Anyone have any on-game experience with this bullet?

I'm looking for a thin skinned game bullet. This is bullet is very accurate of my rifle, but I'm wide open for suggestions.....such as a nice 180 gr Sierra Pro-Hunter, where I should expect proven immediate mushroom and massive internal trauma.

Thoughts?

I like the 7mm version in my 280 Remington.

The interbond are VG bullets on soft skinned game. I also like 150gr Sierra pro-hunters.
Combined Technology makes a real nice selection of 150..165gr bullets. My 7.5x55 shoots the CT bullets best. The .308 and 7.62x51 seem to be partial to Sierra bullets.
I would be more concerned w/ an accurate bullet rather than what Soft point I was shooting for medium game, just use a quality bullet. Jim

If it shoots well in your rifle then use it. This is the bullet that JJHACK reported did very well on elk, hogs and African plains game when used in a 30-06.

Gents,

I think if impact velocity was in the 2900 fps or so range, then this ought to be excellent for your intended purpose. I've used the interlock 165 with great success in 06 and 308 Win both, and they provide a very good balance of penetration and expansion, although the impact velocity is limited to around the 2700 fps mark. The bonded feature would make it hold together better, so it would be a bit tougher on target, and while it would be better suited to magnum performance - there is still a impact velocity penalty up close.

Still, it would hold together better than the Sierra's, which are fairly spotty in this regard. Love how well they fly, but the game kings espiecally can seperate from their cores if any heavy lifting is to be done- like engaging the target from an non-standard angle. I would expect pro-hunters to be better, but still my thinking is that the Hornady's will hold together better in 30 cailber.

If it shoots for you, I'd say you are in tall cotton, personally.

Best to you Sir.

Steve

Thank you.

Steve, are you suggesting that the ideal impact velocity is between 2700 and 2900 fps?

THis is my concern, as with most "tough" bullets, many of the complaints of poor performance come from inpact velocities outside of the range the bullet was engineered for.

Thanks again

EMC2

he is saying under 2700 would be better it will work okay faster but the meat loss will be higher.

I use 140 gn interbonds in my 7mm Rem Mag, has devastating results on thin skinned game, shoots extra flat, and is super accurate. If I was to hunt deer, it would be with this bullet.

Sorry, they are 139 gn's to be exact. Thought id correct myself before I looked ignorant in front of you guys lol.

I have had excellent results with the .308 Interbond bullets on deer.

Sir,

I ventured into looking at impact velocities when I had a few blow ups with cup and core, standard bullets, in the 7 Rem Mag and 270 Win, that caused me some concern. Also, I did recently have a jacket/ core seperation with a 358 Win, but that was a straight on engagement, with a complete penetration in the 3 foot range, as both pieces of the bullet lodged near the tail. This incident, and the blow ups referenced before did produce kills, so at the end of the day I don't have much to complain about- but as a student of such things it does speak to the capabilities of the bullet as its making its way through game.

Generally, I've found that 2700 fps or less impact velocity for standard cup and core bullets is preferable, and actually will load them to this standard at the muzzle, generally. My 06 load is a 180gr Sierra game king loaded thusly, chosen just so I don't stress it unproportionally if I get one of those odd angles, or close in shots. Since these bullets never have a problem expanding, even down to the 1700 (maybe less) impact velocity, I think this combination is well chosen.

The bonded bullet that you speak of will give you less to zero likelihood of a blow up situation, but since they still have a lead core and a jacket of the same approximate thickness they will still expand nicely even if impact velocity is low. This makes them better suited for magnum impact velocities, although if the impact velocity is still over 2900 or so, then expansion may become more aggressive, to the point that penetration can suffer. The bullet ends up looking like a banana peel, one piece, still connected at the base, but essentially non-missile like at this point and incapable of any further penetration.

With light skinned game, or considering a soft body hit this becomes less of an issue, and I think your choice is honestly a near perfect compromise, capability wise, for the the range of 30s from 308 to 300 Win/ WSM. If you're shooting one of the big 30s, then I'd reserve this combination for field shooting and maybe not take the closer shots where the impact velocity would be higher. This is what I ended up doing with the 7 RM, with the load that it likes I don't consider shooting anything closer than 150 yards.

The other side of this coin is the tougher bullets as you mention. Although my experience is limited with the Barnes X, I want an impact velocity of at least 2500 + if I consider shooting this bullet. Penetration is not the issue with these bullets, rather expansion. I killed a hog with a 168 Barnes 300 WSM this spring, impact velocity in the 3000 fps range- a hard body hit that still gave quartering penetration in the 2 foot range and exited. The pig went nose in- couple of odd shakes, then to pig heaven. The autospy revealed that expansion was up to snuff.

The Nosler partitions have a very wide performance range, and are still effective as low as 1900 fps, and will still penetrate if the velocities become extreme in the magnum sense, maybe not as well as the barnes or fail safe, but better than the cup/ core and bonded. I shoot allot of these bullets, killed close to 75% of what I have killed with them, and am a solid Nosler Part man. Working on the 225 grain Nosler 358 to replace the other variety that seperated last year.

I think that the 165 bonded Hornady's would be a very good choice, and have great application on light skinned game in really all engagement angles for both expansion and penetration, if impact velocity is in the 2000- 2900 fps range. The bonus is that this one shoots for you, so I would consider it a keeper.

Anyway, hope that it works, let me know if I can do anything for you.

Best to you, Sir.

Steve

realistically the interbond is overkill for deer hunting unless you are using a magnum round, but then that is overkill too. i've had great luck with the standard interlocks... even at ranges under 50 yards with a 280.
just the same the interbond will do just fine on deer and such, i think you are worried a bit much over nothing.

Thanks guys, and thank you Steve for your detailed explanation. I see that our philosophies are quite similar, and I appreciate you relating your experience.

I was lucky enough to receive a reply from Hornady customer service this morning. It seems, according to the authority, that our consensus is accurate, and that the ideal impact velocity range for the 165gr Interbond in .308 caliber is between 2200 and 2900 fps.

I have been shooting the 168gr Barnes TSX from my .300 WSM for a couple of years, but as fate would have it, I've been harvesting whitetail with my bow and handgun, enjoyably, of course, but not having the opportunity to take an animal with the Barnes load. I have found that with the light barrel of my A-Bolt, my best groups come from near maximum loads with a MV of 3050 avg fps.

I'm interested to see what it [the Barnes] will do, because my only non-paper experience with the load is a 1 x 2 pine stud. There was needle-like penetration, and I assume that this was die to the lack of fluid. Additionally, I just read an article in the Shooting Times about guys who have to track deer for miles and miles....(Been there, done that and don't enjoy it) So like any good gun-guy, if it ain't broke, I'll fix it anyway, and I can never leave well enough alone, so I'm going back to a more maleable bullet. Besides, since I haven't had a shot at a deer with my rifle in 2 seasons, obviously, it's time to change loads...:rolleyes:

Best,

EMC2

Sierra's 125 grain bullet is pure dynamite on deer sized animals. I've often taken antelope with my .308 at distances well beyond 200 yards with this fast expanding bullet.

Years ago, when we lived in northern California, I hunted elk in Oregon coastal mts. I loaded Sierra Pro Hunter 165 grain bullet for accuracy. The bullets were always deformed badly but caused deadly wound channels. A deformed bullet is just as deadly as a perfect mushroom!

Hornady has always been a tiny cheaper than the competition but no scrimping on quality. I've taken a number of late season cow elk with their 180 grain Interbond bullet with very good results. Design is quite similar to Remongton core-lockt.

I'm certain Hornady's 165 grain bullet will perform well for you.
TR
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/rushmoreman/660muley-1.jpg

I reload for a friend in northern B.C. He only uses a Hornady 165gr. Interlock in his 30-06. Brings home the deer and moose every year. IMHO its not for grizzlies, but he doesn't shoot them, just watches as they stroll through his yard!