using non lead bullets for whitetail

[baobtrudt]

anyone using non lead bullets for whitetail? looking for your experiences, not the paper story.

[fingers80002]

Barnes makes a killing off making no pb boolits....

[PAwhitetailbowhunter]

When I was able to hunt in NC with a Semi-Auto, I used a 300 Blackout 110 Black Tip Barnes bullet on a nice sized doe and had a pass through that turned the heart into hamburger. Deer ran 30-40 yards. Didn't find the bullet but those Barnes Bullets work really well.

[Sandcut]

Haven't used lead free ammo yet, but I would like to start. The only problem that I'm having is finding the right ammo. My deer rifle is a .44 magnum and only shoots heavier slugs well. 180 grain bullets spin off into the ether and won't even hit the target. 240 grain hit right where you point. The heaviest grain weight lead free .44 mag ammo that I've seen is 225 grains. I'd have to shell out the $55/box to try it out to see how well it patterned, but if it shot well, I'd be willing to use it. I've done necropsies on dabbling ducks back in college and seen what lead shotgun pellets have done to their crops/stomachs. We have enough bald eagles, hawks and ravens around here that scavenge deer carcasses that I'm willing to cough up the money for lead free ammo if I can find what I need.

[Delkal]

Haven't used lead free ammo yet, but I would like to start. The only problem that I'm having is finding the right ammo. My deer rifle is a .44 magnum and only shoots heavier slugs well. 180 grain bullets spin off into the ether and won't even hit the target. 240 grain hit right where you point. The heaviest grain weight lead free .44 mag ammo that I've seen is 225 grains. I'd have to shell out the $55/box to try it out to see how well it patterned, but if it shot well, I'd be willing to use it. I've done necropsies on dabbling ducks back in college and seen what lead shotgun pellets have done to their crops/stomachs. We have enough bald eagles, hawks and ravens around here that scavenge deer carcasses that I'm willing to cough up the money for lead free ammo if I can find what I need.

If a bullet stabilizes or not is not due to the weight. It is the ratio of length of the bullet vs diameter. Non lead bullets are less dense than lead so they are usually slightly longer. They might stabilize.

The bigger question is why would you want to spend $3 a shot for hunting whitetail. Solid brass bullets have their place on dangerous game where it is almost guaranteed they will not fall apart. But you don't need that on a deer. As for lead toxicity it can be a problem with waterfowl and shot. But very few birds are going to accidentally swallow a 44 slug (assuming it didn't shoot thru the deer). Big game lead toxicity is just something they thought up in California to stop hunting and feel good about Condors.

[Sandcut]

If a bullet stabilizes or not is not due to the weight. It is the ratio of length of the bullet vs diameter. Non lead bullets are less dense than lead so they are usually slightly longer. They might stabilize.

The bigger question is why would you want to spend $3 a shot for hunting whitetail. Solid brass bullets have their place on dangerous game where it is almost guaranteed they will not fall apart. But you don't need that on a deer. As for lead toxicity it can be a problem with waterfowl and shot. But very few birds are going to accidentally swallow a 44 slug (assuming it didn't shoot thru the deer). Big game lead toxicity is just something they thought up in California to stop hunting and feel good about Condors.

I disagree. I've seen enough eagles and ravens and vultures feeding on deer carcasses to understand that a deer that is shot, but not retrieved has more than small potential to be scavenged by raptors and pieces of the bullet consumed. Lead toxicity in raptors does occur. We know this. Granted the populations of eagles, ravens and vultures that we have around here are not in anyway as reduced and threatened as condors, so one individual dying of possible lead toxicity isn't going to harm the population. However, if I can take steps to prevent it, why the hell would I not choose to do so? When I set my leg hold traps, I cover my bait to not be visible from the air so as not to lure any hawks or other scavenging raptors into my traps. How is using lead free ammo any different? It's a best management practice.

If we as sportsmen choose to take the steps to prevent the unnecessary take of non-target animals, we won't have to worry about non-hunters and politicians meddling in our affairs with badly written legislation. We can choose to police ourselves or allow someone else to do it.

As far as the grain weight affecting stabilization, all I know is that 180 grain ammo of multiple brands shoots like shit from my rifle, while 240 grain smooths out and shoots like it should. I'll likely try the 225 grain lead free to see how well it shoots. If it's acceptable, it's worth a few extra bucks to use it. If it shoots badly, and I have a better chance of killing my deer well and retrieving it using old fashioned lead ammo, then that's what I'll do. Lead free is only worth using if it is effective.

[ar15jules]

I use Remington Copper Solids in the slug gun and Horady Monoflex copper alloy projectiles in the inline muzzleloader. Expansion and weight retention is great in both and the results are devastating on whitetail. They are not cheap. The slugs are about four dollars a piece.

[baobtrudt]

thanks for the input, have also seen the eagles with lead poisoning, trying to do my part to keep down the bad media coverage

[TooBigToFit]

I use Remington Copper Solids in the slug gun and Horady Monoflex copper alloy projectiles in the inline muzzleloader. Expansion and weight retention is great in both and the results are devastating on whitetail. They are not cheap. The slugs are about four dollars a piece.

Honestly, that's not that much more expensive than sabot slugs that go for $15 a box of 5.

To me, if the performance is the same (or better), $4 a round isn't hard to swallow for deer or turkey. You're only taking one or two shots a year, and you're getting a lot of meat in return. I'm planning on trying some of the Federal lead free Heavyweight shot this turkey season, admittedly mainly for the performance improvement.

On the other hand, $4 a round for small game where you might be going through a lot of ammo each season and getting only a few ounces of meat per round, that would be harder to swallow.

[Karys]

I’ve taken two bucks and six does with Barnes VOR-TX in South Carolina over the last five years. Most were 110 grain .300 Blackout, but a couple were 165 grain .308s. I had to take a second shot on only one deer. I don’t think it needed it but I took the second shot just to finish it off.

I’ve never been concerned about leaving lead behind. I can’t say that I’ve recovered many bullets from the deer I’ve shot, regardless of caliber. The VOR-TX just happened to be extremely accurate in my Blackout when I tried it and I can’t complain at all about the bullett’s performance.