Hornady InterLock 45 Caliber .458 350 GR Flat Point Bullet: Unrivaled Performance for Big Game

For the serious hunter and meticulous reloader, the choice of bullet is paramount. When facing medium to large game, terminal performance, controlled expansion, and deep penetration are not just desirable traits; they are absolute necessities for ethical hunting and successful outcomes. The Hornady InterLock 45 Caliber .458 350 GR Flat Point bullet (UPC: 090255245035) stands as a testament to these principles, offering a time-tested design engineered for consistent, devastating results in the field. This isn't just a bullet; it's a commitment to precision and power, ensuring that every shot counts.

Why Choose the Hornady InterLock 350 Grain Flat Point for Your Hunting Needs?

Hunters frequently ask: "What is the best bullet for ethical big game hunting with my .45 caliber rifle?" or "How can I ensure reliable bullet performance on challenging, thick-skinned animals?" The answer often points directly to the Hornady InterLock. This particular bullet, weighing 350 grains and boasting a .458 diameter, is specifically designed to address the demands of cartridges like the formidable .45-70 Government, .450 Marlin, .458 Winchester Magnum, and even the potent .458 Lott. Its robust construction and unique design features make it an ideal choice for:

• North American Big Game: Whether you're pursuing large elk, moose, bison, or the formidable bear species (grizzly, brown, or polar), the 350 grain InterLock delivers the energy and penetration required to anchor these animals quickly and humanely.
• African Plains Game: For heavier plains game in Africa, where deep penetration is essential to reach vital organs, the InterLock’s controlled expansion proves highly effective.
• Dangerous Game Backup: While not a dedicated dangerous game monolithic solid, for certain applications or as a versatile hunting round, its robust construction offers a reassuring level of performance.
• Reloading Enthusiasts: For reloaders seeking consistent ballistic performance and reliable crimping, the built-in cannelure and Hornady's legendary quality control provide an exceptional foundation for handloads.

The core problem this bullet solves is simple yet profound: ensuring maximum energy transfer and tissue damage within the animal while maintaining bullet integrity. Unlike bullets that fragment too readily or fail to expand, the InterLock’s design ensures a deep, wide wound channel, vital for clean kills and reducing tracking distances.

The Science Behind the InterLock: Unpacking Its Unique Features

What makes the Hornady InterLock bullet so effective and widely trusted by experienced hunters? It's a culmination of meticulous engineering and Hornady's commitment to innovation in bullet design.

1. The Revolutionary InterLock Ring

At the heart of the InterLock's legendary performance is its namesake feature: the InterLock ring. This raised ring is strategically molded inside the jacket and is then embedded into the bullet's lead core. This ingenious design creates a mechanical lock between the core and the copper jacket.

• Problem Solved: Traditional cup-and-core bullets can sometimes suffer from core-jacket separation, especially upon high-velocity impact with tough hide or bone. This separation leads to reduced bullet weight retention, less penetration, and diminished terminal performance.
• Benefit for the Hunter: The InterLock ring virtually eliminates core-jacket separation. This means that even when striking heavy bone or driving through dense muscle, the bullet retains a high percentage of its original weight, ensuring maximum momentum and energy delivery where it counts most – deep within the animal's vitals. This translates directly to more reliable and humane kills.

2. Precisely Controlled Tapered Jacket Thickness

The jacket of the Hornady InterLock bullet is not uniformly thick. Instead, it features a precisely controlled, tapered jacket thickness. The jacket is typically thicker at the base and thins towards the nose.

• Problem Solved: Achieving optimal expansion across a wide range of impact velocities is a significant challenge for bullet designers. A jacket that's too thin might expand too rapidly or fragment at high velocities, while one that's too thick might fail to expand at lower velocities.
• Benefit for the Hunter: This tapered design allows for controlled, uniform expansion across a broad spectrum of impact velocities. Whether the shot is taken at close range where velocity is high, or at extended distances where velocity has dropped, the bullet is designed to expand reliably. This consistent expansion creates a larger wound channel, maximizing tissue damage and hydraulic shock, leading to quicker incapacitation of the animal.

3. Robust One-Piece Lead Core

The InterLock bullet utilizes a one-piece lead core. While seemingly simple, the quality and consistency of this core are critical.

• Problem Solved: Bullet cores can sometimes be inconsistent in density or prone to breaking apart.
• Benefit for the Hunter: A homogenous, one-piece core ensures consistent weight distribution, contributing to the bullet's superb accuracy. Combined with the InterLock ring, this robust core ensures that the bullet maintains its integrity even under extreme stress, driving deep through tough hide, muscle, and bone without disintegrating.

4. Functional Cannelure

A cannelure is a circumferential groove rolled into the bullet jacket. On the Hornady InterLock, this feature serves multiple critical purposes.

• Problem Solved: Maintaining consistent bullet seating depth and preventing bullet setback in the case during recoil or feeding can be problematic, particularly in rifles chambered for powerful cartridges.
• Benefit for the Reloader/Hunter:
  • Accurate and Consistent Crimping: The cannelure provides a precise location for applying a crimp to the case mouth, ensuring the bullet is securely held in place. This prevents bullet setback under recoil, which can increase chamber pressure and affect accuracy. For tube magazine rifles, it's essential to prevent the bullet from being pushed further into the case.
  • Core-Jacket Reinforcement: Beyond crimping, the cannelure also works in conjunction with the InterLock ring to further enhance the core-jacket lock, providing an additional layer of assurance that the bullet will not separate upon impact. This contributes to the bullet's overall structural integrity and terminal performance.

Understanding Ballistics: Ballistic Coefficient and Sectional Density

For those who delve deeper into bullet performance, two key ballistic figures are essential: Ballistic Coefficient (BC) and Sectional Density (SD).

• Ballistic Coefficient (BC): The Hornady InterLock 45 Caliber .458 350 GR Flat Point boasts a Ballistic Coefficient (BC) of .195.
  • What it means: BC is a measure of a bullet's ability to overcome air resistance. A higher BC indicates that a bullet is more aerodynamic and will retain its velocity more efficiently over distance, resulting in less drop and wind drift.
  • Relevance for this bullet: While a flat point bullet like this will have a lower BC compared to a spitzer boat tail bullet designed for extreme long range, its BC of .195 is entirely appropriate for its intended purpose. This bullet is designed for powerful, medium-range hunting shots where its primary attributes (weight, diameter, and terminal performance) are more critical than extreme aerodynamic efficiency. For typical big game hunting ranges (under 200-300 yards), this BC ensures predictable trajectory.
• Sectional Density (SD): This bullet features an impressive Sectional Density (SD) of .238.
  • What it means: SD is the ratio of a bullet's mass to its cross-sectional area. In simpler terms, it describes how "thin" or "pencil-like" a bullet is relative to its weight. Higher sectional density indicates a bullet's ability to penetrate deeply.
  • Relevance for this bullet: A high SD of .238 is a key indicator of this bullet's exceptional penetrating power. For a .458 caliber bullet, a 350-grain weight combined with this SD means it's designed to drive straight and deep through tough hide, heavy muscle, and bone, reaching vital organs even on the largest game. This is crucial for achieving humane, one-shot kills on animals like moose, bison, and bears.

The Flat Point Advantage for Heavy Calibers

The choice of a Flat Point bullet type for this heavy .45 caliber projectile is not arbitrary; it's a deliberate design decision tailored for specific performance characteristics and safety.

• Reliable Expansion at Lower Velocities: Flat nose bullets are often designed to initiate expansion more readily than highly pointed bullets, even at slightly lower impact velocities. This is beneficial for cartridges that might operate at moderate velocities or for shots taken at longer ranges where velocity has diminished.
• Energy Transfer: The broad, flat meplat (nose) of the bullet transfers a significant amount of kinetic energy upon initial impact, creating immediate shock and a substantial entry wound channel.
• Safety in Tube Magazines: For rifles with tubular magazines (common for cartridges like the .45-70 Government), flat point bullets are a safety necessity. Using pointed bullets in a tube magazine can cause the tip of one cartridge to rest on the primer of the cartridge in front of it, potentially leading to an accidental discharge under recoil. The flat point design eliminates this risk.

Hornady: A Legacy of Quality and Innovation

Hornady has been a leading name in the ammunition industry for decades, renowned for its commitment to precision, performance, and ethical hunting solutions. Their dedication to research and development, combined with stringent quality control, ensures that every bullet leaving their factory meets the highest standards. When you choose Hornady, you're not just buying a bullet; you're investing in a legacy of trust and innovation that hunters and shooters worldwide depend on. Their manufacturing processes, from core formation to jacket drawing, are optimized to produce components that contribute to superior accuracy and terminal performance.

Optimizing Your Reloading Experience with Hornady InterLock

For the dedicated reloader, the Hornady InterLock 45 Caliber .458 350 GR Flat Point bullet is an outstanding component that offers consistency and reliability.

• Consistent Weight: With a precise weight of 350 grains, these bullets allow reloaders to achieve highly consistent powder charges and predictable velocities.
• Uniform Diameter: The exact .458 bullet diameter ensures proper seating and consistent bullet tension in the case, contributing to optimal chamber pressure and accuracy.
• Ease of Crimping: The well-defined cannelure simplifies the crimping process, making it easy to create secure and uniform reloads, essential for safety and performance, especially in high-recoil rifles.
• Component Versatility: These bullets are adaptable across various .458 caliber cartridges, allowing reloaders to craft custom loads tailored to their specific rifle and hunting application.

Whether you're crafting loads for a classic lever-action .45-70 or a modern bolt-action .458 Winchester Magnum, the Hornady InterLock provides a reliable foundation for maximizing your rifle's potential.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hunting Bullets

• What caliber bullet is best for moose or elk? For large North American game like moose and elk, .45 caliber bullets weighing 300 grains or more, especially those with high sectional density like the Hornady InterLock 350 grain .458, are highly recommended for their deep penetration and energy transfer.
• How does bullet design affect hunting success? Bullet design profoundly impacts terminal performance. Features like the InterLock ring, tapered jackets, and specific bullet types (like flat point) are crucial for ensuring controlled expansion, weight retention, and deep penetration, all of which contribute to ethical and effective hunting.
• Why is bullet weight important for big game? Heavier bullets, like this 350 grain option, carry more kinetic energy and possess higher momentum. This allows them to penetrate deeper and resist deflection better when encountering bone or tough hide, increasing the likelihood of reaching vital organs.
• Can I use these bullets for target shooting? While primarily designed for hunting, these bullets can certainly be used for target practice to verify your handloads and confirm accuracy with your specific rifle. However, due to their specialized design and cost, they are optimized for terminal performance on game rather than pure paper punching.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Choice for Discerning Hunters

The Hornady InterLock 45 Caliber .458 350 GR Flat Point bullet is more than just a component; it's an assurance of quality, performance, and ethical hunting. Its unique InterLock ring, tapered jacket, robust one-piece core, and functional cannelure combine to deliver unmatched reliability, deep penetration, and controlled expansion. For hunters who demand the best for their big game pursuits, and reloaders who seek consistency and precision, this bullet represents a pinnacle of design. Available at DEGuns, it's the definitive choice for those who understand that in the field, there's no substitute for confidence in your ammunition. Equip your .45 caliber rifle with Hornady InterLock, and experience the difference that superior engineering makes.

Product Specifications & Features Summary

Feature	Detail
Brand	Hornady
Model	InterLock
Caliber	45 Cal
Bullet Type	Flat Point
Weight	350 gr
Diameter	.458
Application	Medium-Large Game

Ballistic Data	Value
Coefficient	.195
Sectional Density	.238

Packaging & Material	Details
Rounds Per Box	50
Bullet Coating	Copper
Jacket Material	Copper
Core Material	Lead
Tip Material	Lead

Identification	Value
UPC	090255245035
SKU	72114
MPN	4503