Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Lead free bullets - which ones are making the grade?

Thinking of making the transition to lead free bullets in at least one deer rifle... but there are so many options on the market now i don't know where to begin? Midway lists 12 different lead free brands for rifle bullets. Any advice on where to start lead free for .308, .284, and .243?

need a clue where to start.

thanks much

Barnes

+1.

Barnes TTSX and Nosler Etip have both worked well for me accuracy wise.

I started with the Barns X bullet. In my tests (water soaked phone books) the X bullet penetrated the most, expanded to double its size and retained 100% of its weight. But at the range the Hornaday interlock bullet give me slightly better groups.

In 2002 California created the lead free condor zone. So I started comparing different lead free bullets. Hornnady GMX, Nosler E-Tip and Barns TSX. The Barnes TSX won. Later Barnes added the Tipped-TSX to its lineup. I like both of them, TTSX and TSX.

So I'd say get the Barnes bullets and see which one performs the best in your rifle.

Of those three calibers, I only have experience with the 284. I've used the 120gr barnes TTSX out of a 280 on a couple of decent sized (weight-wise) ND bucks and a doe. Haven't had any issues. I tried the Hornday GMX (139gr?) in my 7mm magnum years ago - they shot very accuarately, but I sold that rifle prior to using them on game.

I've the most experience with the 120gr TTSX in the 260 Remington - they shoot accurately in two of my rifles (all that i've tried them in) and kill deer dead. I'm sticking with them.

I have tried the LRX in both calibers (145 in .284 and 127 in 6.5mm) and haven't attained the accuracy in either caliber that I get with the TTSX.

Kaiser Norton

Barnes TTSX w/o question. Accurate in every rifle I own, kill deer and elk very dead real quick. I use the lighter weights in all calibers, velocity is your friend with them.

I've had good luck with the 139 GMX in my 7-08.

TTSX and E-Tip have both worked well for me.

I've only used Barnes T-TSX They have worked very well for me.

I've used Barnes to great effect, but am going to give Cutting Edge Raptors a try. There is also GS Custom.

The lead-free bullets are more expensive, but bullets are the cheapest part of the hunt.

I've had excellent results on various kinds of big game with Barnes TTSX's, Cutting Edge Raptors, Hornady GMX's and Nosler E-Tips. Once in a while a certain rifle doesn't shoot a specific bullet very accurately, but overall I haven't had any more problem getting lead-free bullets to shoot than lead-cores.

Do tend to prefer plastic-tipped lead-frees in any caliber from .30 on down, because I've seen a very few hollow-points fail to expand like they should. Plastic tips seem to solve that problem.

John, what do you think of the Raptors? I'm just getting started with them.

I've used Raptors the least of any of the four, but they've worked very well on game and have been very accurate. However, the ballistic coefficients are generally lower than any of the other three.

I will add to my previous post, recovered bullets (TSX) look exactly the way they're advertised. 4 pedal perfect mushrooms. And 100% weight retention.

I am actually going to reduce the weight of my bullets. Since the Barnes retains more weight than the lead bullets.

Barnes, light for caliber, run hard.

OP are you talking mono metal or the other lead free bullets that consist of compressed powder as the core??

Light TTSX and GMX for me

I have superb results GMX, TSX, and TTSX. 22, 270, 300, 338, 366, and 375.

Soon to try 243 and 264.

Been playing with the TSX bullets in .257", .284" and .358" so far.

The .225 gr. TSX has been a tack driver and great elk killer from the get go. Very accurate as well.

The 100 gr. .257" bullet has not worked out well so far with groups running around 1.5" to 2.0".

The jury is still out in the 120 and 140 gr. .284" TSX for use in three 7x57s and a .280 Remington.

Velocity in the .257 Bob and .the 7MMs and .280 have been good but so far decent accuracy has eluded me. Still working on that problem.
Paul B.