Winchester’s Alternative To Lead
Posted by MikeAdams on July 10, 2008
The California lead ammunition ban took effect last week for the hunters in that state. Now that the law is in full swing, hunters are looking for a lead alternative to hit the field with.
Winchester is the first company I have seen that has come out with a new lead alternative for shotgunners. They have introduced the Xpert Game and Target Steel Shot line of ammunition. The offerings are in standard 12 gauge and 20 gauge, both in 2 3/4″ shells. The 12 gauge is a one ounce
load and the 20 gauge is a 3/4 ounce load. They claim that the muzzle velocity can reach up to 1325 fps. The state that this load is for upland game bird hunters as well as a lead alternative to standard lead target loads. No price has been set as of yet, but they are hoping to make the offering at a price less than the comparable lead shot.
If this is the case, this will be a nice alternative for our outdoorsmen who are forced to make the change to non-lead shot. California is the first state to ban lead in such a wide sweep, it won’t be long before other states follow their lead. So if you looking for a cheap lead alternative, check out the new Xpert Game and Target Steel Shot. If anyone has seen this on the store shelf yet, let us know so we can post a price on the product.
Looks like probably the best lead shot alternative I have seen as of yet.
I have mixed feelings about the lead shot ban in California, but I fear, as you said, that it is going to have a trickling effect pretty soon, and other states are going to jump on board.
It is nice to see that we have some options already available to us.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:02 am
My question about using steel shot all of the time is how is it going to effect the wear on the barrel of the gun. I have been told that if you have an older gun that doesn’t have choke tubs that you can shoot the choke right out of the barrel, which is exactly what my 20 gauge is. If you think about it lead is softer than steel so it isn’t going to wear the barrel like steel which would be the same hardness. I would hate to be forced to use something that is going to do damage to my gun.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Just a note…
The CA lead ban doesn’t currently extend to small game or upland birds. It only applies to big game (deer, pigs, bear) and non-game (coyotes, ground squirrels, starlings, etc.). The ban also doesn’t apply to any target shooting.
As to Tim’s question, steel shot can be rough on old guns (really old), but most modern shotguns will be fine with it. I’ve put hundreds of rounds down my old Stevens 311 side-by-side without any significant scoring or barrel bulge. Lead-alternatives that are harder than steel can be an issue (Hevi-Shot, Tungsten), although it’s more a long-term damage problem than any safety concern.
Anyway, hope that info is helpful.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they ban all lead bullets in California, including for target shooting. It’s my understanding that they outlawed lead for hunting small game (in CT that definition includes ground squirrels) because they are afraid that so called ‘endangered birds’ might eat the carcases and get lead poisoning. Have you ever shot a small game animal where the bullet didn’t go in one side and out the other? I have never found a piece of lead in an animal while gutting them. Everyone I’ve heard report on this believes that this is a major step toward banning all hunting and in time they would ban all firearms if they legally could. Who currently makes a non-lead 22LR round? Doesn’t that automatically eliminate most small game hunting? It’s about time we stood up to these left-wing extremists who are successfully taking away our great outdoor heritage. We need to DEMAND that this stop NOW before it’s too late.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:45 pm