Lead vs. Lead Free

[Kelster1574]

I am sure it has been answered many times before.....but since I can't seem find any posts here it is. I understand that it is very difficult to compare ammo without knowing all the specs, but does Lead Free ammo shoot much different than a comparable Lead cartridge? I mostly use my rifles on the range (Lead), but I do get out for an occasional hunt inside the "Condor" range (Lead Free) and don't always have time to resight my rifle.

[vhram]

Three of my rifles I hunt with shoot on paper the same to 200 yds , 1 doesnt like it and seems to be all over keyholeing etc... I havent had time to try other leadfrree on that barrel to see if it was better or not. I would definatly check how it shoots before you go hunting thou.

[taknitezx2]

I just went out and shot lead free out of my. 223 and 30-06 yesterday. My handload of .223 was nearly the same zero of the pmc bronze I have. The loads of 30-06the we all 3-8inches high but right on side to side. The 30-06 are barnes ttsx 168gr Fred and .223 are barnes tsx 55gr.

[CSACANNONEER]

Anytime you change any one component of your ammo, it will affect the POI. You can develop loads for different bullets which all have approximately the same tajectory but, if you are talking about factory ammo, you'll just have to get lucky. BTW, I don't know of two different factory lead loads that shoot exactly alike. Don't you have to rezero your rifles every time you change factory loads?

If you really feel the need to maintain only one zero, why not change your hunting ammo to lead free ammo everywhere you hunt? Many hunters have found Barnes lead free bullets to be their first choice in hunting bullets decades before any lead free laws were introduced.

[Munk]

Anytime you change any one component of your ammo, it will affect the POI. You can develop loads for different bullets which all have approximately the same tajectory but, if you are talking about factory ammo, you'll just have to get lucky. BTW, I don't know of two different factory lead loads that shoot exactly alike. Don't you have to rezero your rifles every time you change factory loads?

If you really feel the need to maintain only one zero, why not change your hunting ammo to lead free ammo everywhere you hunt? Many hunters have found Barnes lead free bullets to be their first choice in hunting bullets decades before any lead free laws were introduced.

I've found when changing up bullets for my .30-06, the POI changes in the vertical quite significantly, while the horizontal is predictably unaffected. If I'm using my 180grn, then switch to a 150, I have to re-zero. Sighting it in is not so bad if I'm benchresting it though, can be done with only a couple of shots, then it's back off to putting holes in my steel targets.

[Kelster1574]

Once I get my rifles dialed in, I typically stick to that exact cartridge because I know where's it going to hit. I don't really want to shoot lead free all the time, it's way, way to expensive atleast for me and sometimes I do not have time to go to the range and rezero before I go out for a day hunt. Most of the time it's a last minute excursion and it's either go to the range or go hunting. Hopefuly that makes sense.

For my situation it sounds like I should zero the rifle in with Lead Free, then find a Lead cartridge that shoots the closest to it for target practice on my range days.

[Fjold]

Mark your scope dials for each of your load's zeros and just reset the scope when you change loads.

I have hunting rifles that are set up for lead free ammo and if I use plinking ammo I just shoot them to where ever they hit.

[Whiterabbit]

I have equivalent loads and yes the POI is affected. Wouldn;t affect a hunting zero, but the fact is the POI DOES change.

Here's what I did:

for other reasons, I was playing with a bunch of different bullets. Each one I have a load for, I know groups well, and I sighted in at 100 for it. I ALSO sighted in my hunting load at my desired POI. I have all this data written in a small notebook.

Because I have all this experimentation under my belt, I constantly re-zeroed my rifle before going on hunting trips. I found that I could EASILY keep my bullet in a pie plate just by turning the dial to the position in my book, no matter what I was shooting before.

In fact, I know that my rifle will keep that bullet in a 1"x1" square after I turn the dial to the hunting zero position. (exact position shifts in that square, and I have to be sitting at a bench, on sandbags, etc etc, but it's repeatable, darn it!)

So now before a hunting trip I don't worry about it. I turn my dial into the hunting load and I know without doubt I'll be in the pie plate.

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Your mileage may vary. I suggest experimenting (repeatedly) to verify you could do this too. But it would negate the need or requirement to find a load with equivalent POI as your intended hunting load.

BTW I independently follow CSAcannoneer's advice. To make my hunting life simpler, I do all my hunting, condor zone or not, with lead free bullets. They work fine on big game, and it's just easier.

[Whiterabbit]

Just to make things really clear,

I have a 7mm load using a 100 grain bullet. It uses so much powder that the bullet is seated .1" into the case neck and the powder is compressed (yes this is a book load). As you can imagine, it shoots really high.

I have a 7mm load using a 140 grain cast bullet and a minimal amount of trailboss powder. The bullets lob. Even more than 175's with high energy powder.

The POI between them is 12" off from each other at 100 yards. And no matter which I have shot (or any load in between), when I set the scope to my notebook position for my hunting load, that load will shoot within a 1"x1" square. When cold, sitting at a bench, on sandbags, etc. Minute-of-paper-plate is not under question.