interlock and sst

[PocketCamera]

what is the scoop on them these days? been reading that they have been changing both product designs last few years so that what you can read in official advertising may not apply now.

ordered 150 gr interlock for my .308 to play with. and 150 grain sst for 8x57 for a long range load.

now just wondering if i ordered varmint ammo

[cptjack]

I guess you could shoot a varmint with a 150 gr

[Blindstitch]

In my experience interlok holds together more at short range. I shot a nice 8 point with 6.5 140 grain sst at 50 yards and it just short of exploded into shrapnel. The jacket turned inside out and retained only about 80 grains.

I shoot SST's in my muzzleloader but never got to test it on a deer.

I know other people that love them.

[taylorce1]

I think you'll be okay with both bullets. I think you might find the SST to be a little fragile, especially at close ranges. I'll usually choose a Interlock over the SST when given the choice.

[Doyle]

I shoot SST's in my muzzleloader but never got to test it on a deer.

I also used to shoot Hornady SSTs in my ML (and will again now that I'm back in a place where MLs are used) and from my experience, there just isn't enough velocity generated in a ML to make an SST loose the jacket.

[Old Stony]

I've shot lots of hogs using both the 6.5 Creedmore and the 6.5 Grendel....using the 123 gr. sst's. They do open up quite fast, but have always worked very well for me. I've occasionally found one under the skin on the off side, but they did major damage getting there, and drop a hog every time. I like to shoot the hogs through the front leg, taking out the leg bone...and the sst still either exits just fine or stays under the skin on the off side. They do well on really big hogs !

[ammo.crafter]

2x Old Stony.

Experienced similar one shot kills on large hogs with SST bullets.
7X30 Waters in a Contender. Last one was a shot at a running hog that blew thru the shoulder.

[reynolds357]

Originally Posted by PocketCamera

what is the scoop on them these days? been reading that they have been changing both product designs last few years so that what you can read in official advertising may not apply now.

ordered 150 gr interlock for my .308 to play with. and 150 grain sst for 8x57 for a long range load.

now just wondering if i ordered varmint ammo

You didnt order Varmint ammo. I doubt you ordered Brown Bear ammo, but definitely not varmint.

[Scorch]

The Interlock is an old school cup and core bullet with exposed lead tip with a small ring inside the base of the jacket that holds onto the core. They work pretty well, but they are not real high BC bullets. I used to use them 30+ years ago. Not a bad bullet. I have killed a number of pretty good deer with Interlocks.

The Hornady SST is a more modern design plastic tipped, high BC cup and core bullet without a locking ring. They fly really well, and open up really fast. I would hesitate to use them on anything larger than smallish deer (in fact, I wouldn't use them on deer, I prefer penetration over grenades for deer), but I have customers who love them (deer on the coast in WA are pretty small). For a smallish rifle caliber, I would opt for a sturdy bullet, not a violent upset bullet. 30 cal and above they might be fine since you are slinging a pretty heavy chunk of metal.

[PocketCamera]

i got tired of the crappy erratic results of solid copper ammunition, no apperent expansion in .223 and .243, but in .308 it opens faster then your wallet when you get divorced.

[Colorado Redneck]

From the Hornady page about SST bullets:

Interlock Ring
This Hornady exclusive design mechanically locks the core and jacket together to maintain bullet integrity during expansion, ensuring maximum weight retention and increasing the chances of complete pass-throughs.

The cutaway picture shows the plastic tip, canelure and interlock ring.

[big al hunter]

I shot an elk with 180 gr Interlocks out of a 30-06 last year. Both bullets ended up on the far side, just under the skin. One hit a rib and the front of the bullet broke off. But everything from the lock ring back stayed together and did more damage on the way through. The second bullet hit a rib on the far side and it still has the mushroom on it. He was 35 yards away at the shot. The elk only went 75 yards and layed down. I would use them again. Probably will the next time I hunt modern rifle season. Still have 48 of the bullets left from a box of 100.

[PocketCamera]

big al, that is something that is good to here. high velocity at impact, and it stays mostly together. wish .243 could achieve that.

how far out from the impact sight did you find evidence of shrapnel injuries to tissue?

[big al hunter]

The damage was local to the wound channel only. Didn't hit large muscle groups, but the meat it did hit was clean of bullet material/damage at about 2-3 inches from the bullet holes.

[jmr40]

Based on reputation the interlock is a deep penetrating bullet that stays together as long as it doesn't impact at very high velocity. With max 150 gr loads in a 30-06 it may be impacting a bit fast at close ranges. I'd probably keep MV below 2900 fps. The better loads will get you 3050-3100 fps.

The SST is even faster expanding. It has much better BC's and is intended to retain speeds farther downrange. Once again up close it stands an even better chance of coming apart if pushed hard.

Personally I like a little heavier bullet from 30-06. I think the 150's do better at 308 speeds. Especially with softer bullets. If I were shooting 150's at 30-06 velocities I'd want a tougher bullet.

[reloader28]

The SST seems to be a longer range bullet. We've used them for years in 243 and 30-06.
Out past 200 yards when your speed is slowing down they really start to shine. Even on deer past 400 yards they worked perfectly.
But less then 100yards they can make a mess.
Since most our shots are at least 200yards these are our main bullets

[GeauxTide]

The Interlock and the SST are the same construction with the exception of the plastic tip and the boat tail on the SST.

[reynolds357]

Originally Posted by GeauxTide

The Interlock and the SST are the same construction with the exception of the plastic tip and the boat tail on the SST.

But the polymer tip sure makes them vastly different. The SST is much more explosive than the interlock.

[jackstrawIII]

These days, bullets are generally getting "harder". I don't know what changes Hornady is making to the SST and Interlock, but I very much doubt they made them any softer.

Anyone have any details on the changes? Jacket thickness perhaps?

[bacardisteve]

I use the 165gr btsp interlock quite a bit in 308. Works great on deer and accuracy is sub moa. Couldn't ask for more in a cup and core bullet.

[GeauxTide]

But the polymer tip sure makes them vastly different. The SST is much more explosive than the interlock.

I loaded some 150 Hornadys for a friend in 1973 because "my deer are running off". He killed 5 with 6 shots, but always cussed at me for how explosive they were. I was loading them for his old 721 at 2600fps. Weatherby loaded Hornadys in their ammo for years because of their explosiveness.

[T. O'Heir]

Long range is more about the bullet weight and very little to do with its construction.
The difference between an SST and Interlock is mostly the polymer tip. The bullet won't change the ballistics much if at all.

[bamaranger]

If we take the term "construction" literally, it has everything to do with long range, as bullets must be consistent in weight , shape and so on to be accurate, which is everything at distance. One can compensate for external ballistics and amount of drop and wind slipping ability of different projectiles, but if they are not consistent in construction, bullet to bullet, accuracy will be poor. The best match shooters will work with specific lot numbers, weigh out their individual bullets into batches, "tip" some bullet types with special tools, all to have consistent performance shot to shot, to gain accuracy at really long range.

If we are speaking of bullet shape, that matters too, though not as much between certain bullet types, and not appreciably under say 300 yds. Given equal diameter, weight and velocity, a boatailed bullet will have less drop than a flat base bullet. Pointed bullets will have less drop than roundnose slugs. Certain tipped bullets intended for long range will have even less drop. Consider that all bullets intended for match shooting are boattailed and have long, slim hollow points. This is all intended for less drop and better performance in the wind. That characteristic is referred to as ballistic coefficient (BC) and is a numerical value assigned to a projectile in any loading and ammo catalog worth reading. Any basic drop table will show the DIFFERENCE in drop between a RN and BTSP for a .30/180 bullet MV of appx 2650 fps, at 500 yds to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 20".
That seems a good bit of change to me.

Interlock v. SST- Both are game bullets with the SST having a reputation of opening a bit faster. BC's for the pair are very close and will have no bearing at normal whitetail distances. One rifle may shoot another better than the other. I'd hunt (and do) with either.

[Double K]

I've quit using lead tipped bullets for the BC gain in part but mostly for the durability of the bullet in the magazine and in my day pack etc. Lead tipped bullets are easily damaged in hunting situations loading and unloading your gun, I typically hunt 3 seasons totaling about a month, probably hunting a total of 15 days, loading and unloading the gun up to 3 times a day, that's 45 times. Add to that flattening of lead tips in the magazine caused by recoil and you can end up with a good deal of ammunition unsuitable for a long shot.
Arguments are made as to weather flattened lead tips effect downrange trajectories but I know they effect my confidence in the bullet.
The worst of these were the old Nosler partitions, the tips were very fragile and super soft.

[Double K]

Originally Posted by GeauxTide

Weatherby loaded Hornadys in their ammo for years because of their explosiveness.

I always wanted to talk to someone who new Roy, what was he like?