Are Core Loks really junk?!

HIcountryman

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Stepping back in my time machine.... i shoot a .30 06 at an elk every now and then (most killing takes place in MZ seasons the last few years) and wondering what the hell bullet to use. I am not reloading now (used to do it at a friend's house but i moved away), was using Hornady SST 180 gr ... good on deer but questionable on elk. Local expert (you could tell by his ample attitude) told me SST is "too frangible" to be a reliable elk bullet. Suggested nosler accubond or partition.
Fast forward to Christmas sale at same store - part timer at store is a long-time elk guide and he lists some good bullets for elk- including Core Loks! I don't think he got the proper training to upsell the inventory... There wasn't much on the shelves anyway so i didn't walk out of there with a thing.
I know there are better bullets out there, but given the price and their longevity,.. does anyone here still use them? Ever had any truly bad performance by the bullet? Is 165 grain better performance tradeoff (distance/energy) than 180 Gr out of the '06? I probable won't be shooting over 400 yds without more range time.... 300 is about comfortable now....

I don't shoot a lot at the range and i've got other stuff to spend $ on... given that i don't rifle hunt that much should i just buckle down and get the partitions or accubonds? after typing all this it sounds dumb not to just bite the better bullets
 
Plenty of game has fallen to green box corelocks. Are there better bullets out there of course and if they are available I’d go with them. But corelock will get the the job done if you keep your distance reasonable and your shot placement in the boiler room you’re going to be fine
 
Core -Locs are still very good killers on any game. Never had a problem. There are lots more good & excellent bullets on the market now, but the Core-Locs have stood the test of time. Great big mushrooms every time. No break up. They get 'er done !
Jerry Gold-- Ft Collins, Colorado
 
I have found that Core-Locs will work very well in the 30-06 if you keep your shots into the lung-heart area. Will do very good damage to the lungs or heart. Not so great on heavy bone shoulder shots.
I did switch years ago from Core-Locs to Nosler Partitions in the 06 and 300 mag as they are great on both heart-lung shots and shoulder shots as the rear portion will stay together for deep penetration.

RELH
 
Of the hundreds and hundreds of Remington cartridges I have shot they all say Core-Lokt on the box.
I never have had a bullet failure.
 
There is a reason they used to advertise as the deadliest mushroom in the woods. They work. Here is a 180 gr CL that was in a 300 Wby Magnum that took out a oryx from under 200 yards. Oryx and their hides are tougher than any elk. This bullet did the job and was recovered under the hide on the far side. The shot did not hit bones. The recovered bullet weighs in at 108 gr.

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i have killed 20 or so elk with corelokt out of a 270 and never had an issue. Are there better bullets yes, Take good shots and you won’t have any issues. Save the extra money for retiring early, it will give you more time to hunt.
 
They r amazing bullets at a great price. I shoot more aerodynamic bullets in my long range guns but brush bustin and intermediate range will always be the shroom. Just like woodland camo and plaid r junk now. KOOL KID KAMO and accubonds r the only way to show that machismo. I shot a bear with a 257 accubond last year and it exploded like a 22-250 vmax. Theres ur junk!
 
I shot a bear with a 257 accubond last year and it exploded like a 22-250 vmax. Theres ur junk!
Not normal Accubond behavior. I, family and friends have used them for almost 20 years. A sample of one doesn't prove anything. mtmuley
 
It was 50 yards and I was shooting a 257 weatherby mag. Im told that the velocity at 50 yds from that caliber is too much for an accubond to keep its britches on! Guess I should have let him get out to 200 yds and then tried him? Shooting ttsx this year with hopefully better results
 
CORE-LOKTS Are JUNK!

Drilled a Buck about 25 years ago with them!

400 Yard Shot!

Drilled a Hole through one Rib Bone going in and another Rib Bone Exiting!

A .28 Caliber Drill Hole!

Lucky that SUMBITCH Didn't get away!

Drilled Bone In & Out & No Expansion?

Piss On That!

Might be a better Bear Cartridge!
 
CORE-LOKTS Are JUNK!

Drilled a Buck about 25 years ago with them!

400 Yard Shot!

Drilled a Hole through one Rib Bone going in and another Rib Bone Exiting!

A .28 Caliber Drill Hole!

Lucky that SUMBITCH Didn't get away!

Drilled Bone In & Out & No Expansion?

Piss On That!

Might be a better Bear Cartridge!
Sorry Bess. I killed a lot of deer and elk with the ol Core-Lokt. First elk in 1979. 180's in an .06. mtmuley
 
Pass thru at 400 yds is bullet enuff! The core lokt is not the only bullet I use and I don't use them for long range. The swift scirrocos out of the 300 rum I had very rarely exited on long shots. I don't think u can do any better than corelokts on shots under 200 yds and in larger slower calibers.
 
CORE-LOKTS Are JUNK!

Drilled a Buck about 25 years ago with them!

400 Yard Shot!

Drilled a Hole through one Rib Bone going in and another Rib Bone Exiting!

A .28 Caliber Drill Hole!

Lucky that SUMBITCH Didn't get away!

Drilled Bone In & Out & No Expansion?

Piss On That!

Might be a better Bear Cartridge!

Bess I had this same exact experience with a 257 Weatherby with 110 Accubond, first shot was 450 yards hit right behind the shoulder went through two rib bones no sign of a hit animal, I figured I put two much wind on it, made adjustments and fired again it went straight down. I get there and see my second shot hit the ball of the hips, I couldn’t get a pencil to go into the hole on the off side of either shot. I went back to partitions and won’t look back! I do shoot corlocs out of a 30-06 bar in the brush with no complaints
 
i'm no expert here but been hunting since i was a kid and always relied upon my results to get me through, n one time i hit a bull at 300 yrds three times in the shoulder n he just kept going i was using remingtons korloct n never have again...n never found the bull either
 
If we were to look at reality corelokt bullets and Sierra game kings have probably accounted for more big game than just about any other bullets in history. They're both great bullets for the money and work very well for most applications. Like some have mentioned big animals and big bones are where they don't work as well. Better design's have evolved and many of us old dogs have used the Nosler partition on the big stuff for decades.

When hunting medium to small game the green box is hard to beat for the price and performance they offer, and you can buy them off the shelf all over America and that's a good fail safe on any hunt.
 
Up until about 30 years ago I bought them every year because of the price. In a 3 year period I had 2 bullets (130 gr Core Loks for my 270) completely separate (the lead core from the brass). In the first case I found the whole lead core in the shoulder. I shot the deer twice to put it down for good. Probably two flukey deals but I don't get to shoot animals very often so I would rather remove any doubts.
 
i'm no expert here but been hunting since i was a kid and always relied upon my results to get me through, n one time i hit a bull at 300 yrds three times in the shoulder n he just kept going i was using remingtons korloct n never have again...n never found the bull either

If you never found the bull, then you don’t know where you hit him. I would have sworn I made a good hit more than once only to find out it wasn’t when I recovered the animal.

I love partitions for elk but would not hesitate to use core-lokts if couldn’t find anything else. I would err on the side of caution with them and use 180 gr.
 
6 point bull elk at 469 yards with core-lokt in 30-06 this year. Complete pass through, bull ran 75 yards and tipped over. I normally don’t shoot that bullet because there are better choices, however they grouped good in my gun. I’m a believer!
 
Core lokts are excellent bullets. I’ve killed a lot of elk and deer with them. Sst is absolute garbage on elk. I shoot a .270. My dad has also killed a lot of elk with a core lokt
 
They grouped well so I used them. Shot medium sized cow elk at about 75 yds, broadside. Knicked elbow on entry, blew up heart, then exited far shoulder with a big hole. Found a tiny fragment of lead near exit hole. Good in a pinch when you don't have $ for better quality bullets.
 
A buddy if mine shot a 325+ lb black bear this year in PA with the factory 140 gr Hypersonic Core Lokts in the .270. Hit it three times behind the shoulder and none of them made it into the vitals. He was able to finally put it down for good. Was around 100 150 yards so may have been too much speed met with too much resistance.

Its a proven bullet but on a big fat bear there are better options. He did what many of us do;shot it on paper and it grouped better then the rest.
 
I have shot a ton on elk and oryx with 185 core lock out of 8mm mag. They have never failed. They are just not a good longer range bullet Just like Nosler partitions but are excellent bullets inside 500ish yards. There are just so many better options today why fool with them
 
Core lokt bullets are a lame excuse for a bullet but what bullet isn't going to kill something most of the time. a Yugo will get you to town but that doesn't mean it's a great car.

I remember when Remington started loading them in 300 WBY and all the cheap skates bought up a bunch . the next elk season everyone was crying that Remington changed them and now they were junk. no, they were always junk it just wasn't as obvious at 2700 fps.



When you ask a question like " are they junk " , the answer is clearly yes . even in the cheap bullet class Hornady Interlocks are better in all respects and in the premium bullet lines core locks aren't even in the competition.
 
I've never had a problem with them. The ones I have used penetrate and expand well while also keeping their mass. I've killed quite a few elk with them over the years! The one "problem" I can remember, I was shooting through heavy brush, a shot I shouldn't have taken, and I wounded an elk. I think it just tuned into shrapnel, I found blood and hair but it never laid down, went straight uphill and stopped bleeding after a mile. Followed it in the in snow until in connected up with another group of elk and it was gone. I'm not going to blame the bullet for that though, it was a bad shot, I don't think a different load would have done better with what I shot through.
 
I grew up using them because that's what the feed store sold.

Then one day my cousin and I stopped into Nosler where he worked and I met John and we talked for about an hour. it got me into reloading and I never looked back , other than to see crap bullets like the core lokt for what they are.
 
Sorry SHB, it turns out the two boxes I have are 270 win and not 308 :(
Cheers, Pete
 

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