Lead vs lead free - what did you use last?

[Calvin45]

Great feedback and stories so far. I too am surprised at how prevalent lead free is at this point…I'm pretty sure most of us on this thread aren't from California haha, we're using them because they evidently work, not because we have to.

I will say, while I've never heard of anyone actually getting heavy metal toxicity from eating game hunted with lead bullets and do not worry about it, I do also figure to myself that lead is proven to be very bad for the nervous system. I couldn't care less about it's effect on scavengers eating gut piles, and that's not from a place of indifference or any anti-environmental sentiment: those critters probably don't live longer than a decade in nature tops! A few lead fragments in their food is almost certainly the least of their problems! But in creatures like us that can push a century if we're especially lucky, accumulated heavy metal can be a real concern…and again, not worried about it, but also seems wise to not risk ingesting it for no good reason. I couldn't have cared less a few years ago but now I've got 4 little kids and Lord willing they're gonna like venison! I feel good about them eating food that doesn't have any lead in it.

 

[crm3006]

Lead, always. Seven deer and two hogs, so far, all one shot and down with 55 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips out of a .22-250.

 

[BigNate]

Lead, tried the monos early on and was completely unimpressed. This was the only deer I shot this year, .223 77gr Sierra TMK. She turned as the shot broke so I didn't hit her exactly as I wanted. This is the exit side.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

lead for most of the rifles and nearly all of my kills, but I do load Barnes tsx in a couple of rifles and gmx in one rifle too. One of these days the anti's may ban lead in a lot more areas, so I won't be caught without.

 

[Elkeater]

199 hammer hunters in my .300 win mag and 140 absolute hammers in my 7-08ai.

 

[BigNate]

Great feedback and stories so far. I too am surprised at how prevalent lead free is at this point…I'm pretty sure most of us on this thread aren't from California haha, we're using them because they evidently work, not because we have to.

I will say, while I've never heard of anyone actually getting heavy metal toxicity from eating game hunted with lead bullets and do not worry about it, I do also figure to myself that lead is proven to be very bad for the nervous system. I couldn't care less about it's effect on scavengers eating gut piles, and that's not from a place of indifference or any anti-environmental sentiment: those critters probably don't live longer than a decade in nature tops! A few lead fragments in their food is almost certainly the least of their problems! But in creatures like us that can push a century if we're especially lucky, accumulated heavy metal can be a real concern…and again, not worried about it, but also seems wise to not risk ingesting it for no good reason. I couldn't have cared less a few years ago but now I've got 4 little kids and Lord willing they're gonna like venison! I feel good about them eating food that doesn't have any lead in it.

There are some studies that show the type of lead bullets are made of isn't getting digested and in your body. You'll ingest more heavy metals eating grains in bread and cereal.
You need not worry, eat enjoy.

 

[Calvin45]

There are some studies that show the type of lead bullets are made of isn't getting digested and in your body. You'll ingest more heavy metals eating grains in bread and cereal.
You need not worry, eat enjoy.

I'm familiar with that, and indeed, I don't worry about it, but if non lead kills just as well I see little reason for myself not to go that route .

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Lead, tried the monos early on and was completely unimpressed. This was the only deer I shot this year, .223 77gr Sierra TMK. She turned as the shot broke so I didn't hit her exactly as I wanted. This is the exit side.

View attachment 319430

Woah !!! I think your choice of a .223 for whitetails is a bit of overkill. Did you ever consider something a little more mundane?

 

[Calvin45]

Woah !!! I think your choice of a .223 for whitetails is a bit of overkill. Did you ever consider something a little more mundane?

I got some overkill for this thread! I posted a separate thread about my success this year both in developing a crazy load and using it to take a mule deer doe and a whitetail buck.

I got the Barnes 120 grain TAC-TX, a bullet designed for the .300 blackout, going at a chrono confirmed 4050 fps muzzle velocity out of my savage 111 long range hunter, 300 win mag.

Peterson brass, fed 215 m, hexagonal boron nitride treated bullets and bore, 89.5 grains of lightly compressed hodgdon superformance. As usual, this is not a recommendation to load as is, you're responsible for yourselves, start at least 10 percent below this if you plan to try it etc…

This bullet is designed to open up down to 1300 fps or so, massive tip on a massive hollow point. As such, it's a blender at such high velocity. But incredibly fast killing. The doe might as well have been hit by lightning, 200 yards, through the ribs, no CNS hit but instant death just like one. The buck was hit at 400 yards, not a perfect shot, did have to do a bit of tracking.

But have I got an exit wound for you! When I walked up on the doe there was a big chunk of muscle and fat outside the body! Hanging here, you can see the exit wound. It's the entire dark area at the bottom of the ribs. Bigger hole than my spread out hand!

 

[Calvin45]

And with a bc of .358 (possibly higher at these speeds) doing 4050 fps this thing shoots flatter to 500 than any 257 weatherby load I'm aware of. Feels like cheating.

 

[CF96]

Lead for now. 195 grain Sierra TMK on antelope and a deer. Antelope was 450 yards and deer was 275 yards. Both bullets performed fine. Elk was Hornady 200 grain spiral point with 35 Whelen. It performed fine as well.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

There are some studies that show the type of lead bullets are made of isn't getting digested and in your body. You'll ingest more heavy metals eating grains in bread and cereal.
You need not worry, eat enjoy.

I'd WORRY more about,.. WHITE Flour, products !
IT's making, some of, our grand Kids,. Fat and Sickly

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I got some overkill for this thread! I posted a separate thread about my success this year both in developing a crazy load and using it to take a mule deer doe and a whitetail buck.

I got the Barnes 120 grain TAC-TX, a bullet designed for the .300 blackout, going at a chrono confirmed 4050 fps muzzle velocity out of my savage 111 long range hunter, 300 win mag.

Peterson brass, fed 215 m, hexagonal boron nitride treated bullets and bore, 89.5 grains of lightly compressed hodgdon superformance. As usual, this is not a recommendation to load as is, you're responsible for yourselves, start at least 10 percent below this if you plan to try it etc…

This bullet is designed to open up down to 1300 fps or so, massive tip on a massive hollow point. As such, it's a blender at such high velocity. But incredibly fast killing. The doe might as well have been hit by lightning, 200 yards, through the ribs, no CNS hit but instant death just like one. The buck was hit at 400 yards, not a perfect shot, did have to do a bit of tracking.

But have I got an exit wound for you! When I walked up on the doe there was a big chunk of muscle and fat outside the body! Hanging here, you can see the exit wound. It's the entire dark area at the bottom of the ribs. Bigger hole than my spread out hand!

I'm starting to feel bad for the animals that you kill.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Just to stay on point - I've killed the vast majority of animals with the 162gr A-Max and 160gr Accubond. Both launched from either a 7WSM or 7STW. Both provided excellent terminal performance. However, I've more recently caught the Hammer bug and have taken everything between whitetails and bull moose with them. They are very good bullets. The Hammers are machined so precisely that it seems like a waste to destroy them with a single use.