While some are calling the recent influx of lever gun releases a “comeback,” those of us who hunt are casually reminding everyone that we never left. These quintessential, manually operated firearms are legal nearly everywhere, and their compact size makes them extraordinarily handy in dense woods and tight blinds. And now, ammo like the new Remington Core-Lokt Tipped rounds have finally caught up to us.
Much like the lever-action design itself, ammunition remains relatively true to its original form, which is great for tradition but awful for ballistics. The issue rests within the bullet, as the tip, or meplat, must be blunted for safe function in a tubular magazine. As the tip of one cartridge rests on the primer of the one in front under spring tension, if it were pointed, we would run the risk of ignition under recoil.
The solve for this age-old problem that the ammo industry came up with? Bullets with polymer plugs and tips that can deform enough to provide a soft cushion in the mag tube, but return to their proper pointed shape when they’re loaded into the chamber. Hornady was first out of the gate with its LEVERevolution ammo line, and now, it’s joined by Remington’s new Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun ammo. Using a polymer plug, this line of ammunition flies flatter and hits harder, extending the ethical range of the lever-action hunter.
The Core-Lokt Legacy Continues
Core-Lokt bullets have a well-earned reputation for being “The Deadliest Mushroom in the Woods,” and have served generations of hunters admirably. By mechanically locking the jacket to the core, the manufacturer was able to ensure the two don’t separate upon impact while creating a more uniform expansion. These qualities lead to their legendary reliability, and to be fair, when you have a design that is so well-regarded, it is indeed tough to rationalize improving it; however, time marches on.
As mentioned earlier, the most prominent feature of the new projectile is its polymer insert. Although the box says “tipped,” this part actually sits well within a hollow-point recess. This configuration makes it act more akin to a splitting wedge, starting the mushrooming effect shortly after impact. Flat in stature, it safeguards the primer in front of it, and although not as ballistically sound as, say, a Spitzer, it is certainly a step above exposed flat-nosed lead.
Initial loadings will be in .35 Remington, .32 Winchester Special, .30-30 Winchester, .444 Marlin, .45-70 Govt., and the new 360 Buckhammer. For my testing, I chose the latter, as I was lucky enough to participate in its development, and availability gently pushed my hand.
Remington Core-Lokt Tipped 360 Buckhammer
The 360 Buckhammer is Remington’s first cartridge introduction in decades, and at risk of sounding cliché, it was worth the wait. Seeing a gap between the .350 Legend’s downrange energy and the .450 Bushmaster, the .360 balances the two’s qualities in a straight-walled, rimmed cartridge, giving those limited to this type of rifle ammunition a balanced offering that is friendly for a lever action. Initial loadings used the same bullets built for .35 Remington, which would be the 180 and 200-grain conventional Core-Lokts.
The 360 Buckhammer load features a 180-grain bullet and carries an MSRP of $39.99, both relatively standard for this cartridge. When compared to the soft-point version of the same weight, you can expect approximately two inches less of drop between 200 and 300 yards, showing the benefit of the polymer addition.
Its overall length is nearly identical to the initial offerings, ensuring that it’ll flow through actions and offer swift loading through side gates. Originally designed in conjunction with Henry Repeating, this story would incorporate an upgrade from that shop as well.
My test rifle would be a Henry Model X rifle wearing a 21.4-inch barrel. This elongation is to accommodate a threaded muzzle, which I enthusiastically mounted a SilencerCo 46M Hybrid suppressor to, creating a hunting package that is as quiet as it is deadly.
Remington Core-Lokt Tipped Ammo: Range Tests
I started my testing from a bench-rested position in order to zero the rifle and get some realistic accuracy expectations. The former was expedited, as the Core-Lokt Tipped shared almost the same point of impact as its brethren, to which the gun was previously zeroed.
That’s good news if you don’t have a chance to center-up a scope after picking up a box, or if you need to loan a buddy a few cartridges in the field. The recoil was exceptionally mild, similar to shooting the.30-30 Win, which serves as its parent case. This was the product of the larger volume of the 46M, but even detached, the cartridge was wholly manageable.
From my 100-yard shooting point, groups hovered around the 2.25-inch mark with the best five-shotter measuring 2.11 inches from center to center. A Garmin Xero chronograph confirmed an average velocity of 2381 feet per second, which isn’t far enough away from the advertised 2400 fps to cause a stir.
Moreover, the paltry Standard Deviation of 8 fps showed me that these are built to be as consistent as possible, which becomes important should you have to take a shot that approaches the end of the cartridge’s effective range.
Taking the setup and remaining rounds through our 10-stage woods walk, I engaged targets that ranged in size from crows to whitetail deer, from distances of 23 to 109 yards. Landing shots in this arena was a simple point & click endeavor, as no holdover was required to put lead on steel.
Plus, each target swung violently on its hanger, instantly displaying the energy retention of this projectile. The recoil was even more manageable on foot, as it was effortless to spot impacts upon arrival. This becomes ultimately important with living targets, as it allows you to observe which direction they have taken their final steps, making for a quick recovery.
Remington’s Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun is a welcome addition to the company’s catalog, portraying its commitment to ammunition advancement while retaining tradition. While the 360 Buckhammer is the first load to be shipping, the company projects that the others will be available in time for hunting season. If they shoot half as well as these did, there might be a new Henry or two in my future. For more information, visit Remington.com
Meet the Remington Core-Lokt Family
Since Remington ammunition came back online, it has been determined to regain its foothold in the market. Assessing its assets, it was clear that it would do so through the revigorating of its flagship product, the Core-Lokt Bullet. This business of adding a polymer tip started with the appropriately named Core-Lokt Tipped, which is the pointed version of the preceding cartridge available in common bottleneck offerings like .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Realizing the handgunner deserves the reliability that this design brings to the table, Core-Lokt handgun was created with hard-hitting hollow-point projectiles in common revolver cartridges as well as 10mm Auto. Lastly, to address the growing number of lead-restricted hunting zones, Core-Lokt Copper was crafted.
Offering a monometallic solution, there is no chance of jacket/core separation, making it exceptionally effective, regardless of where your pursuit takes you.
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