Hot Cors and Interlocks

[TackDriver284]

Midway has some Speer Hot Cors and Hornady Interlocks, sadly no Ballistic Tips or Accubonds available. I grabbed a few boxes of Hot Cors and Interlocks for the 6.5 and 30 cal. until Ballistic Tips are available. Hopefully you guys finds some bullets before they run out.

 

[Slimfinn]

I saw those 6.5 hot cors, but geez, I wasn't going to pay their price for them.

 

[Blkram]

I have had good performance from larger caliber Hot-Cors over the years (35 cal mostly).
Have more for for the 35's (35 Rem and 358 Win, 338 for the 338 Federal, and 416 for the 416 Taylor).

Will be looking forward to your results for the 6.5.

 

[HodgemanAK]

Back in the day, we shot a lot of Hot-Cars and Interlocks into stuff without a second thought.

I much prefer an AccuBond on game...but I like shooting stuff more so I'll take what I can get these days!

 

[Joec7651]

I like Hot-Cor bullets, as I’ve often stated. They perform above their price point on game as long as you aren’t at uber velocities. I like the 130’s in .277, and the 160’s in .284, and have never had either fail on deer. I hunt with Nosler almost exclusively, however the Speer Hot Cor isn’t just a plinking bullet. They are a flat based bullet that work from 0-350 yards or there abouts. They aren’t flashy but they work.

 

[TackDriver284]

$32 for 100 for the 140 grain 6.5 Hot Cors and $29.99 is real cheap for the 150 Hot Cors while we are having a shortage. I would never pass up Ballistic Tip / Accubonds, I grab what I can until things are back to normal. This is my first time using Hot Cors.

The heavy Hot Cor should work well in my 6.5 Creed and the new 6.5 x 284, and the 150 Hot Cor in the .308 and they are a tad soft if going over 3000 fps and anything under should be fine. My range is under 300 yards where I'm hunting at.

 

[ShadeTree]

and the 150 Hot Cor in the .308 and they are a tad soft if going over 3000 fps and anything under should be fine. My range is under 300 yards where I'm hunting at.

You're spot on. Keep them well under 3000 and that particular bullet at least I can attest will do what anybody would ask a bullet to do. Expand well and penetrate. Somewhere between 2800-2900 is probably ideal.

I shot a buck couple of years back with that bullet out of an 06 going a very mild 2800. Maybe even a tad less. Granted he was up close, but put it in the soft spot behind the shoulder. Buck was walking downhill. Steep. He stumbled maybe 10-15 yds downhill, stopped and did the ole weeble wobble, and fell over.

Destroyed the vitals, exited, and at those speeds didn't tear stuff up and make a bunch of bloodshot. The HC when used within it's parameters is a good bullet.

 

[DrMike]

The Hot Cor and the InterLock are classic bullets. They don't get to be classics without performing for shooters. Prices are high right now, and they may continue high for the foreseeable future due to issues of supply and demand.

 

[Slimfinn]

The heavy Hot Cor should work well in my 6.5 Creed and the new 6.5 x 284, and the 150 Hot Cor in the .308 and they are a tad soft if going over 3000 fps and anything under should be fine. My range is under 300 yards where I'm hunting at.

I've loaded the 140s in my 260 and they shot well.

 

[PJGunner]

I like the 165 gr. Hot Cores in my three Ruger M77s in .308 Win. It's been the only bullet those guns like. I've shot quite a few of the Hornady interlocks on paper but the only ones on game were from the .243 I had back then. I didn't even do the shooting but let some of my neighborhood kids take it out on their first deer hunts. Four different kids and all four got their deer. I merely went along as guide and back up in case it was needed and yes, I had a valid deer tag. I did some work about two years ago running 180 gr. Hornady Interlocks up to 2800 FPS from a Remington M700 BDL and 700 Classic. I thought I'd take one or the other as back up rifle on an elk hunt. Turned out I didn't need it but it was there. Still personally haven't take game with the Hornady bullet. I don't count coyotes.
Paul B.

 

[HodgemanAK]

I've used the interlock quite a bit in the 308 and it plain works. Hot-Cors used to be the de facto bullet in the bottom tier Federal loads.

Not flashy, but they do the job when not abused by high impact speeds.

 

[JD338]

I shot a few 129 gr Hornady IL out of the 6.5 Creedmoor this afternoon at the 250 yard gong. I didn't go down range to measure the group but it did appear to be MOA. They shoot very close to the same POI as the 129 gr ABLR.

JD338

 

[Polaris]

I've downed a lot of deer with .308/150 hot cores over the decades. They tend to be accurate across loads/rifles loaded to "factory" COL...a very forgiving bullet. My experience is from 300 Sav to .308 win velocities, and mostly relatively close shots but some up to 200 yards, and they are hammers with sufficient penetration for quartering and shoulder shots in this application. Ditto for the Hornady interlock, but I found them a bit fussier to load for across different rifles. Some really loved them, some not so much.

I also got some limited experience in .280 Rem with the discontinued Mag Tip 160 Hot Core. That was a beast of a bullet in that cartridge, suitable for game larger than deer. I've been shooting a vintage 154RN interlock in that rifle that I got as part of an auction lot the last few years in tight cover, and have been pleased with the results including a steep quartering shot on a large Northwoods deer that passed through with good damage. Accuracy is relative with this load, but my ranges are presently short.

 

[Darkhorse]

The Hornady interlock has been my goto bullet for hunting for several decades. From elk past 400 yards with the 180 grain Interlock in my 300 win. mag. To deer within 50 yards with a 154 grain spire point in my 7mm mag.
They just plain work.

 

[Guybo]

I'm a big fan of the Hot-Cors and have been using them for years with excellent results on game. My favorite is the 120gr in the 25.06. I had a good load worked up with the 120gr in my daughters .260 but when we ran out i've never been able to find any more but they were really good on deer as well. I've also used the 150gr in 30.06 and had equal results on game. Accuracy has always been good for me with the Hot-Cors but i agree with others that said you can't push them to fast. I've used interlocs with good results too but kind of settled in on the Hot-Cors as my go to hunting bullet. I honestly don't think you'd go wrong with either.

 

[Cleveland48]

I’ve had great luck with the 140 hot-cor in 6.5 mm and the 160 hot-cor in 7mm. I think they along with the interlocks are two of the best whitetail killers ever made.


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