Best lead-free bullet for L.R.

[DougH9]

I am in CA and we are now restricted to lead-free bullets. I am wondering what the best bullet to use for long range hunting in a 300 mag (I have a 12 twist 300 Win. & 30-338).

I have shot the 150 grain Barnes TSX out to 600 yards, and it expanded in wet dirt at 600 yards, and seemed to shoot about as well as my old loads. I am thinking that 150 grains would be the best to keep the 600 yard velocity up.

But I now see two potential better candidtates: the TTSX, and the MRX. The MRX looks real attractive because it takes up less powder space (I have found that with the 150 TSX I am forced to use 180 load data because of length), but I do not know if they hold accuracy to long range.

Does anybody have any feedback before I launch a bunch of money into my local hillside?

THanks, Doug

 

[BountyHunter]

I am using the 168 TTSX in a WSM so I would try that.

BH

 

[adam32]

Just don't get caught with lead bullets...most Wardens won't know the difference by looking at the bullet...

Gotta stand up to stupid Cali laws at some point!!

 

[Horsemen]

FIRST THING : Get to know the Game Warden in the aria that you are hunting. Ask straight up about the lead, some are not enforcing the rule depending on your aria. (How far from the nearest Condor range makes all the difference) I hunted near the Pinnacles, until the fire. No lead way! As far as the Sierras up here where I live, the Warden is much more accommodating.

As for bullet choice try the Nosler E tip. I have had better luck with expansion and is more accurate in my 280AI. You will need to play with your oal to find the sweet spot.

Regards Mike

 

[Horsemen]

"O" I almost forgot, the Game Wardens That are real strict are caring bullet pullers and cutters. So watch out! Dont ask

 

[Tony 0321]

I have heard good things about the GS custom bullets I have some and they are picky on the distance from the lands I was shooting them from a 300RUM and couldnt get the grouping because of the freebore in the barrel. but other members on this site have had great luck with them. I am having the rifle rebuilt and I am sure they will shoot a lot better when I get that back and can seat them to the lands. I was shooting the 177HV's and at 700 yds they were still punching through a 1/2" plate I also was able to get another 200+ fps with these bullets over my normal 180 grn swift scirrocco load and the GSbullets are designed to expand down to 1600 fps.. As for the barnes bullets I also tried the 168 TTSX out of my RUM and still didnt get as much velocity out of them as I did the GS bullets 3450 from the GS and 3350 from the 168 ttsx. I also shot the 1/2" plate at 700 yds with the barnes and they only made a slight dent. I shot a nice Mtn goat with the barnes at 300 yds and after that hunt I threw them all away I did not like the performance of those bullets at all. They grouped really well out of my rifle but on an animal they were terrible they also only have a bc of around .470 and are a hard bullet I couldnt shoot them past 700 yds without them loosing to much velocity to open properly. The GS 177hv bullets have a bc of .638 in the 308 cal.

California is taking it one piece at a time, soon you will have to throw rocks. That is until they outlaw those.

 

[TOM H]

I am in CA and we are now restricted to lead-free bullets. I am wondering what the best bullet to use for long range hunting in a 300 mag (I have a 12 twist 300 Win. & 30-338).

I have shot the 150 grain Barnes TSX out to 600 yards, and it expanded in wet dirt at 600 yards, and seemed to shoot about as well as my old loads. I am thinking that 150 grains would be the best to keep the 600 yard velocity up.

But I now see two potential better candidtates: the TTSX, and the MRX. The MRX looks real attractive because it takes up less powder space (I have found that with the 150 TSX I am forced to use 180 load data because of length), but I do not know if they hold accuracy to long range.

Does anybody have any feedback before I launch a bunch of money into my local hillside?

THanks, Doug

If your not hunting those lead free zones (A south zone,D7,D8,D9,D10,D11,D13) I wouldn't change. California has appr 120 hunting zones and the A south zone /D10 is mostly private land and those lead free zone make up about 20% of the huntable land in Calif.

You might want to try 24hr campfire site alot of poster use TSX/TTSX and have had good luck.

 

[DougH9]

Thanks for all of the comments. I will do a search on the GS bullets.

Hunting other zones is not appealing to me, as the areas I currently hunt are practically in my back yard, and I know them well from 20 years of backpack hunting.

I would not bring this up on other forums because I would just be told that I have no buisness taking shots on big game past 100 yards.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Doug,

I shot the 180g 30cal E-tips last year. I was very happy with the performance. I switched this year to the 177g GS HV because of the bc's, and the on game performance that I have personally experienced with other weight GS bullets.

The rifles that I have tried them in with free bore have been hit and miss with tuning. Just got done trying a 7 Ultramag and gave up. We decided to save the bullets for a different 7mm that doesn't have the free bore. The bullets are too hard to get, and too expensive to spend too many shots on load development. JMHO. The problem with getting them right now is the US Government causing problems with the importing of foreign bullets. Hopefully that will get ironed out. If they were easier to get I would be more apt to send more down range. We've got 160's that we are going to try in 300 rum later this year. They are not a great bc bullet, but not terrible. I will be interested to see if they will make the jump. That particular rifle has shot everything else well, so we will see.

Good luck,

Steve