IMO, everything has it's time and place, Core-Lokts are sure a good source of brass, nice and cheap.
I “keep my hand in” after the hunting season by just shooting Core-Lokts if I have to buy any new ammo (versus reloading it). After about July each year, I settle into tuning up my hunting loads using Partitions or Barnes X bullets that are typically handloaded and yes it requires adjusting the scopes in some cases.

A lot of what I have heard is “paper and deer”, “paper and deer”.... and that's fine I guess. First, paper is really easy to kill (can do it with a stapler) and if you like the pattern Core-Lokts make on the paper, then you are all set and at the same time the “cost” of a misfire is minimal and not harmful. Second, deer are pretty easy to kill so I suppose one could just keep shooting Core-Lokts right on into the fall, and they should work fine (as long as your gun fires when you pull the trigger and/or you are not taking close shots at high velocity --- you’ll have to weigh those two for yourself. Personally, I’ve never had a Core-Lokt fail to fire, but what I’ve heard about Core-Lokts in this thread will guarantee I do not have a “weak moment” and use Remington Core-Lokt ammo for hunting).

If you are going after tougher hided, thicker bodied, bigger boned game with a tougher constitution (like elk) that generally pose a more difficult challenge it becomes a different story. In particular if the shot opportunity is less than “whitetail broadside perfect” OR if it is a shot that is quite close and at high velocity, then I would recommend Partitions at a minimum. No doubt there is someone out there with a string of 12 one shot elk kills with CoreLokts, on the other hand there is a large and verbal group that have found them to be very much lacking.

On the other hand, no one can deny the American hunting public the right to use the cheapest, “just get by” components (and methods) available, as it is their god-given right. Personally though, given the true cost of an away from home/remote big game hunt (or even the “time value” of an afternoon/weekend hunt) I cannot personally justify not using the best components that are reasonably available as the cost differential is minimal (I know, you can't always get them at Wally World). The old adage, “penny-wise and pound-foolish” comes to mind. As always, it “takes all kinds to make a world” and therefore the "good ole" Core-Lokt is here to stay; the only question is "what are you going to use it for, if anything?"

Good luck and good hunting,
EKM