What lead free bullets for a .222 ?

[Overlay]

I use them for Canada goose culling, foxing & Muntjac

Never had any problem with accuracy and they are a very efficient round,
very rare it doesn’t complete the job

It’s all I use now, as good as any other round and NTX which is always a bonus

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

We have developed a .222 45gr and a .22-250 50gr factory load using Fox Classic Hunter
Both in 1:14” twists

The .222 is just standard tipped bullet
The .22-250 we had to use the bullets without tips
Same bullet just run as a hollow point.
It’s not weight it’s length that impacts the


The bullets work very well in game and expansion is not driven by the presence of the plastic tip.

 

[paulux]

We have developed a .222 45gr and a .22-250 50gr factory load using Fox Classic Hunter
Both in 1:14” twists

The .222 is just standard tipped bullet
The .22-250 we had to use the bullets without tips
Same bullet just run as a hollow point.
It’s not weight it’s length that impacts the


The bullets work very well in game and expansion is not driven by the presence of the plastic tip.

How do you pull those rounded tips out ? Do you think the Fox 45 gr would stabilize at 22 Hornet speeds (reduced load) ?

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

How do you pull those rounded tips out ? Do you think the Fox 45 gr would stabilize at 22 Hornet speeds (reduced load) ?

small pliers!
in future we will be selling them tip free for the purposes of 14:1 twist rate barrels

stability is no issue at reduced velocity

 

[EQUADIF68]

I love to hunt roe and fox with my three .222s and would like to continue with lead free bullets. All have a 1:14" barrel twist rate.

My only experience has been with factory Sako Powerhead II rounds (Barnes 50 gr ttsx). Groupings were not great. Five shots gave 5 cm and 3 cm groupings at 100 m from respectively a CZ 527 and a Blaser K95 (both 60 cm barrels). The Barnes website actually mentions that 50 gr ttsx need a 1:12" or faster twist rate.
Anyhow my only hunting experience with them wasn't too encouraging. A lung shot adult roe buck, shot at 60 m, bolted 80 m before collapsing, with no paint and pins nor any blood trail at all.

I handload so am considering trying Fox 45 gr (Ed from Edingburgh Rifles mentions in a post that Fox 50 gr won't stabilize in .222).
Am also considering Barnes 45 gr or 50 gr tsx which should stabilize according to the Barnes website, but I fear they won't expand enough in a fox or roe.
Another option would be Lapua Naturalis 50 gr, which Lapua factory loads in .222 rounds.

Have any of you shot or hunted with lead free bullets from a .222 ? Which did you use ? What accuracy did you get ? How was the performance on game/deer ? I'd appreciate you sharing your experience.

Dear French Colleague,

I'm French too - so at least we're 2 Frenchies in this forum !!!

I had to face exactly the situation you've clearly described and I didn't have found any reliable solution available on the market.

I didn't want to modify any available product, the balistic is a far more serious issue than a "bricolage".

As I use only lead free hunting's projectiles since 1988 and as I don't want to use anything else, I decided to create my own line of bullets.

I'm not going to talk about the other cases but simply stick to your concern.

The projectile which I have designed is strictly for the .222 Remington (and similars) barrels having a twist rate of 1 -14".

This bullets of 37 gr shows at 3400 / 3500 fps a very comfortable stability with SG=1.57.

Moreover I've added an innovation (in the bullet) which is an aerofoil protecting the barrel against copper fouling.

This innovation (experimented and used in several other calibers( works extrelemy well.

The bullet itself is a pure deformation bullet and it doesn't fragment at all.

Moreover the bullet's material comply to the F.D.A. ( Food & Drug Adminitration) and is listed in the "G.R.A.S. materials list" (Generaly Recognized As Safe) which is the only way to demonstrate the non toxicity.

I do not produce the projectiles myself - they are CNC machined in a French company which produces only lead free bullets for the Champions of long distance shooting, bench rest shooters at national and international level, and so on. The quality requirements acc. to ISO 9001 are all there and they are recognized on the marketplace. No space at all for amateurism in this case !

So, if you would like to know a bit more, simply drop me a message and we can continue the discussion.

Best regards,

equadif68

 

[Steff]

We have developed a .222 45gr and a .22-250 50gr factory load using Fox Classic Hunter
Both in 1:14” twists

The .222 is just standard tipped bullet
The .22-250 we had to use the bullets without tips
Same bullet just run as a hollow point.
It’s not weight it’s length that impacts the


The bullets work very well in game and expansion is not driven by the presence of the plastic tip.

Would you share your recipe with us please?

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

22-250 34gr N140
PPU brass
CCI200
will dig out the .22 proof data

 

[Nielsfrathy]

I just shot my first roe using Fox 45 grain Hydro Chock (not classic hunter) and it worked great! Roe ran 40 meters, normal with two lungs hit - exit wound some 3 cm - looks like good expansion. bullet should be just over 1000m/s, loaded in PPU brass from www.riffelpatroner-lolland-falster.dk in Denmark. It is a different bullet than the Classic hunter - rather large hollow point, but it the most precise lead free i have tried in my old Sako Vixen (which will not group satisfactorily with Barnes TSX 50 grain, and only acceptable with Naturalis).