Lead and monolith bullets

[Miletic]

On our forum here, I see a constant presentation of monolithic bullets and their testing. Since I highly appreciate the hunters how write here, I am interested in how many of you prefer to use lead bullets and how many monolithic bull. I would like to use your opinion and make a comparison for different continents. The size and type of game is not important, but if you still make a difference, it would be desirable to state it.
Thank s

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Prefer premium leadcore bullets. They create substantial more tissue damage compared to a monolithic.

 

[Miletic]

I agree. I mostly use lead bullets. I also test monolithic ones, but I find that lead ones are easier to control and can work exactly the way we want. Of course, there are also monoliths that are an excellent choice

 

[Miletic]

Prefer premium leadcore bullets. They create substantial more tissue damage compared to a monolithic.

What is the most frequently used projectile in KMG? I'm thinking of you PH

 

[Kevin375]

I prefer lead core for soft nose bullets but for non-expanding bullets, I prefer monolithics.

 

[Miletic]

I prefer lead core for soft nose bullets but for non-expanding bullets, I prefer monolithics.

You have a lot of wild boars in France. I have a couple of friends who fish there. They mostly use RWS
Thanks

 

[Kevin375]

You have a lot of wild boars in France. I have a couple of friends who fish there. They mostly use RWS
Thanks

Yes, we do. But it also depends places and where I live, we don't have a lot of them now.

RWS used to be very popular in the past and especially in 7x64, 8x57 JRS, 9.3x62 and 9.3x74 R but this brand is probably one of the most expansive now and therefore, I no longer see it very often.

Norma seems to be the number one nowadays but Hornady, Winchester and PPU are also very popular among hunters.
Just to clarify regarding our regulations, FMJ or Solid bullets are prohibited for hunting.

In Africa, I used some FMJ bullet ( Round noses for big games and military alike for small games) and monolithic (CEB) for big games. I will stick with CEB all the way if I could find them easily. But for soft bullets, I really like my Degol in .375" and .458".

 

[Mark458]

I prefer monometal bullets for buffalo (TSX) and I use bonded bullets for plains game (Norma Oryx)

 

[Gomer]

It’s interesting how every forum has its own personality. Here, heavy-for-caliber TSX/A-Frames is universally recommended. Other places would recommend 77gr TMKs for everything up to rhino.

If it were a spectrum, some sort of bullet-tism, I’d be light-for-caliber monos and heavy-for-caliber jacketed lead. I like to push monos as fast as possible. I’m not afraid to use 130gr TTSX from a 300 Win Mag. They are devastating on elk, so I’m sure they would do just fine on plains game. Or, 200gr Accubonds or Partitions.

 

[Miletic]

It’s interesting how every forum has its own personality. Here, heavy-for-caliber TSX/A-Frames is universally recommended. Other places would recommend 77gr TMKs for everything up to rhino.

If it were a spectrum, some sort of bullet-tism, I’d be light-for-caliber monos and heavy-for-caliber jacketed lead. I like to push monos as fast as possible. I’m not afraid to use 130gr TTSX from a 300 Win Mag. They are devastating on elk, so I’m sure they would do just fine on plains game. Or, 200gr Accubonds or Partitions.

Among other things, I have a .300 wm. I didn't use 165g light bull. With them I had a speed of about 3085fps. How fast does the TTSX 130gr go? Have you caught anything big with it and what does the bullet look after penetrate if you have?

 

[Gomer]

Among other things, I have a .300 wm. I didn't use 165g light bull. With them I had a speed of about 3085fps. How fast does the TTSX 130gr go? Have you caught anything big with it and what does the bullet look after penetrate if you have?

I have loaded it to 3500 fps and have shot elk with it. Each one dropped as if I turned off a light switch. All of bullets exited and they turned everything into soup. It was like a bomb went off inside. All were shot broadside. Ribs were pretty blood shot.

I have also shot coyotes with the same load. One was standing at 220 yards and quartering away at a hard angle. I hit her a little high on the rear leg, destroyed the whole spine and detached the off-side front leg that I found a couple feet away.

 

[Miletic]

I have loaded it to 3500 fps and have shot elk with it. Each one dropped as if I turned off a light switch. All of bullets exited and they turned everything into soup. It was like a bomb went off inside. All were shot broadside. Ribs were pretty blood shot.

I have also shot coyotes with the same load. One was standing at 220 yards and quartering away at a hard angle. I hit her a little high on the rear leg, destroyed the whole spine and detached the off-side front leg that I found a couple feet away.

Do you think I would successfully use it on European Red stag and large wild boar?

 

[JMM]

I use the 110 grain TTSX in my Todd Rameriz 30-06. Loaded to 3500 fps. It is a lightning bolt on whitetail deer and elk. Have used for many years and 250+ animals while culling for ranches. In the culling game, both here in America and Africa, tracking is not part of the game plan. I need them to drop where they stand and the 110 does not disappoint.

 

[Miletic]

I use the 110 grain TTSX in my Todd Rameriz 30-06. Loaded to 3500 fps. It is a lightning bolt on whitetail deer and elk. Have used for many years and 250+ animals while culling for ranches. In the culling game, both here in America and Africa, tracking is not part of the game plan. I need them to drop where they stand and the 110 does not disappoint.

JMM,barell twist in your Todd is? Do you have a good precision?
For white tail 110gr is ok,but do you try with moos?

 

[Wiley64]

I haven’t bought a lead bullet in a zillion years. Even for whitetail, who wants to eat meat with lead fragments throughout? Not to mention performance is 10x better.

 

[Wiley64]

 

[Miletic]

It really worked everywhere. This is probably some older soft point?

 

[cmk]

I'm quite sure that light-for-calibre monometals are quite deadly, even on big game. Just last year (or the year before) the regulations changed here, so that the minimum for big game (i.e. moose, bear, red deer, boars etc) is a 120gn bullet at such a speed that it energy-wise matches the previous energy minimum (e100) for lead-core bullets (which had to be 155gn or more).

Sure, they have the same impact energy, but won't have the same momentum. Partly I believe this is a slightly "political" thing - as a) politicians want to make a statement on lead (even though metallic lead is not the same as leaded gasoline), and b) the 6.5x55 Swedish is still one of the main calibres here, and there is a physical limit on chamber pressures/bullet weight/energies etc that are realistic/safe. And no politician (at least from parties that count) want to make enemies with the hunting community by effectively "banning" 25% of all rifles from big-game hunting.

So far I have almost only heard positive reports on the use of monometals (in any calibre) locally. But I do suspect that a lot of people still want to use leaded bullets for hunting situations where you a) don't want pass-throughs/ricochets. We often hunt with dogs, and also when the ground is frozen. Thus, a hard projectile can increase the risks of injury to 'bystanders'.

Therefore I personally prefer bonded lead core bullets like the Norma Oryx, North Fork PP or similar, as if the bullet exits, it will have less capability to unintended damage.

 

[Miletic]

I'm quite sure that light-for-calibre monometals are quite deadly, even on big game. Just last year (or the year before) the regulations changed here, so that the minimum for big game (i.e. moose, bear, red deer, boars etc) is a 120gn bullet at such a speed that it energy-wise matches the previous energy minimum (e100) for lead-core bullets (which had to be 155gn or more).

Sure, they have the same impact energy, but won't have the same momentum. Partly I believe this is a slightly "political" thing - as a) politicians want to make a statement on lead (even though metallic lead is not the same as leaded gasoline), and b) the 6.5x55 Swedish is still one of the main calibres here, and there is a physical limit on chamber pressures/bullet weight/energies etc that are realistic/safe. And no politician (at least from parties that count) want to make enemies with the hunting community by effectively "banning" 25% of all rifles from big-game hunting.

So far I have almost only heard positive reports on the use of monometals (in any calibre) locally. But I do suspect that a lot of people still want to use leaded bullets for hunting situations where you a) don't want pass-throughs/ricochets. We often hunt with dogs, and also when the ground is frozen. Thus, a hard projectile can increase the risks of injury to 'bystanders'.

Therefore I personally prefer bonded lead core bullets like the Norma Oryx, North Fork PP or similar, as if the bullet exits, it will have less capability to unintended damage.

How much is energy-wise minimum (E100) in J?

 

[Gomer]

Do you think I would successfully use it on European Red stag and large wild boar?

I would use them on any ungulate approaching 1000 lbs, with the caveat that animals over 600 lbs I’d keep ranges at 300 yards or less. I want that bullet to be going as fast as possible for bigger critters.

For animals under that, I’d be fine out to 400 because of my own shooting skill. With a 250 yard zero, I’m 12” low at 400.