Hornady interlocks

I have harvested a lot of deer with Hornady interlocks and like them a lot. I usually load to "book specs" and they seem to shoot just fine from my rifles.

Midway has a fair supply of Interlocks on hand at the moment

Depends. Assuming you're loading for hunting or plinking ammo, I just run them seated at the cannelure and they work fine. I can usually get close to the accuracy potential of a given rifle with this method. If you need to tweak it down tighter, tweak away.

I had a 7x57 m70 w a very long jump & fast twist. It liked the 162gr. Interlocks a lot. The 120gr not so much.

IME all of the cup and core soft point hunting type bullets I have loaded and its been 7 different calibers they all like .040 to .070 jump. What I start with is maximum mag length for the gun I'm gonna load for. If that length doesn't hit the rifling I shoot them. If accuracy isn't what I want that means for length I can only go one way.

Haven't finished the full load work up, but initial seating depth testing indicates 0.040" off the lands is about the right amount of jump for the Interlocks in my .30-06 bolt gun.

I've used a bunch of 150&165gr in .308. They've been accurate and have worked well on animals. I like them! I typically load them to "book spec" and they have shot well from there. I don't believe they are very jump sensitive. I did mess with seating depth in my .243 with 100gr interlocks and .040 off the lands and out seemed to shoot about the same. IIRC, book spec ended up being ~.060 off the lands and they shot well there.

The only interlocks I load are 350 Legend 170gr SP & I load them to what the book says & get good results.

At 100yds I get this 3 round group.

I seat the interlock bullets at the cannelure which is usually where the book suggested COL lands anyway.

If you're not going you bother with a full workup anyhow, load to recipe COAL or cannelure, and keep moving.

I load all my flat base bullets 0.050 inch of the lands with no crimp and have no problems with accuracy but I do not shoot past 300 yards. I use 180 grain Partitions in my 300 Weatherby, seat to the cannelure, and use a light crimp. AT 100 yards five shot groups are under 1 inch.

What is your BIL's expectation?

I had this same conversation with a nephew who is using my Dad's 270 for deer hunting. He can't shoot 2 MOA on his best day, but has killed a lot of deer with it using factory ammo. I have found I can at least equal factory ammo accuracy that works for him with almost no load workup. Recently shot a 10 shot ladder through it using 130 grain Interlocks and 7 of 10 shots, even with various powder charges, grouped inside an inch with me doing the shooting. They were seated to achieve COL in the Hornady book for that bullet, which is to the cannelure. Those go bang and shoot better than he can.

BTW, a box of 100 Interlocks runs about $35, or roughly 1/3rd the cost of a Nosler Partition. Concluded early on that our fat little yearling deer are not Partition worthy, so Interlocks it is. But at that price, it is also affordable to buy a 2nd box if load workout and ultimate accuracy is the goal.

I am now setup to load for 6 different calibers of rifles, and Hornady Interlock......either flat base or boat tail, has been the only bullet reliably available for all of those. Enough that it justified buying the Hornady reloading manual to go with them. Good data in that on COL for each bullet they sell, plus a small selection of the All Star powders for that load. Made life easier.

30.06, 1974 Remington 700, 150 grain 3.235
165 grain 3.257
MOA .75 @ 100 meters
cases trimmed to 2.483

I load Hornady interlocks in my 30-06, 150 grain and 165 grain. Both to Hornady reloading manual OAL. Both perform great out of my savage bolt action.

I find that either the Rem CoreLokt or the Interlock were reasonably easy to find a MOA +- load with in most everything I tried them in. More than 300 YDS then a better bullet should be used. Around here 100 YDS is a long shot most often so either one will fit the role well with the nod to CoreLokt due to cost per pill.
Also the interlock tends to penetrate a bit more and not expand quite as much.