Lead Ban Chronicles – Minnesota DNR Testing Lead Ammo
Just got this from the JHO forums (slipped right by my RSS feeds)… in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, there’s an article about the MN DNR’s program to research the actual dispersal and performance of lead bullets. The study is intended to see just how lead ammo fragments and spreads lead through a carcass using multiple ammo types, as well as shot placement. The outcome will be a report for hunters describing ways to minimize the amount of lead in their venison.
I’ll be interested in the results too. I have a bad feeling that they’re not going to learn much we don’t already know, but at least they’re trying.
For what it’s worth, if you’re concerned with lead bullet fragmentation, here are a few tips:
- Use a non-lead bullet – not a cheap option, and not viable for many calibers
- Use a “bonded” bullet - still pretty expensive, but bonded bullets hold together better, even on impact with bone
- Avoid highly “frangible” bullets, such as the ballistic tips
- Avoid lightweight, high-speed bullets as they tend to fragment more explosively
- Place shots to avoid large bones (think like an archer) – good choices are the pocket behind the shoulder or the neck (head shots are not a great idea, as a miss can result in really horrible wounding and slow death)
I’ll be curious to see if the MN DNR come up with more ideas.
This is a pretty neat study. There is another interesting study called “copper vs lead bullet fragmentation study” on youtube. Does some ballistic gel comparison and other things to compare some differences in performance.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I was thrilled to see that Minnesota’s DNR was actually thinking and studying this, rather than passing new regs in a knee-jerk fashion. With one of our F&G commissioners here talking about how hunters endanger people by putting wild boar and venison on the plate, I’m pretty sure California won’t be so methodical…
July 25th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Well, I am off to do some testing of my own.
Myself and a good friend of mine will be hunting with Phillip up in the X zone for Mule Deer and if there is any advise which I can be given it will be greatly appreciated.
I will be using a Weatherby 300 magnum ultra light with fluted barrel. I realize that we will not be hunting in the Condor zone but, since I live in the Lead Free zone I may as well get used to shooting the copper bullets.
What shall I expect as far as ballistics and travel are concerned?
July 27th, 2008 at 5:01 am
Michael, good idea for the X hunt… trust your guide.
As to going copper, odds are really strong you’ll be very pleasantly surprised. I found a different point of impact between these and the bonded ammo I was using before, but once I got zero I was seeing excellent groups. So far, everthing I’ve shot with the Barnes went down and out pretty clean. It was a 200 grain Barnes bullet I used on that curly-tail over at your place.
Long-range performance should be enhanced, although I don’t think there is enough there to matter for field shooting. It’s nice to know you’ll probably get pass-through performance even way out there.
July 27th, 2008 at 7:05 pm