First let me say I will carefully work up loads using my own judgment.

However, I have a 22-250, a .223 and a 223AI and am being forced to convert to lead-free for my squirrel shooting due to local laws. I will be shooting the 35grain Noslers likely. Looking at the velocities achieved on the Reloading Pages here using 35 grain Bergers - it is IMPRESSIVE. However, everywhere else I look up 35gr data for this cartridges, the velocity doesn't come any where near the posted velocities achieved here, so I don't know what to think? I certainly have gone well beyond manufacture posted maximums in the past and have been able to fire brass many times without getting loose primer pockets, but I'm wondering if maybe that 35gr MEF testing here truly pushed the envelope to the extreme and beyone?

Thanks!

Contact Nosler...they should have info available unless they are still rebuilding their plant that went kaboom...

then there is Barnes data for the 36 grain HP...

but seems like any data for 40 grainers would be fine...if you need more velocity for whatever reason, work up from there...

but I'd be more concerned about accuracy, vs another 100 fps or so...

A friend of mine has been testing various NO lead .224 and .234 bullets for more than two years here in S.Cal. He is an avid varmint hunter and has gathered a lot of info. If you want and he allows I'll put you in touch with him by phone. PM me. roger

Thanks. I guess what I was getting at mostly is whether or not the data/velocities posted for the 35 MEFs on this site is realistic for an everyday load...looking up a variety of other sources online, the velocities seem here seem to be 200-300fps higher. If I can safely come close to 4300fps with my .223 or 4500 fps with my 223AI, the ballastics on those 35s would be amazing, but I don't know if that's realistic.

Rag, I am not sure those velocities are reasonable.

I have only played with the unleaded varmint bullets in one rifle. That rifle is a custom Remington model 700 with a 26 inch Hart barrel that has a 1 in 14 inch twist. It is chambered for the standard 22-250 Remington.

With a case FULL of Varget I can safely get between 4400 and 4450 fps with any of the light bullets I have tried. I have tried the 36 grain Varmint Grenade, the 35 grain lead free Nosler BT, and the 35 grain Hornady NTX.

In this rifle the Varmint Grenade shoots the best groups (some around 0.25 inches), but it has the worst B.C. of the bunch.

The Nosler version shoots the worst, with groups around 1.5 inches.

I think I am going to stick with the Hornady at this time. It shoots 1/2 to 3/4 inch and from what I can tell, it blows varmints up more dramatically than the others.

My rifle actually shoots the Hornady best at about 4300 fps. I shot some squirrels and rabbits with that load last weekend and the perfomance just has to be seen to be believed.

That's great information, thank you! I'm going to be depressed if I can't get lead-free to fly like lead, accuracy-wise. I've never been able to get great accuracy with Nosler...not in any of my varmint rigs nor my Bench guns, so your results do not shock me. I "need" to have my guns shooting in the 2s and 3s or I don't "feel" good, so I'll start with those Varmint Grenades and give the hornady's a try as well.

Also, are you saying that the 35NXTs are more explosive on critters than, say the Lead 40BTs?

Thanks - Ryan (long-time member, just lost my login)

It entirely subjective, but yes, I think those 35 grain Hornady NTX bullets are about the most destructive bullets I have used.

I have shot thousands of grounds squirrels, prairie dogs, rabbits, etc. with the lead varmint bullets of about any type you want to mention. These Hornady bullets impress me.

Maybe it is because I always used 50 or 55 grain bullets in my 22-250's before and therefore did not have the velocity that these do.

Thinking about it, the only bullet I have seen do such damage was when I used 58 grain Hornady V-Max bullets in my 6mm Remington on a prairie dog hunt, or when I used 85 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips in my 25-06 for a marmot hunt.

Again, I cannot quantify my thoughts, they just seem unusually destructive. Shooting them side by side on ground squirrels, the Hornady is clearly more destructive than the Varmint Grenade. (The Varmint Grenades seem sort of erratic in performance.)

Great info, thank you very much. I am less deppressed now about having to make the switch-over. Although I'm still bummed out because I have PPC barrels I planned on rechambering to 6BR, but from all accounts, a 12" twist will not stabilize any of the 6MM lead-free bullets currently made