I’m going to try unleaded

[EastTNHunter]

Not for the reason that many people do. It’s not required in my area, I don’t need uber penetration, and I have always gotten great performance out of Accubonds.

It has to do with a meal that my family was eating the other night. Venison spaghetti. My 7 year old daughter was eating hers, then pulled a small fragment of lead out of her mouth and asked what it was. I took it and threw it away, and I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but it has been bothering me ever since.

I bought a box of 165 TTSXs for my 30-06 today, and will try a load that a friend of mine says works great in his Tikka. I really hate to give up on NABs, but I also don’t want my family getting sick.

Thoughts?

 

[gbflyer]

My .308 shoots those very well. I’ve never harvested an animal with them but there’s no doubt they work. I bet you’ll like them.

 

[Divernhunter]

I would have used 150gr or 130gr TTSX but those will work. Remember that speed is all important with the Barnes bullets. It gives better terminal performance and the faster you push them the more accurate they seem to group.
You will also want a LOT of bullet jump and a very clean barrel before shooting copper bullets after shooting regular copper-alloy jacketed bullets.
PM me if you need any help with your load or to get great accuracy. IMR4064, Win748 or 760 are great powders for the Barnes.

 

[Anonymous]

With the TTSX, you may want to rethink shot placement on a whitetail deer. The "behind the shoulder" lung shot presents little resistance to the bullet and expansion can be problematic. A good friend who uses the TTSX almost exclusively reports he likes them a lot better after he stared shooting them through the shoulder.

As mentioned- impact is pretty critical with any of the mono-metal bullets.

 

[Cleveland48]

I harvested three deer this past season with the 120 TTSX in a 6.5 CM at 2920 fps muzzle velocity. Two were dead right there and never took a step, the other made a short 30 yard dash. Overall I was happy with there performance. Think I’m gonna try the 100 gr TTSX this year in another 6.5 CM. So far the 120 was the most accurate bullet I’ve ever used. It even outshoots all the match loads I’ve tried.


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[ShadeTree]

My thoughts are that if you want to try mono bullets, go for it. But I wouldn't go that route because I was worried about some lead. Lots of people myself included have grown up eating small game filled with lead shot, some of which was always missed during the cleaning and you bit into. Aggravating but I never gave it the first thought about making me sick. I'm guessing most of us unknowingly swallowed some of the small lead bb's along the way.

Can't say I've ever bit into bullet fragments in deer meat. If you don't include any bloodshot meat or anything close to the bullet path, it's not something you're likely to run into with any regularity.

Local tire shop owner is pushing 80 yrs old and still going strong. He's probably pulled old and installed new, 10's of 1000's of lead wheel weights in his life without taking the time to wash his hands to grab a snack in between work. You wouldn't want a regular or large ingestion of lead, but in the small amounts we sometimes run into, it's not in any way the toxic poison that some with ulterior motives would have us believe.

 

[Guy Miner]

And there's the Nosler E-Tip to consider as well. I have some in .30 & .25 cal E-Tips on hand, mostly in case my silly state decides to outlaw lead bullets for hunting.

Not like Barnes makes the only "unleaded" bullet anymore.

I had mixed results with the Barnes TSX's when I used them. Haven't tried the tipped version.

 

[mjcmichigan]

The point about the bloodshot meet is good. If I’m worried about being short on meat, I grab an extra doe tag and spend a little more time hunting. Most years, I take 2bucks and 2does.


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[ozarkpugs]

Before you settle on one bullet try cavity back bullets ,better expansion at lower VELOCITY

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[EastTNHunter]

I went with the Barnes due to a friends experience with them, but I did ponder on the Etips. From what I’ve read they can be a bit pickier on load development, and since they don’t have relief grooves they can reach max pressure well below the velocity potential for the cartridge/bullet weight combination. This could all be internet banter, but figured that it was easier to tap into the experience of my friend since I have very limited time for load development.

Please tell me if I’m wrong on the Etips, as I really tend to be a Nosler man.

As to the butchering, I didn’t butcher this deer, but a butcher that I’ve used for years and have great trust in did. He typically gives wide berth around the shot area, so I really think that this was just a stray fragment a fair distance away from the entry

 

[salmonchaser]

Always good to protect your family. As I ruminated on this it occurred to me, the only times I've found bone and bullet fragments is when I've been forced to use a commercial butcher. I don't believe it's intentional or sloppiness. They are just so damn fast. I watched a local guy this year cut up a cow elk, easily 3 or 4 times as fast as me. The young lady wrapping actually found one of the clients bullets in the sirloin, but that's another story.



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[Gunner46]

Seriously? Our fore-world population expanded at exponential rates eating wild game shot with bullets that were not PC correct for God knows how long.

Your AB's seem to be working just fine for you. My BT's work every time for me. Why change?

If you feel you have to go to a Mono, remember they thrive on velocity. Down range you'll lose both trajectory and energy.

 

[DrMike]

From the physiological point, any lead fragments are a danger only to teeth if someone bites down too hard. The amount of lead that may leech into the gut is insignificant. As a biochemist, I've never found lead fragments to be a concern. As to the use of E-Tips, they are my "go to" bullet in my 270 WSM. They have worked quite well for me on black bear, moose, elk, whitetail and mule deer. I used TSX (and Barnes X-bullets before that) in a variety of cartridges. I like the monolithic bullets; they work very well.

 

[Divernhunter]

Guy Miner---The TTSX bullets are so much better than the TSX. I tried the TSX and did not like the results. The TTSX have given excellent results in all different cartridges.

The E-tips are built like the old Barnes-X bullets and they were a pain in the rear to get to work. You also cannot push them as fast as the Barnes since they do not have the relief grooves in them. One of the most important things with the mono bullet s is the need for speed for good terminal performance. I like Nosler bullets but not the E-Tip

 

[rodell]

I use the 168 TTSX's in my 30 caliber rifles for just about anything that walks. They do want a little more jump for best accuracy. In the 300 Weatherby I can put 8 shots in .4", and the 30-06 is pretty close.

 

[PJGunner]

The only monometal bullet I use is the 225 gr. Barnes TSX in my .35 Whelen. Copper and lead bullets in everything else. I agree with Dr. Mike on lead shot or fragments. I seriously doubt they stay in the system long enough to do any damage, if any at all. We're not like birds where it ends up in the crop thus causing the problem.
Lead oxide, that white powdery substance the can for on bullets is a much greater problem than shot/fragments as it is easily absorbed in the skin. I've worked with lead for a very long time, since mid 1964 casting bullets, even casting them for a commercial outfit in the mid60's. I've had my blood check every year for lead levels and it's always fallen into the normal for my age. I've hunted since I was 11 YO so I have have ingested some lead over the years yet no problems have occurred.
When I was 6 YO, I came down with Scarlet Fever. I'd clamped down on the thermometer and ended up swallowing some glass and (GASP!) the mercury. That was almost 74 years ago and I'm still here, alive and kicking.
So do I shoot monometal bullets in anything other than the .35? Well yes and no. So far my .257 Bob, three 7x57s and a .280 Remington have absolutely hated those type bullets. I'll keep messing with them till the supply runs out but doubt I'll ever go back unless forced to because of a law.
Paul B.

 

[Divernhunter]

PJGunner--I can help you with the 257R with what is great in my daughters. The others should not be a problem if you follow the 4 basic rules. I load for the 7-08 which is like the 5X57. Use 110gr TTSX in that one and always seat the bullets so that the top relief groove is just showing for best accuracy. Also use max loads as they seem to group better the faster you push them.
Nothing to hate about them as long as you think differently when loading them.

 

[thatguySHM]

If you have a well, have the water tested and you will see that there are trace amounts of lead in the water. That's something you use everyday.

That being said, I completely understand how you feel, and if you think the concern will take away from your hunting experience then do the change and never look back.

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[Alderman]

Nosler 150 E-Tip after a short journey out of a 280 through 6" of deer backbone. I don't see much downside to using them.

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[6mm Remington]

The 90 gr. E-tip in my son's 6mm Remington works fantastic!