Victoria to ban lead projectiles for deer hunting

[Gun-nut]

It seems as if lead bullets are going to be banned for deer hunting by 2028 and for quail hunting by 2025 under the new game regulations.

https://sportingshooter.com.au/news/vic ... rvey-open/

Shooters only have until the 29 of July to make submissions on the matter.

[Oldbloke]

Currently lead is only banned for ducks.

Why haven't they banned lead sinkers, lead batteries, lead glazes for pottery and, in this century, insecticides, hair dyes, car batteries, pigments, cable sheathing, weight belts for diving, lead crystal glass, radiation protection and in some solders.

Odd it's only shooting related stuff.

[Gun-nut]

There's an agenda behind it all for sure, but how many lead free hunting projectiles are out there currently? And more importantly, actually available on the market? If deer are such a pest at the moment then why make them harder to hunt? Just doesn't add up.

[Oldbloke]

There's an agenda behind it all for sure, but how many lead free hunting projectiles are out there currently? And more importantly, actually available on the market? If deer are such a pest at the moment then why make them harder to hunt? Just doesn't add up.

Cost us out of it, make it harder and harder. It's the greenie mentality, screw shooters at every opportunity.

Apparently Eagles only eat "game"

[Die Judicii]

This thread brings a vision into my head.

A Buy Back scheme for lead ammunition,,, initiated by the Vic govt and the Greens.

Not a snowflakes chance in hell.

[Oldbloke]

SSAA Submission.
Hope the link works. It's a 5mb download.
From what I've read so far it looks pretty good.


https://ssaavic.us12.list-manage.com/tr ... 1b9580c9f1

[Racked]

Hey Fellas,

If I stock up on 30 06 ammo now which contains lead and store them for future use, how many years can I expect them to be reliable for hunting?

[OyKurwa]

I'm don't about everyone else here. But I'm getting ahead of the game and starting to work on copper mono loads.

[bladeracer]

Hey Fellas,

If I stock up on 30 06 ammo now which contains lead and store them for future use, how many years can I expect them to be reliable for hunting?

Several lifetimes I would think.

[Oldbloke]

I have about 200 Hornady interlocks that are about 20 yrs in storage. Apart from a bit of light patina they are fine.
Nothing that a 5 minute vinegar bath won't fix.

[mickb]

Hey Fellas,

If I stock up on 30 06 ammo now which contains lead and store them for future use, how many years can I expect them to be reliable for hunting?

Dependant on storage conditions, particularly high/low temperature variations. Id vouch 80+ years even with hit and miss storage. Theres some interesting long running threads on the longevity of ammo out there on the internet. The oldest regularly tested ammo is 45-70 government from the old arsenals, I think 1890's and still runs okay.

[Blr243]

Over time I’m gradually developing a theory that copper Barnes type pills don’t deliver the energy as well to the game compared to conventional jacketed lead bullets. I agree they expand and mostly hold together but I think they tend to over penetrate and I don’t see how they are delivering their energy if they are exiting. I have only every used one Barnes in the field on a red deer .. everything else has been conventional. I’m not 100 per cent certain of this theory it’s more a suspicion . I’m open to be proven wrong and I invite your thoughts and experiences

[Blr243]

There’s probably already published articles on this subject somewhere

[Blr243]

I’m referring to copper vs standard lead jacketed in high velocity rifle loads , not in pistol bullets like the picture here

[Blr243]

Not copper handgun bullets

[bladeracer]

Over time I’m gradually developing a theory that copper Barnes type pills don’t deliver the energy as well to the game compared to conventional jacketed lead bullets. I agree they expand and mostly hold together but I think they tend to over penetrate and I don’t see how they are delivering their energy if they are exiting. I have only every used one Barnes in the field on a red deer .. everything else has been conventional. I’m not 100 per cent certain of this theory it’s more a suspicion . I’m open to be proven wrong and I invite your thoughts and experiences

It probably only burns around 200fps to exit the skin so it may well have expended almost everything in the animal before then.

I was talking to an old deer culler last week. Reckons the best bullet he's ever used for sambar is the 140gn Hornady Monoflex copper .30-30 bullet in .308 at full-noise. I can't find the Monoflex listed by anybody here though currently. He has zero regard for subsonic loads but admitted he didn't try them much and it was a while ago so never tried more modern subsonic bullets. Agrees with me though that suppressors work best on supersonic loads.

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/30-cal-308-140-gr-monoflex-for-30-30-win#!/

[bladeracer]

From ADA.

[Oldbloke]

Grouse.

[bigpete]

Screenshot_20240902-194342_Facebook.jpg (348.27 KiB) Viewed 325 times

[Oldbloke]

SSAA Announcement.

New Game Regulations announced
The Victorian Government has released its decisions on the review of the Wildlife (Game) Regulations ahead of them being presented to the Governor in Council for approval tomorrow.



The intent of the Regulatory Impact Statement process was for proposals to be tested with the community ahead of final regulations being made. We are pleased to report that, whilst not all our arguments were ultimately successful, this process has worked, and the submissions made on the Regulatory Impact Statement were apparently considered properly and on merit.



Key decisions include:

Not to mandate a transition away from lead-based ammunition for deer hunting

Whilst we accepted that there is merit in avoiding lead-based products where this is feasible, SSAA Victoria was able to put forward a detailed and compelling case that there would also be negatives associated with any change and that a transition at this time would be unwarranted and counterproductive. We are pleased that the Government has taken SSAA Victoria’s advice on board and decided not to proceed with this proposal. The Government will examine this issue more holistically in the future but has said a firm no to a ban on lead projectiles in these regulations.

To proceed with an immediate ban on lead ammunition for quail hunting

This was one of the Government’s commitments as a part of its decision to continue with duck and quail hunting. SSAA Victoria argued for a staged transition. We will now focus on making sure that hunters are as ready as they can be for the change.

To allow the use of handheld thermal during the day

To regulate a Wednesday opening and an 8 am start for the first five days of the duck season.

SSAA Victoria put the case for a more nuanced approach, but that argument was unsuccessful.

To prohibit electronic callers for quail but continue to allow them for ducks.

SSAA Victoria has long supported the prohibition on acoustic quail callers but argued strongly against a similar prohibition on electronic duck callers – the two are not comparable.

To keep hog deer checking stations in place for 2025 with a likely change ahead of the 2026 season.

Our understanding is that there will be a transition away from checking stations when the alternative process is robust. SSAA Victoria’s stated concern was not with a change but with the potential for unintended consequences. The Association welcomes this sensible pause.

To consider allowing extra hound breeds in the future.

The Victorian Hound Hunters put forward an excellent proposal, which SSAA Victoria threw our weight behind. We are pleased that this remains on the agenda.

To keep Australasian (Blue Winged) Shoveler as a “game” species, but to have no open season for them.

SSAA Victoria argued for a more nuanced approach that would have allowed a sustainable seasonal harvest, but we are pleased that Shoveler has not been removed from the game list - this decision will enable the Game Management Authority to continue critical research into this species.



In making its decision, the Government has also rejected several proposals put forward by anti-hunting activist groups, including:

Mandating a maximum shooting distance

Abolishing junior hunting licences (setting the minimum age for hunters at eighteen)

Banning all hunting with dogs

Introducing a special permit for so-called “wildlife rescuers”

Introducing mandatory I.D. tags for hunters

Banning bowhunting



SSAA Victoria members can be proud of the leading role that their Association played in this process, and the Association thanks members for engaging so actively on this issue and thanks the Government for consulting genuinely with the community.



SSAA Victoria will continue to lead the charge to grow hunting opportunities and to push back against the constant attacks on hunting from animal rights extremists

[mchughcb]

Mehh, I got a similar spin from the ADA.

Let me explain to you how this works. A few submissions by peak bodies is not the same as 1000 p###ed off hunters letting the government know they aren't happy.

[zbenga]

I think the government needs to be very careful with banning lead bullets because within 2-3 years from that they will have to have a list of banned materials bullets can be made out of

I don't think the government wants all the shooters to shoot Tungsten bullets in copper jackets because they would have a massive headache .... I think the animal rights activist are quite uneducated and it's down to lobbying, it takes a few millions in strong lobbying to make whatever a corporation wants mandatory

[deye243]

I think the government needs to be very careful with banning lead bullets because within 2-3 years from that they will have to have a list of banned materials bullets can be made out of

I don't think the government wants all the shooters to shoot Tungsten bullets in copper jackets because they would have a massive headache .... I think the animal rights activist are quite uneducated and it's down to lobbying, it takes a few millions in strong lobbying to make whatever a corporation wants mandatory

I'm thinking the government would love to be in that position less and less for us to use .
Anyway copper monolithic would handle everything even though I don't like them