Experience with a 162 grain Hornady Interlok in a 7mm-08 Rem

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galamb

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I am looking for any personal experience anyone has had shooting 162 grain Hornady Interlok's from a 7mm-08 chambered rifle.

While, to me, these seem a little heavy for that particular caliber, some of the load data doesn't look that bad.

I do realize these will slow down and drop rather quickly compared to a 140 grain round which might be considered on the heavier side of "typical" from an .08

But am interested in hearing any first hand experience.

I am not looking for suggestions of a different/better/stronger/faster round, this is one I am considering reloading to try in the rifle and just looking for some info before I buy the box of 100.
 
I used them in my 280 for a while and though accurate they had a tendency to shed their jackets, which most contend is a bullet failure even though they were taken from dead deer.
 
I shoot the 162gr Amax thru my 7-08 target rifle and my Pro Hunter, a max load of H4350 gives me 2790 and 2850fps

My typical hunting bullet is the 139gr interlock, I have thought about using the 162gr interlock for elk.
 
i have a custom built 7mm-08 and while i can say i have never used the Hornady interlocks, i have used the match. The powder i used is IMR4007SSC and am getting the same velocites as Hotwheel. I have never shot anything less then 150gr in it and dont think i ever would. My hunting load is 160GR sierra game kings which is in the same line up as the interlocks. Great bullets and deadly accurate. Deer are DRT on impact and though i have never taken a moose i would not histate out to 300 yards. some say its stretchin it but rememeber that this style of bullet is intented to work between 1800 and 2800fps so its right in its element and should perform perfactly and would probably be recovered on the far hide.. the deer were complete pass threws. Between 140-150-160 gr the trajectory is not going to be enough at 300 to have to really think about...

Josh.
 
Thanks guys, that's the kind of info I'm looking for - and those speeds are better than I was considering - would be satisfied with 2600 fps.

The rifle that will doing the shooting is a Weatherby Vanguard II Sporter, so has the 24" barrel which should help a bit with the velocity. I'm not a "speed freak" and load for "hunting" accuracy over speed every time.

Good to hear about the 160 Game Kings - those are on the "try list" because they are inexpensive enough that even if it doesn't like them they can be used as plinkers. I shoot GK's in my 243 - bullet of choice for hunting it, so well familiar with terminal performance.

And am considering the 162's for Moose (if the rifle likes them) along with Partitions and A-Frames - just can do a lot more load work-up with the Hornady's due to cost.
 
Good luck with the load development. your barrel rate of twist will have alot to do with if u can shoot the heavy bullets or not. I have a 1-8 twist so i can shoot anything really i can shove into it. My friend has a Rem 770 in 7mm-08 wiht a 1-9.25 twist i think it is. only when i pushed the 160's up to max load is when they really held a nice group. Being your from Ontario im sure your familiar with Groundhogs. Lets just say 160's work marvels out to 500yards on them.. yes thats how accurate the game kings are in my firearms.

Josh
 
galamb said:
Thanks guys, that's the kind of info I'm looking for - and those speeds are better than I was considering - would be satisfied with 2600 fps.

The rifle that will doing the shooting is a Weatherby Vanguard II Sporter, so has the 24" barrel which should help a bit with the velocity. I'm not a "speed freak" and load for "hunting" accuracy over speed every time.

Good to hear about the 160 Game Kings - those are on the "try list" because they are inexpensive enough that even if it doesn't like them they can be used as plinkers. I shoot GK's in my 243 - bullet of choice for hunting it, so well familiar with terminal performance.

And am considering the 162's for Moose (if the rifle likes them) along with Partitions and A-Frames - just can do a lot more load work-up with the Hornady's due to cost.
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If it's at all relevant to you a friend of mine who I hunt with every year took a mature moose 2 falls ago with a 139gr interlock with a high shoulder shot at 100M, the bullet left a fist size hole thru it's spine and was not recoverd.... I have shot a dozen WT with that same bullet at distances from 50' to 310 meters and never recoverd a bullet either, all bang/flop.

His rifle is a Model 7 rem with a fairly short stick on it... 22"?
 
That's encouraging that a 139 would do that much damage.

I have found a number of accounts of guys hunting moose with 139/140 grain rounds - just would have thought that was a "little light" although I was thinking about loading the 139's anyhow to use for deer.

Good to know that they took down Bullwinkle without any issues.
 
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