Switching to Non-toxic

Ali Pasha · Mar 18, 2026

Hi All

I'm after some general advice. I have a Ruger American .308 which is very happy using Federal Fusion 150 grain lead. I believe the barrel twist rate is 1:10.

I'm going to have to change to factory made non-toxic rounds in the future like everybody now.

Do you go up or down in bullet weight for copper?

The rifle was quite fussy ammo wise and I had to go through various different rounds until I found one that suited. Anyone got any experience of non toxic in this rifle? Otherwise it could get seriously expensive before finding what works.

Thanks for any help/advice

Shootgun · Mar 18, 2026

Ali Pasha said:
The rifle was quite fussy ammo wise and I had to go through various different rounds until I found one that suited. Anyone got any experience of non toxic in this rifle? Otherwise it could get seriously expensive before finding what works.

Unfortunately that's the way to do it, everyone will tell you to get whatever ammo shoots best in their rifles.
No two rifles shoots the same.

Ali Pasha · Mar 18, 2026

If only you buy a box of 20 with 4 different lots of 5 rounds ......

Will the chippy · Mar 18, 2026

Ask at the gunshop. My local often has some odds and sods about when folk pack up or change caliber and get rid of old ammo. He uses those rounds when zeroing a rifle or testing something, just to get it on paper.

Andyquadra · Mar 18, 2026

Ali Pasha said:
If only you buy a box of 20 with 4 different lots of 5 rounds ......

I'm sure Ed @Edinburgh Rifles was doing sample packs, or was that just bullets?

Dave_45 · Mar 18, 2026

Andyquadra said:
I'm sure Ed @Edinburgh Rifles was doing sample packs, or was that just bullets?

Spud does them but it’s projectiles only

Edinburgh Rifles · Mar 18, 2026

we do everything!
Single cigarettes, Cans from multipacks, broken biscuits, dented tins, 5 packs of 308 ammo......

Edinburgh Rifles · Mar 18, 2026

Ali Pasha said:
Hi All

I'm after some general advice. I have a Ruger American .308 which is very happy using Federal Fusion 150 grain lead. I believe the barrel twist rate is 1:10.

I'm going to have to change to factory made non-toxic rounds in the future like everybody now.

Do you go up or down in bullet weight for copper?

The rifle was quite fussy ammo wise and I had to go through various different rounds until I found one that suited. Anyone got any experience of non toxic in this rifle? Otherwise it could get seriously expensive before finding what works.

Thanks for any help/advice

try the federal copper in 150gr

Ali Pasha · Mar 18, 2026

Thanks. You rate them?

mastertech · Mar 18, 2026

Had good results from Geco 136 grains in my Bergara .308

timbrayford · Mar 19, 2026

Drop bullet weight and increase velocity is the conventional wisdom.

paulbshooting · Mar 19, 2026

Anything works in 308, fox 130g or 150g, or barnes TTSX. N140 or N135 if reloading. Deadly accurate and kill well. Using TTSX on fallow in 130g

Sakoodin1 · Mar 19, 2026

A mate of mine was using sako blades yesterday (162 grn) I think???? They were rolling roe over no bother at 220 yards!! I was rather impressed with the little fat/slow round I must say

Ali Pasha · Mar 19, 2026

paulbshooting said:
Anything works in 308, fox 130g or 150g, or barnes TTSX. N140 or N135 if reloading. Deadly accurate and kill well. Using TTSX on fallow in 130g

Thanks

Rural Management Services · Mar 20, 2026

Ali Pasha said:
If only you buy a box of 20 with 4 different lots of 5 rounds ......

I offered this option once. A load of people said it was a cracking idea and then nobody bought a box so I binned it off.

Ali Pasha · Mar 20, 2026

timbrayford said:
Drop bullet weight and increase velocity is the conventional wisdom.

Thanks

Rural Management Services said:
I offered this option once. A load of people said it was a cracking idea and then nobody bought a box so I binned it off.

Ho hum ....... That's a shame.
People would obviously prefer to buy 5 different boxes, use half a dozen out of each and then be lumbered with different lots of ammo out of four boxes to move on.

Scottb123 · Mar 20, 2026

Also make sure to give your barrel a very good cleaning copper don’t like going over lead fowling I expect when we go fully Bon toxic there will be a lot of very good rifles up for sale stated that that don’t shoot Bon toxic when if fact I just needed a good deep clean and re fouling with copper

Ali Pasha · Mar 20, 2026

Scottb123 said:
Also make sure to give your barrel a very good cleaning copper don’t like going over lead fowling I expect when we go fully Bon toxic there will be a lot of very good rifles up for sale stated that that don’t shoot Bon toxic when if fact I just needed a good deep clean and re fouling with copper

Thanks for the heads up - will do

Scotty99 · Mar 20, 2026

You will probably need to go down in bullet weight from 150 grn to 130 grn due to copper being less dense than lead and therefore needing a longer bullet to maintain the weight which may make it too long to stabilise well in a 1:10 twist. I suggest you try a 150 grn copper to see how it performs in your rifle but be prepared to drop to 130 grain.

Ali Pasha · Mar 20, 2026

Scotty99 said:
You will probably need to go down in bullet weight from 150 grn to 130 grn due to copper being less dense than lead and therefore needing a longer bullet to maintain the weight which may make it too long to stabilise well in a 1:10 twist. I suggest you try a 150 grn copper to see how it performs in your rifle but be prepared to drop to 130 grain.

Thanks for that. Edinburgh Rifles mentioned the Federal 250gr and mastertech said about 136gr Geco so there's a couple of suggestions I'll probably take up.

Switching to Non-toxic

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