Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by deadkitty » 07 Oct 2016, 3:51 pm

Thanks again everyone, so much info! . Thanks Gwion for then link to your Trail Boss loads, that takes care of that little problem. Wobble, the composite projectiles are supposedly made from powdered metal bonded with??? I'll assume some kind of epoxy, I came across them in an article in a mates shooting mag ages ago, searched all my old Australian Shooter mags and couldn't find it anywhere. Bladeracer, no problem I'll post the links when I find it/them, also thanks for the ballistics info, I was assuming the brass custom jobs were superior by having a better BC, I clearly have a lot to learn about reloading and ballistics. Thanks again to you all Cheers
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by Rifle realist » 07 Oct 2016, 4:41 pm

Hello Dead Kitty
Perhaps the projectiles you are looking at might be the sintered metal/epoxy they use for shooting metallic targets.
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by bladeracer » 07 Oct 2016, 7:02 pm

deadkitty wrote:Wobble, the composite projectiles are supposedly made from powdered metal bonded with??? I'll assume some kind of epoxy, I came across them in an article in a mates shooting mag ages ago, searched all my old Australian Shooter mags and couldn't find it anywhere.


Okay, these are just powdered copper and/or brass like Hornady's NTX in .204 and .223, although a powdered copper bullet encased in a copper jacket probably doesn't constitute a "composite" label :-)
My impression was that these are mainly for the smaller caliber bullets but I'll have to do some research to see if they use them for bigger stuff also.
I thought they were merely compressed powder without a bonding agent though.
I forgot earlier that Hornady also do a monolithic copper bullet, the GMX.
In the bigger calibers there are an awful lot of non-lead bullet alternatives.
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by deadkitty » 08 Oct 2016, 7:17 am

Rifle realist wrote:Hello Dead Kitty
Perhaps the projectiles you are looking at might be the sintered metal/epoxy they use for shooting metallic targets.
Cheers


I hope not!, but you might be right :unknown: , I'd try them anyway as I spend more time shooting targets than ferals, unfortunately :cry: . Thanks for the info Cheers
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by deadkitty » 08 Oct 2016, 7:25 am

bladeracer wrote:
deadkitty wrote:Wobble, the composite projectiles are supposedly made from powdered metal bonded with??? I'll assume some kind of epoxy, I came across them in an article in a mates shooting mag ages ago, searched all my old Australian Shooter mags and couldn't find it anywhere.


Okay, these are just powdered copper and/or brass like Hornady's NTX in .204 and .223, although a powdered copper bullet encased in a copper jacket probably doesn't constitute a "composite" label :-)
My impression was that these are mainly for the smaller caliber bullets but I'll have to do some research to see if they use them for bigger stuff also.
I thought they were merely compressed powder without a bonding agent though.
I forgot earlier that Hornady also do a monolithic copper bullet, the GMX.
In the bigger calibers there are an awful lot of non-lead bullet alternatives.


Yep, I've seen the ammo, but I'm looking for projectiles to reload and I can't find the NTX in .223 as a projectile, only as bullets :cry: At this rate I might have to :idea: buy a lathe! :geek: ....mmmm wonder what the wife might say on that one. Cheers
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by bladeracer » 08 Oct 2016, 7:47 am

deadkitty wrote: Yep, I've seen the ammo, but I'm looking for projectiles to reload and I can't find the NTX in .223 as a projectile, only as bullets :cry: At this rate I might have to :idea: buy a lathe! :geek: ....mmmm wonder what the wife might say on that one. Cheers



Have you tried asking your local dealer to order you some?
Cartridges are complete rounds.
Bullets go in cartridges.
Projectiles are bullets in flight.
That's why bullet manufacturers don't call them projectiles ;-)
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by bladeracer » 08 Oct 2016, 8:06 am

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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by Gwion » 08 Oct 2016, 8:09 am

These are the guys I mentioned that do sample pack lots for testing before you shell out on bulk buys.
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by bladeracer » 08 Oct 2016, 9:25 am

Gwion wrote:These are the guys I mentioned that do sample pack lots for testing before you shell out on bulk buys.



Better than that, I noticed they have Hornady 7mm ELD-X's in stock!
Everywhere I've been trying to order them have been telling me they won't be available until 2017.
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by Gwion » 08 Oct 2016, 1:36 pm

If you get some, let me know how they go. Do you use the 162amax?

Wondering how close they are. On paper almost identical. I think they have made one ELD brand a hunting round and the other a target but that's just an assumption based on so many using the Amax as a hunting round when it was designed for target use.
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by bladeracer » 08 Oct 2016, 7:43 pm

Gwion wrote:If you get some, let me know how they go. Do you use the 162amax?

Wondering how close they are. On paper almost identical. I think they have made one ELD brand a hunting round and the other a target but that's just an assumption based on so many using the Amax as a hunting round when it was designed for target use.



No. haven't tried the AMax (are they still doing the AMax in 7mm, I thought it was discontinued last year?), I've been using the Speer 145gn and 160gn HotCor, and Sierra's 100gn HP mainly, and currently working on loads for Hornady's 120gn VMax and 162gn ELD-M. I got the VMax's because I couldn't get any more of the 100gn HP when I ran short. I have 200 more of the 100's coming, but I'm finding the 120gn VMax is the better bullet, so I'll just use the 100's for Trailboss close-range loads. I'm finding Hornady to be better in everything I try so it won't be long before I give up even trying anything else.
The ELD-X is the hunting version of the ELD-M with a slightly lower BC. It's rated to work at 1800+fps so max range is about 620yds - which is twice as far as I'm ever likely to use them. I wouldn't be surprised if the ELD-X isn't just a slightly refined update of the AMax.
The 160gn HotCor at 2600fps and 250yd zero by 500yds is down to 1800fps and dropping 45", the 162gn ELD-X and the AMax should be holding around 1950fps and dropping 41".
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by darryn » 21 Dec 2016, 8:07 pm

steel shot in a shotgun you need steel proof gun most moderns are and opposite choke to normal, tightest lead you go to * and steel shoots tight with **** it flys different to lead shot. im using clever brand steel in 4s which is = 6 in lead, there a different sizing between steel and lead. steel kills, not in the old guns with fixed choke unless its opened choke. still really need a modern gun really. take it from me, steel kills. i always shoot a bag no worrys used steel in my old gun i had when i was a kid hardly kill a bird, got a cheap stoeger, 1st shot out of it a black duck about 80 yards up dead. i thought s**t it does kill. never looked back. unless you forget to switch chocks back after using lead shot. duh i learnt..
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Re: Anyone tried lead free projectiles, or steel shot?

Post by Tiger650 » 10 Jan 2017, 7:58 am

Whatever happened to Bismuth shot ?
Saw it being touted in Victoria years back after the lead shot BS.
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