Unleashing Ethical Power: The Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain Hollow Point Bullet for Serious Hunters and Reloaders

For the dedicated hunter and precision reloader, selecting the right projectile is paramount. It's not just about power; it's about ethical performance, consistent results, and trust in every shot. If you've been searching for a bullet that combines devastating terminal effectiveness with reliable controlled expansion for medium to large game, the Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain Hollow Point bullet is engineered to exceed your expectations.

This deep dive is crafted for rifle enthusiasts, big game hunters, and handloaders who demand peak performance from their .45 caliber firearms, particularly popular platforms like the .45-70 Government, .450 Marlin, and other .458 diameter rifle cartridges. Are you asking yourself, "What is the best bullet for hunting elk with my .45-70?" or "How can I ensure deep penetration and controlled expansion on a challenging hunt?" The Hornady InterLock 300-grain HP is designed to provide definitive answers to these critical questions.

Why Choose Hornady InterLock for Your Hunting Endeavors?

The Hornady InterLock bullet is not just another projectile; it’s a meticulously designed component built on decades of ballistics expertise. It addresses key challenges faced by hunters: achieving consistent expansion without fragmentation, ensuring deep penetration through muscle and bone, and retaining maximum energy to deliver a swift, humane take-down. This bullet helps solve the problem of unpredictable terminal ballistics often associated with lesser designs, providing peace of mind when facing a trophy animal.

Hunters know that bullet performance upon impact is everything. The Hornady InterLock stands out with its unique features:

• The Patented InterLock Ring: This is the cornerstone of the InterLock's legendary performance. Located inside the jacket, this raised ring is physically embedded into the bullet's core. What does this mean for you in the field? It means the core and jacket are mechanically locked together. During the violent forces of impact and expansion, this crucial feature prevents core-jacket separation. Why is this vital? Core retention translates directly to mass retention, which in turn ensures deep, straight-line penetration and maximum energy transfer to the target, reducing the risk of a wounded animal.
• Controlled, Tapered Jacket Thickness: Hornady precisely controls the jacket thickness, allowing it to taper along the bullet's length. This engineering marvel ensures consistent, reliable expansion across a wide range of impact velocities. Whether your shot is close-range and high-velocity or a longer shot with reduced velocity, the bullet will expand predictably, creating a devastating wound channel while resisting over-expansion or premature fragmentation. This is critical for varied hunting conditions and shot distances.
• One-Piece Core Construction: Unlike some designs that use bonded or segmented cores, the Hornady InterLock features a robust, one-piece lead core. This solid construction works in harmony with the InterLock ring to further resist separation, maintaining the bullet's integrity and driving force even through tough hides and heavy bone. This robust design guarantees the bullet holds together, delivering its full energy where it counts.
• The Cannelure: More than just a groove, the cannelure serves multiple purposes for reloaders and hunters. It provides a distinct and consistent crimping point, which is essential for uniform neck tension and reliable feeding in tubular magazines often found in lever-action rifles chambered for .45-70. Furthermore, the cannelure works synergistically with the InterLock ring to reinforce the core-jacket lock, preventing movement and ensuring the bullet's integrity from cartridge to impact.

Real-World Applications: Dominating Medium to Large Game

The Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain Hollow Point bullet is purpose-built for the demands of hunting medium to large game. When you're pursuing animals like:

• Whitetail and Mule Deer
• Elk and Moose
• Black Bear and Brown Bear (non-dangerous game classification)
• Wild Boar and Hogs

This bullet delivers the terminal performance necessary for quick, clean, and ethical harvests. Its 300-grain weight combined with its high sectional density ensures that it carries substantial momentum, allowing it to penetrate deeply into vital organs. The hollow point design initiates expansion rapidly, creating a wide wound channel that maximizes energy dump within the animal, minimizing tracking and maximizing the chance of a one-shot stop.

Imagine yourself on an elk hunt. A quartering-away shot presents itself. You need a bullet that can punch through the shoulder blade or ribs, travel through significant tissue, and still reach the vitals. The InterLock's design—its core retention, controlled expansion, and high sectional density—is specifically engineered for these challenging scenarios, providing the confidence you need when the stakes are highest.

The Science Behind Superior Performance: Ballistics Explained

Understanding the ballistic properties of your chosen bullet is key to maximizing accuracy and effectiveness. The Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain HP (UPC 090255245004) boasts impressive specifications that translate directly to its field performance:

• Weight: 300 grains: This is a substantial weight for a .458 bullet, providing excellent kinetic energy and momentum. It's heavy enough to resist deflection by brush and maintain its trajectory, while still allowing for manageable recoil in appropriate rifle platforms.
• Bullet Diameter: .458 inches: This precise diameter ensures optimal bore engagement, critical for accuracy and sealing gases behind the bullet for efficient propulsion.
• Ballistic Coefficient (BC): .197: While not a long-range varmint bullet, a BC of .197 for a flat-nosed or hollow-point .458 bullet indicates its efficiency in overcoming air resistance. For typical hunting ranges (out to 200-300 yards for this caliber), this BC is more than adequate, contributing to a flatter trajectory than many other heavy, large-diameter projectiles.
• Sectional Density (SD): .204: Sectional density is a crucial indicator of a bullet's penetrating capability. A higher SD means the bullet has more mass relative to its frontal area, allowing it to penetrate deeper for a given impact energy. The .204 SD of this 300-grain .458 bullet is excellent, directly contributing to its ability to reach vital organs even through tough hides and heavy bone structure. This is what you want for reliable terminal performance on larger game.
• Bullet Type: Hollow Point (HP): The hollow point cavity is precisely engineered to initiate rapid expansion upon impact. This initial expansion transfers significant energy to the animal, creating a wider wound channel. Combined with the InterLock feature, this expansion is controlled, preventing over-expansion and ensuring the bullet retains its mass for deep penetration.
• Jacket Material: Copper; Core Material: Lead: The traditional and proven combination of a tough copper jacket over a dense lead core provides the ideal balance of strength, malleability for expansion, and weight for energy transfer.

Optimizing Your Reloads with Hornady InterLock Bullets

For handloaders, the Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain HP offers exceptional consistency and reliability. If you enjoy crafting your own ammunition, these bullets provide a solid foundation for developing accurate and effective loads for your .45-70 Gov't, .450 Marlin, or other .458 diameter rifle cartridges.

• Consistency is Key: Hornady's manufacturing processes are renowned for their tight tolerances. This means that each bullet in a box of 50 (or a case of 15 boxes) will be remarkably consistent in weight, diameter, and concentricity. This consistency directly translates to more uniform velocities and improved accuracy from your reloads.
• Cannelure for Reliable Crimping: The clearly defined cannelure is a reloader's friend, providing an ideal reference point for crimping. A proper crimp is vital for several reasons:
  • It helps prevent bullet setback, especially important in tubular magazine rifles where cartridges are subjected to recoil forces.
  • It ensures consistent neck tension, which contributes to more uniform ignition and better accuracy.
  • It securely locks the bullet in place, maintaining overall cartridge length (OAL) and feeding reliability.
• Developing Your Load: When working with these 300-grain projectiles, consult reputable reloading manuals (such as the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading) for starting and maximum loads specific to your chosen powder and rifle. Begin with starting loads and work up incrementally while watching for pressure signs. The robust construction of the InterLock allows it to perform well across a broad spectrum of velocities that are appropriate for its intended calibers.

The Hornady Legacy: A Mark of Quality and Trust

Hornady Manufacturing, founded in 1949, has built an enduring reputation for producing high-quality ammunition and components. Their commitment to innovation, precision engineering, and rigorous testing means that when you choose Hornady, you're choosing a product backed by decades of expertise and a deep understanding of ballistic science. The InterLock series, in particular, has been a staple for hunters for generations, proving its effectiveness in countless successful hunts worldwide. This enduring legacy is a testament to the design's inherent reliability and terminal effectiveness.

Choosing Hornady is choosing a brand that understands the critical nature of a hunting shot. They understand that reliability is not a luxury but a necessity, and their bullets are designed to deliver that unwavering performance when it matters most.

The Responsible Hunter's Choice

Ultimately, the choice of bullet is a critical component of ethical hunting. A bullet that performs predictably, expands reliably, and penetrates deeply helps ensure a clean, humane harvest. The Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain Hollow Point bullet embodies these principles. It's engineered for maximum energy transfer and tissue damage within the animal while minimizing the risk of fragmentation or insufficient penetration. This leads to reduced tracking, less suffering for the animal, and a more satisfying outcome for the hunter.

Whether you're stocking up for your next big game adventure, or meticulously crafting precision reloads, these 300-grain .458 diameter bullets provide the confidence and performance you need. They are available in boxes of 50 bullets, with 15 boxes per case, making them suitable for both individual reloaders and those who purchase in larger quantities.

Where to Find Your Hornady InterLock Bullets

For hunters and reloaders seeking this pinnacle of hunting bullet performance, the Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain Hollow Point (UPC 090255245004) is readily available. You can find these essential components at trusted retailers like DEGuns.com, where you can equip yourself with the confidence that comes from using premium Hornady products.

The Hornady InterLock .458 300 Grain Hollow Point bullet is more than just a component; it's a commitment to performance, reliability, and ethical hunting. Invest in your success with a bullet engineered to deliver when it counts.

Hornady InterLock .458 300 GR HP Specifications

Attribute	Detail	Description
Brand	Hornady	A leading manufacturer of ammunition and reloading components, trusted for quality and innovation.
Model	InterLock	A classic hunting bullet renowned for its deep penetration and controlled expansion, featuring a unique core-jacket lock.
Caliber Range	.45 Caliber (.458")	Specifically designed for rifles chambered in .45 caliber, such as .45-70 Government, .450 Marlin, etc.
Bullet Weight	300 grains	An optimal weight for transferring significant kinetic energy to medium-large game animals.
Bullet Type	Hollow Point (HP)	Engineered for rapid, yet controlled, expansion upon impact, creating a devastating wound channel.
Jacket Material	Copper	Durable copper jacket ensures structural integrity, reliable feeding, and consistent expansion.
Core Material	Lead	High-density lead core provides the necessary mass for excellent sectional density and energy transfer.
Bullet Diameter	.458 inches	Precise diameter ensures proper fit, optimal bore engagement, and enhanced accuracy in compatible barrels.
Ballistic Coefficient	.197	Indicates the bullet's aerodynamic efficiency and its ability to maintain velocity over distance.
Sectional Density	.204	A high sectional density contributes significantly to superior penetration capabilities on game.
Application	Medium-Large Game	Ideal for ethically hunting deer, elk, black bear, moose, wild boar, and other similarly sized game.
Rounds Per Box	50	Standard packaging quantity, convenient for handloaders and hunters.
Boxes Per Case	15	Bulk packaging option for larger volume purchases or stocking up for the season.
SKU	4500	Hornady's internal Stock Keeping Unit for this specific product for inventory management.
UPC	090255245004	Universal Product Code for tracking, identification, and retail point-of-sale systems.