Remington Core Lokt Tipped .308 thoughts

[mazzgolf]

Was shooting my new Tikka .308 last week. After breaking the barrel in last year, now I'm in the process of deciding what ammo I want to use to get it really zero'ed in and ready for hunting.

(I have no idea what/where I'm going to hunt with this thing, haven't thought deeply about it yet. PA? NY? Out west? No idea... but I want to get this ready for whitetail, mule deer, elk, that kind of thing. And knowing my skill set, 300 yards and under would most likely be my effective range.)

Last week I was shooting 165gr Core Lokt Tipped ammo and I was impressed. I only shot I think 6 rounds of those. But at 100 yards, my first three shots were clover leafs (wasn't zero'ed, but a 3-shot group was on top of each other - so close, in fact, I had to go green flag and walk to the target to find out where my shots were going - from the bench with the scope I couldn't really tell the holes were on top of each other).

What are people's opinions of .308 Core Lokt Tipped, and what grains would you concentrate on practicing with/using?

I also have a box each of Winchester 150gr Power Points (already shot those up, I'm "meh" on them), Federal Fusion 165gr, Fiocchi Field Dynamics 165gr, and another Core Lokt Tipped in 180gr. I wanted a few different brands to try - but once I started shooting those 165gr Core Lokts on top of each other, I figured I might want to just stop right there and concentrate on Core Lokt. I haven't shot the 180gr yet to see if I get the same accuracy nor am I sure why I would want to shoot 180 over 165 in the field (I assume the 180gr are better for larger game like moose??? which is probably something I'll never hunt for anyway).

 

[archer36]

For deer sized game it should be fine. Anything bigger I would go with a stronger bullet. Each company would have their specific offerings. 

I used .308 with 180 gr Nosler Partitions in South Africa. Killed 6 animals, from a Warthog up to a Kudu, with one shot and no long tracking needed. Even the Wildebeest, considered a tough animal, didn't go far. 

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by archer36

[trapoholic]

Shot placement is key when it comes to big game hunting.

[mazzgolf]

1 hour ago, archer36 said:

I used .308 with 180 gr Nosler Partitions in South Africa. Killed 6 animals, from a Warthog up to a Kudu, with one shot and no long tracking needed. Even the Wildebeest, considered a tough animal, didn't go far. 

Did you think 180gr was the minimum to use (compared to 165)?

[archer36]

2 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

Did you think 180gr was the minimum to use (compared to 165)?

I'm sure 165 in the right bullet would have been more than sufficient. I don't think they made Partitions in 165 so I went with 180's. After Partitions penetrate,  the front section gets destroyed. The only thing left is the rear solid section which continues to penetrate. I recovered only one bullet. The rest passed through. Maybe that's why 180's. To retain as much weight as possible. 

Edited June 7, 2023 by archer36

[vdep217]

17 minutes ago, trapoholic said:

Shot placement is key when it comes to big game hunting.

It's starts with selecting tge correct bullet for the game you intend to pursue.   A well placed shot with a 22250 will do the job but it's def not a top choice.   Remember a bullet kills by massive shock not hemorrhaging. 

A 3006 with the variety of bullets available is sufficient for any game in North America.

Personally I would use the 180s in 308 or 3006 if I could only own 1 rifle.  with a bullet that retains as much of its weight as possible such aa core locks. more than enough for deer but if you decide to hunt elk bear or possibly moose you will not have to re zero fir different ammo.  Just my opinion

Edited June 7, 2023 by vdep217

[Trophy8]

When I started shooting again about 6yrs ago I went through what you are now.

For my Win Model 70 30-06 Federal fusion 165gr is the best for accuracy , can print sub 2" at 300yds. 180gr is a close 2nd. Hornady 178gr eldx is 3rd. Though it dropped a mule deer in its tracks...can't complain. 

A tight 100yd group does not always mean tight groups at 200 and 300yds. Hornady american whitetail with interlock bullet will cloverleaf at 100, at 200 its a different bullet.

Fusion 165gr will be my load for free range axis next June in Texas. 

Partition though a tried and true bullet shot horrible for me. Experiment with a few, spend the $$ now, it will pay off.

Good luck!

[Silkcitymedic]

.308 hornady 150gr american whitetail is incredibly accurate and wallet friendly. Buds usually has it very well priced. Save your brass for when u decide to reload or if a buddy will load it up for u.

[Stealthy_Bowman]

I have a Tikka T3X superlite in .308. Been shooting it for 5 years. Tried all kinds of ammo and the best for me are 150gr Nosler Accubonds. Have killed mule deer and elk with it no problem. Dropped my bull elk last year with one shot at 350 yards. Really don’t need a heavier bullet than that for anything. Most important thing for me, is accuracy and precision and that round certainly delivers.

[Stealthy_Bowman]

Btw, I suggest going to a range where you can shoot out to 300. I belong to the ountelaunee rod and gun club in PA (close to Cabelas) and you can shoot there at 50, 100, 200 and 300. Highly recommend it and it’s dirt cheap membership. 

[nmc02]

If you look at ballistic comparison between core lokt & core lokt tipped....not a huge difference inside 300 yds. In my opinion, the cost of the tipped isn't worth it, UNLESS you are shooting beyond 300 yds.

[SPEARFISH]

I used the 150 gr for deer.  I was using 180 and blowing through them.  150 was better at anchoring them in place.  I haven't shot anything with the rifle in a few years though.

Never tried 165

[the truth]

I have had very good success with these Hornady SST 150gr. Better groups for me than anything else I’ve used. And they do a number on deer. Only downside is they are pricey 

[mazzgolf]

53 minutes ago, the truth said:

Only downside is they are pricey

What isn't pricey now-a-days. I just looked, those Hornadys are the same price as the Core Lokt Tipped. I think most of the hunting 308 rounds are roughly the same price -- anywhere between something like $45 to $55.

[Trophy8]

Hornady sst are highly explosive rounds. Ok for deer and antelope..poor.choice for bear and elk. They didn't shoot well for me, but that was my rifle....

Choice is what you decide to hunt...bullets are not made the same

Edited June 8, 2023 by Trophy8