Lead free for hunting. Speed and twist rate. Can lead free slugs be accurate and perform on game?

[Malsonb]

My state legalized air rifle hunting this season. I have a .25 skyhawk that loves gto's. Stacks them out to 50 yards. My .25 huntsman loves the h&n greens. Same accuracy out to 50 yards. Don't know what twist they are but they are accurate.
I killed squirrels with both and they were just as effective as any lead pellets. Longest shot was 60 yards. They hit with a loud smack and they all dropped dead.
They are shooting in the 900 fps. Either the twist rate is just right for the speed and or they grip the rifling just right.

Here we go! My state requires a minimum of .45 cal and minimum of 200 gr bullet for big game.
Could you pair a light weight lead free slug(200 to 300 gr) in a .45 to .72 cal with a twist rate for good accuracy at high speeds?
Also, can a lead free slugs be designed to fragment better?

My .25 lead free pellets killed better than my rainstorm and AEA max in .30 cal with lead slugs. I feel the speed was to slow and they just went right through.

Any thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

[SqrlHntr]

A little aged but still a decent read.

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/pdfs/Thomas_2012.pdf

 

[Nsboost]

My issue with lead free slugs would be most any material you are going to make a slug out of is going to be hard. Hard material in a air gun isn't going to be great for rifling engagement and accuracy.

Pellets have a skirt. I think they are a bit more forgiving with hard materials.

 

[Malsonb]

A little aged but still a decent read.

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/pdfs/Thomas_2012.pdf

Thanks I will read this article

 

[Great-Comfortable461]

Lehigh Defense made an awesome fracturing copper bullet in 50 cal. I have used it in my Umarex hammer with great results but I hear they do even better from an airforce texan 50 cal. https://lehighdefense.com/500-diameter-240-grain-controlled-fracturing-bullets-50-count.html I think they stopped making them but there are some still selling around on the internet. Another option is that Nate at Apex Airgun Ammo https://apexairgunammo.com/ can cast slugs from Bismuth that are about 90% the weight of lead. From my testing they still shoot just as good as lead in 25 cal but I havent tried anything bigger yet. I plan to buy some 50 cal bismuth cast from Nate and test them out. Bismuth is harder than lead so I am not sure how it would expand or fracture but I bet if you made the walls of the hollow point then enough it would fracture and cause some damage.

 

[budwig]

I learned from my reading that Minnesota has 200,000 deer harvested a year. Therefore...there should be the same number of gut piles with lead fragments that the poor scavengers eat.

 

[Nomadic Pirate 66]

I learned from my reading that Minnesota has 200,000 deer harvested a year. Therefore...there should be the same number of gut piles with lead fragments that the poor scavengers eat.

If you make the right shot there's no lead in the gut pile to eat,...never hear of targeting the gut for a big game kill

 

[Great-Comfortable461]

If you make the right shot there's no lead in the gut pile to eat,...never hear of targeting the gut for a big game kill

If you hit vital organs with a lead core bullet there is absolutely lead fragmentation in the “gut pile” (I leave the heart and lungs with the guts and consider that the gut pile) this applies mostly to high energy center fire rifle and rim fire ammo less so for slower moving airgun ammo. The only way there would be lead in the gut pile is if you are taking head shots but scavengers love brains so they would likely still eat lead fragments. https://www.researchgate.net/public...ed_bullets_for_wildlife_shooting_in_Australia