Core/Jacket separation?

[Eagleye]

BUM what is a premium bullet?

some say Nosler partition are not....

The Nosler Partition IS a premium bullet. The performance that the Partition offers, at short & long range testifies to that.
The fact that it remains the bullet by which all others are judged speaks volumes.

We are very fortunate these days with many premium bullet choices [Bonded, monometal, etc.]
Having taken well over 100 head of game with the Partition, from 6mm up to .375, I can vouch for their reliability. [1963 - present]

While I like and use some monometals, I have 2 Barnes TSX which failed to expand.

I also like and use bonded bullets. I have so far been satisfied with the results.
However, I will not live long enough to test them out as thoroughly as I have the Partition.

Regards, Dave

 

[BigUglyMan]

BUM what is a premium bullet?

some say Nosler partition are not....

They're on crack. They are the original premium bullet. Development has marched along and has given us some truly spectacular bullets including the X Family of bullets, Accubond, Matrix and the A-Frame. Yet 65 years later the Partition marches on, refusing to give ground to the oncomers. This is truly the golden age of bullet technology. The next great leap will be green expandable bullets, say a bonded Partition with a bismuth core. Until then, we wait...

 

['Boo]

nozler 200 grn bt out of a 336 06. ballistic tips are known to be soft cup and core.

The 338 Calibre BT's are not "soft" by any stretch of the imagination. They - as are all the Ballistic Tips from 180 grain 30 calibre and up - made with exceptionally thick jackets that perform much better than some people give them credit for.

 

[Cleftwynd]

They're on crack. They are the original premium bullet. Development has marched along and has given us some truly spectacular bullets including the X Family of bullets, Accubond, Matrix and the A-Frame. Yet 65 years later the Partition marches on, refusing to give ground to the oncomers. This is truly the golden age of bullet technology. The next great leap will be green expandable bullets, say a bonded Partition with a bismuth core. Until then, we wait...

Wholeheartedly agree, and I believe that's exactly what it will take to knock the partition out of first place. Nothing less than a MAJOR development, or just a better partition.

 

[Ardent]

I have less experience with them than most in this thread, but have shot wood bison, wildebeest, lion, gemsbok, moose, grizzly, black bear, and certainly things I'm forgetting with Interlocs. They kill stuff, even if they aren't pretty when you pull them out, I'd have a hard time calling yours failures. After reading how they don't exit coyotes from people I trust I feel I must be very lucky. But since they work and I have so many stashed for .375 and 7mm I keep using them in blissful ignorance. My motivation? When I bought them, they were the cheapest bullet my .375 liked, and they were both loaded in factory blue box for .375 and 7x57. That kept them busy for me.

This is the first year I carried partitions alone afield for the latter half of the outfitting season, I think it'll be my grizzly bullet of choice. It's not too hard as I feel many premium bullets are at present.

 

[sgt.rock]

Funny, I've never had an interlock bullet STAY TOGETHER in an animal. I often find the jacket and core close together but I've never gotten that picture perfect "mushroom" that you get with some other more expensive bullets. I don't consider a dead animal the size of an elk to constitute "failure" of the bullet. I still have rifles that LOVE the interlock , so I won't be parting ways with it any time soon. Success of a bullet's terminal performance is in the work ahead of you in humping that heavy animal home, not in having a nice mushroomed bullet for the mantle.

 

[guido]

You failed to allow the elk to put some yardage between you and him. If you would have let this happen your bullet would have mushroomed perfectly and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Yup, that bullet should have killed your elk deader.

 

[dgradinaru]

I have had good results with the interlocks. I tracked a wounded bear due to a bad shot and found him in the tree, shot the bear in shoulder neck area....the bullet traveled thru lots of bone and yet the interlock held pretty good and mushroomed. The bullet was an 8mm 195gr interlock @ 2600 fps, and shot was about 10-15 yards. Recovered bullet weighed about 100grains.

Also shot a mule buck a few years back from about 150 yards in the shoulder. The bullet passed thru both shoulders with no shrapnel found.

In my opinion the interlocks are one of the best cup and core bullets......same can be said with the speer hotcor.

 

[Ardent]

I have had good results with the interlocks. I tracked a wounded bear due to a bad shot and found him in the tree, shot the bear in shoulder neck area....the bullet traveled thru lots of bone and yet the interlock held pretty good and mushroomed. The bullet was an 8mm 195gr interlock @ 2600 fps, and shot was about 10-15 yards. Recovered bullet weighed about 100grains.

Also shot a mule buck a few years back from about 150 yards in the shoulder. The bullet passed thru both shoulders with no shrapnel found.

In my opinion the interlocks are one of the best cup and core bullets......same can be said with the speer hotcor.

I wouldn't go so far as to call the Interloc or Hotcor best of any dimension- both are serviceable bullets. Nothing less nothing more, often serviceable is just fine.

 

[dgradinaru]

I wouldn't go so far as to call the Interloc or Hotcor best of any dimension- both are serviceable bullets. Nothing less nothing more, often serviceable is just fine.

I said one of the best cup and core, not the best. When I was writing that I was thinking more about Core-lokt, Winchester Sp, and other similar cheap cup and core bullets.

 

[Cleftwynd]

Don't forget the Ballistic Tip when talking about decent cup and core!!

 

[mnr]

This result isn't surprising, they are decent enough bullets but aren't made for high impact velocities if you like seeing perfect mushrooms or pass-throughs. I have a few boxes left of factory 375 Ruger ammo loaded with 270gr interlocks, which seem to act like V-Max's when they hit an animal at 150 yards and under. Now that I know what to expect I don't mind using them, as every shot in the chest cavity is D.R.T.... just know now not to hit the meat, no "eating up to the hole" with these ones. On black bear and whitetail deer the result has been the same, fist sized entry holes and everything inside liquefied. No exit broadside on an medium-large sized black bear, blasts right through deer though. Not complaining, but for factory ammo that has pictures of lions, cape buffalo, rhinos, and elephants on the box it is a little uninspiring.... not sure if it is just a bad lot or what, as they were all bought at the same time.

 

[Ardent]

I said one of the best cup and core, not the best. When I was writing that I was thinking more about Core-lokt, Winchester Sp, and other similar cheap cup and core bullets.

Honestly they are dead on par with Core Lokts, old Silver Tips, XPs, you name it. They're all made of the same stuff so little surprise they are all equivalent. And all are generally very serviceable on game.

 

[trevj]

Well you got your elk so it wasn't that bad lol. I would say that what you experienced is probably typical of that bullet at that range. Had it been a farther shot the interlock probably wouldn't have come apart like that. One thing not mentioned was where you hit it, shoulder? Or just through ribs?

Yep, this. Dead Elk. Does it get any better than dead?

Cheers
Trev

 

[trevj]

And this here is the answer I was looking for. I kind of came to this conclusion myself but i wanted to hear someone confirm my theory.

Really? Maybe go re-read all the other answers. You KILLED the elk! Not a failure. Special kind of foolishness to go through all those replies until you find the one you like, so you can confirm your own guess. Confirmation bias of the funniest sort!

Since they started making cup and core bullets, this is what happens to some of them. Others peel back and make a perfect mushroom, while still others hit solid bits and end up in pieces. They have not yet made ballistic test medium that can accurately simulate ALL the possible events that can take place during a bullets impact on a random animal.

There aren't any perfect bullets. Ask the guys that had their TSX's punch through without expanding, as one example. They all have problems. Each different than the others.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Northman999]

Looks like the OP had a little bad luck with those particular bullets.

I have had interlocks break up, but I'd say they only have done it for me about a third of the time. I have gotten lots of nice mushrooms from them too, typically in 338 and 375 cal where impact velocities are in the 2100 - 2400 fps range.

I still use them in most every cartridge I reload for, along with other C&C bullets like the Hot-Cor and Winchester PP's.

If I ever actually lose an animal to a cup and core bullet that may change, but it has not happened yet, and I tend to agree with those who pointed out that the bullets you shot did actually kill your elk.

 

[c-fbmi]

Trev..........I have to disagree with you on this. A bullet can indeed fail and still terminate the animal in question, the failure witnessed in this case is cup/core separation. Regardless of the outcome to this specific animal, the bullet still failed to retain it's integrity. Given a different angle the bullet may not have been fatal to the animal, causing not only a bullet failure but a lost elk as well. This is exactly why I find it essential to recover my bullets when possible and evaluate their performance. I have yet to have a Nosler Part or Accubond fail to perform as advertised and use both with the utmost confidence.
As far as no perfect bullet...........well there is no such thing as a perfect ANYTHING, but I have to say that performance of the Partition and Accubonds come about as close to being totally predictable and thus perfect as this game gets. My discussion here is in reference to the big ungulates of NA and plains game of Africa and should not be carried over to big bears or other dangerous game.
I use these two because of my own successes with them and others with whom I have hunted while using these bullets. I have reservations with the homogenous copper bullets as I have witnessed total failure to expand in one case while using a TTSX with impact distance of between 50-75 mtrs. This deer was tracked down and harvested that day but the zero expansion was very evident with the TTSX hit. I have also heard stories from other very reliable sources of similar experiences, so you don't have to hit me over the head, I won't be using them again, in that cartridge.

 

[Eagleye]

Trev..........I have to disagree with you on this. A bullet can indeed fail and still terminate the animal in question, the failure witnessed in this case is cup/core separation. Regardless of the outcome to this specific animal, the bullet still failed to retain it's integrity. Given a different angle the bullet may not have been fatal to the animal, causing not only a bullet failure but a lost elk as well. This is exactly why I find it essential to recover my bullets when possible and evaluate their performance. I have yet to have a Nosler Part or Accubond fail to perform as advertised and use both with the utmost confidence.
As far as no perfect bullet...........well there is no such thing as a perfect ANYTHING, but I have to say that performance of the Partition and Accubonds come about as close to being totally predictable and thus perfect as this game gets. My discussion here is in reference to the big ungulates of NA and plains game of Africa and should not be carried over to big bears or other dangerous game.
I use these two because of my own successes with them and others with whom I have hunted while using these bullets. I have reservations with the homogenous copper bullets as I have witnessed total failure to expand in one case while using a TTSX with impact distance of between 50-75 mtrs. This deer was tracked down and harvested that day but the zero expansion was very evident with the TTSX hit. I have also heard stories from other very reliable sources of similar experiences, so you don't have to hit me over the head, I won't be using them again, in that cartridge.

I agree with this in it's entirety. Good post, Douglas! Dave.

 

[trevj]

I believe that particular bullet struck solid bone at some point, and came apart as a result of that. This from looking at the smeared angle of the nose portion, showing that rather than expanding, the bullet ricocheted off something in its passage through the elk. You see differently? It certainly does not look to have had a chance to roll back the nose of the bullet in the classic form of mushroom expansion.

Per my previous statement, they cannot simulate EVERY thing that may happen in real life use.

The large portion of the core that traveled through the elk, was effective at killing it, no matter where the remainder of the bullet ended up.

I simply am not seeing any real reason there, to chuck out that particular style of bullet over this.

Enjoy your elk!

Cheers
Trev

 

[coleman1495]

In my limited experience hunting I have had the opportunity to test three bullets. All of which were in WT deer.

The first was a Rem Core-Lokt which is supposedly a bonded bullet. It was a 100gr 6mm projectile coming out of a .243 win at probably around 2400 fps (by the time of impact ~220yds away) That bullet had the jacket totally separate. The actual bullet went clean through both sides of the front of the animal (through the heart) and the jacket was found in the neck.

The second was a 100gr 6mm Interlock. This was from about 50yds away and was probably about around 2900fps at time of impact. The jacket totally exploded and ripped off. The bullet mushroomed and went clean through. It was a high shot that went under the spine (a lucky miss). Bits of jacket were through out the meat. No lead to be found

The third was a 139gr SST 7mm (7mm-08). This impacted at about 2450fps and hit in the sternum. The jacket totally separated and the bullet came out in the middle of the ribs. The jacket was in bits.

Anyways I think three times makes it science right? I think jacket separation is not uncommon. In every instance the actual lead held together nicely. I am going to try the 139gr Interbond next to see if the jackets stays on or not.