Stopped by yesterday and was very cool to see Mr. Muckinghern at his desk taking phone calls. Ended up getting 2 scopes mounts and binoculars. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly and always wants to answer questions
I remember in the late 90s my dad told me that he finally finished an old box of 30-06 180gr Remington Core-lokt SP. He had 11 Moose shot from the single box he bought in the 80s. I still have that Rem 742 woodsmaster. Still shoots well with 180gr core-lokts. So yes the corelokts do work well on very large game.
@@Rambonii Nice!, seems like hunters, shooting at traditional ranges ( 1-300yrds) do very well with the o'l CoreLokts, I havent had a failure after a doz or so Whitetails.
From the earliest I can remember my dad only shot 100gr core-lokt in .243. What I saw him and that round do left no doubt in my mind on its performance. After he passed we found all the boxes from other brands that we had gotten him over the years that he never touched.
EXACTLY the same here!!!!! I've used the Remington 100gr. Core-lokt 243 (Rem. 700) BDL all through the 90's & ALWAYS dropped my game or never further than 25 yards from impact
I haven't had to take huge game. But the second time I went hunting, I was 16. Used my dad's Remington 740 .30-06 with Remington Core-lokt 150gr. Second day, a white tail doe was coming towards me. I had an either or tag. Loaded a round in the chamber. Got the crosshair right in the white of the chest and bang. Shot was about 40 yards or so from my stand. Deer took the hit, stumbled, galloped 15 yards and went down. Ended up ripping a lung apart. Was very satisfied that day. Need to go back out, hopefully 2025 will be the year I get back out deer hunting.
I used Core-Lokt 180gr RNSP in .30-06 for years. Great, consistent performance and great penetration. As far as writing with a pointed lead tipped bullet, there have been many daily permits filled out at a national forest near where I grew up that were filled out that way (using a bullet as a pencil). I know pretty much everybody I know has done it several times (probably a lot more common back in the 70s and 80s)
Excellent podcast! Loved that you dedicated the entire podcast to this classic yet currently functional and relevant Remington CoreLokt bullet. I’ve harvested some game with Remington CoreLokt. I still keep several boxes of Remington CoreLokt in 117gr 257 Roberts and 130gr 270 Win. I would watch if you made similar podcasts on other bullet designs. The Hornady Interlock is another great bullet. Win Power Point, Federal Power Shok…all good.
I love the CoreLokt bullet. I think in the late 2000's field and stream compared all the available hunting bullets available at the time and said that while corelokts might not be the absolute best performer in every category they still perform well in every category
We had TNN up here in Canada for years back in the day. I miss those days. I still have boxes of old VHS tapes with all the old shows I recorded back then, too. I used to religiously record shows every weekend. I'm sure there's probably even some Banjo Minnow, Flying Lure and Bo-Hog Frog commercials in there too. But man, I HATED it when they changed to "Spike TV" and all the hunting and fishing shows disappeared. There are dedicated 24/7 hunting and fishing channels now, but it's just not quite the same.
I have used Rem Core-lokt bullets for 45 or more years, first in 257 and later in 223. Between myself and family (all my guns and reloads) and grandkids we have taken over 45 whitetails, muleys and antelope in South Dakota, and maybe twice that many. I never experienced core seperation and have a dozen or so recovered bullets just for show and tell. I like them so well that when I found 500 Core-Lokt in a going out of business sale, I bought them all (223). Great reliable product.
In the fall of 2019 I traded my dad a nice ar15 for his old Marlin 336 in 30-30. At the time I bought a ton of Remington cor-lokt from Walmart cheap and the gun shot moa with it so that’s what I used. Topped off with a diamondback 1.75-5 scope it dropped a nice Oklahoma 8point that rifle season. At the time it was the biggest to date I had ever shot.
I’ve tried other options but my old .243 loves Core-Lokt ammo. It has never let me down. My oldest just took a doe during juvenile with it-even recovered the bullet!
Full disclosure... I am a barnes fan. Use Barnes almost exclusively now. However... 2 of my biggest trophies... a 55 inch bull moose, 75 yd shot, and a 282 lb field dressed, 180 ish inch 9 pt whitetail... 130 yd shot were both killed with my 35 whelen 7600 pump, using remington 250 gr corelokt ammo. Williams peep site with firesite fibre optic front bead. Both folded in instant death. I recovered both bullets... yep.. perfect mushroom. You simply can't go wrong with a standard corelokt bullet. Corelokt tipped REALLY has my attention.
25 years ago I had a 270 Weatherby Mag that loved 130gr interlocks which are just Hornady's version of the CorLokt. If I did my part that thing was deadly accurate. Best shot I ever took was a broad side shot beyond 500, but less than 600, this was before range finders. I knew my drop for 500 was 3ft. I lifted off 3ft from top of back and squeezed the trigger, the bullet punched a solid whole in both lungs later measured the shot it was 560yards.
Hey! I recommend that y’all actually DO have a whiteboard available for illustration! Many hunters are visually oriented learners. I’m weird. I think and learn both verbally AND visually. Great idea Ryan! When my dad shot his elk it was a monster elk, but it was his first and only elk and he had busted his butt to get it. 35 Remington, 200 gr Core-Lokt. Dead beast!
I remember not long ago when the core locts were $7.99 to $9.99 a box and form and fleet. Remembered when they went to $12.99 and thought…ouch! lol. Glad I reload them now.
Yes. I use the Core-Lokt tipped in my .300 WinMag and my 30-06. Both in 180gr. My .300 shoots it Sub MOA while my 30-06 prints MOA or just over. Performs right up there with the Nosler Partition and the AccuBond. Never had any game animal take more than two steps after hit. I've been using the Core-Lokt for 30+ years. The Tipped version is awesome.
I inherited a Marlin 336 30-30 from a dear family friend and great old school hunter. Along with the rifle came a few boxes of Core Lokt 170 grain cartridges that I'm guessing are from the 1980s. That rifle and those old tarnished cartridges put down a nice sized whitetail doe just as well for me last weekend as they did for the old man starting in the 1960s when he bought the rifle.
I love the Core-Lokt tip ammo for my Mauser 98 chambered in 30-06. After installing the new Douglas 26-in barrel I wanted to get the cheapest ammo I could @ 29.99, to get it on paper and this is what i found. It was just too damn good not to buy more in the 165 gr offering... Shooting this out long range at 850 yards was absolutely amazing and the 100 yard groups have all been cutting cloverleaf's. Last year's Michigan gun season I took a large doe at 175 yards with a heavy quartering too shot opportunity and I placed the round just in front of the shoulder and found the perfect mushroom just under the hide at the last rib on the opposite side of impact, it was truly hitting the off button kind of results I love and I didn't lose a ton of meat in the process. Also during my testing my chronograph speeds were 2950 FPS with a SD of 6, very consistent across many different lot numbers of boxes of ammo....I just hope REMINGTON stays in the US I feel it's a complete tragedy just thinking about it being sold let alone to a foreign company, that's a hole different level of crazy IMHO.
The three most common ammo that I use are the Remington Core-Lokt, the Winchester Power Point, and the Federal soft points. They are reasonable in price and perform well in every firearm I have owned.
I have been using Core lokt for years,The last few years due to the thick cover I hunt I have switched to the Core Lokt SP which is round nose,30-06 180 grain SP,308 180 grain SP and 150 grain 270 and I have been getting great performance in thick brush
Bring back the bronze point. I bought 500, 30 cal. 150 grain. Component bullets awhile ago. Fine Whitetail medicine here in PA. Bullet was way ahead of it's time.
I couldn't even begin to guess how many whitetails I've seen taken with green box Core-Lokt bullets. My dad saved the recovered bullets from his .35 Remington (200gr) and pretty much every one of them looked like the picture on the box.
My dad took his singular elk with that exact cartridge. Everyone says it’s not for Western hunting but he shot the elk in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico-in a thickly wooded drainage arroyo.
@dr.froghopper6711 That just brought back decades of memories. I grew up and hunted, trapped, and fished in the Gila National Forest. I used nothing but Core-Lokt in my bolt guns for over 30 years. The damned things just work. They dropped whitetail, mulie, elk, lion, and black bear, so I never saw the need to try anything else. I only ever needed one follow up, when I decided to use my .25-06 for a lion hunt around Whitewater Baldy and Sacaton Mountain. The lion spooked and bowed up and dropped his head just as I shot. The bala scalped him. I had to take a second shot while he was trying to murder the piñón branch overhead.
Gunflint lodge!! My dad worked there the summer (2019) after he retired. My cousin and I flew up there and met him to hunt grouse for the very first time. First afternoon there we saw a mama bear and 2 cubs and the next morning we saw a huge bull moose and then slaughtered some grouse. Best trip of my life. I have heard Ryan mention northern Minnesota several times and always wondered where exactly. Super cool it was Gunflint. Happy hunting guys.
I still love core lokt ammo. I’ve primarily used 100 grain 243 and 130 in 270 and 150 in 7mag 175 in 7 mag and have had excellent experience on deer and elk respectively. I love the ammo for hunting.
I have some 150 grain and some 170 grain Remington core-lokt 30-30. Gonna see which one my 1948 Stevens 325b prefers this winter. Great video as always
I love my Core-Lokts. Took a couple elk with the PSP, one at 225 yards and the other at 330 yards. In fact everything I've ever taken has been with Core-lokts.
I love how you guys introduced the episode with an appreciation for "Proven over time" aspect of core loot. Not unlike the time tested capabilities of the .358. Any time table on THAT cartridge talk yet ? Keep up the good work. jmp
Got my biggest buck last season with my 308 using Big Green ammo. After federal stopped loading the Sierra Gameking 165gr I had to regroup, literally. I went with 150gr Core Lokt Tipped. He ran maybe 75 yards. I’m a believer.
cant say enough about the coreloke tipped, shoot and group pretty awesome. new 110 trail hunter 7mm rem mag 3 shot group 1inside othe shot and 3rd touching first round, cva cascade Lrh 308 same deal
I'll admit, I bought one very bad box of corelokts when Remington was really going downhill a few years ago. I hit a buck at 40 and 60 yards (both good shoulder/lung shots) with my .308, and both rounds failed to expand. 4 hours later, my cousin put that buck down with a properly functioning corelokt. I switched to ballistic tips after that, and had great luck with corelokt tipped bullets. I don't shoot them much anymore, but the majority of my handloads are in old corelokt brass.
I would like to parrot some of the comments on accuracy. It seems like no matter what gun I shoot these through and what caliber, they always perform well. Maybe not the very best but always a solid performer.
The longer bearing surface from flat-base (and often, short ogive) bullets helps with accuracy. Bullets with longer ogives and boat tails tend to be more picky.
I used 150gr core-lokt in my 308 for years, probably close to 15years, but then changed to Hornady interlock’s, both do the job exceptionally well. The hornadys became more available where I live is really the only reason I changed.
Shot lots of game with 270W and Remington 130gr Core Lokt. Same performance as the old flat base Hornady Interlock. Just loaded 6.5 PRC with the Hornady Interlock 140gr for fallow deer out to 400m. Unfortunately Remington ammunition here in Australia has become too expensive.
Tryed 5 different kinds of Winchester ammo for a 270 win that i just got at cabelas and nothing under 4 inch groups at 100y.but only the 130 grain . Any type of 150 grain was shooting 3/4 to 1/2 inch groups. But go the new rifle for a field rifle and wanted to use the 130s but was horrible with any i tryed . So just when i was going to sell it and try a 25 06 my boy told me to try some rem core lok so i did and what a difference. Now getting 1/2 or less at 100y. Lol but i still got the 25 06 i could not resist the urge lol both shoot very well with the corelok . Geuss i can retire the old lee Enfield as my main field rifle lol best kill with the old parker hale 303 was 464y and never took a step lol hope the new ones serve me as good as the old 303 has for the last 34 years . Love the show .keep it up. Thanks again👍🇨🇦❤
In 1986, I purchased a new Remmy 700 Classic in 350 Remington Magnum. The ammo of choice for me was the Remington Core-Lokt 200 gn PSP round. About a dozen deer have succumbed to that round, none ever having walked away far from a pulled trigger. I have hit broadside and had both lungs laying outside the ribcage on the off side. Twice I hit broadside and when the rifle came down out of recoil, I saw nothing. Going out and checking in the long grass, the deer were down where they stood before I had a chance to see them crumple. Before I scoped the rifle I took a head-on shot into a wooded river valley I saw the hit, but it was off. A quick second dropped it hard. Tracking the first shot I found it had clipped three branches up to a couple inches in diameter that I couldn't see from my position and passed squarely through a four inch poplar before striking the deer off center in the white throat patch. Another head-on shot a few years later, with a scope, at only about 80 yards saw the hair part and the eight point rock back up off his front hooves, coming back down to collapse immediately. I found the bullet perfectly mushroomed under the hide on a rear quarter. I still have four boxes of the factory ammo, having bought it whenever I could find it before it went extinct. I also bought a few hundred of the Remington bullets when I could get them from Midway to match the brass I purchased along the way. Why mess with a great thing?
I was hunting Canadian Elk with browning blr in 30-06. After testing over 10 different ammo types and weight. The corelokt 220 gr shot the absolute best. I figure within about 220 yards its a do all for all Canadian prey animals
My wife bought me my first new rifle ever. Weatherby vanguard in 308. I was told to break it in with what I was going to hunt with. At the time Remington produced a core lock in 165 grn. Bought 10 boxes, they lasted about 10 years. They no longer produce those. Switched to 150. Hunt deer in GA . The core lock always gave me an exit wound. When a few years ago Remington's quality started slipping l switched to Hornady 168 A max. The accuracy came back and it puts them to sleep where they stood. I've learned a great deal from listening to ya'll. Thank you
Shot two moose in Newfoundland Canada with 180g Remington psp corelockt ammo. First trip my rifle and 200G swift A-frames were delayed by the airline in Canada because of a flight change. Used a borrowed x bolt and borrowed 180g corelokt (convinced the budget ammo would not be up to task). There was no arguing with the results I saw. When I returned next year with and was able to use my 700 in 30-06 it was stoked with 180g Remington corelokts. The results were the same.
I have found the tipped to be very accurate and work very well for hunting. The standard I have used for years as well and have done well for me also. Interesting how the old ammo works so well and more accurate then some of the new supposedly better ammo!
It has to do with the flat base and relatively short ogive. That longer bearing surface seems to help reduce misalignment inside the bore. You give up some BC, but there is nothing wrong with it as long as you know the drop and stay in its effective range.
I have lived in Montana all my life and have a pile of horns collected with cheap cup and core bullets. Wincester power point, Remington core locked and Federal power shock. I did shoot the biggest bull I have harvested (a huge body 6 point with an old arrow shaft broke off in him)shot with the Winchester power point 7mm mag. 175gr. I do shoot more expensive bullets now just in case of a bad angle or heavy bone strike.
I have been using Hornady ELD-X in a 7mmMag. I replaced the barrel and was breaking it in with an assorted bunch of bullets to load. I worked up some Nesler Partitions. I got a five shot 1 single hole group. Older stuff works some times. It made me rethink it. I had used Winchester super black box that did not shoot well. But Winchester white box grouped excellent. Race bullets don’t always group.
There’s a really good channel on UA-cam called Mason leather who does ballistic jail test of hunting loads. You should check it out. If you want to see how certain projectiles and caliber perform at 100 yards on gel
Yep, i think he's the best channel on YT for bullet performance testing in Gel & comparing a huge variety of different ammunition. If people search his vids you will probably find what you want. It makes bullet selection easy which perform better than the nonsense advertising from companies. The only thing is if it will be accurate in your particular rifle.
Back in '19 I got my first gun, a Remington Model 783 chambered in .308 Winchester (with a 3-9x32 scope) at a Dick's. The guy behind the counter suggested 2 boxes of Core-Lokt to go with my new gun; I remember that the gun and both boxes of Core-Lokt cost right under $400, out the door. I sighted-in that rifle, practiced, and killed my first two deer and a squirrel on the homestead with those 40 Core-Lokt rounds. Needless to say, I've a soft (non-lead) spot for the round. Man, I can't find Core-Lokt for under $35 a box nowadays.
The Banjo Minno is basically a nose hooked fluke. You could very easily use multiple of the baitfish profiles combined with Nikko weights to do the same thing. Plus, the current bass generation hasn't seen much of that technique as of late. I just might try it again.
Used to love Corelokts. They always shot pretty well in every gun but a couple years ago I had two fail to fire from a box of 270 (luckily just sighting in) and two fail to expand on game in 308. Lost faith in them after that.
Soft point locked are always reliable. I would say that if Hornady, federal or remmington didn’t provide them it would be a scramble for traditional rifles in traditional chambering from grandpappys safe. Side note update on 6.5BC productions of any kind? Maybe a 6.8w revisit?? Love the podcast, everything I own is vortex, Mark, love the dad humor, and Ryan..consider me a student of your knowledge and teachings. Thanks guys. Andrew
My 336 30/30 absolutely loves 170gr core lokt. I remember back when Hornady introduced there 160gr lever evolution lineup I was so excited and setup at the range and couldn’t get better than 1 3/4” group at 100yds. I was so disappointed. I’ve had good luck with 150gr RN Hornady over 3031IMR hand loads but, I can always go back to my old tried and true Core-Lokt and get 1” to sub 1” moa @100. I killed a dandy of a buck (probably my personal best) but never got to tag him, due to where he fell (I was hunting next to property line) the land owner refused me taking deer even though I could visually see him laying there dead from my stand. He did end up taking my buck, probably so he could brag to his friends on “his” great hunt lol. I also one afternoon after sitting all morning on my way back to camp for lunch, had a nuisance squirrel barking at me and perfect shot opportunity on a log where I could safely shoot, got a perfect head shot (to be honest couldn’t say exact distance, so long ago) estimating 35-45yd that made for a nice addition to that nights supper. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the cheap looking Remington Core-Lokt, even the cheap Winchester version looks better visually, but when shot out of my 336 it’s pretty damn hard to beat, I compared all my hand loads to it. Absolutely love that green/yellow mushroom 👍🏻👍🏻
Unless you handloaded, these were pretty much all you saw people using when I started hunting in the early 70's. My first deer fell to 200 gr. Core Lokts in .35 Remington.
One thing not mentioned. The old Core Lokt not having an exposed lead tip sticking out allows for use in short magazines. I had some Rem 600 in 308 (yes I'm old) in 6.5 Rem Mag 350 Rem Mag. The really short magazines require plastic tipped or bullets with a large exposed lead tips to be seated so deep as to encroach into the case capacity. I found the Rem Core Lokt and Speer Mag Tips worked best
3:10 in and my man Ryan dropping love for the .257 Roberts! I have about a hundred pieces of R-P Bob brass that I hoard like Smaug did dwarven gold. Brass goblin for life.
The only round I have found so far that my Ruger M77 Mark 2 30-06 absolutely loves is the Remington Core Lokt in 150gr. Recently tried the tipped version and it hated them.
Winchester Silvertips are another oldie. I took my first deer with that. I do still have some 1952 Corelocks for my .32 Win. Special. It's a cannelure.
I am not kidding u! The banjo minnow the largest 2 sizes WORKED! I CAUGHT more monster bass an pike on the banjo minnow that u will ever imagine! But it was the 2 biggest sizes that worked an maybe it was the banjo minnow gen 2?
I never found Core Lokt to be very good. Tried them in my Remington .270 Win and they had lousey accuracy, and were very sooty. My brother-in-law used to use them in his Weatherby Vanguard, to mixed results, but what seemed very odd was he started getting cases locked in the chamber after firing, possibly from over pressure. We ended up having to tap them out with a wooden dowel through the muzzle. After he switched to Federal ammo he never had that problem again. I don't know...I just never had much luck with Core Lokt, or any Remington ammo, rifle and hand gun, for that matter. Hopefully they have gotten better under the new owners. If I knew I wasn't wasting my money I even be willing to give them a try again.
It’s killed more game animals than all the other bullets combined! At least that was in an ad for them back in the 80s I’ve used it many times until I started reloading.
Core-Lokt's have always been the budget gold standard. About the same price as Power Point and Power Shok, but it's a better projectile for most applications imo. The Hornady copy, Interlocks, are fine as well though they tend to be a little more expensive in factory offerings than the Core-Lokt's. I'll give a shout-out to the Sako Hammerhead/Super Hammer head as well. During the Remington restructure/great shortages of 2020-2022, the Hammerhead's were all I could find, and man did they perform well for a "cheap" hunting load! About the same price as Core-Loct these days too, which is why I mention them. Still prefer to roll my own, and I tend towards more advanced bullet designs in my handholds, but it's always nice to have a known performer that is cheap and abundant like the Remington, Hornady, and Sako offerings.
Great bullets for traditional weights for historic cartridges. Push them to where expansion messes with the mechanical bond, and you'll still see cup and core separation though.
@danielrobey1759 yes and no. It still uses the same technology from when it was introduced, but the world of controlled expansion bullets has definitely changed. These days it's really only meant to give you a little extra insurance over something like a Sierra Game King or traditional Speer bullets (non Grand Slam or Hot Cor) where they rely just on the taper of the jacket. In cartridges that aren't going past 3,000 fps, they work as well as they ever have. If I relied on factory ammunition, they'd be my starting point for run of the mill cartridges like the 7mm-08, 308, 30-06, 280 Rem, 257 Roberts...
Love core-lokts I've taken a bunch of hogs and deer with them only saw one fail ever! And that was a 180 grain psp core-lokt on a hog from about 25 yards it came completely apart but I've never seen one do it again since then.
My dad put a wounded blacktail down with a core lokt. 30-06 150 grain from 6 inches to the side of the head. 2 wet socks flapping together and that’s it.
My dad took lots of game with his 270 Win Model 70. Always used a CORE-LOKT until California banned lead ammo across the state for all types of hunting.
A gentleman friend that was a very experienced hunter took his novice brother with him on a hunt in Africa. The experienced hunter was a connoisseur. Custom rifle, handloads with premier bullets, etc. He took 7 animals. His novice brother took the same 7 animals with a Rem 700, scope, and .308 Win Rem Corelokt 180s all purchased at Walmart. Being a connoisseur is fun, but it’s not required.
I've never owed a gun that shot Remington corelockt well. I do have a Sako 270wsm that loves the Federal Powershock. Lead core bullets are fantastic killers
Stopped by yesterday and was very cool to see Mr. Muckinghern at his desk taking phone calls. Ended up getting 2 scopes mounts and binoculars. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly and always wants to answer questions
I remember in the late 90s my dad told me that he finally finished an old box of 30-06 180gr Remington Core-lokt SP. He had 11 Moose shot from the single box he bought in the 80s. I still have that Rem 742 woodsmaster. Still shoots well with 180gr core-lokts. So yes the corelokts do work well on very large game.
I have an old 742 that has always shot 180 Core-Lokt as well…kicks like mule!
Lol I just finished off a box for deer season it lasted my 20s
@@Rambonii Nice!, seems like hunters, shooting at traditional ranges ( 1-300yrds) do very well with the o'l CoreLokts, I havent had a failure after a doz or so Whitetails.
From the earliest I can remember my dad only shot 100gr core-lokt in .243. What I saw him and that round do left no doubt in my mind on its performance. After he passed we found all the boxes from other brands that we had gotten him over the years that he never touched.
EXACTLY the same here!!!!! I've used the Remington 100gr. Core-lokt 243 (Rem. 700) BDL all through the 90's & ALWAYS dropped my game or never further than 25 yards from impact
I haven't had to take huge game. But the second time I went hunting, I was 16. Used my dad's Remington 740 .30-06 with Remington Core-lokt 150gr. Second day, a white tail doe was coming towards me. I had an either or tag. Loaded a round in the chamber. Got the crosshair right in the white of the chest and bang. Shot was about 40 yards or so from my stand. Deer took the hit, stumbled, galloped 15 yards and went down. Ended up ripping a lung apart. Was very satisfied that day. Need to go back out, hopefully 2025 will be the year I get back out deer hunting.
I used Core-Lokt 180gr RNSP in .30-06 for years. Great, consistent performance and great penetration. As far as writing with a pointed lead tipped bullet, there have been many daily permits filled out at a national forest near where I grew up that were filled out that way (using a bullet as a pencil). I know pretty much everybody I know has done it several times (probably a lot more common back in the 70s and 80s)
The amount I learned about the banjo minnow was an unexpected bonus.
Excellent podcast! Loved that you dedicated the entire podcast to this classic yet currently functional and relevant Remington CoreLokt bullet. I’ve harvested some game with Remington CoreLokt. I still keep several boxes of Remington CoreLokt in 117gr 257 Roberts and 130gr 270 Win. I would watch if you made similar podcasts on other bullet designs. The Hornady Interlock is another great bullet. Win Power Point, Federal Power Shok…all good.
I love the CoreLokt bullet. I think in the late 2000's field and stream compared all the available hunting bullets available at the time and said that while corelokts might not be the absolute best performer in every category they still perform well in every category
Great episode, Nosler partition next please💯💯💯💯
In the south, we had TNN (the Nashville network). Every Saturday and Sunday morning was nothing but hunting and fishing.
We had TNN up here in Canada for years back in the day. I miss those days. I still have boxes of old VHS tapes with all the old shows I recorded back then, too. I used to religiously record shows every weekend. I'm sure there's probably even some Banjo Minnow, Flying Lure and Bo-Hog Frog commercials in there too. But man, I HATED it when they changed to "Spike TV" and all the hunting and fishing shows disappeared. There are dedicated 24/7 hunting and fishing channels now, but it's just not quite the same.
Had it in WA state in the 90s. I listed after that infomercial crap as only an impressionable youth could
I miss TNN
I have used Rem Core-lokt bullets for 45 or more years, first in 257 and later in 223. Between myself and family (all my guns and reloads) and grandkids we have taken over 45 whitetails, muleys and antelope in South Dakota, and maybe twice that many. I never experienced core seperation and have a dozen or so recovered bullets just for show and tell. I like them so well that when I found 500 Core-Lokt in a going out of business sale, I bought them all (223). Great reliable product.
In the fall of 2019 I traded my dad a nice ar15 for his old Marlin 336 in 30-30. At the time I bought a ton of Remington cor-lokt from Walmart cheap and the gun shot moa with it so that’s what I used. Topped off with a diamondback 1.75-5 scope it dropped a nice Oklahoma 8point that rifle season. At the time it was the biggest to date I had ever shot.
Wow! Taking advantage of your dad like that. Shame, shame, shame!😂
@ 🤣 my mom wanted her own AR, and he shot less than a box of shells through the 30-30 since he bought it new when I was in high school 😭
I’ve tried other options but my old .243 loves Core-Lokt ammo. It has never let me down. My oldest just took a doe during juvenile with it-even recovered the bullet!
Full disclosure... I am a barnes fan. Use Barnes almost exclusively now. However... 2 of my biggest trophies... a 55 inch bull moose, 75 yd shot, and a 282 lb field dressed, 180 ish inch 9 pt whitetail... 130 yd shot were both killed with my 35 whelen 7600 pump, using remington 250 gr corelokt ammo. Williams peep site with firesite fibre optic front bead.
Both folded in instant death.
I recovered both bullets... yep.. perfect mushroom.
You simply can't go wrong with a standard corelokt bullet. Corelokt tipped REALLY has my attention.
I believe the 30-30 rifle was originally designed around a 170 gr bullet. Core lokt 170 all I ever used.
I dropped my buck this year with a model 99 in 30-30 using the 170 good ol green box. Bang flop!
I would love to see more podcasts dedicated to bullet types, i would love to see one on the winchester power point
I've never had a Core-Lokt fail to perform... ever! Provided I put it in the right spot.
25 years ago I had a 270 Weatherby Mag that loved 130gr interlocks which are just Hornady's version of the CorLokt. If I did my part that thing was deadly accurate. Best shot I ever took was a broad side shot beyond 500, but less than 600, this was before range finders. I knew my drop for 500 was 3ft. I lifted off 3ft from top of back and squeezed the trigger, the bullet punched a solid whole in both lungs later measured the shot it was 560yards.
Hey! I recommend that y’all actually DO have a whiteboard available for illustration! Many hunters are visually oriented learners. I’m weird. I think and learn both verbally AND visually. Great idea Ryan!
When my dad shot his elk it was a monster elk, but it was his first and only elk and he had busted his butt to get it. 35 Remington, 200 gr Core-Lokt. Dead beast!
I've been waiting on .35's lead balloon episode.
I remember not long ago when the core locts were $7.99 to $9.99 a box and form and fleet. Remembered when they went to $12.99 and thought…ouch! lol. Glad I reload them now.
It was long ago, it just doesn't seem like that much time has actually passed.
Ridiculous $$$ now like they are the premium premium loads
Yes. I use the Core-Lokt tipped in my .300 WinMag and my 30-06. Both in 180gr. My .300 shoots it Sub MOA while my 30-06 prints MOA or just over. Performs right up there with the Nosler Partition and the AccuBond. Never had any game animal take more than two steps after hit. I've been using the Core-Lokt for 30+ years. The Tipped version is awesome.
I inherited a Marlin 336 30-30 from a dear family friend and great old school hunter. Along with the rifle came a few boxes of Core Lokt 170 grain cartridges that I'm guessing are from the 1980s. That rifle and those old tarnished cartridges put down a nice sized whitetail doe just as well for me last weekend as they did for the old man starting in the 1960s when he bought the rifle.
I love the Core-Lokt tip ammo for my Mauser 98 chambered in 30-06. After installing the new Douglas 26-in barrel I wanted to get the cheapest ammo I could @ 29.99, to get it on paper and this is what i found. It was just too damn good not to buy more in the 165 gr offering... Shooting this out long range at 850 yards was absolutely amazing and the 100 yard groups have all been cutting cloverleaf's. Last year's Michigan gun season I took a large doe at 175 yards with a heavy quartering too shot opportunity and I placed the round just in front of the shoulder and found the perfect mushroom just under the hide at the last rib on the opposite side of impact, it was truly hitting the off button kind of results I love and I didn't lose a ton of meat in the process. Also during my testing my chronograph speeds were 2950 FPS with a SD of 6, very consistent across many different lot numbers of boxes of ammo....I just hope REMINGTON stays in the US I feel it's a complete tragedy just thinking about it being sold let alone to a foreign company, that's a hole different level of crazy IMHO.
@@loco4dogg thank you very much for the heads up. Hope all is well up north
The three most common ammo that I use are the Remington Core-Lokt, the Winchester Power Point, and the Federal soft points. They are reasonable in price and perform well in every firearm I have owned.
I have been using Core lokt for years,The last few years due to the thick cover I hunt I have switched to the Core Lokt SP which is round nose,30-06 180 grain SP,308 180 grain SP and 150 grain 270 and I have been getting great performance in thick brush
Great Start to the day. Yall keep it up 👍
Bring back the bronze point. I bought 500, 30 cal. 150 grain. Component bullets awhile ago. Fine Whitetail medicine here in PA. Bullet was way ahead of it's time.
Great review love that shout out on the 257 Robert good whitetail cartridge got a old ruger m77 compact 257 roberts
I couldn't even begin to guess how many whitetails I've seen taken with green box Core-Lokt bullets. My dad saved the recovered bullets from his .35 Remington (200gr) and pretty much every one of them looked like the picture on the box.
My dad took his singular elk with that exact cartridge. Everyone says it’s not for Western hunting but he shot the elk in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico-in a thickly wooded drainage arroyo.
@dr.froghopper6711
That just brought back decades of memories.
I grew up and hunted, trapped, and fished in the Gila National Forest. I used nothing but Core-Lokt in my bolt guns for over 30 years. The damned things just work. They dropped whitetail, mulie, elk, lion, and black bear, so I never saw the need to try anything else. I only ever needed one follow up, when I decided to use my .25-06 for a lion hunt around Whitewater Baldy and Sacaton Mountain. The lion spooked and bowed up and dropped his head just as I shot. The bala scalped him. I had to take a second shot while he was trying to murder the piñón branch overhead.
Gunflint lodge!! My dad worked there the summer (2019) after he retired. My cousin and I flew up there and met him to hunt grouse for the very first time. First afternoon there we saw a mama bear and 2 cubs and the next morning we saw a huge bull moose and then slaughtered some grouse. Best trip of my life. I have heard Ryan mention northern Minnesota several times and always wondered where exactly. Super cool it was Gunflint. Happy hunting guys.
I still love core lokt ammo. I’ve primarily used 100 grain 243 and 130 in 270 and 150 in 7mag 175 in 7 mag and have had excellent experience on deer and elk respectively. I love the ammo for hunting.
Back in 2014 in ariz Unit 8 dispatched 361 bull with savage 110 using a 270 with corelocks at 423 yrs!
I use the 180 grain tipped, in my .308 for whitetail here in Wisconsin. My PSA PA10 loves it!
I have some 150 grain and some 170 grain Remington core-lokt 30-30. Gonna see which one my 1948 Stevens 325b prefers this winter. Great video as always
I love my Core-Lokts. Took a couple elk with the PSP, one at 225 yards and the other at 330 yards. In fact everything I've ever taken has been with Core-lokts.
Great video on the Bango Minnow lure. Lol a bait and switch. I see what you guys did there. Tricky tricky
I love how you guys introduced the episode with an appreciation for "Proven over time" aspect of core loot. Not unlike the time tested capabilities of the .358. Any time table on THAT cartridge talk yet ?
Keep up the good work.
jmp
Got my biggest buck last season with my 308 using Big Green ammo. After federal stopped loading the Sierra Gameking 165gr I had to regroup, literally. I went with 150gr Core Lokt Tipped. He ran maybe 75 yards. I’m a believer.
cant say enough about the coreloke tipped, shoot and group pretty awesome. new 110 trail hunter 7mm rem mag 3 shot group 1inside othe shot and 3rd touching first round, cva cascade Lrh 308 same deal
Banjo minnow is awesome! Had some amazing days with it
My first bolt action was a Herter's 243 Win off the used gun rack. I bought it with a couple boxes of Core-Lokt ammo. Worked as advertised.
I'll admit, I bought one very bad box of corelokts when Remington was really going downhill a few years ago. I hit a buck at 40 and 60 yards (both good shoulder/lung shots) with my .308, and both rounds failed to expand. 4 hours later, my cousin put that buck down with a properly functioning corelokt. I switched to ballistic tips after that, and had great luck with corelokt tipped bullets. I don't shoot them much anymore, but the majority of my handloads are in old corelokt brass.
I would like to parrot some of the comments on accuracy. It seems like no matter what gun I shoot these through and what caliber, they always perform well. Maybe not the very best but always a solid performer.
The longer bearing surface from flat-base (and often, short ogive) bullets helps with accuracy. Bullets with longer ogives and boat tails tend to be more picky.
I used 150gr core-lokt in my 308 for years, probably close to 15years, but then changed to Hornady interlock’s, both do the job exceptionally well. The hornadys became more available where I live is really the only reason I changed.
Shot lots of game with 270W and Remington 130gr Core Lokt. Same performance as the old flat base Hornady Interlock. Just loaded 6.5 PRC with the Hornady Interlock 140gr for fallow deer out to 400m. Unfortunately Remington ammunition here in Australia has become too expensive.
Tryed 5 different kinds of Winchester ammo for a 270 win that i just got at cabelas and nothing under 4 inch groups at 100y.but only the 130 grain . Any type of 150 grain was shooting 3/4 to 1/2 inch groups. But go the new rifle for a field rifle and wanted to use the 130s but was horrible with any i tryed . So just when i was going to sell it and try a 25 06 my boy told me to try some rem core lok so i did and what a difference. Now getting 1/2 or less at 100y. Lol but i still got the 25 06 i could not resist the urge lol both shoot very well with the corelok . Geuss i can retire the old lee Enfield as my main field rifle lol best kill with the old parker hale 303 was 464y and never took a step lol hope the new ones serve me as good as the old 303 has for the last 34 years . Love the show .keep it up. Thanks again👍🇨🇦❤
My PB montana mule deer was taken with a rem core-lok 180gr from a Model 70 that was handed down to me.
In 1986, I purchased a new Remmy 700 Classic in 350 Remington Magnum. The ammo of choice for me was the Remington Core-Lokt 200 gn PSP round. About a dozen deer have succumbed to that round, none ever having walked away far from a pulled trigger. I have hit broadside and had both lungs laying outside the ribcage on the off side. Twice I hit broadside and when the rifle came down out of recoil, I saw nothing. Going out and checking in the long grass, the deer were down where they stood before I had a chance to see them crumple. Before I scoped the rifle I took a head-on shot into a wooded river valley I saw the hit, but it was off. A quick second dropped it hard. Tracking the first shot I found it had clipped three branches up to a couple inches in diameter that I couldn't see from my position and passed squarely through a four inch poplar before striking the deer off center in the white throat patch. Another head-on shot a few years later, with a scope, at only about 80 yards saw the hair part and the eight point rock back up off his front hooves, coming back down to collapse immediately. I found the bullet perfectly mushroomed under the hide on a rear quarter. I still have four boxes of the factory ammo, having bought it whenever I could find it before it went extinct. I also bought a few hundred of the Remington bullets when I could get them from Midway to match the brass I purchased along the way. Why mess with a great thing?
I was hunting Canadian Elk with browning blr in 30-06. After testing over 10 different ammo types and weight. The corelokt 220 gr shot the absolute best. I figure within about 220 yards its a do all for all Canadian prey animals
My wife bought me my first new rifle ever. Weatherby vanguard in 308. I was told to break it in with what I was going to hunt with. At the time Remington produced a core lock in 165 grn. Bought 10 boxes, they lasted about 10 years. They no longer produce
those. Switched to 150.
Hunt deer in GA . The core lock always gave me an exit wound. When a few years ago Remington's quality started slipping l switched to Hornady 168 A max. The accuracy came back and it puts them to sleep where they stood. I've learned a great deal from listening to ya'll.
Thank you
I'm 68 and she bought me that rifle in 1998.
Your wife selected a Weatherby? Great choice! You married a gal that ended up buying you a rifle? Good move on your part!!
I have a 7600 in .243, my first deer rifle. 3/4 inch gun with the old 100 grain core locks. That model/ammo combo has filled freezers for a long time.
I’ve never heard anyone else talk about the banjo minnow. This is awesome. Thought I was the only one that ran out of the “rubber weed guards”
Shot two moose in Newfoundland Canada with 180g Remington psp corelockt ammo. First trip my rifle and 200G swift A-frames were delayed by the airline in Canada because of a flight change. Used a borrowed x bolt and borrowed 180g corelokt (convinced the budget ammo would not be up to task). There was no arguing with the results I saw. When I returned next year with and was able to use my 700 in 30-06 it was stoked with 180g Remington corelokts. The results were the same.
I came across a deal on Core-lokt 30-06 150 grain. My CZ 600 loves them to the point I compare that performance to all others.
Thanks for making me feel old with that banjo minnow memory...😂
I have found the tipped to be very accurate and work very well for hunting. The standard I have used for years as well and have done well for me also. Interesting how the old ammo works so well and more accurate then some of the new supposedly better ammo!
It has to do with the flat base and relatively short ogive. That longer bearing surface seems to help reduce misalignment inside the bore. You give up some BC, but there is nothing wrong with it as long as you know the drop and stay in its effective range.
I have lived in Montana all my life and have a pile of horns collected with cheap cup and core bullets. Wincester power point, Remington core locked and Federal power shock. I did shoot the biggest bull I have harvested (a huge body 6 point with an old arrow shaft broke off in him)shot with the Winchester power point 7mm mag. 175gr. I do shoot more expensive bullets now just in case of a bad angle or heavy bone strike.
I have been using Hornady ELD-X in a 7mmMag.
I replaced the barrel and was breaking it in with an assorted bunch of bullets to load.
I worked up some Nesler Partitions. I got a five shot 1 single hole group.
Older stuff works some times.
It made me rethink it.
I had used Winchester super black box that did not shoot well. But Winchester white box grouped excellent.
Race bullets don’t always group.
Love the 30-06 150gr core-lokt for whitetail
The core lock bronze point 130 grain out of my 270 is absolutely amazing. Wish I could get more
There’s a really good channel on UA-cam called Mason leather who does ballistic jail test of hunting loads. You should check it out. If you want to see how certain projectiles and caliber perform at 100 yards on gel
Yep, i think he's the best channel on YT for bullet performance testing in Gel & comparing a huge variety of different ammunition. If people search his vids you will probably find what you want. It makes bullet selection easy which perform better than the nonsense advertising from companies. The only thing is if it will be accurate in your particular rifle.
@@craigparker4108 true. It’s a good start though. If you go to the play lists he has them grouped by cartridge.
Fell my 1st 3 big game with a core lokt in a 6mm. Good stuff
Back in '19 I got my first gun, a Remington Model 783 chambered in .308 Winchester (with a 3-9x32 scope) at a Dick's. The guy behind the counter suggested 2 boxes of Core-Lokt to go with my new gun; I remember that the gun and both boxes of Core-Lokt cost right under $400, out the door. I sighted-in that rifle, practiced, and killed my first two deer and a squirrel on the homestead with those 40 Core-Lokt rounds.
Needless to say, I've a soft (non-lead) spot for the round. Man, I can't find Core-Lokt for under $35 a box nowadays.
Ahhh, the Banjo Minnow! I begged my father to buy it and he eventually did. Caught my first big bass on it.
I like the nosler partition too
Nobody’s favourite but no one say they don’t work
I’ve always had very positive experiences with Core-Lokt
He can’t keep getting away with this ‼️‼️
The Banjo Minno is basically a nose hooked fluke. You could very easily use multiple of the baitfish profiles combined with Nikko weights to do the same thing. Plus, the current bass generation hasn't seen much of that technique as of late. I just might try it again.
Used to love Corelokts. They always shot pretty well in every gun but a couple years ago I had two fail to fire from a box of 270 (luckily just sighting in) and two fail to expand on game in 308. Lost faith in them after that.
I had 3 fail to fire in a box of 25/06 back in the 90's and I haven't bothered with them since...
Soft point locked are always reliable. I would say that if Hornady, federal or remmington didn’t provide them it would be a scramble for traditional rifles in traditional chambering from grandpappys safe. Side note update on 6.5BC productions of any kind? Maybe a 6.8w revisit?? Love the podcast, everything I own is vortex, Mark, love the dad humor, and Ryan..consider me a student of your knowledge and teachings. Thanks guys.
Andrew
My go-to has been the federal fusion
My 336 30/30 absolutely loves 170gr core lokt. I remember back when Hornady introduced there 160gr lever evolution lineup I was so excited and setup at the range and couldn’t get better than 1 3/4” group at 100yds. I was so disappointed. I’ve had good luck with 150gr RN Hornady over 3031IMR hand loads but, I can always go back to my old tried and true Core-Lokt and get 1” to sub 1” moa @100. I killed a dandy of a buck (probably my personal best) but never got to tag him, due to where he fell (I was hunting next to property line) the land owner refused me taking deer even though I could visually see him laying there dead from my stand. He did end up taking my buck, probably so he could brag to his friends on “his” great hunt lol. I also one afternoon after sitting all morning on my way back to camp for lunch, had a nuisance squirrel barking at me and perfect shot opportunity on a log where I could safely shoot, got a perfect head shot (to be honest couldn’t say exact distance, so long ago) estimating 35-45yd that made for a nice addition to that nights supper. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the cheap looking Remington Core-Lokt, even the cheap Winchester version looks better visually, but when shot out of my 336 it’s pretty damn hard to beat, I compared all my hand loads to it. Absolutely love that green/yellow mushroom 👍🏻👍🏻
We had Michigan Outdoors back in the day on public broadcast tv.
Some of the best banter boys! Laughing my head off!!😂😂
Unless you handloaded, these were pretty much all you saw people using when I started hunting in the early 70's. My first deer fell to 200 gr. Core Lokts in .35 Remington.
My uncle uses a 150 core lokt in his pre 64 model 70 -06 with a 3-9 leupold. Doesn’t get more classic American than that.
One thing not mentioned.
The old Core Lokt not having an exposed lead tip sticking out allows for use in short magazines.
I had some Rem 600 in 308 (yes I'm old) in 6.5 Rem Mag 350 Rem Mag.
The really short magazines require plastic tipped or bullets with a large exposed lead tips to be seated so deep as to encroach into the case capacity.
I found the Rem Core Lokt and Speer Mag Tips worked best
With the exclusion of Barnes with a clean barrel, I have always found standard cup and core to be most accurate.
3:10 in and my man Ryan dropping love for the .257 Roberts! I have about a hundred pieces of R-P Bob brass that I hoard like Smaug did dwarven gold. Brass goblin for life.
The only round I have found so far that my Ruger M77 Mark 2 30-06 absolutely loves is the Remington Core Lokt in 150gr. Recently tried the tipped version and it hated them.
My childhood was the flying lure commercial lol. Late 80’s early 90’s
I was convinced there was. I better fishing lure in the world
Winchester Silvertips are another oldie. I took my first deer with that. I do still have some 1952 Corelocks for my .32 Win. Special. It's a cannelure.
Core-Lokt was a revelation for us provincial Yanks. The Euros had similar bullets a few decades earlier.
The grooves you talk about are called cannulas, first used in the minni ball as a lube groove
I am not kidding u! The banjo minnow the largest 2 sizes WORKED! I CAUGHT more monster bass an pike on the banjo minnow that u will ever imagine! But it was the 2 biggest sizes that worked an maybe it was the banjo minnow gen 2?
i grabbed the older core lokt just to try when i bought my Remington 700 270 win years ago and still shoot it to this day.
I never found Core Lokt to be very good. Tried them in my Remington .270 Win and they had lousey accuracy, and were very sooty. My brother-in-law used to use them in his Weatherby Vanguard, to mixed results, but what seemed very odd was he started getting cases locked in the chamber after firing, possibly from over pressure. We ended up having to tap them out with a wooden dowel through the muzzle. After he switched to Federal ammo he never had that problem again. I don't know...I just never had much luck with Core Lokt, or any Remington ammo, rifle and hand gun, for that matter. Hopefully they have gotten better under the new owners. If I knew I wasn't wasting my money I even be willing to give them a try again.
It’s killed more game animals than all the other bullets combined! At least that was in an ad for them back in the 80s I’ve used it many times until I started reloading.
This was nearly a 10 minute talk on the banjo minnow. This thing gets talked about more than vortex products on here.
Core-Lokt's have always been the budget gold standard. About the same price as Power Point and Power Shok, but it's a better projectile for most applications imo. The Hornady copy, Interlocks, are fine as well though they tend to be a little more expensive in factory offerings than the Core-Lokt's.
I'll give a shout-out to the Sako Hammerhead/Super Hammer head as well. During the Remington restructure/great shortages of 2020-2022, the Hammerhead's were all I could find, and man did they perform well for a "cheap" hunting load! About the same price as Core-Loct these days too, which is why I mention them. Still prefer to roll my own, and I tend towards more advanced bullet designs in my handholds, but it's always nice to have a known performer that is cheap and abundant like the Remington, Hornady, and Sako offerings.
Interesting to hear that the budget ammo may be more forgiving in terms of accuracy in some rifles.
Great bullets for traditional weights for historic cartridges. Push them to where expansion messes with the mechanical bond, and you'll still see cup and core separation though.
To my knowledge the modern core lokt is pretty much just a regular ol cup and core bullet these days. Nothing special any more...
@danielrobey1759 yes and no. It still uses the same technology from when it was introduced, but the world of controlled expansion bullets has definitely changed. These days it's really only meant to give you a little extra insurance over something like a Sierra Game King or traditional Speer bullets (non Grand Slam or Hot Cor) where they rely just on the taper of the jacket.
In cartridges that aren't going past 3,000 fps, they work as well as they ever have. If I relied on factory ammunition, they'd be my starting point for run of the mill cartridges like the 7mm-08, 308, 30-06, 280 Rem, 257 Roberts...
Love core-lokts I've taken a bunch of hogs and deer with them only saw one fail ever! And that was a 180 grain psp core-lokt on a hog from about 25 yards it came completely apart but I've never seen one do it again since then.
My dad put a wounded blacktail down with a core lokt. 30-06 150 grain from 6 inches to the side of the head. 2 wet socks flapping together and that’s it.
My dad took lots of game with his 270 Win Model 70. Always used a CORE-LOKT until California banned lead ammo across the state for all types of hunting.
A gentleman friend that was a very experienced hunter took his novice brother with him on a hunt in Africa. The experienced hunter was a connoisseur. Custom rifle, handloads with premier bullets, etc. He took 7 animals. His novice brother took the same 7 animals with a Rem 700, scope, and .308 Win Rem Corelokt 180s all purchased at Walmart. Being a connoisseur is fun, but it’s not required.
Is there any possibility that the tipped version is a re branded SST from Hornady?
Lol love the fishing story. 😅
I've never owed a gun that shot Remington corelockt well. I do have a Sako 270wsm that loves the Federal Powershock. Lead core bullets are fantastic killers