Best non lead bullet

Drhorsepower

Veteran member
May 19, 2011
2,225
0
Reno, Nevada, United States
Does anyone have first hand experience with non lead bullets and performance on deer? If so which would you recommend?

California's new law will go into effect so I might as well start working up a load now...
 

sjsmallfield

Veteran member
Feb 22, 2011
1,399
1
Jackson, CA
I'm still shooting Barnes X out of my .257 Wby. I have put down several deer with them including the buck I killed this year. I absolutely love them. Unfortunately I don't reload so factory is it for now. I still have to find rounds for my 30-06 and .243 thanks to CA. I love this state.:mad:
 

Muleys 24/7

Veteran member
Jan 12, 2012
1,406
12
The Golden State
I will be doing the same in 2014. It was time that I stop shooting factory ammo anyways. I will be working up a load for my 300 Weatherby and I will be using Barnes TTSX. I have a couple buddies that use these and love them, everything from accuracy 2 expansion on animals
 

olref

New Member
Jan 12, 2012
35
0
84
Northern California
Does anyone have first hand experience with non lead bullets and performance on deer? If so which would you recommend?

California's new law will go into effect so I might as well start working up a load now...
Since I live in CA., have been using Barnes Vor-tex copper ammo., for years. I hunt in and out of CA. each year; therefore, did not want to constantly re-sight in my rifles, so stuck with copper bullets. They're expensive: one box of .270 cal.=$48.00, a box of 300 Mag.=$52.00. Fortunately, usually have one shot kills, with NO FRAGMENTS in meat!!!!!!
The accuracy is unmatched in the above rifles!! Have used Hornady Superformance, which is good, but no competition for Barnes.
 

Kentucky hunter

Active Member
Jul 22, 2013
275
0
loretto ky
Barnes ttsx hands down shot them in my 223 my 280 an 300 rum will shoot all the way though deer shot a doe at 240yd with 55gr ttsx in my 223 hands down the best
 

6mm Remington

Very Active Member
Mar 27, 2011
978
49
Western Montana
I've had really good luck with 90 gr. Nosler E-tips in my son's 6mm Remington. He has killed antelope, deer, and his very first elk a couple years ago with that bullet. His large cow elk was at 350 yards and she took on directly behind the shoulder and made it about 20 yards and dropped right there.
 

EBOLAVIRS

Active Member
Aug 21, 2011
186
0
Shot the Barnes LRX in my 300 WBY this year, killed a couple of animals with it and they were dead right there. Cant complain, they shoot pretty good too.
 

Buck8541

Member
Sep 29, 2012
72
0
Northern California
Stick with the Barnes TSX or TTSX, I have used the TTSX with great success in 270 Win. The Nosler E-Tips are very accurate but do not open very much and tend to cause small wound cavities requiring follow up shots. I have only seen them used on pigs here in CA but that has been the result time and time again. I have heard very good things about the Hornady GMX bullets but not seen them used yet.
 

sjsmallfield

Veteran member
Feb 22, 2011
1,399
1
Jackson, CA
I was currious about the GMX bullets as well. Has anyone used them? Both my 30-06 and .243 shoot the Hornady rounds really well so any insight on those would be greatly appreciated.
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
I just saw this on facebook. sounds like alot more of us could be looking into non lead bullets soon.....

"Another loss for America....

Does Doe run mean anything to you?

It should!!!!!!!!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doe_Run_Company

In December, the final primary lead smelter in the United States will close. The lead smelter, located in Herculaneum, Missouri, and owned and operated by the Doe Run Company, has existed in the same location since 1892.

The Herculaneum Smelter is currently the only smelter in the United States which can produce lead bullion from raw lead ore that is mined nearby in Missouri’s extensive lead deposits, giving the smelter its “primary” designation. The lead bullion produced in Herculaneum is then sold to lead product producers, including ammunition manufactures for use in conventional ammunition components such as projectiles, projectile cores, and primers. …

Doe Run made significant efforts to reduce lead emissions from the smelter, but in 2008 the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead that were 10 times tighter than the previous standard. Given the new lead air quality standard, Doe Run made the decision to close the Herculaneum smelter.

It would be hard to imagine a better example of the Obama Regime’s use of the EPA to impose backdoor tyranny. We would let you have guns, but you see lead causes air pollution.

If you think ammo prices are high now, wait until they close the smelter.

After the Herculaneum smelter closes its doors in December, entirely domestic manufacture of conventional ammunition, from raw ore to finished cartridge, will be impossible.

The national security implications of severely curtailing our ability to produce our own ammunition are obvious. But to our current rulers, national security means something very different from what it did in the past. The idea is no longer to defend America from foreign threats, but to impose the ultimate threat from within."
 

Kentucky hunter

Active Member
Jul 22, 2013
275
0
loretto ky
I just saw this on facebook. sounds like alot more of us could be looking into non lead bullets soon.....

"Another loss for America....

Does Doe run mean anything to you?

It should!!!!!!!!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doe_Run_Company

In December, the final primary lead smelter in the United States will close. The lead smelter, located in Herculaneum, Missouri, and owned and operated by the Doe Run Company, has existed in the same location since 1892.

The Herculaneum Smelter is currently the only smelter in the United States which can produce lead bullion from raw lead ore that is mined nearby in Missouri’s extensive lead deposits, giving the smelter its “primary” designation. The lead bullion produced in Herculaneum is then sold to lead product producers, including ammunition manufactures for use in conventional ammunition components such as projectiles, projectile cores, and primers. …

Doe Run made significant efforts to reduce lead emissions from the smelter, but in 2008 the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead that were 10 times tighter than the previous standard. Given the new lead air quality standard, Doe Run made the decision to close the Herculaneum smelter.

It would be hard to imagine a better example of the Obama Regime’s use of the EPA to impose backdoor tyranny. We would let you have guns, but you see lead causes air pollution.

If you think ammo prices are high now, wait until they close the smelter.

After the Herculaneum smelter closes its doors in December, entirely domestic manufacture of conventional ammunition, from raw ore to finished cartridge, will be impossible.

The national security implications of severely curtailing our ability to produce our own ammunition are obvious. But to our current rulers, national security means something very different from what it did in the past. The idea is no longer to defend America from foreign threats, but to impose the ultimate threat from within."
I heard that to Musket Man lead bullets are going to cost more than copper
 

olref

New Member
Jan 12, 2012
35
0
84
Northern California
I was currious about the GMX bullets as well. Has anyone used them? Both my 30-06 and .243 shoot the Hornady rounds really well so any insight on those would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sjsmallfield,
Used to use Hornady's GMX ammo. as my main source prior to changing over to Barnes Vor-tex. They were the best shooting bullet at the time for my rilfes; accurate, fast, ....and also expensive. But again, because of living in CA., the demand for shooting copper bullets pushed me to try Barnes......never looked back. I'm very comfortable shooting out to 300 yds., but.......with Barnes the 400 yd. mark "knocks on the door"!!
 

Kevin Root

Very Active Member
Jun 22, 2011
868
0
San Jose, California
web.me.com
I've been shoot the GMX in my 7mm mag. They shoot well at the range. I have not been able to test them out on an animal yet, getting tag soup hunting Elk in Idaho on the Montana/Idaho Continental divide this year.
 

BrettKoenecke

Member
Jun 28, 2013
137
5
I have shot a number of the barnes bullets over the years and think the TTSX is the real deal. I have not shot any of the others so can't comment on them but TTSX shoot and kill well.
 

THelms

Administrator
Staff member
TSX & TTSX are both great bullets. I use TSX's in my 257 Weatherby and 338-378 Weatherby... results are consistent DRT's. I've switched to TTSX's in both my 308 Win and my 270 Win with phenomenal results both in accuracy and performance! Still haven't found a better bullet for my 35 Whelen than the good old 250 grain Nosler Partition though.
 
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shootbrownelk

Veteran member
Apr 11, 2011
1,535
196
Wyoming
I have had good luck with Barnes TTSX. I have killed several animals with them, and had nothing but good performance.
I'll second that. Not one failure in 18 years of use. The Barnes X bullet, the tipped variety is fairly recent. They work great in my '06 and my .375 H&H. They're accurate in both.