Factory none lead based anmunition recomendations

[PCal]

Good morning SD members,

My friend and I are due to be heading to Arran on the BASC stalking scheme in November. One of the conditions is the requirement to use factory none lead ammunition.

Now, sods law is that I have just found a promising load in my Sako 85 .308 with 130grn Barnes TTSX and N140, however, we have to use factory ammunition.

I will be using a Sako 85 in .308win. My friend using a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor.

We are expecting ranges out to 200m possibly 250m depending on the ballistics of the factory ammo and retaining enough energy downrange.

Your experiences and recommendations are most welcome.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[njc110381]

I suppose it would make sense to try the Barnes Vor-TX 130gr ammo as the rifle likes that bullet. Geko make a fairly light (136gr?) lead free offering I believe, so that will keep you near the same weight class. Sellier and Bellot XRG Blue 165gr shoot well in mine and my friends .308's, but that doesn't mean they will in yours. What have you got available to you locally? That's often a deciding factor.

 

[375 mag]

Hornady 150g GMX shoot well in mine just struggling to find them as I think they've been replaced with CX or ECX.

 

[MACKY]

Try some Fox ammo.
I use it in my 30-06, just as accurate as the sako rounds I use to use.

 

[DavyG]

Good morning SD members,

My friend and I are due to be heading to Arran on the BASC stalking scheme in November. One of the conditions is the requirement to use factory none lead ammunition.

Now, sods law is that I have just found a promising load in my Sako 85 .308 with 130grn Barnes TTSX and N140, however, we have to use factory ammunition.

I will be using a Sako 85 in .308win. My friend using a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor.

We are expecting ranges out to 200m possibly 250m depending on the ballistics of the factory ammo and retaining enough energy downrange.

Your experiences and recommendations are most welcome.

Many thanks in advance.

Put your own loads in a factory box.
Simples…
DG

 

[Selous]

Good morning SD members,

My friend and I are due to be heading to Arran on the BASC stalking scheme in November. One of the conditions is the requirement to use factory none lead ammunition.

Now, sods law is that I have just found a promising load in my Sako 85 .308 with 130grn Barnes TTSX and N140, however, we have to use factory ammunition.

I will be using a Sako 85 in .308win. My friend using a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor.

We are expecting ranges out to 200m possibly 250m depending on the ballistics of the factory ammo and retaining enough energy downrange.

Your experiences and recommendations are most welcome.

Many thanks in advance.

H have chronographed the 130g Barnes Vor-tx ammo through a Sako barrel and it gave good results. The following is from an email I sent to the rifles owner:

Anyway the 130g Barnes ammo that you were using gave an average velocity of 2984fps over 5 rounds with an extreme spread of 38 fps and a standard deviation of 15.2

The velocities in shot order were :
2968, 2985, 2988, 2972, 3007

The chronograph tracked all 5 bullets to 50m and the average velocity at 50m was 2837fps and it tracked one to 75m with a velocity of 2761fps at 75m

 

[petlowe]

Barnes factory TTSX 130gr runs faster than I can reproduce with local powder, they also group well is the common experience. Daunsty has plenty of stock.

 

[Heym SR20]

Put your own loads in a factory box.
Simples…
DG

This sort of behaviour can soon mean that you will loose the shooting and bugger things up fir every body. Many of the leases now specify lead free, and it is becoming a requirement for grants, land management audits etc etc. and in particular certifying venison is lead free to game dealers.

And its this sort of attitude that is picked up by all of those who think that we hunters cannot be trusted and thus the only people allowed to shoot deer will be those in the direct employ of the crown using issued rifles and ammo.

 

[DavyG]

This sort of behaviour can soon mean that you will loose the shooting and bugger things up fir every body. Many of the leases now specify lead free, and it is becoming a requirement for grants, land management audits etc etc. and in particular certifying venison is lead free to game dealers.

And its this sort of attitude that is picked up by all of those who think that we hunters cannot be trusted and thus the only people allowed to shoot deer will be those in the direct employ of the crown using issued rifles and ammo.

Excuse me…
I wasn’t for one moment suggesting you used lead bullets. The OP clearly stated he had developed a load for his rifle using non-lead projectiles.
Maybe you missed that bit in the original post…?
Why would anyone consider using a “factory” cartridge which is alien to them? Asking for opinions as to which ammunition may be suitable will not give a definitive answer as to what will suit his rifle. I could never understand why some shooting bodies still insist on using “factory”. Surely a properly developed load is better for all concerned…especially your chosen quarry.
Regards,
DG

 

[Liveonce]

This sort of behaviour can soon mean that you will loose the shooting and bugger things up fir every body. Many of the leases now specify lead free, and it is becoming a requirement for grants, land management audits etc etc. and in particular certifying venison is lead free to game dealers.

And its this sort of attitude that is picked up by all of those who think that we hunters cannot be trusted and thus the only people allowed to shoot deer will be those in the direct employ of the crown using issued rifles and ammo.

Think the suggestion was to put home loaded lead free ammunition in a factory box.

 

[PCal]

Thank you for the replies. I'll try to source a box of the Barnes TTSX 130grn Factory Ammo and the Fox 150grn ammo to try.

I wonder what powder is being used in the Barnes TTSX Factory Ammo? The homeloads I trialled with the 130grn TTSX were at 2820fps using 46.5 grn of N140. Does that seem a bit slow?

 

[Heym SR20]

Excuse me…
I wasn’t for one moment suggesting you used lead bullets. The OP clearly stated he had developed a load for his rifle using non-lead projectiles.
Maybe you missed that bit in the original post…?
Why would anyone consider using a “factory” cartridge which is alien to them? Asking for opinions as to which ammunition may be suitable will not give a definitive answer as to what will suit his rifle. I could never understand why some shooting bodies still insist on using “factory”. Surely a properly developed load is better for all concerned…especially your chosen quarry.
Regards,
DG

My bad, but even so if land owner, shoot syndicate of whatever stipulates factory ammo, then you should use it. Things like land owners insurance will be driving such decisions.
Yes home loaded ammo may be more accurate etc, but if you have a rifle that cannot shoot factory ammo well enough to shoot deer there is something fundamentally wrong with the rifle.

And over the years there too many accidents caused by faulty home loaded ammo - especially if used in another rifle for which it wasn’t developed. Chamber a round which has its bullet seated long into another rifle you will get a huge pressure spike.

Fundamentally if a landowner, or guide, or shoot organiser stipulates particular type of ammo, moderator etc you have a simple choice - either comply, or use an estate rifle or go elsewhere.

 

[Alantoo]

Spolit for choice nowadays...though maybe not spoilt with supply....

130gr Fox, Barnes Vor-tx, 150gr Hornady GMX/CX, RWS Hit, Sako Blade...for expanding mono metal...RWS Evo Green twin tin cored partitions.

Best to see what works with your rifle.

I have shot the factory Fox, GMX and Evo Green and they all have grouped less than an 1" with 5 shots with me shooting my rifle at 100yards...

I have successfully shot Fallow, Roe and Muntjac with factory Hornady GMX and home load 130gr and 110gr Barnes TTSX bullets.

Alan

 

[375 mag]

Before you follow in the suggestion to put homeloads in a factory box. They check your ammunition before your allowed to do the shooting test so everything in the box would need to match exactly with the original content. ( you may get away with it ) Turning up with the incorrect ammunition would see you on the first ferry home a few pounds lighter as you wouldn't get a refund.

 

[User00040]

Before you follow in the suggestion to put homeloads in a factory box. They check your ammunition before your allowed to do the shooting test so everything in the box would need to match exactly with the original content. ( you may get away with it ) Turning up with the incorrect ammunition would see you on the first ferry home a few pounds lighter as you wouldn't get a refund.

You won't get away with it.

I can tell if a case has been loaded at home or at the 'factory' and I'm hardly an expert.

 

[DavyG]

You won't get away with it.

I can tell if a case has been loaded at home or at the 'factory' and I'm hardly an expert.

UK equivalent of David Caruso…
Regards,
DG

 

[User00040]

UK equivalent of David Caruso…
Regards,
DG

Better than Sherlock Holmes and Rebus combined

 

[Foxyboy43]

Pershinally I love my ‘anmunition”, hic! Itsh my friend, take me sick I’m home. Hic!

 

[monarman]

Why expecting 200 to 250 yard shots?....

Sako blade and sellior and bellot exergy blue shoot very well in 6.5 creedmoor... can't guarantee how they perform at those distances as never shot anything that far with either....
308 the rws evo green hit hard .... again I've never shot them at live quarry at distance so can't quantify how good they'll be bit my friend has shot plates out to 300 or so and says they still hit hard at those distances.

If your rifle likes the barnes bullets then just buy the factory equivalent..

 

[petlowe]

Thank you for the replies. I'll try to source a box of the Barnes TTSX 130grn Factory Ammo and the Fox 150grn ammo to try.

I wonder what powder is being used in the Barnes TTSX Factory Ammo? The homeloads I trialled with the 130grn TTSX were at 2820fps using 46.5 grn of N140. Does that seem a bit slow?

Something American.
I can get the 110gr TTSX running at the same speed but no way on a reload with all the power of quickload at hand.

The below is from my 600mm barrel