Lead free long range factory ammo?

[ams]

Does it exist and is it good? Selection is very limited for 300rum and looks like the heaviest us 180 grain. I'm looking in other calibers as well and have found the Barnes 190 lrx in 300 Win Mag. Has anyone ever use this? And what do you think?

 

[FURMAN]

Are you looking for accuracy experience or bullet performance? Accuracy you will have to try the ammo in your rifle to see if it likes it. I think bullet performance of the LRX has been proven to be great on game. Obviously it does not have the sectional density of lead and therefore will not have the ballistic performance of the better lead bullets but it can get the job done.

 

[ams]

Your right about the accuracy part, I'm more concerned with performance over 500 yards with different lead free options.

 

[FURMAN]

You will have to be cognizant of the impact velocity as the Barnes bullets are known to not expand much below somewhere around 1800fps. Other than that I think once you find the accuracy you will be fine.

 

[Yotekiller]

I find that long range and factory ammo do not belong together. Yes there are companies that like to take your money and will promise you anything in their advertising but the truth is its hard enough keeping consistent loads I trust 100% when I hand loaded it myself with dies I never adjust. I need to be confident of exactly how tight the tolerances are if Im going to use it for long range hunting. The guys using factory long range equipment are the ones we all hear about being such a disaster and the reason many guides have stopped allowing long range equipment. My personal opinion is learn the right way to work up a load for your rifle or don't bother.

 

[GKPrice]

Yotekiller makes a pretty valid point - I don't even know if Nosler makes RUM ammo with etips (they "should") but a 180 etip approaches the length of a 200 Accubond with better than average B.C. and stellar terminal performance - I believe their minimum expansion # is 1600 ?

 

[FURMAN]

I find that long range and factory ammo do not belong together. Yes there are companies that like to take your money and will promise you anything in their advertising but the truth is its hard enough keeping consistent loads I trust 100% when I hand loaded it myself with dies I never adjust. I need to be confident of exactly how tight the tolerances are if Im going to use it for long range hunting. The guys using factory long range equipment are the ones we all hear about being such a disaster and the reason many guides have stopped allowing long range equipment. My personal opinion is learn the right way to work up a load for your rifle or don't bother.

In general I would say this is USUALLY the case. I have, however, had a few rifles that would shoot consistently under .5 moa even at distance with factory loads and would not have been afraid to use those. If he finds a factory load that shoots it is no different than a load he developed himself. I would argue, however, that buy the time you waste your money on the different boxes of ammo you, most likely, could have paid for a cheap press and some dies.

 

[ams]

A reloading setup was what I was planning on with my tax return but life has changed and I'm down sizing, voluntarily, into a place where I won't have the room to reload with two small kids running around. That's the reason I need a good factory lead free ammo (and because I'm in CA).

 

[FURMAN]

Do you already have the rifle?

 

[Yotekiller]

In general I would say this is USUALLY the case. I have, however, had a few rifles that would shoot consistently under .5 moa even at distance with factory loads and would not have been afraid to use those. If he finds a factory load that shoots it is no different than a load he developed himself. I would argue, however, that buy the time you waste your money on the different boxes of ammo you, most likely, could have paid for a cheap press and some dies.

How much would you trust those factory loads from one box to the next? How many times do you recalculate your trajectories between one lot of ammo to the next? How consistent is the overall length? How temperature stable is the powder? How much velocity variation is there from one box to the next? I couldn't answer these questions before the box of ammo is shot up. There is no way I could ever trust it and encouraging others to start firing them at animals is setting them up for failure.

 

[ams]

I have a rum and it shoots beautifully with the 220 eldx. I have a tikka t3 300wm on its way to a new home but picking up the t3x or a CA Mesa.

 

[FURMAN]

How much would you trust those factory loads from one box to the next? How many times do you recalculate your trajectories between one lot of ammo to the next? How consistent is the overall length? How temperature stable is the powder? How much velocity variation is there from one box to the next? I couldn't answer these questions before the box of ammo is shot up. There is no way I could ever trust it and encouraging others to start firing them at animals is setting them up for failure.

That's good for you and I would say most others. If I were going to shoot animals long range with factory ammo I would shoot groups in different conditions with multiple different boxes. When different boxes group in different conditions it's good to go. When I ran out I'd start over. I wouldn't run down to Walmart, pick up a box of ammo, then go shoot. I'm not, nor will I ever, advocate shooting without knowing your equipment/ammo but I hate to tell you there are some very capable factory loads. I choose to reload because it's cheaper and faster for me. Anyone with ethics knows long range hunting takes time and money getting to know your equipment.


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[GKPrice]

A reloading setup was what I was planning on with my tax return but life has changed and I'm down sizing, voluntarily, into a place where I won't have the room to reload with two small kids running around. That's the reason I need a good factory lead free ammo (and because I'm in CA).

I'm gonna share experience with you just for contemplation on your part if you want ... I volunteered fulltime at west Oregon fish hatcheries for 4 1/2 years, most Oregon hatcheries were built in the 40's and 50's and not spacious by any means - I was always greated with friendliness and told that as long as I didn't interfere with activities I was welcome to use the shops, no two were ever even close to the same so I cobbled together a small "portable" set-up - I used a 16" angle iron, drilled 2 holes for the press and could use it by putting the other end into a bench vise - I set up a piece of 3/4" plywood with outlined spots for scale, etc ... and always managed to find an unobtrusive spot to temporarily mount the measure - I loaded a butt load of ammo no matter where I was for those years - I could easily set up a great loading "room" in a closet or corner of a room now, even a little shed worked for me - DRY and solid is needed, the rest is flexible IMO

 

[GKPrice]

I have a rum and it shoots beautifully with the 220 eldx. I have a tikka t3 300wm on its way to a new home but picking up the t3x or a CA Mesa.

IF you decide that factory fodder is the only option I'd bet my money on the T3x 300 Win Mag to shoot best - Brace yourself for opinions .....

of my considerable PERSONAL experience with Tikka's, the 300 Win Mag has been a real standout for forgiveness and with the grand array of bullet options an obvious choice IMHO - there are also "some" options for custom loaded ammo out there - you send your gun to them and they build you a load

 

[Beastmode]

The ELDX looks just like the GMX which is lead free. Not saying I would do that but I might know a guy.


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