# Power Point vs Power Shok vs Core Lokt



## Pitweiler (Oct 28, 2013)

Does anyone find any difference between the three?

Used in:

150 grain .30-30
150/180 grain .30-06

When I say differences, I mean terminal performance in the field. Searches show all to be "effective". Looking for some first hand success or failure with them. Thanks.


----------



## SCDieselDawg (Oct 28, 2013)

Only problem I've had was with a 150 gr Winchester Power Point in .30-06. The entrance and exit wounds were both "pencil" holed luckily the Doe was in a clear cut and I could see the direction she ran. There was no blood trail to follow. This only happened once so I can't say it is a common occurrence.


----------



## mdgreco191 (Oct 28, 2013)

I use power shock and core lokt.  Can't really tell a difference on terminal performance between the two with my 7mm mag since almost all dropped in their tracks.  Only had two deer ever run and they only went about 30 yards before piling up.


----------



## Horns (Oct 28, 2013)

I only shoot Winchester bullets in my centerfire rifles. All of them: 7 mag, 270, 30/06, 243, & 25/06


----------



## Ihunt (Oct 28, 2013)

If the deer runs off using either bullet do not blame the bullet.


----------



## Pitweiler (Oct 28, 2013)

SCDieselDawg said:


> Only problem I've had was with a 150 gr Winchester Power Point in .30-06. The entrance and exit wounds were both "pencil" holed luckily the Doe was in a clear cut and I could see the direction she ran. There was no blood trail to follow. This only happened once so I can't say it is a common occurrence.



I have read on other forums people experiencing the same thing with the 150 grain bullets in all three of the loads I have mentioned. They complain about a clean punch through or no exit. It's always 150 grain in 30-06. A few might have been 308, but I can't remember.


----------



## manley (Oct 28, 2013)

Inside of 100 years, I prefer the 30-30.  
For example, I double-lunged one on Saturday at about 75 yards with my .30-06, and he ran almost 100 yards.  
Rarely have I had one run - at all - with the 30-30.
If shooting the 30-30, I prefer a hollow point.
I rarely take the 30-30 anymore, because I prefer the longer shot capability of the .30-06.
Opinions will vary, but either one will do the job.
By the way, I have both calibers... and they are the only 2 center fire rifles I own.


----------



## Pitweiler (Oct 28, 2013)

manley said:


> Inside of 100 years, I prefer the 30-30.
> For example, I double-lunged one on Saturday at about 75 yards with my .30-06, and he ran almost 100 yards.
> Rarely have I had one run - at all - with the 30-30.
> If shooting the 30-30, I prefer a hollow point.
> ...



I keep my 30-30 set up with open sights for short range hunting in hardwoods, and the '06 for longer shots over fields and such. Last year I found a spot with a mix of hardwoods and fields 2-400 yards long and about 50-75 yards wide. I'll probably take the '06, but I just love how the 30-30 handles. I'm trying to bag my first deer this season.


----------



## crucible02 (Oct 28, 2013)

Federal Power Shoks have become my favorite. My rifle loves them!

I like the Winchester Power Points, as well. Not a big fan of Core-Lokts but I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with them, either.

All are shot in 130 grain.

I shoot a Savage 110 in .270 with the synthetic stock.


----------



## sgtstinky (Oct 28, 2013)

Core lokt groups best in my 700 and I'll take shot placement over minor differences in wound channel for white tail. Now hogs maybe different.


----------



## papachaz (Oct 28, 2013)

power points only for me. I've never had a pencil hole exit wound from my .270, and I've used these bullets exclusively in it for going on 30 years. Yes I realize this isn't a 30/30 or 30-06, but the bullet should be made the same 

here's the exits on the last two I took with it a couple of years ago:


----------



## Dutch (Oct 28, 2013)

Handloaded 30-06 150gr core-lokt quartering away shot at 80 yds. bullet wnet in and took out spine, and shredded lungs...found bullet jacket on offside shoulder. Buck was DRT.


----------



## cathooker (Oct 28, 2013)

I have used all three of those in my 270's. The 270 that I hunt with the most loves the 130 grain corelokts. I also had rather have great shot placement as all three of the 130 grain bullets from my 270 make similar wound channels.


----------



## mossyoakgangsta (Oct 28, 2013)

Remington Core Lockd produce tighter groups in my .308 than Federal or Winchester. I usually buy the Winchester because the brass is better, and only marginally bigger groups. Terminal performance is the same, and trajectory is very close. Out of my box stock R700 SPS the Win and Rem shoot the same, the Federal hits 1.5" right. But not every barrel shoots the same


----------



## Pitweiler (Oct 28, 2013)

From all the responses I think my initial hypothesis that all of them perform about the same is true. Thanks for all of the responses and pictures.


----------



## kmartin112888 (Oct 28, 2013)

I've shot 150 grain core lokts out of 30-06, 300 win mag, and 300 wsm for years with great results. Always leave good sized exit wounds and blood trails a blind man can follow. But for some reason out of the last 6 deer I've shot with the win mag. 5 of those did not have exit wounds. Luckily I hunt good open ground and have been able to watch them go down or see the spot they were running to, and still had decent blood trails to. There still doing their job still cheap and I'm not changing just yet. Hopefully it just a bad box. We will see.


----------



## BlastinBill (Oct 28, 2013)

I've shot the 150 grain power points and corelokts in 30-30, I like the corelokts better for some unknown reason, but they both worked great.


----------



## BlastinBill (Oct 28, 2013)

kmartin112888 said:


> I've shot 150 grain core lokts out of 30-06, 300 win mag, and 300 wsm for years with great results. Always leave good sized exit wounds and blood trails a blind man can follow. But for some reason out of the last 6 deer I've shot with the win mag. 5 of those did not have exit wounds. Luckily I hunt good open ground and have been able to watch them go down or see the spot they were running to, and still had decent blood trails to. There still doing their job still cheap and I'm not changing just yet. Hopefully it just a bad box. We will see.



Your bullet could possibly be keyholing. That is the only reason I could think a .300 WM wouldn't pass through a deer.


----------



## kmartin112888 (Oct 30, 2013)

*keyholing?*



BlastinBill said:


> Your bullet could possibly be keyholing. That is the only reason I could think a .300 WM wouldn't pass through a deer.



What is keyholing?


----------



## spearjunky (Oct 30, 2013)

core lokt  for me group better in my guns and have great exit wounds


----------



## Lowjack (Oct 30, 2013)

Ballistic tips Federal Premium 150 or 165 GR , you won't have a problem finding blood or having to look for the deer far IMO.
I have been using them for over 25 years.


----------



## Pitweiler (Oct 30, 2013)

BlastinBill said:


> Your bullet could possibly be keyholing. That is the only reason I could think a .300 WM wouldn't pass through a deer.



I think the more likely reason is that the bullet is fragmenting due to the high velocity of the 3 Mag. The bullet hits so fast it is beyond its performance window or right at the edge and breaks apart.



kmartin112888 said:


> What is keyholing?


Key holing is caused when a bullet exits a barrel and isn't stabilized properly by the twist in the barrel. If you shoot a .308 with a barrel that has a 1:12 twist you could experience key holing when shooting 180 grain or heavier bullets. Bullets that long need a faster twist. 180 grain .308 bullets typically need a 1:10 twist. 

Basically when the bullet exits the barrel it starts tumbling in the air and impacts it's target sideways. The impact hole looks similar to a key hole. Hence the term.


----------



## Pitweiler (Oct 30, 2013)

One thing I've noticed with the wounds from the 150's in the 30-06 is a lot of meat damage, or at least that's what it looks like. 

Read a few places that using heavier bullets in higher velocity rifles will decrease meat damage. Since I've never shot a deer, I'm going to stick with 150s in my 30-30 and 180s in my 30-06.


----------



## kmartin112888 (Oct 30, 2013)

Pitweiler said:


> I think the more likely reason is that the bullet is fragmenting due to the high velocity of the 3 Mag. The bullet hits so fast it is beyond its performance window or right at the edge and breaks apart.
> 
> 
> Key holing is caused when a bullet exits a barrel and isn't stabilized properly by the twist in the barrel. If you shoot a .308 with a barrel that has a 1:12 twist you could experience key holing when shooting 180 grain or heavier bullets. Bullets that long need a faster twist. 180 grain .308 bullets typically need a 1:10 twist.
> ...


No I have neither of these problems. No tumbling for sure I'm putting bullets in the same hole at 200 yards. And have perfect round holes on entry on both deer and paper. I've probably killed around 30 some odd deer with this gun and load. Just now I'm I not having pass throughs. As far as fragmenting goes I'm recovering perfect mushroomed bullets out of the deer. I just think its something off with this box of bullets. Never had this problem before this box.


----------



## Buford_Dawg (Oct 30, 2013)

*I've had good success with all 3*

but stick to Core-Lokts now in all my rifles.  Never lost a deer in 30+ years hunting with them.  See no reason to change.  I will say this, stay away for any Ballistic tip, tried them for one weekend hunt, lost 2 nice bucks.  Never again.


----------



## SCDieselDawg (Oct 30, 2013)

Buford_Dawg said:


> but stick to Core-Lokts now in all my rifles.  Never lost a deer in 30+ years hunting with them.  See no reason to change.  I will say this, stay away for any Ballistic tip, tried them for one weekend hunt, lost 2 nice bucks.  Never again.



Doubt it was the bullets fault. I've killed several deer with BTs. Most at close range and all left blood trails.


----------



## BlastinBill (Oct 30, 2013)

kmartin112888 said:


> No I have neither of these problems. No tumbling for sure I'm putting bullets in the same hole at 200 yards. And have perfect round holes on entry on both deer and paper. I've probably killed around 30 some odd deer with this gun and load. Just now I'm I not having pass throughs. As far as fragmenting goes I'm recovering perfect mushroomed bullets out of the deer. I just think its something off with this box of bullets. Never had this problem before this box.



Gotcha, I thought you were saying that was a new load for your gun. I don't know then. I had an experience with keyholing when I was younger. I had a .243 youth and the thing couldn't shoot 100 grain corelokts for nothing.

They didn't group bad, but looking at the hole, it was evident that they weren't stable.

Oh the learning curve I had


----------



## Pitweiler (Oct 30, 2013)

kmartin112888 said:


> No I have neither of these problems. No tumbling for sure I'm putting bullets in the same hole at 200 yards. And have perfect round holes on entry on both deer and paper. I've probably killed around 30 some odd deer with this gun and load. Just now I'm I not having pass throughs. As far as fragmenting goes I'm recovering perfect mushroomed bullets out of the deer. I just think its something off with this box of bullets. Never had this problem before this box.



Have you changed guns or powder charges? Only other thing I can think of is that the bullets are expanding faster than previous lots. Guess there is no shortage of reasons why.


----------



## gahunter12 (Oct 30, 2013)

kmartin112888 said:


> I've shot 150 grain core lokts out of 30-06, 300 win mag, and 300 wsm for years with great results. Always leave good sized exit wounds and blood trails a blind man can follow. But for some reason out of the last 6 deer I've shot with the win mag. 5 of those did not have exit wounds. Luckily I hunt good open ground and have been able to watch them go down or see the spot they were running to, and still had decent blood trails to. There still doing their job still cheap and I'm not changing just yet. Hopefully it just a bad box. We will see.



We will never get 100% pass throughs, even with a .300WM. I shot a 8pt last Friday with my .300WM 180gr Core Lokts without a pass through. He was DRT, but no exit wound. When I field dressed him I just poured his liquified organs out. Hit a bone on the opposite shoulder just right, and the bullet can come to a stop.


----------

