Best of the Big Game Bullets, Part 4 of 4: Remington Core-Lokt
Richard Mann 06.26.17
The Remington Core-Lokt has been killing critters large and small since 1939. In case you are mathematically challenged, that’s 78 years! It’s not a fancy bullet; it’s of a simple cup and core design. It has a lead alloy core and gilding metal jacket that’s locked to the core mechanically. The Core-Lokt is nothing fancy, but it kills and it generally puts animals down in a hurry.
The effectiveness of the Core-Lokt comes from its ability to dump almost 80 percent of its energy in the first 8 inches of penetration. My terminal performance testing at the Barnes Bullet ballistic facility confirms this. Few other big game bullets are capable of this much energy transfer that fast. If there’s a down side to the Core-Lokt, it’s that it will not penetrate as deep as some bullets. However, if you match your cartridge to the animal, penetration with the Core-Lokt will not be an issue.
When I was a young deer hunter, everyone in deer camp trusted the Core-Lokt. Not much has changed in the last 40 years. Deer hunters and other big game hunters trust it because it works. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be the best-selling big game ammunition in the world. Yes, Core-Lokt ammunition isn’t expensive and hunters like to save money, but hunters are also performance orientated. If it didn’t continue to work, they wouldn’t continue to buy it.
I trust the Core-Lokt because on a cold November morning, when a big 12-point whitetail chased a doe by me, a 180-grain Core-Lokt from my Remington Model Seven put his meat in my freezer and his head on my wall. As a mater of fact, that big buck – the best I’ve taken – is looking over my shoulder as I write this. Every time I look at him, I think about him busting over the ridge, and I’m thankful I had a Core-Lokt ready and waiting for him.
Editor’s note: Click these links to read part 1, part 2 and part 3 of Richard Mann’s 4-part series on best of the big game bullets.
