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  1. #1
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    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    Philippolis
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    4,733

    Default Hornady Interlock .375 Bullets.

    I almost posted this in the Bullet Failure thread but it is hard to accuse a bullet that gave a clean one shot kill as having failed. So, as there is no Medium Bore Rifle thread, I will post it here.

    I received my .375 H&H Parker Hale recently and started working up loads. Although I do have a small stock of premium bullets, I started off with 270gr Hornady Interlock's. My reasoning was that I would have to check the open sights, mount and zero a scope and get used to the rifle, which meant quite a few shots, so using cheaper bullets made sense. I have witnessed bullet failure with Hornady's 300gr .375" Interlock bullet on a large eland bull but as I was not after a large eland I decided to take these bullets hunting.

    My first shot was at a sub-adult blue wildebeest at 140m. As it was broadside on, I shot it low on the shoulder with spectacular results. The wildebeest simply collapsed and was dead when I reached it. Both shoulders were broken but, to my surprise, there was no exit wound.

    An hour later, I shot a second wildebeest of the same age and size at ±100m. This one was lying down, facing away from me at a slight angle. I placed the shot behind the shoulder angling the bullet for the off shoulder. Expecting the same kind of reaction as on the first wildebeest, I was surprised when this one jumped up and ran off with the herd. As it was mixed up in the herd I could not risk a second shot and as I was very sure of my shot I just watched it through the scope. After ±100m it started slowing down and collapsed after another 20m. The entry wound was exactly where I wanted it but again there was no exit wound.

    I also shot a springbok ram at 280m (laser ranged), the bullet hit low on the shoulder. This bullet did exit, making a fist sized exit wound.

    An hour at the skinning shed produced only fragments of copper and lead from the two wildebeest.

    I have used Hornady Interlock's for more than 30 years and have had good results with their 6.5mm, 7mm and .308" bullets in various cartridges. I shot a large buffalo with a .416 Rem Mag (400gr Interlock) and the first bullet killed it cleanly and retained 80% of its weight. A second, insurance, shot performed the same way. But for some reason Interlock's in .375" seem to be very fragile for bullets designed to be used on large animals.

    Both young blue wildebeest (red hartebeest size) were shot at fairly close range but surely a 270gr bullet at 2600fps should be able to survive such an impact intact. I will use the remaining ones on warthog and smaller antelope.

    As an aside, looking at the damage to the second wildebeest's lungs I was again impressed by how tenacious these animals can be.

  2. #2
    User
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Hillcrest, KZN
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    39
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    51

    Default Re: Hornady Interlock .375 Bullets.

    I've seen very similar results on +- 100m shots on a bull nyala and young impala ram with 30-06 180gr Interlocks - factory ammo 2700fps. Both animals were shot on the shoulder, and ran about 50m before expiring. The meat damage was much more than expected. The bullet for the Nyala never exited, but not found on slaughter, the entire shoulder was bloodshot. For the impala the bullet passed through, and left a fist size exit, both shoulders completely bloodshot.

  3. #3
    User
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Pretoria
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    3,327

    Default Re: Hornady Interlock .375 Bullets.

    It will be interesting to see a cross section of the 375 interlock. Perhaps the jacket is thinner in proportion to the calibre compared to other interlocks.

  4. #4
    Banned
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    Dec 2009
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    Vereeniging
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    70
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    5,782

    Default Re: Hornady Interlock .375 Bullets.

    PMP's Buffalo pictured 300gr ammo seems to also fall into the Interlock sphere. I was present where these "Buffalo" bullets broke both forelegs of a kudu bull when it dropped more than what it is supposed to at 200 metres. We only recovered the jacket in the leg furthest from the shot.

    The flip side of the coin is when expanding mono bullets are used on smaller game and due to very little resistance they just make a calibre size hole.

  5. #5
    User
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    port elizabeth
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    60
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    2,509

    Default Re: Hornady Interlock .375 Bullets.

    I have seen both .375 Hornady spire point and interlock fail on eland shoulder bones with the bullets disintegrating to such an extent they failed to penetrate into the chest cavity. And...in both instances it was eland cows.

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