Hi, does anyone have any experience with the 8mm Rem 185 pointed soft point corelokt on Elk? Looking for around 3100fps.
I bought a bulk bag from Midway and assume that they were made for the 8mm Rem mag, so it should be a fairly heavy duty bullet.
I'm playing with a 325 WSM x 2.5".(case capacity just over 8mm Rem Mag)
If I can get it shooting before Elk season(Cow tag) I think I'll take it along. I also have a box of 200gn Nosler partitions, but think I'll do most of the load workup stuff with the less expensive corelokts.
The case is a 300RUM cut to 2.5". The chamber is a 325 WSM run in a little farther, so I should be able to load with factory 325 loading dies just not turned in all the way.
There is abit of a gap at the base between the WSM chamber(.555") and the RUM brass(.545"). So I think I'll clamp the barreled action to the bench and pull the trigger with a string to see if the cases will expand or split. I'll start with light loads around 40ksi and go up in 5k steps to 65k(quickload estimated) to see if the brass will work.

I have been useing 165 corelokts in the 30-06 at 2730fps they work great and shoot sub MOA.

Thoughts?

The only deer i shot with a Remington factory load was a 6 month old whitetail with a LIVE weight of ~30#. I was shooting a .308 with 150 gr PSP CL. The bullet failed to exit on a broadside shot. Yep, a .308 did not shoot through a deer that wieghs as much as a coon does where I now live. I will never point another CoreLokt bullet at game if there are any other options. Sharp sticks count as other options in my book.

I shudder to think what one would do at the velocities you will be seeing.

The 185 gr. Corelokts you have were probably made for the 8x57 Mauser in which case it will come apart like a bomb in a deer...

The 8 Mag. is noted for not having good bullets available and that is the reason it was a production failure and finally dropped..I think you can get a Nosler for it now and that should solve all the problems it had from the beginning...

Another example of what happens when the big firearms companies start hiring computer nerds and dollar minded non shooters instead of the folks that shoot and hunt...The company suffers and bankruptcy follows as they are out of touch with thier clientele..

I might add that Corelokts have been some of the best bullets around for many years and I have shot a lot of game with them and never had a single failure, but I used the right bullet for the caliber that I was shooting.

As to the .308, try a 180 gr. round nose corelokt, they still work 100%.

My experience with the core lokt is similar to Marc's. Unless they make them differently than 20 years ago, I wouldn't use a core lokt for elk in any caliber.

Lar I have and use an 8mm Rem. The factory 185 gr bullet is way to soft for the velocity possible with the 8mm Rem or the 8x68. Consider a 200 gr barnes X or a 200 gr Partion. Either will work well at mag velocity.

I've used 130gr corelokts exclusively in my .270 for whitetail. I've been completely satisfied with the performance.

The only elk I've seen shot with the core-loks was a Roosevelt cow and the bullet blew up on the point of the shoulder from 70 yards. It was from a 7mm mag. I would never use them on an elk size animal. Maybe a good enough bullet at a good distance but not for up close work.

At the 3100 fps MV you mention, that bullet is way too soft to be a reliable performer on elk.

I'd highly advise against using it for that application.

Thanks for the input. I'm glad I checked here first. I'll use the 200gn Nosler partitions if they shoot accurately.

Between my son and myself we have shot about 9 Elk with the 30-06 165 core lokt at 2730fps.(60 or 61 gns RL-22) They work great and normally fall at the first shot. It's probably the moderate velocity that helps them hold together. They mushroom nice and hold together. Recovered bullets still weigh around 150-160gns.
I'll save the 185 8mms for paper, plinking or the 8x57.
thanks

I have NEVER,ever had a bullet failure with "core-locks", or any other "soft bullet" for that matter on game such as elk and deer in my 50 years of hunting. All game taken was with one shot. Of course, most velocities were under 3000 f.p.s. The likes of .270's, 30-06's, .348 win., .257 roberts, .358 win., 7x57, 6.5x55, .250 sav., 300sav.
The only failure was with a .308 Norma with factory Norma 180 gr. nickel jacketed.
Good Luck with your 8mm mag. and factory ammo. I know you will do well. Just hit 'em in the heart/lung area.

My father has been using 180gr CLs in his 30-06 for a bunch of elk. They all went down quickly, including one quartering towards that went through the front shoulder. They usually do not exit though but did stay together. I have found that cup/core bullets work well at velocities 2800fps or less. Much past that and they start to come apart. At 3100fps, I'd go for a better bullet. Start with the Nosler Part and go up from there.

RH