Core-Lokt vs Accutip for deer/hog

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osteodoc08

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My wife is an avid hunter. We have hunted deer for years. Heck, the first time I took her deer hunting, she shot 2 good sized does and was about to shoot a 3rd until I interrupted her (long story).

This year we are going to try some guided and non-guided hog hunting in central/southern GA. She shoots a 243 Winchester. I typically load up the 95 grain Rem Accutip/Nosler BT (whichever is cheaper at the time) for the whitetails around here and is good medicine for them. I'm concerned with the lighter construction of the bullet for a thick bodied hog. I've had good luck with the Core-Lokt bullets in the past out of my 7mm-08. What is everyones opinion of the Accutip for hog? What about the 100gr Core-Lokt? Any other suggestions such as Nosler Partition, etc? I like the plain Core-Lokt for its price and performance combination and am leaning towards it for the hogs, but if the Accutips will be good, it will make it easier since no need to resight in all the time based on the ammo used.

Thanks guys. I'll be ordering soon incase load development is needed......which is just an excuse to make it out to the range for some shooting/chrony work.
 
I had a bad expericnce shooting a hog with a .243 win. I used an 80 grain Fed power shock to double lung a 75 lb sow inside 30 yards. Long story short; I trailed the pig over 300 yards off the property and never found it. 100 grain bullets might hold up better but if I had to do it again I would shoot it in the ear or not at all. The only other time I shot a hog was with a .30-30 and it dropped like a sack of potatoes. I think any 6mm is too light for body shots on hogs.
 
Stop doing The what ever is cheaper on your wifes .243
Get her a gmx or barne's tsx ammo. That way she does not need the perfect shot. If a bad shot is all she has you can expect these to punch thru alot of tissue and can brake a far amount of bone doing it. I am not a big fan of the partition but they work . Just seems more looking for game is allways involed and that ain't good when hogs run in to the thickest brush they can find.
 
The CL's will be fine as will most any other 100gr C&C bullets. Hogs aren't bullet proof but do require decent shot placement.

Those who shoot them in the perfect spot usually shoot in the gut, which is up front more so than a deer and other animals, in which case they WILL and DO run for quite some ways. One shot through both lungs and the heart will drop within a few feet or yards, not hundreds of them. We shoot plenty of them every year, and yes we do have some get away, but it isn't from the bullets or proper shot placement.

Save the money on the high dollar bullets and spend them on some that will let her practice more. Have your wife work on shooting where she needs to and not shooting "AT" something like is implied here, and she will be fine.

Also here is a site you might read up on before heading out to hunt them. It has an excellent diagram of the internals of a hog so you know what your looking at when the time comes.
Texas Boars

Many folks shoot hogs like they would a deer, and this isn't a good thing, as mentioned above, that is usually right in the upper gut, aim for just over their front leg joint and they usually hit the ground with authority.

Good Luck, have fun.
 
Stop doing The what ever is cheaper on your wifes .243
Get her a gmx or barne's tsx ammo. That way she does not need the perfect shot. If a bad shot is all she has you can expect these to punch thru alot of tissue and can brake a far amount of bone doing it. I am not a big fan of the partition but they work . Just seems more looking for game is allways involed and that ain't good when hogs run in to the thickest brush they can find.
Click to expand...

Even a 458 won't make up for bad shot placement.......neither do the magic Barnes or other copper bullets....
 
No ,but it darn sure can hurt to use a premium bullet for the hunt. Cost waht, a whole extra 75 cents to 1.50 for your hog. It ain't any fun hunting around for a wounded pig in a thicket but I guess you have never , no of course not. You get one shot at a 300 + lber and it is nice to know you have a bullet design that can make a less than steller shot work. I used barnes on hogs for the same reason a used hard cast in my 357 revolver, Penetration. Never had a runner that I lost site of.
 
Never knew the heart/lungs were so small and that far forward. Been wanting to go boar hunting for several yrs(lots around especially in the swampy areas). Think I will use my trusty old '06 w/150 gn. That should put a screeching halt to the critters. Thanks for the vidios and tips.
 
hardluk1,

I will agree with you that one of the monometal or a Partition will penetrate deeper on average, but due to their cost, they are prohibitive for me to shoot. They do have their place, I just haven't found a need for them, but in one circumstance, and that was for some reduced loads for my grandson, where in testing, they DID prove to be the best bet for the intended use. This same grandson has used a .243 with plain jane C&C bullets, to effectively put one shot kills on hogs as well. The key is shot placement, nothing more nothing less. He will be 10 this coming November and has been taught to wait for the shot that works. If we can't get it, he already knows that the tracking job sucks much more than going home empty handed.

What I am saying is that when compared to the cost of bulk Remington, Winchester, or even Hornady, Speer, or Sierra, you can double the amount of bullets you pay for and have plenty to practice with for the same money or less in most cases.

Also, I HAVE been the one going in after the wounded hog many times, and usually it wasn't my shot that put me there doing so. I hunt with a good friend on his property and am lucky to be able to do so. I am also proficient with several firearms which is a bonus for the both of us. We have taken friends and relatives out hunting for the hogs, and usually they have no idea of what to expect or do when the time comes, even when you tell them what to expect, and what is going to happen. We don't simply sit and wait for them but go in the thick stuff after them on foot. When the first shot is fired, it is usually chaos, especially for the newbie, who might not be the best shot in the first place. We try to let them have the first shot and usually tell them to follow up quickly on another one. It is usually the "other one" that is the one that isn't hit too well, as the "average" hunter simply hasn't got the skills to hit fast moving targets in tight cover, shooting offhand.

Where we hunt, the hogs stick to the tight cover for the most part and concentrate around the water sources. One of these is the river bottoms, and another is a 35 acre gravel pit which the overgrown surrounding hills of cast away and dredge, make the perfect home for them. With numerous vines thickets and dense grasses which can be over 6' tall the hogs are quite suited to blasting right through and making trails where none exist.

I use both rifles and handguns, and have used a variety of calibers in both. My preferred combo are a Ruger Compact in .308, and my Ruger Redhawk in 41mag. Either of these will put a good sized hog on the ground. They are both very controllable even in the thickest stuff we hunt. If it is to thick for the rifle, it gets slung over the shoulder, and I go in with the revolver. I have shot all sorts of ammo in them both but found that standard 150gr CL's and the Remington 200gr SJHP will stop and drop everything I have had to use them on so far. This isn't saying they are the best, but they are affordable enough that I can practice with them year round, and when I can hit where I want to in a rush to do so, they will work just as good as the best made anything else. Why did I pick the .308, well it was the only caliber they had left when I purchased that particular rifle. I got a good price on it so I really cannot complain. I also have several .243's which I would feel just as adequate with but they are simply too long to get through the tight stuff we hunt in.

I have also taken several hogs which were over 400# and several over 300. It isn't something I am proud of, simply they were there, and I got them. I have been charged by many, and almost got messed up several times mostly by the smaller 100# ones. They are much faster than the bigger ones and harder to get to when they get up in the brush. So yes I have been there, done that, and I have the experience to back it up.

Feel free to look over the links under my sig. You will find several decent hogs that I, and several others I have been with, have taken. They might not be world records by any stretch, but they are some pretty decent ones. They are only a small sample of what we put on the ground, during the course of a year.
 
Most of what you said is the way I feel. And with larger calibers a more standard SP bullets works way better than the same design in a smaller caliber with maginal hits. I have used 150 and 180gr soft points in a 308 too but I'm not going to chance a bad shot with a small caliber and a bullet that could be out of its class if I can help it. For most hunters the cost between a barnes load or a trophy bonded and a wally world cheapy is a small part of the cost of a hunt specialy when traveling to hunt. Heck the rem cl will kill an elk or trophy deer or moose to , BUT it sure doesn't hurt to use a better design if time off of work ,travel and the rest of hunting cost are added up. Then a 3 or 10 box's of ammo is cheap. Not all can have a chance to kill pigs with in 30 minutes of there door. I know its not a round you can practice with year round. Remember for the average hunter that has to plan time to get away to hunt a couple few times a year it is viable to use a premium bullet. Site in get comfortable ,keep a record on that brand and lot# and you have a good ammo to use for a special hunt. Hard to pick and choose the best shot sometimes. I practice with cheap lodas at times too but I tend to not shoot my hunting rifles year round. Revolvers ?? different story.

I use to live in florida and hogs were close by. Now there part of a days drive. If I go again with my older broke down body it will be with a trophy bonded type or barne's bullet in my rifle in a 308 or 7 mag. No more running around.

Our colarado buddy use to walk and scout a hunt for us. He carried a T/C contender in .223 just for coyotes. He found himself in a bad spot with a piss'd of elk and finally backing backing into some brush shot it . His load was a 55 gr barne's. The bullet went thru the heart and ended up in the rear ham. Must have hit just rite as he said the elk turned and rolled to the ground. Called the local game officers and the elk ended up as feed the needy meat. And yes the 223 is not legal to use on big game .

I hate nosler partitions. Hate them. A buddy that grew me up hunting with him used 1 bullet in his 7 rem mag for 30 years 160gr partition. Allways killed deer and one of the greatest natural shooters I have ever know. But the darn deer, elk ,hogs allways ran more i would like to see. Being the younger person guess who got to hunt up those died animals. Allways crawl'n around in some darn way to thick brush thicket or small planted pines look'n for something that ran. Can't see 10 feet in it. I guess that change my outlook on bullet performance at a young age. I used a norma 150gr load in my 308 for some years when they were in most gun shops then bought a 7 rem mag. I only used PMC barne's on traveling hunts in those days, they were cheap back then. My standard deer load was a 160 gr fed. gameking. Changed to 139gr sst for deer hunting when they came out. I have never had a deer run out of sight after going to the sst but I have become a bit better shot and pick my shots better.

I killed a couple hogs with my 357 back in the later 70's with some 158 and 160 something gr hp or soft points too. After looseing one till the next day and hunting way to long for the others thats when I changed to 180 gr hardcast. Found with my skill level then it was way better to take a front half shot at shoulder, head, neck and did not have to hunt up hogs any more. With close to around 200 piggies down over the next 25 years . they worked ,allways worked well. A yes those head on hogs will make you think you are really where you should not be. Nothing like being in a palmeto patch or thick when you flush some hogs and they run like rats in all directions and all you can do is hope none run you over in the process

Now the younger guys go in with there dogs and if they get small boars they cut them and turn them loose. The big hogs, 400lbers they catch and tie it up and sell to the canned hunt clubs around dixie county fl.. Not sure if that take big balls are no brains.
Never took many photos when hunting. Still don't take a camera. Just never ment much to me. If any good it gets mounted and thats it.
Nice to have a grand son of age to bring into the hunting sport. Mine are still to young.
 
i was using the cheapest federal .270 130 grain off the shelf at walmart for about $15 a box. I put one right between the eyes at about 60 yards on a 150 boar and he didnt even twitch. bullet went in thru the skull and lodged in the shoulder. it liquified a good portion of the neck muscle on its way through. the bullet expanded maybe 25% and the jacket separated, I recovered it all "surgically". Bullet performance was absolutely horrible but I wasnt expecting much from $15 federals. I even used it on a doe last season and blew right through her on a gut shot in the mid section but she dropped in her tracks. people have this notion that a bullet takes a straight path through bone and tissue just as it left the barrel. I have news for y'all, even fmj tumble like crazy when they hit even a small branch. I have skinned out animals hit with the cheapest worst ammo and the wound channels have been horrific. In south texas we go for the neck shots. I read all these stories about these terrific double lung shots and losing the blood trail after 300 yards. I have hunted enough to know that you cant tell a double lung from a gut shot from a tree stand or a blind.
 

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An old man now gone on used a 22 hornet for 40 years on deer and hogs . He was a died shot. He also did not go walking in with them and have to shot at 15 feet. He hunted from a buggy or blind. You can darn well use the cheapest bullets out there if setting your butt in a tree stand , blind or truck but if your stand a chance of getting up close and personal. I don't want a bullet that might not do the job as well as it might when backed off a ways with a bit of time and distance on your side. I too have killed more than a few with a .22 but they where caged or trapped. I hunt alone a lot and want some thing then its hit it go's on thru a bunch of hog. I don't carry if the bullet runs around in circles i there. And a gut shot hop might end up a heck of a long way off and if still with the pack when you find it after dark. Not me . I want to brake shoulders or punch thru its head with a really bad up close shot if thats all I have ,no marginal bullets . At a difference between 1 dollar a cartridge or 2 dollars it's still cheap.. You guys that want to keep useing soft bullets in small calibers better keep some ground between you and mr pig.
 
The Remington Accu-tip is just the Hornady SST with a green/gold polymer tip substituted for the Hornady red. (Hornady makes the "Accu-Tip" for Remington). Ditto the Remington .17HMR ammo and 33gr .22cal "Accu-tips" for the .22 Hornet.

Be aware than none of the Hornady .243" "Boat-Tail" bullets are "interlok". I found out the hard way. For pigs with a .243, my first choice with a Hornady is actually the Hornady 100gr Inter-lock Round Nose!

I've had problems with penetration/jacket separation with the Hornady 100gr Boat-Tails. Hence I can't recommend them for deer or pigs.

However, the good old CorLokt is hard to beat in the .243 size.

I'd say stick with the tried and true "Core-Lokts".
The Sierra's have thicker jackets and harder alloys and I've never seen or heard of problems with the .243" Sierra's except that for shots over 300yds on deer, they may not expand adequately if heavy bones aren't hit .
 
Goose I will use the sst and like bullets on deer only. not piggies.. I will only use a design for heavy or tougher game for hogs in case of a not so great chance at a hog.
 
I've had a lot of deer fall with Core-Lokts. Back when money was tight, that was pretty much all I shot in my deer rifles and I can't think of bad thing to say about them. I never had a single bad experience or lost a single deer.

I've since switched to Hornady SST bullets because I bought into the hype and the "who shoots those cheap-@ss Core-Lokts anymore?" from hunting buddies. I've taken 5 deer and 3 hogs with Hornady SST bullets and they are some nasty little dudes. 2 of the 3 hogs were taken with Hornady SST sabots from a T/C Encore muzzleloader. The other hog was taken with a .25-06 using a Hornady SST. The .25-06 SST was tremendous overkill for the hog. It literally destroyed the insides, but also ruined a whole shoulder of the hog. The SST sabot turned the whole chest cavity to the consistency of chunky jelly and made clean exits out the other side.

I never had an issue with Core-Lokts ruining any of the meat, but then the one hog was the only time I've had an SST ruin the meat. So it's probably a toss up in my opinion.
 
I used Sierra GameKings on the 3 hogs I have shot so far with my .270 They worked. I would lean towards CoreLokt over any ballistic tip. Just my opinion.
 
The Core-Lokt is usually reliable, but Hornady and Nosler now have their Interbond and Accubond bullets that will stay together and penetrate. At around 50 cents a bullet, it's cheap insurance in a premium bullet.
Hornady has an 85gr Interbond in .243 and Nosler has the new 90gr Accubond.

A 243 or 6MM needs all the help it can get on body shots on large tough hogs, unless you are good enough to put it in their ear consistently.



NCsmitty
 
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