Re: 180gr core lokt vs 165gr sst
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:11 pm
The Core Lokt and the SST are virtually the same bullet as far as construction goes as both are cup and core, not bonded and Hornady added a protective plastic tip. Hornady uses a protruding ring midways down the cup for the lock and Remington thickens the inner wall of the cup about midways accomplishing the same thing. Remingtons straight walled cup near the bottom is better as the Hornady cup pinches in at the bottom making it easier for the core to squirt out once the interlock featured is destroyed with a hard hit. Essentially at this point they are very close to equal. Remington gets the nod for age while Hornady gets my nod for the protective plastic tip.
For Elk I'd go with the heavier bullet and the secret isn't velocity or energy but pure physics and the quantity known as momentum! Higher velocities and energy and a bullets construction often combine to limit penetration. A nice expansive wound channel is great but I prefer a bullet that exits smartly so blood can leak out. Momentum does that for you and it's not just initial momentum but the remaining momentum as the bullet goes through the animal shedding lead as well as its ability to keep going. Add velocity and most any bullet deforms more and penetration is reduced! So you see it's this combo of Momentum and deformation that determines penetration. Tests show that max penetration, with a bullet similar to either of the above, is most generally found right at 1900 ft per sec. Trouble is, it doesn't expand, and it drills a nice hole but no shrapnel, or splash! Put it right through the heart and the animal dies in seconds, but miss a few inches and it take a bit to bleed itself into unconsciousness. Both bullets are designed for the 2000-3000 range of velocities if I recall right. Near that upper end, more explosiveness and less penetration and vice versa.
Bullets work best when they combine a bit of explosiveness with penetration so I like my impact velocities to be in that mid 2500 region with this type of bullet. Both will do the job adequately but I give a slight edge to the heavy bullet due to it's better momenturm and would do the same it we were comparing a180 gn SST to a 165 gn Core Lokt!
For Elk I'd go with the heavier bullet and the secret isn't velocity or energy but pure physics and the quantity known as momentum! Higher velocities and energy and a bullets construction often combine to limit penetration. A nice expansive wound channel is great but I prefer a bullet that exits smartly so blood can leak out. Momentum does that for you and it's not just initial momentum but the remaining momentum as the bullet goes through the animal shedding lead as well as its ability to keep going. Add velocity and most any bullet deforms more and penetration is reduced! So you see it's this combo of Momentum and deformation that determines penetration. Tests show that max penetration, with a bullet similar to either of the above, is most generally found right at 1900 ft per sec. Trouble is, it doesn't expand, and it drills a nice hole but no shrapnel, or splash! Put it right through the heart and the animal dies in seconds, but miss a few inches and it take a bit to bleed itself into unconsciousness. Both bullets are designed for the 2000-3000 range of velocities if I recall right. Near that upper end, more explosiveness and less penetration and vice versa.
Bullets work best when they combine a bit of explosiveness with penetration so I like my impact velocities to be in that mid 2500 region with this type of bullet. Both will do the job adequately but I give a slight edge to the heavy bullet due to it's better momenturm and would do the same it we were comparing a180 gn SST to a 165 gn Core Lokt!