or different weights in the same caliber. A 225 grain SST from a .338 WinMag is not the same as a 150 gr SST from a .300 WinMag. Also a 162 gr in 7mm will act differently than a 139 gr. I'd shoot elk with a 7 mag loaded with the 162, but would not with the 139. I have loaded both for over 20 years. I've never seen a 139 hold together on a deer, even at somewhat reduced velocity. I've also never seen a 162 fail to fully penetrate from 40 yards to 450, even when put through a deer shoulder. Both will expand rather quickly, however the 162 has a much longer shank that holds the cup & core together.