When did the old Corelokt PSP/Interlock/Super-X style bullets quit being effective?

[memtb]

That is the whole point. They are not cautious, they lost my trust. If you list a bullet load with a TSX and list the same amount of powder and COL with the TTSX, it is WRONG! I was not going to argue with them. Got about 250 left, I know what to do, and I am glad I do not have to use non-lead where I hunt.

I see your point……and perhaps your caution!

I'm glad that I don't "have" to use mono bullets either! I tried the Barnes Bullets in the early '90's. I was quickly convinced that they were the finest bullet made at that time for the ranges that I hunt and they met my desires of bullet performance on game after impact!

They have only improved their product over the years…even if their load data leaves some to be desired!

I have never held absolute faith in "any" data provided by anyone! I see their data as merely reference data for a starting point. I use my own findings and research for my final product!

I'm not saying that I will not change to another bullet….but I'm completely satisfied with Barnes. I have enough components to carry me to my grave. So, I guess that I'll continue to use them…..in spite of the apparent short comings of their load data! memtb

 

[bultinkle]

Recovered weight…..65 to 68%? What was the deer size…..deep south sized or Canadian

West Nc decent but nothing special, not a northern buck

What was estimated impact velocity?

2400-2500

What was the bullet path through the animal.

Broadside slightly quartered not much

Was there any heavy bone encountered?

Whitetail buck shoulder, plate not the not and a rib iirc

Inquiring minds! memtb

It worked, nothing special. I was surprised to find it. I've shot quite a few with that bullet years ago, usually get exits. Not my preference now but I wouldn't be worried about it for what I use/d them for.

 

[P7M13]

Soft lead round ball out of a flint lock still works just fine.

 

[memtb]

West Nc decent but nothing special, not a northern buck

2400-2500

Broadside slightly quartered not much

Whitetail buck shoulder, plate not the not and a rib iirc

It worked, nothing special. I was surprised to find it.

I was surprised also…..hence all of the questions!

 

[comfisherman]

I wonder, maybe technology allows making rifles faster, with less human hands-on involvement, and not necessarily more accurate.

Was explained to me It's a product of widespread use of modern cnc. Started with the Tikka line a few years back, emphasis on machining streamlining allowed for exacting tolerance. Worked so well that's functionally what the rar and so many others have adapted the idea. Modern rifles in that vein with plastic stocks are shockingly consistent especially factoring in cost. It's a fair argument that they lack the flair of a pre 64 winchester but man do they shoot.

I buy machined products for fixing/building boats, my mind is perpetually blown at how fast and accurate something can be made with modern techniques. (Conversly also amazed at how long other parts can take).

Still have some magazines from gun rags from 30 years ago. Either were all liars, or modern guns and ammo are shooting a lot better.

My truck has 2x rifles in it for this weekend, eliminate the leica, the smart phone, just look at the scopes. Compare them to my parents aged optics let alone the janky dull blury fixed power scopes my grandfather used my age... it's wild.

Bullets might not have grown by leaps and bounds, but it's been far from static. Not saying any have no place, heck I still like to shoot an old haken with a patch and ball.


This just happens to be long range hunting not just hunting. Regrettably since my move away from the high desert my shots have shrunk and long range is a skill set that I try to keep, not the only focus like it once was. Shooting 300-800 in sage and rolling fields in perpetual swirling wind, that's when the benefit of the sleek tipped bullets really shined. Enough so it was hard to use anything less wind resistant, overbore and sleek was even better.

For each guy hunting the same rifle and ammo bought long before I was born, is another that gets more than one identical prefit barrel to wear out.

 

[asd9055]

Several bullet manufacturers list multiple bullet constructions with same weight using same load data, Hornady, Nosler, to name a couple.

Glad you mentioned Nosler. Look at their load data. You will notice that the COAL is different for different bullets in the same caliber, powder and weight, because of different bullet length. Has to do with how deep the bullet base is in the case, which affects pressure.

 

[asd9055]

I see your point……and perhaps your caution!

I'm glad that I don't "have" to use mono bullets either! I tried the Barnes Bullets in the early '90's. I was quickly convinced that they were the finest bullet made at that time for the ranges that I hunt and they met my desires of bullet performance on game after impact!

They have only improved their product over the years…even if their load data leaves some to be desired!

I have never held absolute faith in "any" data provided by anyone! I see their data as merely reference data for a starting point. I use my own findings and research for my final product!

I'm not saying that I will not change to another bullet….but I'm completely satisfied with Barnes. I have enough components to carry me to my grave. So, I guess that I'll continue to use them…..in spite of the apparent short comings of their load data! memtb

Totally agree with you. I started wondering about published data from most manufacturers long ago. Thats why we start low ad work up! Find something that works for you, stick with it. Experiment for fun, but for real business stick with what you know works for you!

 

[Calvin45]

I use core lockt bullets in my deer rifles as well as power points. They have always been more than effective on everything I hunt which includes hogs.

My whole family preferred Winchester super x power points over the cor lokt line. I know many people love corlokt but all it takes is one bad experience to put a bad taste in a persons mouth. And my uncle had that experience! Total fluke no doubt but he had a corelokt completely explode on a whitetail shoulder so bad that most of the bullet didn't mKe it into the thoracic cavity, a few fragments managed to get through and take out one lung. That animal ran forever it seemed before the found it. And this wasn't a high velocity impact…180 grain out of a .308 Winchester, absolutely no reason that should happen and it still doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Rabbitslayer78]

If they only could fly like a Berger.

 

[tigerrose01]

I see your point……and perhaps your caution!

I'm glad that I don't "have" to use mono bullets either! I tried the Barnes Bullets in the early '90's. I was quickly convinced that they were the finest bullet made at that time for the ranges that I hunt and they met my desires of bullet performance on game after impact!

They have only improved their product over the years…even if their load data leaves some to be desired!

I have never held absolute faith in "any" data provided by anyone! I see their data as merely reference data for a starting point. I use my own findings and research for my final product!

I'm not saying that I will not change to another bullet….but I'm completely satisfied with Barnes. I have enough components to carry me to my grave. So, I guess that I'll continue to use them…..in spite of the apparent short comings of their load data! memtb

I'm with you on the Barnes...started with the TTSX and switched all of my hunting rifles to them after seeing how they work on game. Especially amazing on deer from my 30-06 and 300 RUM even though the 300 RUM is more than I need for sure. Superb accuracy on both and the perfect wound channel. I previously used the Nosler BT and liked it in the 30-06 but was looking for something with less meat damage. I think I now have enough for all my future needs...unless I win a lottery and increase my calibers or something else strange happens.

 

[crkckr]

The Core-Lokt never stopped being exactly what it was to me... useless! This is especially true if you use a light for caliber rifle (say a 270 Win) on something big, like an elk. In that specific instance I've seen more bullet failures than I care to think about. When used with the proper weight bullet matched to the critter you seek, and within a certain range, they work - usually. But not always. Too close and they blow up. A bit too far and they don't open up and become drills. I've seen both.

However, I got hooked on Partitions very early on (my hunting mentor used them so I followed him) and they have never failed me. Sometimes, at very close ranges (which I happen to work hard at) they might be a little to effective and ruin some meat but I would much rather deal with that than having to chase after anything.

Personally, I've sold rifles that wouldn't shoot Partitions the way I want. They don't shoot well out of every rifle, but then no bullet escapes that fact of life. They aren't the perfect bullet but then again, I think they come as close as any other bullet out there. If you're stuck in some commie state that doesn't allow you to shoot lead bullets then I'm guessing the mono bullets will simply have to do. It's not like you have a choice there!

The Partition is the Gold Standard against which all other bullets are judged. There may be some that work as well but none that work better! As long as you have a rifle that shoots them well, it's about as good as it gets! I once shot a wounded antelope that another hunter (and I use that term lightly) had shot and finally killed with a 700 yard shot with my Win .270 Win and the bullet hit a rib going in, mushroomed perfectly, and slipped out between ribs on the other side. The goat dropped right there (he had his lower jaw blown off by the other guy). Thing is, I was totally unprepared for a shot at that distance and literally guessed at the hold over... it was perhaps the 4th or 5th shot at subsequently longer distances until I got lucky and connected. And that's all it was for me, dumb luck. After that I began practicing at longer ranges, just in case. While I always tried to get as close as possible, if that longer range shot was all I could get, I was able to take it. It paid off a couple of times, too. Lessons learned the hard way!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Nipper]

I love the basic soft points especially in heavier weights at moderate to slow cartridges. I opt for them in my 8mm Mauser not only because they're affordable and it's not a long range rifle, but because for the ranges it might be used at at the impact velocities it generates I do not believe there is any need for "premium bullets" - whether stouter or of higher bc, and in fact I think a lot of premiums WOULDNT be as deadly as a nice soft easy mushrooming bullet like the ppu 196 soft point.

I've taken more deer with 270 win using Winchester super x power point before I hand loaded and hornady interlocks after I started handloading than any other cartridge.

They can be wonderfully simple and easy to work with.

THAT BEING SAID….I also love trying so many different things! Besides ordinary soft points I presently have loads developed or waiting for development in 7 different cartridges using hammer hunters, absolute hammers, Barnes tsx, Barnes tac-tx, Barnes x, woodleigh weldcores, Nosler ballistic tip, hornady eld m, Sierra matchking, Sierra TMK, federal trophy bonded tips, swift sciroccos, swift a frames, Berger hunting VLDs, Hawk bullets (which really are just soft points but with pure copper and lead, not gilding metal and alloyed lead…all at once softer AND tougher or at least less frangible) and perhaps one or two others I'm forgetting. I know I don't "need" any of them but I find it satisfying to put together the most capable rounds possible, not just what works.

One could ask, of these soft points and smokeless powders when they first came out,

"When did soft lead at 1100 fps stop being able to kill things?"

Of magnum cartridges

"Didn't our fathers kill everything on God's green earth with .30-30s, .303s, .300 savage, and .30-06? Were the animals just easier to kill then?"

Or

"When did animals and enemies become immune to a good old lead round ball?"

Of rifled barrels…

"Do you really NEED a gyroscopically stabilized long bullet to kill something?"

Of guns in general…

"When did arrows start just bouncing off things?"

Of arrows…

"What ever happened to throwing rocks or bashing your opponent over the head with a big stick like we did in the good old days?"

Basic soft points are no less deadly than they've been…same goes for rocks and big sticks used correctly

But we're always after the best possible performance even where it's totally redundant and not needed. A Honda civic gets you from point a to point b just like whatever your dream car could….

Well Said!

 

[V35BTC]

You can still find fish in a lake with a paper type graph, but a Garmin Livescope is on a higher level. Bullets are the same, Core Lokts and similar still kills them just as dead as they did, but there are more options now. Human nature is to give yourself the most advantage you can whether it is hunting, fishing, playing baseball or whatever it may be. Bullet design is no exception when a certain demographic wants to take their game to a different level.

 

[69precision]

Like the old .30-30: Great deer rifle for decades but it's no longer good enough.

Still plenty good enough within its limits which is basically less than 200 yards. Most folks want more capability than that, whether they need it or not.