Lead Free Bullets

12 January 2018, 20:48

Greg K

Lead Free Bullets

I'm about 8 months away from retiring and thinking about some reloading projects I want to do. I'm pretty sure New York State will require lead free bullets for deer hunting sometime in the future, the DEC is already trying to convince hunters to switch. Anyway, what do you consider the optimum lead free bullet weight to be for the following cartridges for mainly deer but an occasional black bear and coyote. Where I hunt a 125 yd shot is long.

243 Win 20 in barrel
257 Roberts 22 in barrel
300 Savage 24 in barrel

13 January 2018, 00:03

Snellstrom

.243 80-85 grain
257 90-100 grain
300 Savage 125-130 grain

Many people will disagree but when you go to Mono metal bullets you should drop down several weights from what you customarily shoot cup and core bullet weights. The above mentioned copper bullet weights will penetrate completely through deer size game.
Mono bullets perform at there best when they lighter and faster than heavier cup and core velocities.

15 January 2018, 23:46

impala#03

Hi Greg k,

Take a look at Cutting Edge Bullets. They have bronze and copper. I have used them in several calibers with excellent results, both in accuracy and killing power.

16 January 2018, 00:40

Brian Canada

Both Snellstorm and impala#03 have it right, I think. I use CEB bullets on cape buffalo.
I think that you don't really need such a good bullet for deer and coyote. Maybe Barns TTSX for the deer.
CEB Raptor in your 300 savage will really work on the bear.

My Grandson will hunt blu wildebeests (they are tough) with a .308 CEB 100 grain flat based raptor at 2600fps this summer.

16 January 2018, 01:52

ZekeShikar

I've shot Barnes out of the .243 and .308 diameter bullets (.277, .284, .323, .338, .416 also) and they've always worked to perfection. I'm sure they're not the only good monos but I haven't tried anything else.

Too little time, too many toys.

Zeke

16 January 2018, 02:29

buffybr

quote:
Originally posted by Greg K:
... what do you consider the optimum lead free bullet weight to be for the following cartridges for mainly deer but an occasional black bear and coyote. Where I hunt a 125 yd shot is long.

243 Win 20 in barrel
257 Roberts 22 in barrel
300 Savage 24 in barrel

For those animals, at that range, and for those guns, pick the bullets that are the most accurate in your guns and just go hunting. At that range optimum bullet performance is a moot point: Just about any hunting bullet will easily and quickly kill any of those animals if it is put into the right spot. You don't need to overthink it with the supposed differences of different brands and weights of mono copper bullets.

16 January 2018, 04:52

Atkinson

Snellstrom is about as close to perfect as I can imagine..

16 January 2018, 09:15

JASmith

quote:
Originally posted by buffybr:
quote:
Originally posted by Greg K:
... what do you consider the optimum lead free bullet weight to be for the following cartridges for mainly deer but an occasional black bear and coyote. Where I hunt a 125 yd shot is long.

243 Win 20 in barrel
257 Roberts 22 in barrel
300 Savage 24 in barrel

For those animals, at that range, and for those guns, pick the bullets that are the most accurate in your guns and just go hunting. At that range optimum bullet performance is a moot point: Just about any hunting bullet will easily and quickly kill any of those animals if it is put into the right spot. You don't need to overthink it with the supposed differences of different brands and weights of mono copper bullets.

Right on!

The important thing is that the bullet expands on impact. Lead free hunting bullets tend to expand well and rarely disintegrate at faster than minimum velocities.

One has no need to go down in weight to get good performance as long as the impact velocity is fast enough to get reliable expansion.

So, buffybr's advice to use the bullets that shoot most accurately in one's rifle is spot on!

16 January 2018, 21:14

TomP

I have a 6x45mm and a 6mm-284 that will need lead-free shortly soon (lead-free, what a cutesy phrase to imply an advance in ballistic technology). I have a few of the older XTC blue bullets to get by one or two seasons but will have to start with newer Barnes bullets soon. I will be using 85-grain bullets, which will stabilize in the rifles I have (VLDs will not). I'm told the new ones are more accurate than the old ones were. Next will be the 7mm magnum, maybe summertime. For that, maybe something in the 140-145 grain range.

16 January 2018, 21:54

Fjold

Tom,

I like the TTSX better than the TSX for the smaller bores because of the better ballistic coefficient and they say that the plastic tip aids in starting expansion. I'm slowly changing over to the TTSX bullets for all my lead free loads.

16 January 2018, 22:08

Blacktailer

quote:
Originally posted by Fjold:
Tom,

I like the TTSX better than the TSX for the smaller bores because of the better ballistic coefficient and they say that the plastic tip aids in starting expansion. I'm slowly changing over to the TTSX bullets for all my lead free loads.

I've also found the TTSX to be as accurate as any bullet I have tried. Just load and go.

17 January 2018, 01:34

TomP

quote:
Originally posted by Blacktailer:
quote:
Originally posted by Fjold:
Tom,

I like the TTSX better than the TSX for the smaller bores because of the better ballistic coefficient and they say that the plastic tip aids in starting expansion. I'm slowly changing over to the TTSX bullets for all my lead free loads.

I've also found the TTSX to be as accurate as any bullet I have tried. Just load and go.

Thanks, y'all. I'll make my way over to one of the local rifle shops and get some to load.

21 January 2018, 04:20

Atkinson

Wait until NY and CAlif. find out those monolithic bullets can penetrate two deer and elk and 5 cuddly bunnies and head for LA or NY proper, hope they get at least a few antis before they snap on what theve done!!! Im also betting a condor would just as soon eat a copper bullet as a Spearment wrapper or REm corelokt, all of which was a lie in the first place..Idaho will leave the union and keep our guns and bullets like California doing right now over immigration, NOW AIN'T THAT A CROCK, TALK ABOUT CAUSING A REVOLUTION, THANKS TO THE GOV OF CALIFORNIA, WHAT A MORON.

21 January 2018, 04:56

Crazyhorseconsulting

quote:
For those animals, at that range, and for those guns, pick the bullets that are the most accurate in your guns and just go hunting.

Plus One on the above. Find what loads your rifles like best and stick with them.

23 January 2018, 20:24

TomP

quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
Wait until NY and CAlif. find out those monolithic bullets can penetrate two deer and elk and 5 cuddly bunnies and head for LA or NY proper, hope they get at least a few antis before they snap on what theve done!!! Im also betting a condor would just as soon eat a copper bullet as a Spearment wrapper or REm corelokt, all of which was a lie in the first place..Idaho will leave the union and keep our guns and bullets like California doing right now over immigration, NOW AIN'T THAT A CROCK, TALK ABOUT CAUSING A REVOLUTION, THANKS TO THE GOV OF CALIFORNIA, WHAT A MORON.

It's doubtful the condors are real picky about fragments, and copper is a well-known biocide used in bottom paints for ships.
Worse, the ignorant legislators included 22 RF in the lead ban for hunting.
There are so far no accurate non-lead cartridges for 22 RF, and the hunting ban starts in 2019.
Copper bullets are tolerable for centerfire cartridges, but including 22 RF is an unnecessary travesty.

I wrote to our state representative, told him they'd done more to divert a diehard Libertarian to the Republican party than all the conservatives on the radio put together.