Lead Ban Chronicles – I’d Rather Fight than Switch
Well, it’s become obvious, as it should have been all along, that all is not peachy-keen in the world of the California deer and hog hunters who are now required (as of July 1) to use non-lead ammunition.
The word, of course, has been out for quite some time. However, shooting ranges throughout the state have been seeing a surge of last-minute hunters lining the benches as we slip into the final fortnight leading up to our early rifle season. With shock and dismay, many of them are finding that their rifles tend to put copper bullets in very different points of impact than the old, lead ammunition. This, as evidenced on the blogs of my friends Hank and Holly, the HunterAnglerGardnerCook and the NorCal Cazadora.
It’s an expensive lesson, of course, since factory-loaded Barnes and ETip ammo are running in the neighborhood of $2 a shot right now… and that’s for standard calibers. Shoot something fancy, and you’re more in the range of $50-$60 for a box of 20 rounds. That’s some mighty expensive target practice.
The other issue some of the late-starters are going to face is ammo availability. Many sporting goods stores have been out of stock for quite some time, while others never really carried much stock in the first place. Components for ammunition are also a bit precious due to that thing going on over in the Middle East… since our boys fighting over there need many of the same tools we do. At least they can still use lead.
A couple of tips if you are switching:
First, remember that any time you switch ammo, you need to sight-in your gun with the new stuff. Doesn’t matter if you’re changing bullet weight, composition, or manufacturer. They’re all slightly different, and under the conditions in which a bullet is discharged from the end of the barrel, slight differences can have significant impacts. This is a lesson that has long been lost on a lot of shooters, much to their dismay in the field.
Switching from lead to copper (or gilding metal as in the Nosler/Winchester ETips) is no different. I found about a two-inch shift in elevation (at 100 yards), and in my .325 there was also about an inch and a half to two inches shift in windage as well. Your mileage WILL vary, depending on your gun and the ammo you choose to shoot. The only way to know is to get to the range and put some holes in paper.
You’ll also want to be starting from a “clean slate”, so to speak. Make sure the barrel is clear of fouling BEFORE you start shooting copper. Then make sure to keep it that way. The newer copper bullets aren’t nearly as bad as the old ones for fouling, but they do still leave a residue that will impact your accuracy and consistency.
Learn some sight-in methods that help conserve ammo.
One of my favorites is the “two-shot zero”. To perform this miraculous feat (it’s neither, really… just common sense), you’ll need a really stable rest. A gun vise is ideal, but not required. You’ll also do well to have a partner. I’ve done it solo, but it works better with four hands instead of two.
First, set your rifle up in the rest at the 100 yard range (you can do this at longer ranges, but it’s more difficult). Get it aligned and snugged in, then get the crosshairs on the bull. When you’re ready, send that first round downrange.
Now, here’s the important part. DO NOT MOVE THE RIFLE! Keep it right where it was when you fired.
While you continue to look through the scope, have your partner move the crosshairs until they align over the bullet hole you just made. Take your time, and try to keep the rifle from moving around as you load and fire the second shot. If you did this right, the rifle is now “zeroed” at 100 yards. You can fire a couple of insurance shots to be sure.
If you insist, as many people do, that you must be prepared for long-range shooting, then you can adjust the elevation to put yourself about two inches high at 100 yards. For most centerfire rifles, this is pretty close to dead-on at 250 yards, and means you can hold in the center of the killzone on large game (about an 8″ area) out to 300 yards with reasonable expectations. Beyond 300 yards many factors come into play, including the caliber and load you’re shooting.
Personally, I’ve been back and forth on this one. Typically, though, I tend to zero at 100 and know about how much holdover I’ll need in the event that I shoot far enough to worry about it… an extremely rare occurrence. The vast majority of my big game animals have been taken inside of 150 yards. I know I can shoot long if I need to, but I don’t like to when I’m hunting. I think I’ve made that speech before, so I’ll spare it here.
One more thing to consider is that because there are so few variations on the available factory-loaded non-lead ammunition (Winchester offers three calibers and about as many bullet weights. Barnes bullets are loaded by several manufacturers, but there are still only a small handful of available bullet weights.), you may not be able to get good, repeatable accuracy from your hunting gun. This is the best argument you will ever find to start handloading your own ammo. It’s not that difficult, and with proper care, it’s not very dangerous either.
Finally, ignore the myths about copper. The handful of them that are true are based on older bullets and early designs. The new stuff can be very accurate (properly loaded), and is deadly on game. This is not only my own experience, but that of many hunting friends and acquaintances, including Jim Hackiewicz, a Professional Hunter in Africa who has had the opportunity to see the effects of many different bullets on hundreds of animals every year, and a staunch proponent of the Barnes bullets.
Good luck out there!
Man, a whole bucket full of information! I almost wish that I was living in California just so that I could put it to use! Still a lot of info in there for lead bullet shooting as well – like you mentioned a lot of it is common sense…but common sense as we all well know is not that common. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Thanks, Tom.
I’m no expert, but I have had the benefit of learning from some whose knowledge plumbs depths beyond the imagination of us mere, lay-marksmen.
However, as with most hunters and shooters, an awful lot of what I’ve learned came the hard way, so if I can help a couple of people avoid some of those pitfalls, then I feel like I haven’t wasted the pixels these messages used up.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:46 am
That was some great information. I am not much of a rifle hunter, since we live in a shotgun only zone, but I can see these tips being very beneficial to all forms of sighting in.
Great tips Phillip, and hopefully they help to save some of your Californians some moolah.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Hi Phillip,
As always, good information on your blog!
You will be happy to know that my Weatherby 300 Mag. Ultra Light, shot the Federal Premium 180 grain Barnes Triple Shock, flawlessly.
This was at the i69 yard, 5 inch metal target out at the Jolon Ranch. I will attempt paper at a proper range facility a little later on this month just to fine tune.
But honestly, there was little difference from the old lead 180 Trophy Bonded Ammo and the new Copper as far as bullet flight was concerned and no adjustment was necessary.
Now, I need to see about the kill/pass through and shot placement factor, Need any meat for the freezer?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Ah! I mean 169 yards give or take a yard or two.
I wonder how many people remember the old cigarette commercial from which this title was taken from?
July 29th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Glad to hear that Weatherby is shooting straight! I think that’s the norm, actually… although there are a fair number of folks who aren’t having such luck.
Speaking of the old cigarette commercial, I think I have a new logo for the Lead Ban Chronicles posts. Take a look at the new pic on this post… whaddayathink?
July 29th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I’m in the $50 a box group for the new E-tip ammo since I’m shooting a .300 Winmag. You won’t see me sprayin & prayin unless it’s a snot slingin hog chargin.
The one gotcha for me in the no lead nonsense is the not having lead in possession while hunting or in your vehicle. I’ve got shells rolling around in my truck I ain’t see in years. Their under the seat, in the bed liner, in the door compartments, everywhere. That means when I head into a non lead area I’m going to have to unload the truck and make sure all the shells are out like when I go to Mexico. What a pain in the azz.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Yep !
Same here Jesse, I bet that I’ve got about a box rolling around in my truck as well if I were to try and gather them up.
My guess is that even the Rangers and Cop’s see the ridiculous nonsense in passing such a ludicrous law and most will not even bother to enforce it, just as so many other such laws have been quietly buried in the same manner.
They just do not have the manpower to do the patrolling, that is unless they get you trapped on foot like they do the poor duck hunters who have only one exit out of where they are hunting.
And this will hold especially true when they find that it costs them more money to try and enforce this law than the revenue it will bring in from the infractions and citations.
I already see quite a few loopholes and defensible positions which I might take if for some (Strange) unknown reason I get stopped for a traffic violation and, they magically discover a couple of “old” and verdigris covered “lead” bullets laying under my dirt covered floor mat.
Lets see Phillip, L.S.M.F.T. was Lucky Strikes slogan, A Silly Millimeter Longer, 101 was Belaire, Winston Tastes Good Like A Cigarette Should, That one is obvious!
Im havin’ trouble here, it is buried just below the surface of my brain and it is driving me nuts!!!
Which cigarette commercial said: I’d Rather Fight Than Switch…….
July 30th, 2008 at 4:08 am
That’s potentially a big gotcha, Jesse… especially in the next year or so when they move from the “education” phase of enforcement (this season) to a “crack-down” phase.
But, if you’re like me and have ammo rolling around from guns you don’t even own (I’ve got .300RUM, .45acp, and lord knows what else all over the deck in my truck… and I’ve never even owned either of those), you don’t have as much to worry about.
The law specifically states you can’t have lead ammo AND a firearm that shoots it in the possession while hunting big game. If it’s just the ammo and the gun is at home, you’re fine.
Of course, defining “while hunting” is a slippery one in itself. So far, I can’t get a strict answer from DFG about this one. For example, say I drive down to my favorite A zone spot to hunt deer this fall. I’ll be there a few days, so I pack the scattergun for quail. Of course, the scattergun stays in camp while I’m deer hunting… and the rife stays in camp while I’m quail hunting. On the way out of the campground to go home, I get stopped… am I in violation or not? I’m not hunting, I’m driving home.
From experience, we all know that’s going to depend completely on the DFG officer at the time that I’m stopped. If he’s uptight and by-the-book, I’m gonna get a ticket. If he’s more of the practical type, I probably won’t. The problem with that is that it leaves the hunters completely at the mercy of the system.
Oh, and Michael… the answer to your question is the topic of today’s blog post.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Great, great post, Phillip. Lots of useful stuff that I’ll put to use when I get my own rifle and stop borrowing Boyfriend’s.
-Holly
July 30th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Holly, I hope it is helpful.
When are you getting that rifle anyway?
July 30th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Probably after we get a new roof and I pay off my credit cards. It sure won’t be before deer season (for rifles) is over
.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Man, someone’s priorities are just way off!
July 30th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I know. What kind of huntress am I?
July 30th, 2008 at 12:39 pm