Lead Free 22lr loads

[mausercat]

In the next month I was going to visit my wife's relatives in Fresno area and usually when we go we go rabbit hunting on their farm. I have not gone since the lead only bullets law went into effect. Do you need to use non-lead bullets only on privarte property? I usually use a my Ruger 10-22 for rabbit hunting. Since we shoot them at 50 to 100 yds and this is beyond shotgun range.

We only hunt on their property and even though I have a hunting license I know that you do not really need one if you are on private property.

I have a couple of boxes of CCI Lead Free ammo. I tested my ammo at 50 yards and I get about 2 1/2 accuracy. Not great but I guess it is minute of rabbit.

My question is what have others tried and what has worked. I don't want to use a shotgun with steel shot because sniping rabbits is fun, but I may have to.

[Quiet]

In the next month I was going to visit my wife's relatives in Fresno area and usually when we go we go rabbit hunting on their farm. I have not gone since the lead only bullets law went into effect. Do you need to use non-lead bullets only on privarte property? I usually use a my Ruger 10-22 for rabbit hunting. Since we shoot them at 50 to 100 yds and this is beyond shotgun range.

Since 07-01-2019, non-lead ammo is required for legal hunting, anywhere, in CA. [FGC 3004.5(b)]
^Does not matter if you are on private or public property.



Fish & Game Code 3004.5
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (j), and as soon as is practicable as implemented by the commission pursuant to subdivision (i), but by no later than July 1, 2019, nonlead ammunition, as determined by the commission, shall be required when taking all wildlife, including game mammals, game birds, nongame birds, and nongame mammals, with any firearm.
(c)(1) The commission shall maintain, by regulation, a public process to certify ammunition as nonlead ammunition, and shall define, by regulation, nonlead ammunition as including only ammunition in which there is no lead content, excluding the presence of trace amounts of lead. The commission shall establish and annually update a list of certified ammunition.
(2) The list of certified ammunition shall include, but not be limited to, any federally approved nontoxic shotgun ammunition.
(g) A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500). A second or subsequent offense shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).

[edgerly779]

FUD on no license needed they are game animals and wards of state of california. They do not belong to landowner.

[Elgatodeacero]

One solution is to switch to a .22 WMR rifle, because the CCI .22 WMR lead free ammo is generally as accurate as standard .22 WMR.

Finding a new rifle is pretty easy, but where can you find lead free .22 WMR right now?

[Imageview]

Seen some lead free 17, works nice in my rifle. Have a bit of lead free 22 I picked up for my daughter in case she wanted to come on the last rabbit hunt, but it seems pointless to me as it doesn't get you much beyond shotgun range. Still any ammo is better than none in the chamber.

[PoorRichRichard]

Lead free 22 sucks for accuracy has been my experience.

[mausercat]

Yes, the politicians who pass these laws know nothing about guns and it sure does show. This is going to make 17HMR and 22Mag more popular because the lead free 22lr ammo is not accurate. I was thinking that normally I like to make head shots on those bunnies to preserve the meat, and the lead free ammo is just not good enough for bunnies past 50 yards.

[JackEllis]

You might check the regulations to see whether you can use a pellet gun. IIRC the lead-free requirement only applies to firearms and I don't believe a pellet gun is classified as a firearm.

I've been thinking about getting a pellet gun for ground squirrels because they're quiet enough not to scare the little buggers back into their holes.

[k1dude]

.22 PCP pellet gun and .17 HMR are better options than lead free .22 LR.

[Number Six]

.22 PCP pellet gun and .17 HMR are better options than lead free .22 LR.

So is 17 HMR exempt from using lead? Too small of a caliber or something?

[G-forceJunkie]

No, but there are several lead free options that are just as accurate as the leaded.

So is 17 HMR exempt from using lead? Too small of a caliber or something?

[JackEllis]

So is 17 HMR exempt from using lead? Too small of a caliber or something?

I have a CZ 457 in .17HMR that shoots 5/8" groups at 100 yards with Hornady NTX ammunition. Other than mounting a scope and adjusting the trigger pull, it is stock out of the box.

[Calif Hunter]

I have a CZ 457 in .17HMR that shoots 5/8" groups at 100 yards with Hornady NTX ammunition. Other than mounting a scope and adjusting the trigger pull, it is stock out of the box.

My 452 Varmint shoots the CCI Green lead free .17 HMR ammo as good as it shoots the 20 gr XTP ammo it prefers. That is to say, the same as yours - 5/8 inch at 100 yards. It does not like the 15 gr lead free ammo, though.

[ke1234567]

I picked up some of the CCI cooper 22. It's full copper. Expensive and extremely hard to find. The few times I've found it, the store had a few boxes and I'd buy all of it. I think I'm down to 50 rounds of it (one box) and I used it for rabbits. Didn't really notice an issue with accuracy, but then, it was just a rabbit out of my 10/22 take down with a red dot

[LazyJ]

PCP air rifles are for sure an option. I shoot ground squirrels at 50 to 100 yds easily with my PCP .22. Downside to PCP rifles is the initial investment but the ammo is dirt cheap. I’m actually shopping for a .30cal right now.