Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 35 gr Hornady V max non lead use?

I know, but I need to find something in CA that will blow up ground squirrels, have boat loads of defense, and 50 gr SP loads, but need a non lead bullet for varmints from squirrels to coyotes, and for the squirrels thought I would try Hornady's 35 grain V-max non lead.

On little critters, any experience, etc, ideas????????????

Isn't Nosler building a lightweight No lead BT too?

What you are referring to is the Hornady 35 NTX ( Non Toxic) which is a totally different bullet than the 35 V Max...

the NTX is as long as a 50 grain V Max... the 35 VMax is as aerodynamic as a ping pong ball...

and yes, Nosler has a similar 35 Lead Free Ballistic Tip, which is as long as a 50 B/TIP, and they also have a 40 grain Lead Free that is as long as a 53 V Max...

availability is spotty tho, even on line orders...

each would be my choice for lighter 22 cal bullets if they were available reliably....

Nosler also has a 55 grain 6mm Lead Free Ballistic Tip for those that like the 6mm bore instead...

oh, and each of Nosler's and Hornadys are both tack driving accurate and explosive....

Do they actually look over your shoulders and check your equipment when you are shooting varmints?

LOL! not yet, but I wanted to try some in preparation for 2019 when it is manditory all over the state. Right now in Northern Calif, we dont have to use non lead, but beginning in 2019 we will, unless the state of Jefferson occurs, of which I doubt it, we will have to Seceed from the state to make that happen.

Barnes also has some non-lead, explosive designs. Never tested any, but, I, too, need to look into those choices. E

Get ready for disappointing accuracy and inconsistent terminal results.

Is this from experiences?

not to be contrary, but my experiences with Nosler's and Hornady's is exactly the opposite...

haven't used much of the Barnes tho,

if they were readily available and the same price as regular vamint bullets, I'd switch over to them with no problem..

Blasphemy will not be tolerated, no matter how far the long shot really is



We are NOT seceding, we are forming a new state from part of an existing state. The first is illegal & the latter 100% constitutional.

Lee

You want blow up, then use a 220 Swift with 40 gr V-Max

I forgot to point you in the right direction on the 35gr. NTX & some other good reloading info from several guys from down south that have had to deal with the lead ban since day one.

reloading 35gr ntx

223. lead free reloading

22-250 & 6mm lead free

Best of luck, Lee

Okay, I've been using various brands of lead free (compressed powdered copper/tin core) jacketed varmint bullets since 2007 when California went lead free in the condor zone. The brands and specific bullets I use are:

.204 Caliber:
Barnes 26 grain Varmint Grenade
Hornady 24 grain NTX
Nosler 32 grain BT Lead Free

.224 Caliber:
Barnes 36 Grain Varmint Grenade (Usually stabilizes in 1:12" or 1:14" twists).
Barnes 50 Grain Varmint Grenade (Requires 1:10" twist with 1:9" or faster better in all cartridges including .22-250)
Nosler 40 grain BT Lead Free
Speer 50 Grain TNT Green (insufficient accuracy all tested loads).
I didn't get really great results from the Hornady offerings in lead free varmint bullets.

.243/6mm:
Barnes 62 Grain Varmint Grenade
Nosler 55 Grain BT Lead Free

.257 Caliber:
Barnes 80 Grain TTSX (this is not a frangible bullet, but the only good choice in a .257 Roberts or AI, also for the .25-06. Accurate but expensive, blows ground squirrels up, and is ideal for deer/pigs/pronghorns).

.308 Caliber:
Barnes 150 Grain MPG (This is a big Varmint Grenade with a cannelure. Very accurate in a 1:10" twist).

Below: Two 10 shot test groups from a .204 Ruger AR-15 BOLT ACTION rifle built on a side cocking upper with no gas system, using a Hart custom made 1:9" twist heavy barrel. This rifle is a home build designed not to toss brass in the weeds. The red diamonds are .5".



Below: A sight-in target from my standard load fired in a Savage .204 Ruger built on a Savage Precision Target Action, 1:12" twist Shilen, 24" Varmint contour barrel. The group includes two scope adjustments from right to left. Load was 25.2 grains of Rl-10x, Winchester brass, WSR priner. The rifle was another home made "hope for the best" rifle. Velocity 4,110 fps.



Below: Best .223 Remington group using the Nosler 40 grain BT Lead Free bullet in a Pac-Nor 1:9" twist polygonal barrel on a Savage Dual Port Precision Target Action. That's 10 shots at 100 yards, no wind, overcast day. This load killed lots of Oregon sage rats, cool thing is the plastic tip separates and blows a hole somewhere near the rat's head when shot in the chest.



Below: A 9 shot group with the Barnes 36 Grain Varmint Grenade, in a 1:10 twist. This bullet is best for rifles with slower twists, less than 1:10". I didn't count the first shot as I touched the Jewel Trigger a bit too hard, firing on the way to the aiming point. Average velocity 4,018 fps.



Below: Same rifle, with Barnes' 50 grain Varmint Grenade. The Pac-Nor 1:10" twist didn't stabilize this long bullet as well as subsequent 1:9" or 1:8" twists, but maybe I'm too picky. Average velocity 3,662 fps.



Below is the 6mm Barnes 62 Grain Varmint Grenade from a 1:8" twist Pac-Nor barrel. The best this rifle ever shot was a .187" 10 shot group at 100 yards. I stopped annealing and neck turning the cases as doing so wasn't worth the minuscule accuracy gain, if any.



Keep in mind that lead free bullets like faster twists, and some barrels are not the exact twist they are rated, usually being a bit slower. And they like to be seated away from the lands.

Good stuff WJ......

Very nice write up Wrangler John, good point on copper bullets prefering the jump into the lands, I only know of a few cases where this wasn't the case.

We can all thank Barne's bullets for our current lead ban here in the people's republik. Without them rushing forward to the state of California with their BS claims of a "non toxic" "affordable" "highly accurate" replacement bullet for our current EVIL Lead bullets we wouldn't be in this mess friggen right now.

Lee

Yes. Like John, I hunt behind the lead-free curtain, and have been experimenting with lead free loads for nearly a decade. I've sent thousands of rounds down range trying to find consistently accurate lead free loads for accurate rifles.

From an accuracy standpoint, I'd estimate that group size has doubled going from lead to lead free, and the accuracy nodes are extremely tight. I have a .223AI built with a #4 Shilen that shot 40g and 50g Nosler into .3-.4 consistently. I have tried every lead free varmint bullet on the market and have yet to find a load that will consistently put 5 under .75 at 100 yards. Yes, I have my fluke small groups, but no consistency. I measured and weighed a box of Barnes VG's one time and the consistency was atrocious.

I have a .221 fireball with a Hart #4 fluted that shoots under .5 with 40g Vmax loads. Have yet to find a load that will average under an inch.

John's targets are some of the best I've seen with Lead Free ammo, but I have yet to see LF ammo shoot a 5 target aggregate under 1" at 100.

Terminal performance has been even worse and often unpredictable. I have a .223 LVSF that I load with 40 Nosler LF. I get cripples on ground squirrels that would be completely destroyed by a 40g V-max. Last year I had to shoot a coyote 3 times with the 40 Nosler LF just to put it down. The barrel also heats up considerably faster due to the longer bearing surface.

Don't even get me started on ballistic coefficients - they are like flying ash trays.

Given the choice, I'd never shoot another LF varmint bullet again.

Just my experience.