Just neck or head shot any does ! NTR or DRT depending on which state you live in . 6 mm 87 gr spitzer . You can tell from the blood spot it didn't even wiggle when it went down.

I do not care for core lokts, to many unexplained happenings with them. American whitetail is loaded with Hornady Interlock bullets, nothing wrong with them!

I shot corelok in my 6mm Hated them in the 100 grain ! Now the 80 grain !!! They were a beast Were being the key word Don’t make them anymore. 243 caliber will Kill almost anything in the right hands. If it’s blood trails your wanting better step up to a 270 ish caliber. Especially on a deer over 100 lbs way too many angles and bones that might prevent exit wounds . Been there hunted for decades with a 243 sized bullet But when I was chasing a mega giant in a grown up 110 acre cedar / briars I bought a 270 Because some of the deer in previous years would crash within 70 yards and still almost impossible to find .

That’s when the neck shooting started for me

Thanks again for the input. Start talking calibers and loads is like discussing right size of trap for a given animal. I couldn't find core Lokts on line or anywhere else. Hope this ammo shortage thing goes away. I understand the purchaser of the Reminton ammo portion of the business is starting to offer core Lokts again.

One other thing. All firearms including .22 rifles and shotguns have an ammo preferance. My rifle always shot Reminton core Lokts well, probably shoots the Hornady whitetail at least as well if not better. My rifle doesn't shoot nearly as well with either winchester or federal. Nothing wrong with either brand, just the peculiarity of my rifle. Go with a friend and pattern two or more turkey shotguns with different loads and you will see exactly what I am talking about.

I don't reload, so I have tried various brands of ammo in all my firearms over the years to find the most accurate load in that particular firearm.

Thanks again for your responses

Very true.
We're approaching triple digits on deer using MLs.
Other than the occasional RB when I'm feeling Old Timey, most all have been using a saboted all lead, 260 Knight HP, over 90 gr 2F.
Have only recovered a few of the bullets.
And they looked like this.




I have used 150 gr CoreLokts in a 30.06 for decades.
Great performance.

Using Hornady Am Whitetails in 6.5 CM, but haven't shot enough deer with it to form an opinion yet.

Stuff happens, with any caliber, a sample of a few deer doesn't mean much, shoot 20-30 and now you got a baseline avg.

When it comes to calibers like any of the 6mm, usual caveat is "shot placement is critical". Rarely does anyone follow up on that to say where.......or why. This guy does both:

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/Effective+Game+Killing.html

Takes awhile to wade thru all that, but what else you got to do today?

Was all set to expand the herd to include one of the 6.5's., but after seeing his stuff have changed my mind. Now thinking if you want a Creedmoor, it ought to be the 6mm. 2600 fps PLUS when it arrives and sent thru the boiler room door. Lights go out and stay out.

I have a creedmoor, shoots better than it should but its heavy, I also have a 6.5 Grendel, it will run a 123 at 2590 fps, all the deer gun anyone would need to 300 yards or more. I have also done very well with a variety of 6mm's, 6mm PPC, 243 win. and 6mm rem. its always about shot placement. A poor hit with even the 50 BMG will result in a tracking job at best.

Yeah, the Barnes in my .308 puts a HOLE through a deer with a blood trail a child could follow.

I just picked up four new factory boxes of 80 gr core lokt ammo...because I haven't been able to find 100 gr. Was surprised to see them on the shelf at Sportsmans Warehouse.

6 MM?

That's probably relevant 243.