Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 30 cal lead free bulleta

The ranch on which I hunt elk has requested that next year all hunters use lead free bullets as there is very strong evidence the American eagle population on the ranch is being damaged by using bullets containing lead.....and I have said I will comply.

So here's the question.....I'll be using a .300 magnum (1 in 10 twist) and want to use a 180 grain lead free bullet.....which bullet would you recommend?

I'd probably check the Barnes TTSX as one candidate. I also might drop down to 165 grains.

+1

Nosler E Tip and never look back

Why?????

I have some loaded into Norma brass for my customized FN .308Norma and am testing 225 TTSXs in my Martini-modded Dakota 76 .338WM, and am not as yet quite satisfied with these loads.

I have excellent 200 and 250Npt. loads for each and am now wondering why I am bothering with the non-lead slugs as we do not, as yet anyway, have issues with leadcored bullets....as you know, Mike, of course.

I want to still hunt if and as I can and am just curious here?

Give them some of this sheit


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...rule-permits-thousands-eagle-deaths.html

180 grain TTSX and never look back. I’ve been shooting them for years and they are very accurate and very terminally effective.

The 180 TSX or go down to 165's for more speed, they like speed.

Please read my opening statement for the answer to "WHY?"

You are among many to suggest using the 165 grain bullet......and for reason.....

While I've had several recommendations for Nosler and Barnes.....No One has posted favorably for the Hornady offering. I suspect if because they haven't been used as much for folks to develope a "familiarity " with them. I'd not be concerned at all about any of the lead free bullets accuracy.....it's terminal performance that is of interest here. Us hunters like to stay with what has worked in the past...it's simply human nature.....so I like to use what has worked in the past for others. So far it seems I'm getting good feedback.

I can't get teh GMX bullets to shoot well in my rifle...

But Barnes 165 TTSX are great in my 300WSM the 150's won't settle down.

I did and thank you for your comment. However, what I was asking Mike, was why he would choose an E-Tip rather than the more popular TTSX.


I expect that we here in BC, now with a VERY "Liberal" government, will soon be subjected to the same sort of crap as California, etc, where bullet choices are concerned and with very large stocks of Noslers, Swift As and so forth for 30+ big game rifles on hand, am quite interested in finding alternatives with the least hassle possible.

Mike, is a BC boy and buddy and I trust his opinions on such issues.

I shot some GMX in my 300 Win yesterday, Hornady factory loads and they shot well. I have shot the 100 grain GMX in my 6.8 and they shoot OK. So far I haven’t shot any game with either one.

I'm a big fan of the Barnes 168gr TTSX. Shoots like a match bullet, great performance.

Ed

The 165 and 168 TTSX have been great moose killers for me out of the 30-06 and the 300WM for years.

I am playing with GMX a bit and they seem pretty decent in almost every respect. The few I have seen recovered from from my reloads seem much softer than the TTSX because the front of the expanded bullets is far less distinct than the TTSX. They also seem to get caught much easier than the Barnes. For now i am mostly sticking to the Barnes.

Interested to know if they are seeing a corresponding drop in coyotes and other scavengers that are far more likely to feed on carcasses than fish-eating eagles are?

There must be alotta fish in this garbage...

+1

That would be my first choice for a "180 gr." .30 cal mono out of my .300 WM. I have friends who swear by the 168 TTSX out of their .30-378 and .300 RUM. I've seen the results. In other rounds, calibers, I can't tell any difference between the TTSX and E-Tip, haven't tried GMX.

IMO, you don't need to drive'em at warp speed, .300 WM/Wby speeds will make them perform.

In an '06 or .308, I'd drop the weight, 130 monos keep up the speed and perform much like 150 gr. C&C bullets, better than some.

You need speed with a mono. And, they're long for weight. Check and compare length.

DF

I've seen the TTSX and E-Tip used considerably, and also seen the GMX used to a lesser extent on game from pronghorn and elk-sized nilgai, including a big bull taken with a 150-grain from a .300 Winchester Magnum. While there are slight differences in discernible performance when shot into "media," I've never been able to tell the difference in the three on game. I'd also be perfectly happy to use 150's of any of the three in a .300 magnum on elk.

Have also used the Cutting Edge Raptor some, enough to know it would work as well. It's designed to lose the petals, however, so wouldn't please some hunters.

Those Hammers I asked you about are designed to do the same thing. I also wondered about how well received monometals that don't retain 99%+ of their weight would be by hunters.