Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Modern Cartridges for Monos

I can't find it now, but a few months back there was a thread along the lines of "Given what we now know about cartridge and rifle design, what cartridges would you pick?"

Longer, heavier bullets - and rifles with the required twists - have become more popular. But let's consider another variable, and assume that lead bans become ever more popular. Monos are generally thought to require higher impact velocities. So what cartridges would you choose for the next 30-50 years? Do you still love the 6.5CM? Does the 270 win finally win out over the 06?

Just some mid-August pondering.

They'll go after the ammo to choke off the guns, but hard to imagine enough wardens to check that many hunters' ammo....

I think mono bullet companies are getting ahead of the ball on this. For example, Hammer makes multiple bullets designed specifically for slower cartridges like the 30WCF and 45-70.

Even if there was an all out ban on lead you could still use grandpa's rifle.

Take that big gov!

I've thought about that. Might be difficult to switch a full magazine of lead core bullets but maybe if only one up the spout with the rest all copper in the magazine. Might be easier with a single shot rifle, I dunno. I used to be aHunter Ed instructor so got to know most of the game Wardens in my area. Shortly before I retired from teaching due to health problems they'd hired a couple of women wardens. I got fairly friendly with one of them and she was honest enough to say that if she caught someone with a minor infraction that was hunting with lead free bullets that she'd cut them a bit of slack and maybe just issue a warning. She was very much against lead bullets or jacketed lead bullets for any reason. I never got a chance to sound out the other "lady" warden.
I'm not against monometal bullets as I use the 225 gr. Barnes TSX in my .35 Whelen. However, I've tried the 100 gr. TSX in my .257 Roberts and the 140 gr. TSX in three 7x57 rifles plus a .280 Remington and I've never gotten a useable group from any of those rifles.
So, I'll use what works as long as possible and hope I spot the warden before he/she/it spots me.
PJ

I'm building a 6.5 WBY RPM this fall with the intentions of shooting 100 to 120 grain 6.5mm Hammer bullets in it exclusively for deer sized game. I think of it as a lightning bolt. Speed kills.

Prefer the monos for hunting big game. Unless I plan to shoot 600+ yards I don’t see the need to switch.
This includes the 6.5, 270 and 06
I have couple kills with cup and core. One pig where the 180gr corelokt didn’t exit a head shot. This was from
10 yards. Never really found the bullet.
One cow elk with 180 game kings ended up 123. Almost lost 1/3 of its weight.
I know the 168 ttsx will stay close to 168

For a round that you would not now load mono's in may need a longer mag box for the longer mono bullets.

or am I wrong?