Well with lead banned in a chunk of California some of us have to use copper(Barnes) or Winchesters E-tip in our guns if we wanna hunt. Stupid condor is uglier than heck anyway I don't get it but ya that's what we're stuck with.
Of the hunters here, who's been shooting lead and then changed to the Barnes bullet? Was your POI changed at all? I've heard tell of huge differences(6+ inches) in the POI between lead and copper. Secondly, are these Barnes bullets gonna take down deer and hogs pretty well? I know my lead Sierra's kill nicely, but what not sure on the Barnes. Can anyone let me know???
Theres no reason to have to use a lead-free bullet, just make sure you follow the rules below.
This is out of the Fish and Game Book:
If you hunt in California condor range, you are being asked to get the lead out. Following reports that lead ammunition is contributing to the high lead levels documented in some wild condors, the DFG and other conservation groups are asking for hunters in condor range (parts of the counties of Tulare, Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and San Benito) to remove lead from the area by following a few simple steps:
-Retrieve all killed animals (including coyotes and small game)from the field, or
-Hide carcasses or gut piles by burying them, covering them with brush or rocks, or placing them in an inaccessible area, or
-Remove bullets and surrounding impacted flesh when leaving carcasses or gut piles in the field, or
-Use lead-free ammunition, in which case none of the above is needed.
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A golf course is a willful and deliberate misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.
Theres no reason to have to use a lead-free bullet, just make sure you follow the rules below.
This is out of the Fish and Game Book:
If you hunt in California condor range, you are being asked to get the lead out. Following reports that lead ammunition is contributing to the high lead levels documented in some wild condors, the DFG and other conservation groups are asking for hunters in condor range (parts of the counties of Tulare, Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and San Benito) to remove lead from the area by following a few simple steps:
-Retrieve all killed animals (including coyotes and small game)from the field, or
-Hide carcasses or gut piles by burying them, covering them with brush or rocks, or placing them in an inaccessible area, or
-Remove bullets and surrounding impacted flesh when leaving carcasses or gut piles in the field, or
-Use lead-free ammunition, in which case none of the above is needed.
jeepkid, what you are quoting are the current recommendations for voluntary compliance. As of July 1 of this year the use of lead-free ammunition in condor range becomes mandatory. Check the California DFG wbsite. After July 1 you can be chargedfor mere possession of lead ammunition while huntingin condor territory whether or not you are using the lead ammunition for hunting. The ban will also apply to .22 rimfire,for which there are no lead-free alternatives currently on the market, for some species of small game.
In regards to POI you'll just have to shoot them as every rifle and load act differently. I have a barnes load and Nosler load where the poi change isn't that great but still enough that I wouldn't hunt without verification and fine tuning. IME the barnes TSX is an accurate bullet and I haven't found a rifle yet that wouldn't shoot it (I reload but i here factory ammo guys saying the same thing).
As far as will the barnes or other non-lead buller take down deer and hog the answer is yes. The wound channel is smaller then a cup and core bullet but does the job. If your into breaking them down with a shoulder shot barnes are excellent, penetration/weight retention is very high but I've found they waste very little meat when such a shot is taken.
FYI, the E-tip is made by Nosler. Maybe able to get more info from the website or Nosler forum. I have zero experience with the E-tips.
California Lead Ban
