Remington Core-Lokt Review (2026): Gel, Groups, Ballistics

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This Remington Core-Lokt review covers the whole line Remington sells today: 106 loads in 57 cartridges across classic Core-Lokt, Core-Lokt Tipped, Core-Lokt Copper, the Tipped Lever Gun loads and Core-Lokt Handgun. We put four rifle loads into gel, shot groups from thirteen rifle setups and checked box speeds and energy against Remington’s own ballistics.

In short: the classic .308 150 gr went 18.5 inches into gel, opened to 0.54 inches and kept 70% of its weight, and the Tipped version matched it. Tipped groups averaged 0.94 to 1.54 inches. Core-Lokt is not bonded, and the classic pointed soft point loses energy fast past 300 yards.

Last updated October 16, 2026

Table of Contents

Remington Core-Lokt Review at a Glance

Core-Lokt is Remington’s cup and core hunting bullet, sold since 1939 and billed as the Deadliest Mushroom in the Woods. It is loaded in Lonoke, Arkansas, and Remington lists 106 loads in 57 cartridges today.

Our Rating: 8.0/10

Family	Loads	Cartridges	Construction	G1 BC range
Core-Lokt	71	49	Locked cup and core, PSP, SP or hollow point	.146 to .435
Core-Lokt Tipped	17	13	Same cup and core, Big Green polymer tip, boattail	.355 to .540
Core-Lokt Copper	7	7	Monolithic copper hollow point, lead-free	.190 to .330
Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun	6	6	Flat polymer tip for tubular magazines	.177 to .281
Core-Lokt Handgun	5	5	Core-Lokt hollow point, nickel-plated cases	not published

How We Tested Core-Lokt

We split the work into gel, groups and the chronograph. Gel shots went into clear synthetic gel and 10 percent gelatin at 50, 100 and 400 yards, and groups were three-shot or five-shot from bolt guns and one lever gun.

For gel we fired the classic .308 150 gr PSP and the Tipped .308 150 gr from the same 24 inch rifle into clear synthetic gel at 50 yards, three bullets each, at an average impact speed of 2,675 fps. We then weighed and measured every recovered bullet.

The Tipped 6.5 Creedmoor 129 gr went into the same synthetic gel at 100 yards from a 22 inch Nosler Model 21. The old Ultra Bonded .300 Win Mag 180 gr went into 10 percent gelatin at 50 and 400 yards.

Groups came from thirteen rifle setups. Where the session logged it, we shot at 100 yards; the tables say when a distance or a shot count was not logged. Velocity came from a chronograph at the muzzle of each rifle, with the barrel length beside each figure.

Ballistic coefficients, box velocities and energy at distance are Remington’s own figures from each product page. Remington publishes a test barrel length for one Core-Lokt load out of 106, so we compare our speeds to the box figure without guessing its barrel.

Is Core-Lokt Bonded? How the Bullet Is Built

Is Core-Lokt bonded? No. Remington says the jacket and core are mechanically locked, not bonded, and it describes a tapered jacket that is thinner at the nose and thicker at the heel to control expansion.

Remington calls Core-Lokt its original controlled expansion design, and the classic product pages put it plainly: “Its original controlled-expansion design locks the jacket and core together for reliable expansion, deep penetration, and exceptional weight retention.” The feature line reads “Tapered jacket design expands reliably across a wide range of velocities.”

Remington’s own blog explains the lock: “By mechanically “locking” or manufacturing the lead core and copper jacket together, the bullet’s jacket and core were less likely to separate.” That is a mechanical lock, so is Core-Lokt bonded? Not the classic, Tipped or Lever Gun bullets.

Remington did make a bonded version. Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded arrived in 2010 with the lead core bonded to the jacket, and later rode in Hypersonic Bonded loads. Both Hypersonic Bonded loads now sit on Remington’s discontinued list, and the only Ultra Bonded load still listed is the .223 Rem 62 gr, marked currently unavailable.

PSP on the box means pointed soft point; SP means a round or flat soft point. The pointed version came in 1952 and carries a higher ballistic coefficient. In the current classic line Remington lists 49 pointed loads against 22 soft point and hollow point loads.

Core-Lokt Tipped keeps the same cup and core and adds what Remington calls the Big Green polymer tip, a boattail and a center of gravity “adjusted rearward.” Core-Lokt Copper drops the lead core for a “lead-free, monolithic hunting bullet.”

Core-Lokt in Gel: Expansion, Depth and Weight Kept

In gel the classic .308 150 gr PSP went 18.5 inches, opened to 0.54 inches and kept 70% of its weight. The Tipped .308 went 18 inches, opened to 0.54 inches and kept 68%.

Load	Range	Penetration	Expanded diameter	Weight kept
.308 Win 150 gr Core-Lokt PSP	50 yd, 3 bullets	18.5 in	0.54 in	105 gr, 70%
.308 Win 150 gr Core-Lokt Tipped	50 yd, 3 bullets	18 in	0.54 in	102 gr, 68%
6.5 Creedmoor 129 gr Core-Lokt Tipped	100 yd	20 in	over 0.50 in	87.6 gr, 68%
.300 Win Mag 180 gr Ultra Bonded	50 yd	19.5 in	0.92 in	142.6 gr, 79%
.300 Win Mag 180 gr Ultra Bonded	400 yd	22 in	0.79 in	173.1 gr, 96%

The classic and the Tipped bullets behaved almost the same: half an inch apart in depth, the same 0.54 inch expanded diameter and three grains apart in retained weight. A Tipped bullet still sheds lead, so weight retention runs near 70%, not near 100%.

Remington’s own claim for the deer-hunting role is “delivering massive 2X expansion, impressive weight retention, and consistent on-game results.” Our 0.54 inch result from a .308 bullet is 1.75 times its diameter, a little under that 2X line in synthetic gel.

The Tipped 6.5 Creedmoor went 20 inches at 100 yards and lost 41.4 grains, about a third of its weight. That is a wide, fast-opening deer bullet, and it is the reason we would pick a heavier load for elk.

The old Ultra Bonded shows what bonding buys: 96% retained at 400 yards and 79% at 50, with the widest expansion of eight premium bullets in the same test, 0.92 inches, and the shallowest depth, 19.5 inches.

Bullets recovered from game tell the same story as the gel. A .270 Win 130 gr Tipped recovered from a Texas mule deer kept 51% of its weight after breaking the far shoulder, and a .308 165 gr Tipped that broke both front leg bones of a mule deer kept 37%.

Core-Lokt Accuracy: Groups by Rifle

Core-Lokt Tipped grouped well in all eight setups we shot it in, with averages of 0.94 to 1.54 inches. The one classic load we grouped, the 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr PSP, averaged 2.01 inches.

Load and rifle	Average group	Groups and distance
.243 85 Copper, Sako Forester L579	0.36 in	2 x 3-shot
.308 150 Copper, Bergara B-14	0.80 in	2 x 3-shot
30-06 150 Tipped, Benelli Lupo	0.94 in	5 x 3-shot
.243 85 Copper, Remington 700	1.01 in	2 x 3-shot
.270 130 Tipped, Montana Rifle Co. American Legends	1.01 in	5 x 3-shot, 100 yd
6.5 CM 129 Tipped, Nosler Model 21	1.26 in	3 x 3-shot, 100 yd
.308 165 Tipped, Ruger M77 Ultra Light 20 in	1.34 in	5 groups, 100 yd
30-06 180 Tipped, Winchester Model 70	1.39 in	5 x 5-shot
30-06 180 Tipped, Remington Model 710	1.48 in	8 x 5-shot
.270 130 Tipped, Weatherby Mark V Hunter	1.53 in	12 groups
.308 150 Tipped, six rifles	1.54 in	29 x 5-shot
.308 150 Copper, Savage Model 10 FCP-SR	1.56 in	2 x 3-shot
6.5 CM 140 Core-Lokt PSP	2.01 in	4 x 4-shot, 100 yd

From the .270 American Legends rifle our best Tipped group was 0.58 inches; its first group opened to 2.15 inches and pulled the five-group average to 1.01.

Through six .308 rifles the Tipped 150 gr averaged 1.54 inches over 29 five-shot groups, with the Tikka T3X Lite at 1.25 and the Christensen Arms Ridgeline Titanium at 1.22. Core-Lokt Tipped was not the best load in every rifle.

Loaded-round consistency helps. Across five .308 165 gr Tipped cartridges, base-to-ogive length varied 0.003 inches and bullet runout ran 0.001 to 0.002 inches; across a box of 30-06 180 gr Tipped, overall length varied at most 0.011 inches.

The classic 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr PSP was the loosest load we grouped, 2.01 inches on average with a 1.727 inch best and a 2.707 inch worst. Several of our rifle reviews, such as the Remington 700 review, list their own Core-Lokt groups.

Velocity and Consistency From Real Barrels

Every Core-Lokt string we clocked ran slower than the box speed, by 11 to 217 fps. Standard deviations ran 8 to 19.3 fps, which is tight for hunting ammunition.

Load	Rifle	Barrel	Our average fps	Box fps	Standard deviation	Extreme spread	Shots
Core-Lokt .308 Win 150 gr PSP	our 24 in .308 bolt rifle	24 in	2,809	2,820	not logged	not logged	10
Core-Lokt Tipped .308 Win 150 gr	same 24 in rifle	24 in	2,794	2,840	not logged	not logged	10
Core-Lokt Tipped 6.5 Creedmoor 129 gr	Nosler Model 21	22 in	2,875	2,945	13.6	36	9
Core-Lokt Tipped .270 Win 130 gr	Blaser	22 in	2,935	3,080	12.6	not logged	not logged
Core-Lokt Tipped 30-06 180 gr	Remington Model 710	22 in	2,528	2,745	19.3	67	not logged
Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun 360 Buckhammer 180 gr	Henry Model X, suppressed	21.4 in	2,381	2,400	8	not logged	not logged

The biggest gap was the 30-06 180 gr Tipped from a 22 inch Model 710, 217 fps under the box. Short barrels cost speed, and the box figure most likely comes from a longer test barrel.

The 360 Buckhammer lever load lost only 19 fps from a 21.4 inch Henry, and its standard deviation of 8 fps was the tightest string we recorded. Our .270 Tipped strings ran 12.6 fps and 17 fps standard deviation from two different rifles.

Core-Lokt Ballistics: BC and Energy at Distance

Core-Lokt ballistics depend on the bullet shape. Classic Core-Lokt loads carry G1 ballistic coefficients of .146 to .435, Tipped loads .355 to .540, and Copper loads .190 to .330, by Remington’s own figures.

Load	G1 BC	Muzzle fps	Muzzle ft-lb	100 yd ft-lb	300 yd ft-lb	500 yd ft-lb
.308 Win 150 gr PSP	.314	2,820	2,648	2,136	1,344	811
.308 Win 150 gr Tipped	.415	2,840	2,686	2,286	1,626	1,125
.308 Win 150 gr Copper	.278	2,820	2,648	2,076	1,221	685
30-06 150 gr PSP	.314	2,910	2,820	2,280	1,446	876
30-06 180 gr PSP	.383	2,700	2,913	2,436	1,666	1,105
30-06 180 gr Tipped	.480	2,745	3,011	2,615	1,945	1,416
.270 Win 130 gr PSP	.336	3,060	2,703	2,224	1,471	934
.270 Win 130 gr Tipped	.447	3,080	2,738	2,367	1,748	1,264
6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr PSP	.410	2,700	2,266	1,918	1,347	921
6.5 Creedmoor 129 gr Tipped	.485	2,945	2,484	2,168	1,633	1,207
7mm Rem Mag 150 gr PSP	.346	3,110	3,221	2,669	1,793	1,160
7mm Rem Mag 150 gr Tipped	.530	3,130	3,263	2,888	2,246	1,722
300 Win Mag 180 gr PSP	.383	2,960	3,502	2,947	2,047	1,378
300 Win Mag 180 gr Tipped	.481	2,980	3,549	3,096	2,329	1,720

Core-Lokt ballistics favor the tip once the range opens up. At 300 yards the Tipped bullet carried 229 to 453 more foot-pounds than the same-weight classic load in all eight pairs we compared, and the gap grew at 500.

In .308 Win 150 gr the three bullets start within 20 fps of each other, then split. At 500 yards Remington lists 1,125 foot-pounds for the Tipped, 811 for the PSP and 685 for the Copper, whose BC of .278 is the lowest of the three.

Remington’s wind drift tables tell the same story: in a 10 mph crosswind the .308 150 gr PSP drifts 32.8 inches at 500 yards. Our .308 vs 30-06 guide and .270 vs 30-06 guide compare the cartridges themselves.

Core-Lokt vs Core-Lokt Tipped

Core-Lokt Tipped is the better bullet past 200 yards and performs about the same inside it. In our gel test the two matched, and the Tipped grouped a little tighter in the one rifle that shot both.

Remington introduced Core-Lokt Tipped on September 1, 2021, and lists 17 Core-Lokt Tipped loads today in 13 cartridges, from .243 Win to 7mm PRC. Its own comparison in .270 Win 130 gr puts the Tipped 6.3 inches flatter at 500 yards with a 200 yard zero.

Remington puts a whitetail vital zone at about 10 inches, so 6.3 inches of drop at 500 yards matters. Inside 200 yards the difference is small, and in .308 150 gr the classic PSP costs less per round on our cards.

Pick Core-Lokt Tipped for open country, longer shots and any rifle that likes it; pick the classic for woods hunting at 150 yards and in. Our 6.5 Creedmoor rifle guide covers the 6.5 rifles that suit the 129 gr Tipped.

Core-Lokt Copper: The Lead-Free Version

Core-Lokt Copper is the lead-free member of the family, a monolithic copper hollow point in seven loads. Remington says it keeps near 100% of its weight; its weakness is a low ballistic coefficient.

Remington’s copper page says “Core-Lokt Copper’s solid core and construction retains near 100% of its weight during expansion,” and that it “expands via a precision hollow point.” It also uses a lead-free primer.

Grain weights differ from the classic line because Remington says “Core-Lokt Copper’s bullet grain weights were chosen as the best fit for each cartridge.” The .243 Win load is 85 gr and the .270 Win load is 130 gr.

In our groups the .243 Win 85 gr shot 0.530 and 0.190 inches from a Sako Forester L579 and 1.5 and 0.518 from a Remington 700. The .308 Win 150 gr shot 0.778 and 0.817 from a Bergara B-14 and 1.60 and 1.53 from a Savage Model 10 FCP-SR.

The trade-off shows in the ballistics table. Copper’s G1 BC runs .190 to .330, below the classic PSP in .243 Win, .270 Win, .308 Win, 30-06 and 300 Win Mag, so the .308 Copper load carries the least energy of the three at 500 yards.

Lever Gun and Straight-Wall Core-Lokt

For lever guns and straight-wall states Remington sells two answers: classic Core-Lokt soft points and Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun, whose flat polymer tip is made for tubular magazines.

Remington says the flat tip “improves aerodynamics, initiates expansion, and supports reliable function in tubular magazines.” It lists six Tipped Lever Gun loads: 30-30 Win, 32 Win Special, 35 Rem, 360 Buckhammer, 444 Marlin and 45-70 Government.

From a 21.4 inch Henry Model X, the 360 Buckhammer 180 gr Tipped Lever Gun load grouped about 2.25 inches at 100 yards with a best five-shot group of 2.11 inches. Our 360 Buckhammer rifle guide and 360 Buckhammer vs 30-30 cover the rifles.

Remington lists two 45-70 Government 405 gr Core-Lokt soft points, one at 1,330 fps and one at 1,600 fps, and the faster load carries 1,723 foot-pounds at 100 yards. Check which one your rifle maker approves before you buy.

In straight-wall states the 350 Legend, 360 Buckhammer, 400 Legend and 450 Bushmaster loads are the ones to check. Our straight-wall rifle guide and 45-70 rifle guide cover the rifles, and our news post covers the Core-Lokt 300 HAMR load.

Core-Lokt Handgun: Specs Only

Core-Lokt Handgun is the newest family, five hollow point loads for handgun hunters. We found no published gel or chronograph data for any of them, so this section lists Remington’s specs only.

Cartridge	Bullet	Muzzle fps	Muzzle ft-lb	100 yd ft-lb
10mm Auto	200 gr	1,110	547	354
.357 Magnum	180 gr	1,090	475	383
.41 Rem Magnum	210 gr	1,240	717	512
.44 Rem Magnum	240 gr	1,220	793	565
.45 Colt	237 gr	850	380	329

Remington says the line “is tuned for pistol- and revolver-length barrels” and lists “up to 2X expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration.” It names game “From whitetails and hogs to black bears.” The cases are nickel-plated, which Remington lists as “Premier Nickel-Plated Cases.”

Remington added the .45 Colt load after launch; our .45 Colt Core-Lokt news and .45 Colt ammo guide have more on that cartridge. For a 10mm hunting or bear load with test data, start with our 10mm ammo guide and 10mm bear defense guide.

Which Core-Lokt for Deer, Elk, Bear and Hogs

Match bullet weight to the animal. For whitetail and mule deer the 150 to 165 gr loads in .308 and 30-06 or the .270 130 gr work; for elk Remington points to 165 and 180 gr bullets.

Remington’s guidance is plain: “For example, a hunter carrying a .308 Win may choose a 150 or 165 grain hunting load.” For deer it adds “If you find yourself taking more shots within a few hundred yards,” the classic Core-Lokt suits you.

Core-Lokt for elk means heavier bullets. Remington writes “In cartridges like .308 or .30-06, many experienced elk hunters favor 165- or 180-grain bullets,” and its elk article picks the .308 Win Core-Lokt Tipped 180 gr. It also says “A premium bonded or controlled-expansion 165-grain bullet may outperform a conventional 180-grain soft point under certain conditions.”

Is Core-Lokt for elk a good idea at long range? Our gel data says use the heavier Tipped loads: the 6.5 Creedmoor 129 gr lost about a third of its weight, which suits deer more than a bull elk at a quartering angle. See our elk rifle guide and deer cartridge guide.

For black bear and hogs Remington notes that “Hogs develop thick shoulder shields,” and it steers hunters to medium and heavy bullets. Our hog rifle guide and bear rifle guide cover the rifles; moose calls for the heaviest load your cartridge offers, such as the 30-06 220 gr soft point.

Game	Core-Lokt loads to start with	Note
Whitetail, mule deer	.308 Win 150 or 165 gr, 30-06 150 or 165 gr, .270 Win 130 gr	Tipped for open country
Elk	.308 Win or 30-06 165 to 180 gr, 300 Win Mag 180 gr	Tipped 180 gr; heavier is safer
Black bear, hogs	30-06 180 gr, .308 Win 180 gr, 45-70 405 gr	Medium to heavy for bone
Moose	30-06 220 gr soft point, 300 Win Mag 180 gr	Heaviest load the rifle shoots well

Is Core-Lokt Still Made, and Who Makes It?

Yes, Core-Lokt is still made. Remington Ammunition loads it in Lonoke, Arkansas, and it belongs to The Kinetic Group, which Remington says is owned by CSG. Remington Firearms is a separate company.

Remington’s about page says “The Kinetic Group was born in 2024 when the former Vista Outdoor Sporting Products segment was rebranded and sold to CSG.” Its April 12, 2021 release says Vista Outdoor “took ownership of the “Big Green” Arkansas manufacturing facility last October after acquiring select Remington assets.”

It adds “Remington Ammunition and Remington Firearms are now two separate companies,” so the ammunition and the rifles come from different owners. Remington ammunition is now a sister brand of Federal; see our Remington brand page and Federal brand page.

On October 16, 2026 Remington’s listing held 106 Core-Lokt loads; eight of them were marked currently unavailable: Core-Lokt .223 Rem 62 gr, Core-Lokt 30 Rem AR 150 gr, Core-Lokt 30-06 180 gr, Core-Lokt 6.5x55 Swedish 140 gr, Core-Lokt 7.62x39 125 gr, Core-Lokt 7.62x39 125 gr, Core-Lokt 7mm Backcountry 175 gr, Core-Lokt Tipped 7mm Backcountry 175 gr. None of the current Core-Lokt families appears on Remington’s discontinued list.

Two Tipped loads Remington announced, 300 PRC and 300 Rem Ultra Mag, were not on the listing that day, and the new 400 Legend and 300 HAMR Core-Lokt loads were.

Known Problems and Limits

Core-Lokt has four real limits: the classic bullet sheds weight, its pointed soft point loses energy fast at long range, the bonded version is all but gone, and the Handgun loads have no test data yet.

• Weight loss. Our .308 classic and Tipped bullets kept 70% and 68% in gel, and a 6.5 Creedmoor Tipped kept 68%.
• Low BC on the classic. The classic PSP tops out at a G1 BC of .435, so it drops and drifts more than the Tipped past 300 yards.
• No bonded rifle load. Ultra Bonded survives only as a .223 Rem 62 gr load marked currently unavailable.
• Speeds under the box. Every string we clocked ran 11 to 217 fps under Remington’s listed velocity.
• Stock gaps. Eight loads, including the 30-06 180 gr soft point and the 6.5x55 Swedish load, were marked currently unavailable.

One cosmetic note: primer color varied box to box in our 30-06 Tipped ammunition, from bright brass to darker, with no effect we could measure.

Remington Core-Lokt Variants

These are the Core-Lokt loads we would shortlist, each with Remington’s box speed, G1 ballistic coefficient and box count. Pick the classic for woods deer and the Tipped for open country and longer shots.

Who Should NOT Buy Core-Lokt

Core-Lokt is a sound deer load at a fair price. It is the wrong buy for five kinds of hunter, and each of them has a better place to start on our site.

• Long-range open-country shooters. The classic PSP loses energy fast past 300 yards; carry Core-Lokt Tipped or a high-BC cartridge from our deer cartridge guide.
• Elk and moose hunters who want a bonded bullet. Remington lists no bonded Core-Lokt rifle load you can buy now; pick a bonded load from our .308 ammo guide.
• Lead-free hunters who shoot far. Core-Lokt Copper has a G1 BC of .190 to .330; compare the 30-06 options in our 30-06 buyers guide.
• Handgun hunters who want test data. We found none for Core-Lokt Handgun; start with the tested loads in our 10mm ammo guide.
• Anyone buying home defense ammo. Core-Lokt is a hunting line; for defense read our Federal HST review.

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Price and Where to Buy

Per round in .308 Win 150 gr, classic Core-Lokt cost less than Tipped, and Tipped less than Copper, on our cards on October 16, 2026. The 350 Legend was the cheapest per round of the twelve loads on our cards.

Prices on the cards update from our dealers, and we print none in this review. Core-Lokt comes in 20-round boxes for rifle and handgun loads, with 50-round boxes for 25-20 Win and 30 Carbine and a 250-round case for one 7.62×39 load.

Our ammo buying guide explains box versus bulk buying, and our American Eagle review covers Federal FMJ practice loads.

Remington Core-Lokt Review: The Verdict

Core-Lokt earns its name as a deer bullet: it opens wide, goes deep enough and groups well, and Remington still makes it in 57 cartridges. Buy the Tipped for longer shots.

Is Remington Core-Lokt good? For deer, yes: the classic .308 150 gr went 18.5 inches into gel and kept 70% of its weight, and Tipped groups averaged 0.94 to 1.54 inches. For elk choose the 165 to 180 gr loads.

Is Core-Lokt bonded? No, it is mechanically locked, and the bonded Ultra Bonded line is down to one .223 load marked currently unavailable. That is the main reason to look elsewhere for big, tough game at close range.

Our .308 ammo guide ranks Core-Lokt against other .308 hunting loads, and our 30-40 Krag ammo guide, 30-30 lever rifle guide and 30-06 buyers guide cover the classic cartridges Core-Lokt still serves.

This Remington Core-Lokt review will add Core-Lokt Handgun gel results when we have them. For our other ammo reviews, see the Sig V-Crown review.

Core-Lokt FAQ

Short answers, from our data and Remington’s own pages.