Remington Core Lokt in 308 Win...

[marksman13]

This load is popular in many, many chamberings for good reasons. It offers good penetration, mushrooms well and retains mass. My question is in regard to the 308 Win in particular. I know these bullets work in a 30-06, 7 mm Mag, and 243, but a friend recently had an issue with the 150 grain Core Lokts in his 308 and I have a cousin that curses these rounds in every breath. It seems both of these guys have had many deer hit well by these rounds only to have them run away. I suspect the problem is markmanship, but I was just wondering if any one here has had a bad experience with Core Lokts in a 308. I think I'll be sticking with them until I see a problem for myself. Thanks in advance guys and gals.

 

[LeonCarr]

Never a problem for me in a .308, numerous deer and hogs sent to that great pasture in the sky .

As a matter of fact, the only failure to stop completely I have seen with the Core-Lokt was with a .243, 100 grain. We were hunting in a two man box stand, my buddy shot the deer, a six point whitetail buck dropped from a textbook shot behind the shoulder, we wait 20 minutes, we get out of stand to go look at deer, get within about 25 yards of deer, deer gets up, buddy shoots deer again in shoulder and it dies. I have heard that the 100 grain bullets are too stout for deer, and that 80 grain Core-Lokts open up better.

That is the only time I have seen a Core-Lokt bullet in any caliber not work as advertised. I still use them in factory loads and handloads. Remington calls it The Deadliest Mushroom in the Woods .

 

[Legionnaire]

My general purpose and all around hunting rifle is a Remington Model Seven in .308. It has been fed a steady diet of 150 grain Remington Core Lokts, and shoots right at 1.5 MOA consistently with same. I have taken many deer with this combination and have never needed more than one shot. Can't speak to your buddies' experiences, but mine has been nothing but positive.

 

[eliphalet]

I suspect the problem is markmanship,

I suspect your correct.
Remington figured out good bullet construction decades ago that is still being sold today. Lots of good bullets on the market today and you can be sure if the Core-Lokt wasn't a great bullet they would have drifted into obscurity years ago. I personally know of dozens of deer and several elk they worked just fine on.

 

[rwc]

I used one in a 7mm-08 Friday and it got the job done. It also stopped just under the skin and fully mushroom-ed, with the copper petals folded back.

 

[.41Dave]

Every deer I've taken has been with a .308 using 150 grain Remington Core-Lokts. Every last one dropped on the spot.

 

[marksman13]

Where are you guys putting your bullets? Neck shots, behind the shoulder or other? Neither of these guys are great marksman and both have been known to shoot "at a deer" and not at a target on the deer so to speak. I usually shoot for the neck at 50 yards or less, but I want to know that my bullet is gonna do the job behind the shoulder. If all of you guys believe in the 308 Core Lokt, along with about a million other hunters, it must be good stuff. Guess it's just a psychological thing. You know what they say about first impressions.

 

[eliphalet]

Behind the shoulder, shot dozens of deer like that. This years was the first core-lokt bullet I have recovered from a deer. Deer was on a steep hillside above me at more of a angle that I realized, hit a rib and then the shoulder.
Shot straight through side to side I have never recovered a Core-lokt bullet from a deer with 308 or 30-06.

 

[Regolith]

It worked fine for me, though I was using it in a .280 Remington. Core Lokt is the main diet of most of my hunting arms.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I've used the 150 gr Corelokt extensively in the .308. I've had a few deer run off only to die a short time later with behind the shoulder shots.

But that happens with any bullet at times.

 

[marksman13]

I found out that part of my buddy's problem yesterday is that the deer ran after what appeared to be a solid hit. He fired a second round while it was running, probably missing the deer entirely, and then immediately got out of his stand and gave chase. Bad move on his part to keep the animal's adrenaline flowing, and probably a poor shot. I believe that even if the bullet failed to expand, a .30 caliber hole through the vitals would kill a deer. The bullet did pass completely through the first deer he shot and kill another doe standing behind it. I know, I know...he shouldn't have taken the shot with another deer behind it, but that's the difference between him and me. The bullet was recovered in the second deer and was beautifully mushroomed and had retained most of it's mass. I think the problem was shot placement and chasing a wounded deer.

 

[NASCAR_MAN]

Marksman13,

I think your buddies' primary problem is...they can't shoot straight. I know this sounds heartless on my part, but I've been hearing the same 'ole stories for 30 years - and it all boils down to...the "Guys Can't Shoot Straight".

Typically, after having thier 270's and 308's "fail" on them (i.e., "I put a perfect shot on that Deer and it just run away after it ran up to my Deer Stand and hocked it's leg in utter contempt"), this type of hunter will start loking for the Ultimate Deer Gun with "some real "knockdown" power - like the 8mm Remchester Ultra Mag.

Like I said, I know it sounds heartless, but it's the truth as I've seen it.

NASCAR

 

[Mantis]

I used to use 150g Core-Lokts in my .308 before I started reloading and never had a problem with them. Every deer was a one shot kill.

 

[Legionnaire]

I always aim for the heart, or just above. They tend to bolt for 30-40 yards, and then pile up. Generally, dead before they know it.

BTW, my sixteen-year-old daughter took her first deer today (a good size doe) with a 100gr .243 Core-Lokt. Double lung shot, down inside thirty yards.

 

[marksman13]

Congrats to your daughter, Legiionaire. I like the 100 grain Core Lokts in a 243 too.

 

[.45Guy]

Behind the shoulder with .270 130 grain corelokts. The results are quite impressive.

 

[marksman13]

Looked around at some of the other Premium bullets around. Looks like I'm gonna start reloading if I don't get the results I want with the Core Lokts. Federal Premiums with the Nosler Ballistic Tips are in the $40 range.

 

[Marintime Mike]

.308 for moose...

Do you guys think Remington .308 Corelokt 150 grain is enough for moose? Would 180 grain be better ?....Assuming I'm never gonna shoot anything more then two hundred yards away anyway....

 

[spalit]

Mike,

For Moose I would recommend premium bonded core bullets in 180 gr. I recently took my Tikka 308 to Africa, and got excellent performance out of my 180 gr hornady interbond handloaded with 42 gr Varget. It took a 54" Kudu, Waterbuck, black wildebeeste. So a similar factory loading from Remington or Federal should work well for Moose

 

[rwc]

Where are you guys putting your bullets?

My shot referenced above was at 205 yds., with the deer quartering towards me, bisencting the deer on a diagonal. The bullet entered just behind the near shoulder, traversed the lungs and lodged under the skin between a couple ribs on the far side. She ran about 30 ft.

.308 Corelokt 150 grain is enough for moose? Would 180 grain be better ?

I've not hunted moose, but I've seen them from close range and they are enormous. I would want at least a 180 gr. and would think seriously about a larger caliber rifle that can push a bigger bullet, even if you have to borrow it.

 

[langenc]

Son recently shot deer w/ CL from his 300 WSM BUT the load was a 75% load with H 4895 as published by Hodgdon.

MV is calculated at 2350 fps from the cartridges loaded for his 14 yo daughetr. Bullet hit deer head on-low and just off center. Bullet was found in the same side ham(rear). Bullet had mushroomed to at least 0.42 and had a piece of jacket sticking out on one side at least 3/8". Retained weight 141.4 gr-94%.

CLs are good. They dont go all the way thru so blood trail is usually restricted. Most dont like them for that reason.

 

[eliphalet]

CLs are good. They dont go all the way thru so blood trail is usually restricted. Most dont like them for that reason.

Personaly shot in excess of 50 deer and elk with Core-Lokts having only recovered a couple from elk and one from a deer. All with 308 or 30-06 150 grain reloads.

 

[highbrow]

Bought 1K 165gr Corelokts in a bulk pack 20yrs ago for $65. Have been using them exclusively in .308 since. It has accounted for more than 40 deer, 10 antelope and 6 elk during that time. In handloads, it will often do 1" groups or better in a variety of rifles, bolts and semiautos. Would highly recommend for .308, 30-06 and 300 savage types. Would not use in magnums, unless you download them some. My son used them on his elk last year with perfect performance. Bullet went thru and was not recovered.

 

[Leanwolf]

MARINTINE MIKE - "... .308 Corelokt 150 grain is enough for moose? Would 180 grain be better ?"

Although I've killed a fair amount of game from elk to ground squirrels with Core-Lokt bullets in several calibers, I have not killed a moose. But...

My cousin has killed an Idaho Shiras moose with his .308 Win. 70 Featherweight (1962 mfg), using the 180 grains Core-Lokt bullet (factory loading), without any problem. Two shots at about 95 yards.

He's also killed 22 bull elk and more Mule deer than he remembers using the same rifle in .308 Win., and mainly Remington cartirdges, but sometimes Win. cartridges. (He doesn't reload.)

He also happens to be a very good shot.

FWIW.

L.W.

 

[jaholder1971]

I took last week a small buck using 140 grain Core-Lokt in 7X57. Did the job even if the shot was bad (long story involving a 12 point buck and a tree branch)

I have witnessed 130 grain Core-Lokt's in .270 fail to cleanly kill deer, requiring a final shot. Each of these were hit in the shoulder and the bullet blew up before reaching the vitals and ruining a lot of meat. However, you put these bullets into the lungs behind the shoulder and you've got dead deer.