Leaded ammunition is increasingly controversial among hunters. On the one hand, the lead bullets are said to pollute wild birds and game, on the other hand, lead-free ammunition provides increasingly better ballistic and hunting results. In the meantime, numerous forestry operations throughout Germany have stipulated the use of exclusively lead-free ammunition, and private hunting ground owners are also increasingly obliged by state hunting laws to shoot lead-free ammunition. So it is high time to get an overview of the most important suppliers and current developments of lead-free ammunition:
What lead-free ammunition is available?
Barnes
Barnes is one of the leading manufacturers of lead-free hunting ammunition. The bullets MRX, TSX and TTSX are also used by many other renowned manufacturers such as Norma, Sellier & Bellot, or Sako for their lead-free ammunition. The only criticism is that the jacketless bullets "smear" the barrel, which can only be remedied by chemical cleaning. To prevent this, the copper or tombac bullets of other manufacturers are often coated with nickel, which, however, is also reflected in an approximately 30% higher price. The price for a box of Barnes ammunition starts from about 50 Euro, depending on the caliber and laboratory.
Barnes Vor-TX
RWS HIT
RWS HIT is a high quality deformation bullet, which mushrooms 100% splinter-free in the game body. It is made of copper and is coated with nickel to protect the barrel. Although the ammunition is expensive, it is very popular among demanding hunters: it is accurate, reliable and gentle on the weapon.
RWS HIT
Hornady GMX
With the GMX, Hornady offers a reliable cartridge with deformation bullet. The bullet is made of a copper-zinc alloy, which is supposed to ensure reliable deformation even at long distances. Fans of the bullet swear by it mainly because it is said to leave comparatively few hematomas in the game body. A box of the ammunition is available from about 50 euros, as always depending on the laboratory and caliber.
Hornady GMX
GECO Zero
GECO's cartridge is based on the principle of a partial fragmentation bullet. The cartridge is recommended mainly for light and medium game, because it is relatively light. On the other hand, it is excellent for long shooting distances because it is fast and guarantees an easy shooting trajectory.
GECO Zero
Sellier & Bellot eXergy
With the eXergy, Sellier & Bellot offers an affordable lead-free cartridge. The hollow point bullet belongs to the deformation bullets and is characterized by a comparatively high hardness. Disadvantage: Complete mushrooming does not always occur at short distances. Advantage: Scrap most likely.
Sellier & Bellot eXergy
RWS EVO Green
For environmentally conscious RWS fans, the EVO Green is the alternative to the HIT, as this is a partial fragmentation bullet. The bullet is made of health harmless tin and has a very stretched trajectory. Recommended use according to RWS: light to medium game.
RWS Evolution Green
In which federal states must lead-free ammunition be shot?
In Germany it is not uniformly regulated where lead-free may be shot. In Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein, only lead-free ammunition may be used for hunting. In all other federal states, except Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the use of lead ammunition is prohibited in state forests and state-owned hunting grounds, but is still permitted in private hunting in some cases.
Is lead ammunition banned?
There has not yet been a complete ban on lead ammunition in Germany, but it can be assumed that this will also be pushed by the EU in the long term. Only in November 2021, lead ammunition was banned in wetlands throughout the EU, whereby it is quite openly formulated what is to be classified as a wetland.
More exciting reports
Exciting, interesting and informative reports on the subject of rifle ammunition can also be found at our premium partner, the hunting magazine Hunting Season. for example in the article Reloading- Old topic reconsidered
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