Anyone use 130g interlocks in .270 cal

[Sure shot wv]

Hello all, does anybody use hornady's 130g interlocks in their 270? I have worked up a few loads and these hornady bullets are amazing. 54 grains of imr 4350 gives me consistent .5inch groups or smaller at 100yds. My best being a .371 inch group. This is all well and good however I have a slight problem. They are devastating on whitetail deer. Normally that's a good thing but I'm losing more meat than I'd like to. The plus is it absolutely drops them in their tracks but the downside is again way to much meat loss. Does anyone else hunt with these bullets? How are your results?

I've shot 2 deer this season with this bullet and both deer looked like I took them with a 300 win mag or something of the sort.

I took 2 shoulder shots. Both with the same result. Straight pass through while completely blowing apart both front shoulders, some ribs, and turning the meat to pure jelly. One shot was at about 80 yards the other about 150 yards.

It's nice not having to track deer but I like to use as much of the meat as possible and losing both shoulders twice kills me.

 

[GeauxTide]

Any cup and core bullet that impacts at 3000fps will be devastating and make a mess on shoulder shots. Your load is north of 3000fps, so a Partition, Interbond, or GMX will give you the desired results. In any event, if my rifle shot Interlocks like yours, I'd try a load that gives 2800fps. Made a difference in my 280 backing off a couple of grains with 139 Interlocks.

 

[totaldla]

Don't take shoulder shots

Took an Elk with that bullet out of the old 270W. Bowhunter-style shot behind the front shoulder. Didn't go very far. Now it's in the freezer.

My point is that the bullet works, but don't shoot anything you want to eat. Actually it doesn't matter whether it is a cheap Hornady or an expensive Barnes - don't put a bullet in anything you want to eat.

And GeauxTide gave some good advice.

 

[Jim243]

I use the Hornady 130 Grain SST's another fantastic bullet.

Jim

 

[Sure shot wv]

Geauxtide- I have a chrono but have not had time to check those rounds. It is on my short list of things to do lol. When I was working up that load my accuracy wasn't as good at the lower charges. My groups were right around the inch mark at that estimated velocity. I know still good for hunting but alas my brain is hard wired for competition and one hole groups.

I also have a good load worked up with 140g Sierra game kings that shoot MOA or slightly better. I've never used the game king before on an animal, have you?

If I had a decent rest I'd feel completely comfortable taking a head shot out to about 200 yards, then I wouldn't have to worry about meat loss. I don't carry a rest or stick with me so those chances are slim unless I get lucky with a tree branch.

I use hornady sst in a 243 and like them. But I've also had to track them to which I'm not a fan of. Plus I just love the 270. It's one of my favorite cartridges.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

I try hard not to shoot game in the shoulders. That bullet should make red foam out of the lungs with a chest shot just behind the shoulder. Not being judgmental---every hunting situation is different.

 

[Sure shot wv]

The first deer I took I purposely took a shoulder shot to see how the bullet would handle. The second deer tho I tried to go just in front of the shoulder in the chest cavity. The way the deer was slightly turned I thought that I would be golden. However I pulled it a little right and ended up in the shoulder again. Bad shooting on my part.

From now on tho if I'm using those bullets I won't take a shot on the shoulder that's for sure.

 

[totaldla]

Me thinks you need to reconsider your shot selection. On a deer you can hit the neck, behind the front shoulder, or dead center high in the body - they're little and will go down easily. On an Elk your shot should be behind the front shoulder - just like a bow hunter.

Head shots wound a lot of deer - bad shot past conversation distance, IMO.

 

[Mike / Tx]

I know they cost more up front, but you might give the Interbond a try.

Another thing is if your shooting the BT version you might try the flat based. Sometimes the BT version is a bit more explosive, don't ask me why.

Also as mentioned don't shoot for bone. You going to have an issue with most any bullet hitting shoulders at impact velocities around or above 2800fps.

I use the Nosler BT in one load, (and I know this powder sounds out of the norm for a .270,) but with IMR-3031 I am loading around 46grs, and get groups like you refer to in your first post. It is a very mild load starting the 130's out at around 2800fps, and don't think it won't get the job done, it has many deer in the freezer to its credit. What is nice is it has little recoil, muzzle blast, and quite a bit less bullet damage as compared to a standard .270 load. My oldest grandson reached out across our back pasture last year a bit past 250yds to put one literally in the ear of this hog,

I learned a long time ago there are two shots I will take, one for putting meat on the ground, slipping it through the lungs, which is the norm and I let a LOT of deer pass simply because I might not get the shot I want. The other is putting down a trophy buck, or when hunting back in the thick stuff where tracking isn't an option, where I put it through both shoulders to put it down on the spot. In most cases 99% of the time I would rather wait on the shot I want than ruin a bit of meat, but when it comes down to only having seconds to make up my mind on a big boy, I don't hesitate to worrying about if I am going to ruin a shoulder. I can grind up most anything into hamberger.

 

[lah2420]

That's what I shoot in my 270. Chrony gave me about 3050 fps using 60 grains of H4831sc. Went from about 1.5" groups with factory ammo to a little over a half inch at 100yds. I tried the STTs with some bad luck. Bullets exploded when they impacted the deer. I sent them to Hornady who did not find a problem, but sent me 2 boxes of the SP to replace them. Not bad mouthing the STT. Probably something in my loading.

 

[Birdogz]

I try to shoot through the ribs just behind the shoulder. I use a .270 with 130 gr Core-Lokt and a 6mm Rem with Hornady 100 gr RN bullets. Both of these destroy a lot of meat if you shoot through the shoulders. I did just get some 139 gr Interlocks for my 7mm-08 and I will likely rib shoot with those too.

 

[reynolds357]

Sure shot, I have a simple solution for you. Quit shooting the shoulder and start taking lung shots. Very little meat there to mess up.

 

[Sure shot wv]

Reynolds- yes yes I know...I had to the first time. I had to see what kind of damage and penetration that bullet had.
The second deer was me not placing the shot where I was aiming. I would have missed the shoulder then.

I promise to all I won't take a shoulder shot again unless it is a monster buck that I won't risk losing. But in the last two years the biggest buck I've seen has been a little 6point basket size. I won't shoot those or any good looking buck, we need them reproducing in my area.

Once I get some time I am for sure gonna play with some new bullets. You all have been great with your info and suggestions.

 

[jimbob86]

I made reduced loads for my daughter with them ..... downloaded to 2700 f/sec with IMR4064 .... she dropped Bambi like a sack of spuds.

 

[reynolds357]

If you want bullets that do not do much damage, TTSX is probably going to be your bet. They double in size, but stay together and leave a relatively clean wound channel unless they explode some bone and drive it through the meat.

 

[Bigdog57]

So far I have used the Nosler Accubond Spitzer in 130 grain, and the basically identical Combined Technologies Silvertip - I shot the necks of two deer, and they were DRT.
First deer was sideways to me, and I placed the bullet at the base of the neck - it blew out the jugular and the spine. She bled out before I got to her.
Second deer was facing me, so I put the bullet at the base of the neck as she raised her head, the bullet going into the body cavity (though we never found the bullet, and there was no apparent exit hole). No major destruction of internals like we feared.
I will stick with this bullet, it works for me in my .270WSM.

 

[ammo.crafter]

270

At that velocity it will destroy lots of meat.

I use the same bullet but in 7mm in a 7X30 Waters on hogs and learned to wait for a head shot if I want to maximize my take home meat.

I rather not take the shot then to loose out on all thows ribs and chops.

 

[reynolds357]

BigDog, the Accubond and the Combined Technology ballistic Silvertip are not the same bullet. The C.T. Ballistic Sivertip and the regular Nosler Ballistic tip are the same bullet.